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UNLOCKING: Mental Health Services for Youth in Care
- Article from:
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Children's Voice
- Article date:
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May 1, 2005
- Author:
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Copyright informationCopyright Child Welfare League of America, Inc. May/Jun 2005. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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From national innovations to local collaborations to the one-on-one efforts of volunteers, child- and youth-serving systems are employing different strategies to meet the mental health needs of youth in foster care.
I went to my first therapist at age 12. At the time, my life was filled with chaos, and I didn't know who to talk to or how to handle it. My dad was in jail, my mother and I weren't talking, and in a little more than a year, several family members had died. All the feelings I had began to build up inside, and I felt like I was drowning in my emotions. Sometimes I would cry like a baby. Other times I'd feel angry and confused.
I didn't trust anyone, especially my family, and I ...