Jessie's Story... In His Own Words

"I was 12 when I first went to a camp. A couple of years later I went to a home, but I ran away because a kid kept trying to fight with me. The first time I came to Ettie Lee, I went to the Santa Ana Home. I was 16 years old. I don't remember why I ran away from there though. Late last year I came back to Ettie Lee (Diamond L and then the Robertson Home). I went back home with my mom in April because I finally figured out that if I remained sober, went to school, followed the rules and didn't get into any fights then I could lead a good life."

Staff Notes - Upon advice of the treatment team and his probation officer, the Juvenile Court released him to his mother's custody. A great solution for a young man who turned his life around after being in the system for five years of his life, accumulating a case file which is about a foot thick

Dominick, In His Own Words...

"I really love to play football and basketball and when I am angry I take out all my anger on the field. But I don't get that angry that often any more. Before I would yell, curse and physically hit things like punching a hole in a wall. Now, thanks to Ettie Lee's and the DBT skills that they have taught me, I am much calmer, have channeled my anger. The staff at Ettie Lee have seen my hard work and have now promoted me to lunch line helper at school."

Staff notes: Dominick came to Ettie Lee on July 2009. Some of his issues included: Poor anger management, easily agitated, vandalism, argumentative, problems with authority figures, threaten others, difficulty functioning in school, and poor peer relations. His birth mother has a 20 year drug history and his father is in prison. Since he has been at Ettie Lee he has specifically asked for help with his anger and school work and with staff's help he is learning how to curb his outburts and at school he has improved both in performance and behavior