Success Stories

Bobby

“Bobby” is a nineteen year old male who came into placement at age 12 after being removed from the custody of his family. Bobby has an IQ of 54, placing him in the mild-moderate range of mental retardation.

Bobby’s abuse began at a young age: he was frequently denied food, clothing, and shelter; beaten; and forced to engage in sexual acts with adult family members and their friends. Sometimes, Bobby and his siblings were forced to perform acts in front of an adult audience while being exposed to violence and drug use.

Despite these hardships, Bobby survived…

Bobby came into custody with ViaQuest Behavioral Health following a disrupted foster care placement. He struggled with honesty; with appropriate boundaries; with his personal hygiene; and with respecting women. He still needed close supervision to prevent future, reactive incidents and to help model positive behaviors.

Since coming to ViaQuest Behavioral Health, Bobby has learned to read at a second grade level. He is medication compliant and has been attending school regularly: he is scheduled to graduate this coming spring. Bobby has since stopped wetting the bed and having nightmares, has not reoffended, and has had no incidents of physical aggression in the past three months. He is even able to appropriately interact with female staff and professionals.

Mike B.

The person that has most inspired me is Mike B. because of his everyday pursuit to make better choices and improve on a day to day basis. When Mike B. came to VBH-west the only question he would ask is “Can I get what I want when I want it?” Mike B. would threaten to hurt himself, call his designated rep and curse her on the phone, fire staff & VBH, threaten & intimidate female staff, and slam his head into doors, refrigerators, and/or anything he thought might injure himself. Mike B. would also perseverate about Pioneer stereo equipment, flea markets, and Heather becoming his guardian. The turning point for Mike came when he threatened staff at work and the police took him to jail and the judge made him spend the entire weekend in jail. At that point, the team put in place positive behavior supports, counseling, and staff made a point to work with Mike about choices, respect, and patience. However, I believe Mike finally could feel it was a consequence to his behavior and he could not enjoy the luxuries he enjoyed on a daily basis. Since then, Mike has reduced his behaviors from 10-15 incidents per month to 2-3 incidents per month. You can see Mike using techniques to calm down, talking to staff about his feelings, participating in his behavior supports and making better choices.

This has moved me for several reasons but I am only going to talk about one. Each one of the individuals we serve will one-day have a turning point that will allow us to help reshape their future for the best. I think it is critical that we be there for that turning point. When we are shaping behavior it is not an overnight formula. If we can continue to encourage and work with our individuals and cheer when they take small steps toward success and be there to support them when they take a step back, we create a meaningful and lasting relationship with the people we serve. It is up to us to create a tangible feeling of security and support. It’s our attitude that causes their turning point.

Kiara

Before I assessed her for inclusion in our group home program for severely behaviorally challenged teenagers, Kiara’s caseworker prepared me for the worst. I remember her saying “Kiara probably won’t talk to you at all, she’s a real mess right now.”

We were standing in the hallway of a Psychiatric Unit of a large metropolitan hospital. Kiara had tried to hurt herself, and was brought to the hospital for her own safety. Upon entering the room, I encountered a terrified young lady of 16. She was hiding under her blanket and refused to communicate with me. Occasionally, she would peek out from underneath the covers to glance at this stranger who had come to meet her.

As I spoke with her caseworker, Kiara listened intently. Unwilling to share even a word about herself, she was still very interested in what was being said about her. Kiara’s caseworker told a sad story of abuse and neglect. This young lady had experienced unspeakable trauma, and it had left her with a paralyzing social phobia. She trusted no one. In fact, she did not want to talk to anyone, and hadn’t left her hospital room in days.

She wanted to be left alone, to retreat further into herself.

I learned that in her previous placement, Kiara was allowed to remain in her room all day, and she refused services, activities, and medication that could help to diminish her symptoms. She even ate meals in her room alone, which only exacerbated her illness.

I also learned that several other agencies had already been to the hospital to assess Kiara, and had refused to work with her due to her history and the severity of her issues. The county was out of options for Kiara.

“We can help her” I said to her caseworker. I knew that the community-based nature of our group homes would force Kiara to interact with her housemates, staff, and the outside world.

Several days later, Kiara was brought up to Columbus. She was frightened and lonely. Before she arrived, we trained the staff on how we planned to help her. As a child who was fond of refusing her medication and spending all day locked in her room, we established a program that would encourage and reward her compliance with medication. In addition, her access to her room was limited and monitored during awake hours. We planned to help her find the good in herself, and in her world..

At ViaQuest Behavioral Health, she came out of her shell. She went outside. At first, this was accomplished only when she held the hand of a staff member. Kiara was brought out into the community to interact with the world. Slowly, she began to learn things about herself. She liked to take walks. She enjoyed art and music. Others responded well to her, despite her ever present fear of the judgment of strangers. People loved her sense of humor; her contagious smile.

There were rough spots, like the time when she tried to run away from her therapist prior to their first meeting. She was only able to sit through the evaluation because her staff was willing to hold her hand through the entire appointment.

In the end, Kiara stayed with VBH for 20 months. When she left us, she was a mature, confident woman. Her mental health symptoms were under control, thanks to a better plan and Kiara’s understanding of what her medicine did for her. Because we would not allow her to escape from reality and lock herself in her room, she no longer hid under blankets. Instead, she greeted the world with an enthusiastic smile. With her 18th birthday rapidly approaching, she moved back home to live with a family member. Kiara was excited for this transition, because she no longer had to live in fear.

I am proud of what VBH helped Kiara to see in herself. The entire team created a well-designed plan for her, and she did the rest. The scared child who arrived almost two years ago was giving hugs on her way out. Kiara did all of the work. All she needed was someone to believe in her, and to give her a chance.

Kathy

Kathy, who lived in shelter care before her time at ViaQuest Behavioral Health (VBH), had displayed so much physical and verbal aggression that no foster parent would accept her into their home. She had undergone severe trauma and had a strained relationship with her family. In August of 2005 she came to us with a bad attitude and even worse independent living skills. Her room was always a mess, and her cooking skills started and ended at boiling water.

The VBH staff and Program Directors worked with Kathy at her own pace. They gave her the space she needed to figure some things out for herself, but were always there to offer supportive guidance. Over time, Kathy slowly morphed from a quiet, sad, angry teenager into a proud, confident, outspoken house leader.

In April of 2007, after nearly two years at VBH, Kathy moved into her own apartment and soon after she graduated from high school. The future looks bright, but only because Kathy put forth the effort to walk down a different path, and the staff at VBH helped to show her the way.

Michelle

Michelle came to ViaQuest Behavioral Health (VBH) in March of 2005 after she had been hospitalized at a psychiatric facility due to severe self-injurious behavior, extreme physical aggression, and suicidal ideation. She had a long history of multiple traumas, and her family felt unable to keep her safe.

It was a difficult transition for Michelle to leave her family and move over one hundred miles away. Initially, she was attention seeking, attacked staff on a regular basis, and frequently ran away. She also regularly cut herself.

Over time, Michelle began to see that the staff were firm, fair, and consistent. They were holding her accountable for her thinking errors, and reinforcing her positive behavior. She was given positive attention, so she no longer needed to act out to get people to notice her. She began to take care of herself and work hard on her schoolwork. Her staff and program directors continued to encourage her, and Michelle began to thrive. She no longer needed to physically act out to have her needs met – all she needed she found within herself at VBH.

Perhaps most importantly, Michelle wanted to be loved by someone – anyone – who was willing to care for her, regardless of their intentions. Michelle learned that she is a unique and wonderful creation, and now has self-respect. After spending one and a half years at VBH, Michelle learned proper boundaries and relationship formation, and was successfully reunited with her family in August of 2006.

Shane

Shane came to ViaQuest Behavioral Health (VBH) after several failed placements, some of which lasted only a few hours before he was told to leave due to his aggressive behavior. Shane was put on a positive incentive program that reinforced his positive choices. As he progressed through the program, Shane began making more positive choices such as medication compliance and self imposed time away when he began to feel agitated.

Within 90-days of entering the VBH program, Shane began attending public high school where he graduated just two years later. Shane also completed a work skills training program prior to his graduation.

After graduation, Shane moved into his own place and found a job at a local department store. With the help of VBH, Shane learned the life skills necessary to function in the community and continued to maintain compliance with his medications.