Success Stories
“Jack,” an eight-year-old boy, was referred to SVFC by his teacher due to behavioral problems in school. He lived at home with his single mother and five other siblings. At intake, his mother indicated that his behavior at home was also severe. He refused to listen to her, would leave the home without telling her where he was going, and would “bully” his siblings. He would yell, scream and throw things at any adult who tried to discipline him. His behavior was making it impossible for his mother to find babysitters so she was limited in how much time she could spend outside the home for school or work.
Jack's behavior was so severe that he was at risk of being removed from his home. As a last effort before removal, he was admitted to the SVFC School Age PHP. He was evaluated by the clinical team and diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder. A structured treatment program was developed for him.
With Oppositional Defiant Disorder, structure is important. With six children and insufficient income, structure was in short supply in Jack's home. In order to help his mother prepare for handling Jack when he was discharged, the CSS team began working with her to develop structure in the home. During a home visit, the CSS team identified that one of Jack's younger sisters was starting to exhibit the same kinds of behaviors as Jack. The team worked closely with the mother to help her learn new methods of child management that were helpful in getting the younger sister to improve her behavior.
After the mother realized how much the services could help with the children's behavior, she was more accepting of help for herself. The CSS worker began helping the mother explore returning to school. The mother had always dreamed of being a nurse and had once started school, but her education had been interrupted by pregnancy and motherhood. The CSS worker helped the mother identify where she could get funding to return to nursing school and helped her explore various options. During the agency's involvement with the family, the mother completed nursing school, passed her nursing exam, and became independent of the welfare system.
The changes in the mother helped provide structure, income and a role model for the children. As the mother developed more confidence in her own skills, she was better able to set limits and manage the children's behaviors. After eight months in the PHP, Jack returned to his home school. In order to help with the transition, he continued receiving help through the CSS team. His behaviors both at home and in school continued to improve and after another year of services, he was mainstreamed into a regular classroom and services were terminated.
