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Hoosier United Methodist News Archives
| Hoosier United Methodists together |
February 2005 |
Serving Indiana's Children since 1915:
Building confidence, self-esteem and character
By Susan Bennett
LEBANON, Ind. - Meet Stephen, an eighteen-years-old, who received treatment at Indiana United Methodist Children's Home during 2004. When Stephen was 17, he was placed in the Home's care through the Division of Family and Children. Stephen suffered from severe depression and low self-esteem due to many years of abuse and neglect.
While in the Home's care, Stephen received counseling by one of the Home's licensed, certified social workers and a consulting psychiatrist and psychologist. Stephen participated in group counseling sessions to work out various emotional and behavioral problems.
He also attended the Home's accredited on-grounds school and at age 18, received his G.E.D. (Graduate Equivalency Diploma). During this time, Stephen also participated in a living skills counseling group for older residents. Through this group, he learned about job seeking skills, money and food management, emergency/safety skills, health and nutrition, legal issues and housekeeping.
A few months ago, Stephen was discharged from the Children's Home but continued to receive treatment through the Transitional Living Program which generally lasts three to six months. The program is designed to help youth learn skills to acquire a more independent lifestyle. Through this program, Stephen's social worker helped him find an apartment and employment in the community. Indiana United Methodist Children's Home assisted him with rent and utility payments. Gradually, he was able to pay his own rent and utility bills.
Stephen is one of 165 youth that received treatment at Indiana United Methodist Children's Home in 2004. During the past year, the Home assisted children ranging in age from 7 to 18. Many of the youth placed in the Home's care have difficulties in the education setting, both academic or behavioral
The majority of residents are victims of emotional, physical, and or sexual abuse and neglect. Others have backgrounds of alcohol or drug abuse.
Most often, the youth are placed in the Children's Home through the county Division of Family and Children, the county court or public school systems. Some youth are referred to the Home by a concerned minister and placed privately by a parent or guardian. According to the Home's Executive Director Gary J. Davis, ACSW, the youth come from all over Indiana and from various economic backgrounds.
Davis said, "Over the years, staff and the Home's trustees have planned ahead in addressing the changing needs of abused and neglected children. This year, we are adding on to our staff intensive units for boys and girls ranging in age from 10 to 15. The new building will support a more structured living environment for children in need of intensive supervision and counseling."
According to Davis, "we are seeing a growing need to serve children with severe emotional and behavioral problems, and these youth are coming from large cities as well as rural areas. Since adding the staff intensive services, the two living units have been operating at a full capacity. We also are seeing an influx of children and youth that have been in and out of foster care and other institutional placements. As a result of multiple placements, many of the children experience problems with authority and significant peer relationship problems. Many youth have problems with self-injurious behavior and anger management."
The youth benefit from attending the James E. Davis on-grounds school. The Home's school is fully accredited by the Indiana Department of Education through Performance Based Accreditation. The on-grounds school is one of only a few residential treatment facilities in the state to offer such a fully accredited curriculum.
Key elements to the Home's educational experience include effort, attitude and behavior. A discipline program geared towards redirecting negative attitudes and inappropriate behavior is used in all classrooms. A point system has been devised to recognize positive behavior. These points are used by the students to purchase reward items at the on-grounds school store such as posters, models and games.
Effective planning by the Home's Board of Trustees has shaped the development of a responsive continuum of care and treatment which reaches out to youth and families with a diverse range of needs and problems.
The Indiana United Methodist Children's Home will continue to provide comfort, encouragement, and treatment to help youth and their families overcome significant problems and achieve a renewed hope for the future. Davis adds, "we simply want to help these youth become productive members of society - just like Stephen."
For more information, log on to www.iumch.org or call 765-482-5900. IUMCH is a conference advance special of both North and South Conferences of The United Methodist Church.
Susan Bennett serves as the public relations officer of the Indiana United Methodist Children's Home in Lebanon.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008