“Trinity” was a hard worker, full of dreams and determined to make them come true. Her GPA was good, she made the honor roll, and enjoyed going to school. She was eager to graduate and pursue her dreams by going to college.
Although everything at school seemed in order, her life at home was spinning out of control. One day her careful balance unravelled. A big fight with her dad catapulted the stress, anxiety, anger, and helplessness she felt at home into every other part of her life. Trinity ran away and stayed on her friends’ couches for months. She was often unable to make it to school and her grades fell fast. She spent more and more time thinking about where she would sleep at night and less and less about her college dreams and hopes for the future.
Trinity started using drugs and got arrested. She was taken to Second Story for Teens in Crisis, where she finally had a warm, safe place to sleep and the ability to go to school. She started focusing on her class work again. The counselors helped her make up missed assignments and set up a plan so that she could still graduate on time. They taught her healthy ways to cope with her emotions for the next time she felt angry and overwhelmed. She even went to family counseling sessions to work on restoring her relationship with her dad.
Trinity returned home and is excited to graduate high school with her class. Trinity’s stay at the teen shelter was an important first step to begin dealing with years of tension at home and months of homelessness. Trinity and her dad now have the foundation for a healthy relationship and a safe, nurturing home together.