In 2023, Theresa began seeking support for her 8-year-old granddaughter, Victoria. Her family was under a lot of stress from financial hardship, physical health problems and emotional and behavioral aggression from Victoria. She knew they needed additional support, but wanted to make sure she and her husband remained the primary caregivers for Victoria.

Theresa and her husband got custody of Victoria the day she was born. Throughout this time, Theresa has been an advocate for Victoria, knowing her needs exceeded those of other children her age.

Finding help for Victoria took on greater importance when she was in second grade and was experiencing violent and aggressive outbursts both at home and school. Her behavior escalated, with Victoria throwing chairs, tables, books or whatever she could find. Victoria would become aggressive with other classmates, pushing and hitting them.

“We had a child who was very violent,” Theresa said. “We were scared of her getting taken somewhere.”

Theresa reached a period of great struggle in regulating Victoria’s behavior. She struggled with expressive communication, regulating emotions, mood swings, and increases in frequency and intensity of agitation and irritability. Theresa didn’t want Victoria taken from her care but felt like she was running out of options to support her needs.

Eventually, Victoria had an outburst so severe she was hospitalized. She was discharged home but still struggled with regulating her behaviors, especially in school. A few months later, Theresa got the call her family could receive help through Intercept. The Youth Villages Intercept program is an evidence-based, comprehensive in-home services model that meets children and families at a critical crossroads and helps them find their way to well-being.

They were introduced to Jennifer, a Youth Villages family intervention specialist. Upon meeting Victoria, Jennifer knew she would have work on building trust, which could have been a struggle. But according to Theresa, the two connected right away.

Once she started working with the family and understood Victoria’s past and current struggles, Jennifer was able to build alignment and engagement with not only the family, but also with Victoria’s close network, including her case manager, medication provider, therapist and the school’s social worker. Jennifer got everyone on the same page so Victoria could receive the best care possible. She also worked to connect the family to community resources that could provide financial and wellness assistance.

Jennifer worked with Victoria to control her anger and temper, especially in the classroom. She taught her new coping skills when having disagreements with other students at school.

“At first, Victoria would push or hit other students as a response,” Theresa said. “But Jennifer taught her how to walk away or speak to a teacher first.”

Jennifer also supported Theresa and her husband by teaching them how to handle situations with Victoria before they got out of control. Jennifer taught the family the art of “Plan B’ing,” a Collaborative Problem Solving approach focused on Victoria’s needs.

Theresa now says she can see a vast change in Victoria’s problem-solving skills and her behavior.

“Victoria’s behavior is so much better,” Theresa said. “She respects her peers and doesn’t hit or push them when she has an issue with another student. She is doing amazing in school and tries to help her friends when they are upset.”

Victoria worked hard to learn new coping mechanisms, and with encouragement from Jennifer, she quickly mastered how to identify her feelings, one of the trickiest skills. From there, Victoria continued to develop and grow her emotional and behavioral skills. Victoria was discharged from services at the end of August 2024.

Now in third grade, Victoria is thriving in school and finding her love for new hobbies. She is a state championship bowler and likes to roller skate. She has a love for animals and, along with her grandparents, is the owner of two yorkies, Twister and Bentley. She wants to use her passion for animals to become a veterinarian one day.

Theresa is thankful for the support Jennifer provided for her family and looks forward to watching Victoria continue to accomplish her goals.

“We went from a child who was very violent and at risk of being taken out of my home, to a child who could stay with us safely,” Theresa said. “I’m proud of what Victoria has done and who she has become.”

For more information on the Youth Villages Intercept program, go to youthvillages.org/intercept.

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