16-year old Myeisha was referred to Stanford Youth Solutions from the Minor Emergency Response Team (MERT) unit of the Sacramento County Mental Health Treatment Center after being admitted against her will for being out of control and threatening her mother with a knife.

She lived with her parents and five siblings where there was a history of trauma and domestic violence in the home, which Myeisha had witnessed as a young child. She had been sexually assaulted and suffered from seizures, nightmares, hallucinations and flashbacks. Understandably, Myeisha was having a difficult time resolving her circumstances.

Myeisha’s troubled behavior included running away for days at a time, being suspended from school (17 times), unable to maintain relationships at school and home due to fighting and displaying angry outbursts, including cussing, yelling, and throwing things.

The Stanford Youth Solutions team applied our family-centered approach to engage the entire family in the treatment plan. The family came together to create goals for better relationships that included openly expressing feelings, limiting blame and reducing conflict between all family members.

Myeisha was provided the help she needed to change her pattern of behavior and we connected the family to additional community resources and support groups.

“Our family saw immediate benefits from working together and became aware of how we all played an important role in Myeisha’s success”, says Sonya, Myeisha’s mom. “Stanford Youth Solutions changed our lives by giving us the tools and support we needed to overcome what we thought was impossible. They focused on the positive, didn’t blame and wouldn’t let us fail as a family.”

Myeisha is now a senior in high school, on the dance team, and excelling in school. She has been accepted to Texas Southern University where she will major in psychology or social work and hopefully make it on their dance team. She and her family are doing very well together and she calls us periodically to say hello and to update us on her life.

“I remember being angry and frustrated and couldn’t control my feelings until I met the staff at Stanford Youth Solutions “, says Myeisha. “Finally I was able to communicate what I felt and focus on my strengths in order to put my past behind me. Now my family and I are closer than ever.”