I would like to muse on one of the most satisfying things I have done with my life. I worked for a year at the above mentioned facility. To be brief, at-risk teenagers come live at this psychological treatment center: they go to school there, live there, receive basic medical attention there, food, recreation etc. It’s a pretty self preserved campus. When I say ‘at-risk’, I mean this… children tend to grow up on a pretty normal (that’s a broad word, I know) developmental path. With these children, their paths have been interrupted, often very young. Some fall victim to the consequences of when pregnant mothers drink or use of other drugs. Some are abandoned at birth by one or both parents. Most fall prey to physical, emotion, sexual, and/or verbal abuse in ways as limitless as your imagination. With these pre-existing conditions, many are ill equipped with the normal level of coping mechanisms that prepare you for life. This translates to very short fuses, bursts of anger, even violence; under the stressful conditions of life, they learn to think in bizarre, harmful patters (cognitive distortions), have deviant emotions (affect), and/or act in deviant ways. These deviant ABC’s (Affect, Behavior, and Cognition) translate into what are clinically defined as mental disorders. I provided counsel and supervision for teenage boys and girls who displayed symptoms of ADHD, Bipolar disorder, Panic attacks, Obsessive-Compulsive disorder, Posttraumatic stress disorder, Self-mutilation, Learning disorders, Eating disorder, as well as other psychotic disorders. In one of the more interesting and tragic cases, I watched one of my boys develop schizophrenia in front of my eyes over several months. Currently I serve in their mentoring program spending an hour a week one on one with a young man. I can honestly say it’s one of THE most rewarding hours of my week. Having worked at Heritage previously, I know how much it means to these young men and women to have solid, consistent role models they can count on, even if it’s only an hour a week. At Heritage they go to school (they’re 13-18), receive individual therapy, group therapy, recreational therapy, psychopharmacological therapy, etc. You can see in their eyes what you mean to them and that’s all you need in return.
Filed under: PSYCHOLOGY
Hello and thank you for your heart-felt words re: your connection with the students at Heritage. I think the young people were fortunate to have someone who was willing to listen and coach them. For me, I have gotten a recommendation for this school and my child is very creative as well as having difficulty in many of areas you mention. I am a professor of adolescence, single parent and have practically given up my career to be there as I realize how my presence is so important yet I am finding I am not enough. She has difficulty attending school as well because she is inflexible and has much trouble with transitions. She has too many diagnosis and I do not believe one of them but small parts of many. She needs constancy, love and a community that can pull her out of her own limited way of thinking and responding. I need confidence that she will not be treated by so much behavior modification that she will shut down and never make any progress as that has not worked well. She needs coaching, patience, firmness, and love. Am I dreaming? Any response would be so greatly appreciated.