Krystal ran away from home to escape physical and emotional abuse from her dad and step-mom. As a result, she ended up in foster care but struggled to feel safe and connect with the new family. Nearly every decision about her life had to be approved by the court system, and she felt she had little control. She struggled to manage her emotions and impulsivity and often felt very lonely.

“My life was unstable and I felt like I had no escape,” she says. “I often found myself in the hospital and felt like I had no one to help me. I felt like I had very little control, and my life was hopeless.”

Thanks to your generosity and support, Krystal was able to get the care and support she needed. Through our Transitional Age Youth program, designed specifically for youth ages 16 to 26, she received critical mental health care and support services designed to guide her transition to self-sufficiency and adulthood.

With therapy, counseling and medication support, Krystal learned to manage her emotions, communicate more effectively, stay calm in stressful situations, and advocate for her needs. “I feel as though I have learned distress tolerance, self-soothing skills, emotional awareness, self-advocacy, and effective communication to get my needs met,” she says. “I learned to set goals, make better decisions and manage my daily activities independently.”

Krystal continued to have some difficulty following rules and understanding the effects of her actions. She wanted badly to be independent and had a lot of difficulty following rules and managing consequences. She was caught at school with contraband and ended up needing to be hospitalized when she learned she would be suspended. She also got into arguments with her foster mom and would become shortsighted, not thinking about her future.

Throughout these challenges, Krystal’s treatment team stayed by her side and consistently showed up for her. They helped her develop more effective communication and better decision making skills. They kept her focused on her future and assisted her in managing difficult emotions and big life transitions.

Krystal has matured a lot over the past year. She is able to articulate her needs clearly and ask for help when needed. She has reached her goal of gaining more independence, including getting a job and successfully living in a Transitional Housing Placement Program for youth emancipating from foster care. She is driven and resourceful in making sure she reaches her goals of getting her GED and starting college for nursing.

“I have hope for my future,” says Krystal. “I set goals and am working towards them. I am able to do research and be resourceful in order to get my needs met. Even when things go wrong, I am able to self-soothe or ask for help and support when needed.”

Thank you for helping Krystal — and so many other teens like her — get the care and support they need to be able to grow into healthy young adults. This gift will last a lifetime!