Canyon Acres Children and Family Successes…

Henry

Henry was adopted as a very young child. His adoptive family had always been financially secure and Henry grew up in relative comfort with two adoptive siblings. One day, Henry’s father fell ill. His family was given the news that the father was suffering from a rare, life-threatening medical disease. Henry was 13.

As the father’s condition worsened, the medical bills, hospital care, and other expenses began to add up. The family lifestyle drastically changed as they could no longer afford many of the luxuries that they had previously known. Henry and his family even had to downsize and move into a two-bedroom apartment. Henry had to sleep on the living room couch as there were not enough bedrooms to go around. Basic necessities such as food and clothing became hard for the family to provide.

Henry and his siblings found it difficult to cope with their new living situation. Henry’s grades began to drop severely and he and his siblings began to constantly argue with each other. The arguing even turned violent and Henry found himself in trouble with the authorities at his school and in his neighborhood. Henry was now 17. It was at this point that Henry and his family was referred to Canyon Acres Wraparound Program.

A Wraparound Team began meeting with Henry and his family and went to work finding them the proper support and crises help they needed. Importantly, the Team arranged for counseling and anger management classes. Henry was assigned a Youth Partner who helped him accept the challenges of his father’s health and the strain that it put on the family. A Parent Partner worked with Henry’s parents, offering support and guidance while helping them to attain the proper resources, from medical to housing, to aid their critical situation.

The leader of the Wraparound Team, the Care Coordinator, continued to have regular meetings with the family to measure the family’s progress and to stay in tune to the family’s needs. Henry’s behavior soon began to improve. The Wraparound Team helped him to find an internship at a Veteran’s Hospital where he began working 5 days a week. Henry’s grades increased to A’s and B’s and he joined a fitness program.

Today, Henry’s attitude toward life and his family has changed dramatically. He is now a supportive, contributing member of the family unit. And, although Henry’s father is still battling the life-threatening disease, the family has become stronger as a whole and is now working together as they face the future with a new sense of courage and empowerment.

Names have been changed to protect confidentiality.