 |
Emma - Foster Care
At the age of 16 Emma, a French speaking Canadian was abandoned in the United States after her parents were unable to move past their problems, get their lives together and care for their children. Emma, who was abused, neglected, and abandoned, was picked up for foster care by the NHS Edgewater Family Care Program. With help from the NHS staff, a wonderful family was identified for her and she began a new life. Working together, NHS staff and her new family were able to help Emma through this very difficult transition. Her foster family provided the warmth, love and support that Emma never had.
This year, Emma will graduate from Bloomsburg University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Marketing. Emma was one of the first children from the NHS system to receive scholarship assistance to attend college through the NHS Scramble for Scholars Program. This program, designed and supported by NHS staff, is funded through a golf fundraiser and provides post secondary education financial assistance for any child who has been in an NHS program.
|
Throughout her college experience Emma had an NHS mentor, a staff person, who volunteered time to help Emma with any issues related to her college experience.
Emma is determined to use her experiences to help other young people and plans to pursue a master’s degree in social work. She recently came up with an idea to create an NHS Youth Advisory Board that would give kids in NHS programs a voice in their care and treatment, and have an opportunity to meet and network. Emma believes that sometimes kids just need to talk to other kids and share experiences. Her first meeting was so successful, 37 young people attended and they plan to create additional groups in other locations so that youth are empowered throughout the NHS service system. Emma states, “I am grateful to NHS for all the opportunities they have provided me; a new family, a chance for a great education and now the ability to give back and help other young people facing similar problems I had to learn to cope with.” |
|
|
|
Andrew - Juvenile Justice
Andrew was raised in a chaotic family situation which was reflected in his life. He had uncontrollable anger issues and no respect for authority. While on probation for breaking and entering he got into a physical altercation with a teacher at school. As a result, at age 15, Andrew was placed at the NHS Northwestern Academy in the Intermediate Treatment Unit. Staff at the Academy worked with Andrew to develop an individualized treatment plan that set goals for him and outlined a plan that stressed his emotional, mental and physical health.
With support from staff, Andrew was able to start building trusting relationships, something he did not have before. He made significant improvement in his relationships with authority figures and as a result worked better with his parole officers, case workers and NHS staff. While at the Academy, Andrew learned good study habits and developed the motivation to do well in school. His grades improved significantly. He also developed healthy peer relationships and better coping skills. These new behaviors helped him when he was discharged from the Academy after 9 months.
|
| Andrew moved in with his grandparents upon discharge and has come to appreciate their support and value these positive family relationships. He is a senior in high school and continues to do well with his studies. Andrew started a mentoring program in his school to encourage other youth “to do the right thing” and to share some of his experiences. Jason notes, “I learned a lot about accountability and responsibility at the Academy. I know you don’t just get things handed to you. I am very appreciative of my time at the Academy and grateful to the staff there who have encouraged me in many ways.”
Andrew has new goals for his life now. He would like to join the Marines and has his mind set on a career as a diesel technician. His grandparents gratefully acknowledge that none of this would have been possible without the programs at the NHS Academy which afforded Andrew an opportunity for a second chance in his young life.
|
|
|
|
Jason - IDD
Jason, a 37 year old individual with developmental disabilities, lives in his own apartment . Although he receives staff support his goal is to be able to do things for himself. A high school graduate, he has never been comfortable in traditional day programs or sheltered work shops but has always wanted to have a job and earn a pay check. He has a part time job working for Linton’s Food Services but Jason wanted to do more to make money. Jason had the opportunity to discuss his employment goals with NHS staff. Together they worked to identify employment opportunities that played to his strengths. Together with his NHS mentor, they came up with the idea to start a vending business. With help from NHS staff and an interest free loan from the Consumer Advisory Group, Jason purchased a used vending machine which he repaired and cleaned up. He learned how to set price points and purchase merchandise.
|
| Today he is totally independent in the operation of the vending machine. He shops on his own for items, fills the machine, checks inventory, takes the change to bank, makes deposits and maintains bank records. He has already paid back the loans he received to start this small business. Not only does this business help Jason to be self sufficient and independent it affords him the opportunity to be more social. He walks from his apartment to his vending location almost every day and enjoys the interaction with the friends he has made there. With encouragement from NHS staff, this business has helped Jason take big steps toward self sufficiency in his own life. |
|
|
|
Jeremiah - Autism Schools
Jeremiah was in the first graduating class from the NHS Autism School in Herminie, PA this June. Several years ago, that did not seem possible. When adolescence hit, Jeremiah went from being a fun loving boy to an out of control, aggressive young man. With an autism diagnosis, the family could not figure out what to do for him. A physical altercation at school forced the family to find alternate placement for him. His sister came home from college to help stabilize his situation and went school hunting with him. Jeremiah’s sister, Amanda, remembers that “we toured a few schools, none of which seemed like a good fit. The last school we toured was the NHS Autism School. In the car on the way home, I looked at my mom and told her that I did not really want to like it, but I couldn’t help it, NHS was perfect.”
For three years, NHS autism professionals worked closely with Jeremiah and his family to develop an educational plan that focused on his strengths. “NHS was the first organization to take the time to really try to help Jeremiah, not just at school but in life,” Amanda now notes.
|
| NHS coordinated his home-based care with his educational plan so there was a consistent approach to achieving goals. At school they taught Jeremiah sign language to help him communicate better. As a result, the anger subsided and Jeremiah started doing some of the things he liked before including music, dancing and golf.
Jeremiah’s diploma represented the culmination of a team effort to him achieve his goals in life. His sister said, “NHS staff saved my family’s life….they helped make Jeremiah the extremely successful young man he is today.” When Jeremiah graduated, he did not graduate from NHS, however. The NHS continuum of care allowed Jeremiah and his family to continue to work on plans for his future. After graduation, Jeremiah moved into a group home supported by NHS with two other housemates. He now attends an NHS Day program. The skills he learned in school have helped him make a successful transition to living on his own without his family. He continues to use his sign language skills and is a great golfer. His family acknowledges they could not have done this without the programs available through NHS and the tremendous support team that NHS provides. “We are happy that he is happy” is how his family sums up their experience.
|
|
|
|
Patrick - Addictive Diseases
Patrick was raised by two addicts so it is no surprise that by the age of 13 he was using drugs, sometimes provided by his mother and father. As a result of this chaotic family situation, he fell into a deep depression in addition to his addiction and has struggled ever since to find balance and meaning in his life. “Anger and a deep disgust for my parents caused me to be high strung and depressed. I even considered suicide,” Patrick recalls. “Every day was a struggle,” is how Patrick sums it up now.
After almost twenty years living with his mental health and addictions problems and 3 years in a federal prison, Patrick decided he needed to do something different with his life. However, he had never been taught any coping skills and had no one who could show him a different way to live his life. After an inpatient stay, he was referred to Parkside Recovery and for the last year has been clean and sober. He realizes that one year is a small amount of time in comparison to the last twenty years of heroin addiction but he is intent on achieving the goals he has set for himself.
|
| “These goals keep me focused, and with the help of my Parkside counselor I am able to stay the course,” Patrick states. He knew that to get his life together he needed a job so he could find his own place to live. But he has larger goals. He wants to be able to help other people who. like him, deal every day with co-occurring disorders.
Patrick has enrolled in Community College and plans to complete a bachelor’s degree so that he can become a counselor like the people who have helped him. “It is not easy balancing a job, college and keeping involved with my treatment” Patrick observes. “I am tired most days but I have no desire to return to that life style. Parkside Recovery has helped me create a regimen that keeps me on course. In some ways they are like a security blanket for me. Anytime I feel the need for more support I can go to another group or see my counselor. They are always there for me.” Patrick’s father died of a heroin overdose and his mother is an alcoholic but he can now see a brighter future for himself thanks in large part to Parkside Recovery.
|
|
|
|
Cynthia - Elder Care
Cynthia, a retired widow living with multiple sclerosis, does not get out much. However, when she heard about the Kitchen Table Stories project at her local senior center she decided to see what it was about. “I am not one to do a lot of talking. I did not think I had any stories to share,” she says now. But when she was encouraged to share a significant moment in her life she told the group of the dream cruise she and her husband took which turned into a nightmare when her husband died suddenly and unexpectedly on the third day of the cruise. The group circled around her, embraced her and encouraged her when she finished her story. “It was very important to me to see I was not alone and that others shared my loss and pain.” Cynthia never misses a session of the group now. “It is so encouraging and I feel less isolated now that I come to the group.”
|
| NHS Human Services, with support from the Delaware County Office of Services for the Aging (COSA), provides behavioral health services in 8 senior centers around the county. Each one has a Kitchen Table Stories Program. Using a technique called 'guided reminiscence', seniors are encouraged to do a 'life review' and share stories from their past. Participating in the group helps break the sense of isolation, alienation and loneliness so many seniors experience. The group meets every month and is co-facilitated by a staff member and a peer counselor of the Senior Center Behavioral Health Program at NHS who are trained to help guide discussion and provide support when it is needed.
Rev. Willie Walker has been a peer counselor for several years now and says the important thing about the KTS program is the sense of 'belonging' it creates for the participant. “Some of these people live alone and have no one to talk to. It is very therapeutic for them to have this opportunity.” Rev. Walker is a retired hospital chaplain and is well suited to provide emotional, moral support and guidance to his peers who have become his friends. “The life review we do helps people to remember the good things and also reminds them of their strengths and the positive things they have done in life. We are also helping them create their own legacy.”
When asked about her experience with the program, Cynthia said, “If it was not for this program I could be a recluse. What I learn in the group helps me every day. This has helped me to bloom.”
|
|
|
|
Bradford - Autism
When Bradford arrived at the Northwestern Academy in 2006 he was 12 years old. He was aggressive, non compliant, argumentative, angry, destructive and having trouble in school. His mother, Gina, notes that up until that time he had been diagnosed “all over the charts” and was prescribed “every medicine cocktail known to man.” But nothing helped. The NHS team realized that his Autism Spectrum diagnosis of Asperger’s Syndrome required specialized care and treatment. The NHS team from juvenile justice and autism programs met to design an individualized program for Brad that focused on his multiple, special needs.
The autism team trained Academy staff to deal with the autism behaviors and provided ongoing consultation throughout his stay. They also were onsite weekly to meet with Brad, his mother and staff to provide additional support. This comprehensive and coordinated approach that linked his behavioral problems with his autism issues helped Brad to start to focus on his problems in new and positive ways. Mrs. Taylor credits this group effort for making a difference in Brad’s life. She reflects that the NHS programs taught her son how to make good choices but also helped provide a strong male role model which he lacked in his life.
|
| She credits the autism staff with educating both of them to understand Asperger’s Syndrome and what they needed to do to help Brad be successful in life.
In time, Brad became a mentor to other young men at the Academy and successfully graduated from the Academy. He has been living at home for over a year now and attends high school. His grades have improved dramatically and he even has a 98 in history! Mrs. Taylor states, “we are both much happier now and so grateful to NHS staff for what they have done for us through the years.”
|
|
|
|
Tremika - Mental Health
Tremika was at the end of her rope when the lights went out. She was struggling to keep things together for her two young daughters but she did not have a job or money when they cut her electric off. She was physically and emotionally exhausted from a lifetime fighting the effects of childhood trauma and abuse and had no where to turn.
A knock on her door changed everything. As a result of a referral by her probation officer, NHS Peer Counselor, Wanda, visited the house to see if there was anything she could do to help. That was the beginning of positive change for Tremika and the beginning of a special relationship between her and NHS.
By the age of 5 Tremika was in the mental health system as a result of a dysfunctional family situation. She describes attempts to help her throughout the years as “chaotic.” Although she was successful educationally and has a master’s degree she could not find the help she needed.
|
| She notes that because she was “high functioning and did not meet their stereotypes for a person with mental health needs they did not know what to do with me. There was no consistency in my treatment.”
“I was homeless and jobless but NHS changed my life,” she now says. “For the first time I have a support system that works.” She credits Wanda for much of her success. “She is always there for me.” With help from Wanda, she got the electric turned back on, then found affordable housing. The NHS team created a program that met her needs including medication management, counseling and a support system that is available to her 24/7. “Every program I was in before created co-dependence. NHS creates independence” she said recently. “I am now getting effective treatment and have been able to develop personal relationships that support me in all aspects of my life.”
As a peer specialist, Wanda, provides a personal link to each person she works with. Wanda has been involved in her community for years as a volunteer and saw the position at NHS as another way for her to reach out to people in need and give back to others. Her life experiences help her to relate to the people she meets every day. “Respect is the most important thing I offer”, Wanda stated.
Tremika has new goals for her life now. She will graduate from nursing school next year with both a BA in Biology and an RN. She plans to use her new skills to help children with mental health problems and teach them different ways to cope with their life situations. The stronger she gets the better her children have become. Tremika is committed to her ongoing recovery with the help of Wanda and the other people in the NHS FACT program who assist her with the various issues and problems that come. “I could not have done this without them. Even though I knew what to do intellectually I just could not make it happen on my own. They have made the biggest difference in my life,” she said. Tremika has one more big goal for her life: to become the first homeowner in her family!
|
Our Organization 
Print
Larger
Smaller