{"id":6757,"date":"2019-04-22T15:45:05","date_gmt":"2019-04-22T19:45:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grafton.local\/?post_type=case-study&p=6757"},"modified":"2019-04-23T15:13:24","modified_gmt":"2019-04-23T19:13:24","slug":"the-door-is-always-open-at-grafton","status":"publish","type":"case-study","link":"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/stories\/the-door-is-always-open-at-grafton\/","title":{"rendered":"The Door is Always Open at Grafton"},"content":{"rendered":"

In his short life, 12-year-old Mateo* has experienced a significant amount of trauma. He spent most of his childhood in El Salvador, where, like so many boys there, a gang recruited him. In an effort to provide a better life for his son, his father was able to smuggle Mateo across the U.S.-Mexico border but was soon deported himself. With his father back in El Salvador, Mateo was left to live with an uncle in Virginia, his only remaining relative in the U.S.<\/p>\n

After experiencing conflict in his new home, Mateo ran away to live on the streets of Manassas. Picked up by Child Protective Services, he wound up in foster care but repeatedly ran away. He was physically aggressive, threatened to take knives to school, and threatened violence to his peers and himself.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s how he ended up at Grafton.<\/p>\n

Unable to run away because of Grafton\u2019s physical barriers, Mateo, who did not speak English, felt trapped and reacted accordingly.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe kicked, bit, hit staff, pulled hair; anything physically aggressive that he could do, he was doing,\u201d says Cheryl Healy, Mateo\u2019s caseworker.<\/p>\n

Mateo was assigned a Spanish-speaking staff person for one-on-one conversations. As his ability to speak English accelerated, haunting details of his past were brought to light. In El Salvador, gangs often used him as bait. He also repeatedly witnessed violent attacks.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe thought that every interaction was aggressive,\u201d says Cheryl. \u201cTo learn that not everyone was like that took a while.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cheryl began to build trust with Mateo through gentle, consistent interaction.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would play little games,\u201d she says. \u201cHe liked to draw and color, because underneath it all, he was still that little boy. He liked Pok\u00e9mon cards and remote-controlled cars. That was the part I started to bring out with him, finding things he enjoyed and building off of those.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mateo\u2019s diagnosis encompassed ADHD, unspecified trauma, and physical abuse. His care plan focused on individual therapy, including anger management, and decreasing self-injurious behavior.<\/p>\n

\u201cUsing the blocking pads<\/a> instead of restraints was definitely important,\u201d says Cheryl, referring to the Ukeru\u00ae<\/sup><\/a> crisis management technique used at Grafton. \u201cHe came from such an aggressive, trauma-filled background, the fact that Grafton is so trauma informed is what I honestly think put him on the right path. If he had been placed in another facility that used seclusion rooms and physical restraints, I really don\u2019t think he would have made any progress, because they would have been doing exactly what he\u2019s already been through.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Mateo\u2019s aggressive responses hindered relationships with kids his age, he began to build rapport and trust with a number of Grafton staff, visiting Cheryl\u2019s office often. On her wall hangs a quote by Mother Teresa that he would recite each time he stepped inside, as though it were a mantra: There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.<\/em><\/p>\n

Cheryl literally opened a door for Mateo by taking him on an excursion to a shopping mall, a place he\u2019d never been.<\/p>\n

\u201cWatching this child\u2019s face!\u201d she exclaims. \u201cHe asked so many questions, like why were there cars inside the mall? It was explaining every little detail that we all take for granted.\u201d<\/p>\n

When Mateo indicated he\u2019d like to purchase items of his own, Cheryl taught him the concept of earning and saving money in order to spend. He enjoyed working in the Grafton greenhouse, and, with the allowance he earned from doing his chores, he saved and bought a Fitbit watch, just like the one he saw on Cheryl\u2019s wrist. He also bought a poinsettia from the greenhouse, which he gave to Cheryl for Christmas.<\/p>\n

At the time of Mateo\u2019s discharge, he had mastered the goal of no self-injury and made significant progress toward diminishing his aggressive responses. He also mastered English and told Cheryl that, when he grows up, he wants to be a police officer.<\/p>\n

In the two months prior to his discharge, Mateo showed no physical aggression, a requirement for his transition into the group home where he resides today. Set up like a house, it focuses on preparing kids to enter a foster home, teaching them responsibilities found in a traditional home, like how to cook and do laundry.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe sounds like he\u2019s doing really well and he\u2019s on the right track,\u201d says Cheryl, who still keeps tabs on him.<\/p>\n

Despite his turbulent past, his time at Grafton, combined with his current group home, have opened the door for Mateo, enabling him to step onto a path toward permanency.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*Client\u2019s name has been changed.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":6759,"menu_order":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-6757","case-study","type-case-study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","case-studiestypes-success-stories"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nThe Door is Always Open at Grafton - Grafton<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.grafton.org\/case-studies\/the-door-is-always-open-at-grafton\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Door is Always Open at Grafton - Grafton\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"In his short life, 12-year-old Mateo* has experienced a significant amount of trauma. He spent most of his childhood in El Salvador, where, like so many boys there, a gang recruited him. 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