A bit of context…

For a better part of a decade I worked at a residential mental health facility for children and adolescents. I worked directly with patients, primarily in the education setting.

We accepted patients from all over the states, ages 6-17. Residents came from a variety of backgrounds, but all carried at least one psychiatric disorder. I can’t say that we were the “end of the road” or the “last hope” for many of them, but we were far from their first time seeking support.

Instead of losing time in an attempt to explain what the setting was like, I think sharing my experiences paints a better picture.

TRIGGER WARNING

Here you will read stories about these children and about my experiences working with them. Some, if not all of what is written here is potentially triggering content, including topics of; mental health, suicide, self harm, eating disorders, abuse (mental, physical, sexual, emotional), rape, sexual assault, child abuse and neglect, violence, incest, pregnancy or childbirth, miscarriages or abortion, blood, and domestic violence. –> I am sure I did not cover every potential trigger but be mindful.

In an effort to protect the identities and privacy of the residents, certain incidents, characters and timelines have been changed.