Success Stories
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Doug walked in the door, and his grandparents could see the results of a tough day.
His frustration was building. His grandparents feared the family was returning to square one, and the more frightened they grew, the more frightened Doug became, starting a downward spiral.
The last time Doug’s family was at square one was six months earlier. When Doug and his grandparents were referred to Trillium Family Services, Doug was a 10- year-old boy suffering from deep depression and threatening violence. Doug couldn’t make or keep friends. He was disruptive in school and at home. His tantrums were the kind you see in a 2-year-old, only in a 10-year-old body.
Our treatment team assessed Doug’s needs and designed a complete treatment plan. Therapy staff learned that Doug’s depression stemmed from a chemical imbalance that was exacerbated because he couldn’t sleep. Treatment staff addressed Doug’s sleep problems early. By sleeping well, Doug gained the physical strength to begin the therapy process.
Other medication helped with the depression, and he built his self-esteem through positive experiences, such as participating in our therapeutic horse program. Family therapy involved the grandparents in the process, and in-home skills trainers taught the grandparents how to manage Doug’s condition.
When Doug returned home to stay, the turnaround was remarkable. He improved at school, began making and keeping friends, and took part in activities once closed to him.
The family didn’t want square one again. But unlike six months earlier, Doug’s grandparents knew where to get help. They called a Trillium therapist who talked the family through the techniques they had learned. There would be no turning back.
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It wasn’t until her family found Susie hanging by the neck in her bedroom that they discovered she had a mental health problem.
Unknown to her parents, Susie had obsessive thoughts about killing herself that overwhelmed her. Like many people who suffer with mental illness, she hid the warning signs from her parents.
On the outside, this 15-year-old girl was bright, articulate, gifted in school and other activities. But her racing, sometimes horrible thoughts took their toll. She isolated herself from friends and family; increasingly, she wouldn’t leave her room. Susie deteriorated as her body wore down under the stress.
She discovered that if she choked herself, she could release the tension that consumed her body. Nightmarishly, she found an escape from her condition, which was diagnosed as obsessive-compulsive disorder. When her family found her, Susie was near death. She was hospitalized and had improved slightly when she came to Trillium Family Services’ residential program.
A key component of treatment at Trillium involves creating a safe, comfortable environment where children and their families share freely, and it was during a family therapy session that Susie learned she wasn’t alone. Susie’s uncle also had the disorder, but he never told his family.
He had managed it and turned it into an asset in his profession, which demanded exact attention to detail. Susie’s uncle was never comfortable enough to talk about his disorder.
But in the proper atmosphere, and with his niece in pain, he finally revealed his secret. The disclosure marked a breakthrough for the family and a turning point for Susie. She saw firsthand that her condition could be managed and gained confidence that, with help, life would get better.
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Sharon’s tale revolves around the word that accompanies her name: Notorious.
In her drive through the state’s mental health system for children, Sharon blew through placements like a reckless driver through red lights. She never looked back, never really regretted her actions. State hospital, residential care, therapeutic foster care, regular foster care, group homes.
When she became comfortable in a home, she sabotaged herself. Sharon lived in 50 homes in four years and became well known in the state system. Mention her name, and the description “notorious” immediately followed.
It’s not hard to see why she had difficulties. Her father died when she was young, and her mother battled drug addiction. When Sharon was home, she was mother to her mother. Her life was tumultuous, which led to mental health issues.
At 16, she came to Trillium Family Services’ new secure program for teens. Trillium was the right environment with the right treatment at the right moment for Sharon. Soon notoriety gave way to renown.
She found she enjoyed school and learned that if she put in the time, a lot of time, she could earn her high school diploma. With the same determination she devoted to sabotaging herself, Sharon dived into her schoolwork. Seven months later, she graduated with much fanfare. Finally, Sharon was ready for the transition to therapeutic foster care.
Soon, she will turn 18 and be on her own. Will she be ready? Sharon thinks so.
She has plans. She wants to be the first in her family to graduate from college, she wants to get a job, she wants to buy a house. Sharon talks about possibilities where none existed before, and she now has the tools to build a brighter future if she so chooses.
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Angie readily admits she was worn down. Years of violent outbursts and restraining holds, the time she sat in the frozen food section at the grocery store bear hugging her son who had lost control, crushed her physically and emotionally.
At his worst, Johnny crashed into walls and threatened violence toward his mother. At 9 years old, Johnny couldn’t do the things other children did. He didn’t have friends; the neighbors didn’t want him playing with their children. He tried but couldn’t participate in team sports.
The causes were complex with several diagnoses, including oppositional defiant disorder, post-traumatic stress syndrome, and depression. There were times Johnny’s mind wasn’t his own. The family attended regular counseling, and Johnny enrolled in a therapeutic day school. Angie met periodically with local social service agencies to determine if more could be done.
Johnny would occasionally show improvement, but the family never was relieved of the burdens they carried when Johnny “left his body,” as Angie describes the outbursts. “We were exhausted,” Angie says. “It was like a war zone in our house all the time.”
Angie resisted residential care because she didn’t believe that “strangers” could care for Johnny as she did. She relented because, after trying everything else, she was tired. Residential care was the last place to turn.
On her first visit to the Trillium Campus, Angie found hope again. She believed that Johnny would improve there. How much he would improve surprised even her.
Johnny entered residential care, where treatment staff prescribed the proper medication and began therapy sessions. They helped him build his self-esteem and taught him the decision-making skills he needed to overcome his condition. Family members, including Johnny’s older sister, attended counseling. And in-home skills trainers worked with the family, which practiced what they learned during Johnny’s visits home.
He completed treatment, and he returned home to stay. The family continued with outpatient counseling, but after another four months, they didn’t need ongoing services. The outbursts had ended. Angie and Johnny knew what to do to prevent them.
One year later, as Angie says, talk turned to what’s for dinner tonight rather than what time Johnny’s next crisis would be. Today, Johnny has friends. He goes to birthday parties, skates at the park, and attends sleepovers. Angie holds a regular job, and Johnny is catching up in school. The household isn’t exactly quiet.
Johnny and his sister are teenagers now, and the house bustles with the comings and goings of kids. But these are sounds of happiness. Trillium Family Services “impacted every aspect of our life,” Angie says, “right down to where I’m able to work, where my son goes to school, who he’s able to associate with, and his opportunities in the community.”
