V.A.

BACKGROUND

L.T. was born in April 2024. (All dates refer to 2024.) The same day, hospital staff expressed concern that mother was incapable of caring for her baby. Among other things, staff reported she was “exhibiting severe mental health symptoms,” including “disassociative thoughts, seeing people that aren’t present, declaring herself to be different people, tapping the baby on the head to wake him up to talk to her, [and] stating the baby is talking to her.” She told a social worker she was “dead and reborn” and that she was the social worker’s “mother and grandmother.” She also told staff she had not been taking prescribed psychotropic medication. Staff transferred the baby to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and placed mother on a psychiatric hold; days later, she was admitted for inpatient psychiatric care. Mother’s medical records show she received psychiatric care and was placed on a psychiatric hold in February. Her records also indicate a history of “intellectual impairment, neurocognitive disorder, delusional disorder, chronic post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychosocial stressors.” After an evaluation in March, she was assessed as suffering from psychosis,…