Reggie entered the child welfare system at the age of nine. It was discovered that he and his younger sister and brother were being sexually abused by their stepfather. The children had also been experiencing neglect due to a lack of sufficient resources in the family; they often went without food or proper clothing.


Reggie is what I will call this person in this article to keep from using his exact name, his mother struggled to provide structure for the children, but she was also facing many of her own personal problems. All three of the children were acting out and having difficulties in school. When Reggie's stepfather was incarcerated, the child welfare system placed the children in separate foster homes and began to provide services for the family with the goal of returning the children to their mother's home.


Reggie had a difficult time adjusting to foster care and being separated from his family. At the age of twelve, he was charged with sexual assault and labeled a "sexual offender" According to the media, Reggie and another child about the same age, engaged in "consensual" sexual contact in the foster home. Reggie was ordered to complete treatment for sexual offenders, was removed from the foster home, and entered a series of placements where he continued to have a very difficult time adjusting and maintaining positive behavior.


Reggie spent many years in residential treatment centers and mental health hospitals, trying to get the help he needed. Many were concerned that he was a threat to the community, and therefore he could not be placed in a community setting. During this time, Reggie completed all the required sexual offender treatment and never "re-offended", but he did continue to have significant behavior issues and to struggle with school. It was recommened by the court that Reggie's mother participated in therapy and enter some programs that would assist the family, for which I thought was an excellent idea, and eventually Reggie returned to his family.


His mother did not comply with those recommendations. However, as Reggie approached his seventeeth birthday, the professionals involved in his case began to prepare for him to exit the juvenile system. He had not committed any more law violations. His siblings had been able to return home to their mother, and it was also decided that Reggie, with significant family supports and interventions, would also be able to return home.


The family entered intensive therapy, which utilized a whole approached that focused on family strengths and on the positive aspects of their situation. The whole service model shifts the focus away from a family's pathologies and weaknesses and works with them to build on their assets, skills, and resources. In Reggie's family, three were many things going well. They needed some assistance getting a few items to meet the children's basis needs, but overall, they were doing much better in the areas of employment and housing.


Reggie received the correct combination of medications, appropriated therapy, and support to enable him to live at home again. He had passion for music, as part of his reintegration into the family home. The program purchased guitor lessons for him, providing structure and a positive and creative outlet. Reggie, his family, and the team of professionals involved with his life worked together very closely for a period of six months. The transition home was difficult at times, but ultimately successful. Reggie studied for his GED and worked hard to accomplish his signs of improvement and Reggie became a role model in his family. Reggie is doing well today, has a full-time job, and has not had any further problems with the law. In closing, family needs to stick together!

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