When working with youth who have experienced trauma, there is no exact road map to follow that guarantees a youth’s success. Every clinician at Shiloh House is committed to working hand in hand with our youth to find a path of opportunity, change, and success. Keep reading to find out how one of our Clinical Managers, Lauren Martinez, was able to make a connection with a young woman (who we will refer to as Kacie) who was able to redirect her life story:
I have worked with Shiloh House for almost 3 years. In those 3 years, I have worked with children and their families experiencing a variety of struggles such as mental health, trauma, poverty and much more. There have been a number of cases that have deeply impacted my heart. A story that stands out was one of my very first cases as a new clinician in our respite and day treatment program.
Kacie was 12 at the time and had experienced complex trauma related to being removed from her family, physical abuse, gang involvement, and trauma related to often being “on the run.” She would fight, swear, and damage property on a daily basis.
I was able to work in the home with Kacie through 3 different placements. In this time, I became aware of just how many barriers she faced daily in order to decrease behavior and maintain placement. It was as though she was continually being set up to fail.
Once I was able to build trust and collaborate with many other Shiloh staff members, we were finally able to create a treatment plan that we believed allowed us to best serve Kacie. Through excellent collaboration, creativity, flexibility and unconditional positive regard, we were able to support her in decreasing aggressive and criminal behaviors. She was able to successfully leave gang involvement and return home with her biological mother. 
Shiloh worked endlessly to create an atmosphere for the support Kacie needed in order to change her life’s trajectory.
It is with honor that I continue to work with Shiloh and many of its amazing staff to ensure our youth receive positive and helpful treatment. The collaborative effort of Shiloh House staff has proven successful in many stories, but Kacie’s story highlighted this reality for me.