Briana Lopez’s life was nothing like the lives of her peers. Her friends had stable home lives with loving parents. Briana and her five siblings were placed in foster care when she was six years old, following the incarceration of both of her parents. Briana spent her days watching Annie...
Read more..Tiaa Mason is a firm believer in the concept of ‘paying it forward.’ Seventeen years ago, Tiaa came to Jackson-Field from another residential program. Struggling with depression and the aftereffects of physical abuse, Tiaa was guarded, withdrawn, and skeptical about her future. Because she had anger management issues, Tiaa’s therapists...
Read more..I will survive! More than 22 years ago, Yesenia Melendez’ mother walked out on her – relinquishing custody of the local Department of Social Services. That’s when Yesenia began a long journey of struggling to survive a series of foster and group home placements. She arrived at Jackson-Feild as a...
Read more..Living with her mother, stepfather, and much-loved maternal grandmother, Marsha was devastated when her grandmother passed away. Unable to deal properly with her grief, Marsha embarked on a long trail of dysfunctional and inappropriate behaviors that included verbal and physical aggression, substance abuse, promiscuity, stealing, poor impulse control, running away,...
Read more..My daughter needs help. I need help. The realization rang through her head again and again. Holly’s mother was at a loss. She had tried for many years to help her daughter on her own, but the last few years had been marked by eruptions of Holly’s distressing and dangerous...
Read more..They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Jeff’s story can so easily be proof of that adage. At the time of Jeff’s birth, his father was in jail, and his mother abandoned him. He was left the care of his paternal grandmother, a paranoid schizophrenic. All other...
Read more..If it is to be, it is up to me. These ten simple words can help us change our life. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy. We put roadblocks of negative thinking in our path in life. We are paralyzed by our doubts and fears. Hillary’s life was in...
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