Kim (not her real name), a 16 year old girl, was referred to Childhaven upon discharge from the hospital where she had been treated for substance abuse. Placement was requested pending an opening at an inpatient mental health facility to address her substance abuse issues. Kim was on probation for selling drugs (she said she sold drugs to keep herself supplied as she was using daily).
When Kim arrived, she was extremely underweight at 83 lbs. and 5 foot 5 inches tall. She had scabs all over her face from picking at herself, a side effect of the drug use. She was irritable, easily agitated, and suffered from daily headaches. For her safety, she was placed in one of our observation bedrooms and was kept with staff at all times.
During the first few days, Kim was verbally aggressive, refused to follow shelter rules, and would not participate in any group activities. She would sleep up to 12 hours a day and did not eat much at all.
After those first few days, shelter staff worked with Kim to develop a safety plan. She agreed to complete a mental health assessment and she participated in daily life skills activities. She was eating more, she was not picking at her skin and the marks on her face began to clear up.
Kim was at Childhaven for approximately three weeks. During that short time, she became a different person. She was outgoing. She volunteered to read to the younger children, she helped the pre-teens fix their hair in the mornings and she made posters for the Childhaven booth at the San Juan County Fair.
Upon Kim's discharge she weighed 95 pounds. She was no longer picking at her face and it was clear. She was so proud of herself and she thanked the staff for helping her. She was given a before and after picture to take with her and promised to keep staff informed of her progress. Via email she has let us know that she successfully completed her drug treatment program and is well on her road to recovery.
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Poster made by Kim for the the booth at the
San Juan County Fair |
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