Noel* never imagined raising a teenager again, but when her grandson Tyler* had nowhere else to turn, she knew she had to step up. Tyler’s mother struggled with mental health issues and was unable to care for him. Tyler moved into Noel’s house and has been there for eight months.
Tyler struggled with the major changes happening in his life. “In the beginning, he was in a deep depression, and it was tough to get him motivated,” said Noel. “He started skipping school, and his grades reflected it.” Tyler grew angry and began exhibiting verbal and physical aggression. Noel and her husband knew it was time for a change.
In October of 2023, Highfields’ Multisystemic Therapy (MST) program became involved, and MST therapist Ron Jackson entered their lives. Ron and Noel are nearly the same age, and are both artists, so they connected immediately. “I began to introduce interventions to the family,” said Ron. “A’ needs to happen, for ‘B’ to happen, for example. Noel is the gatekeeper of Tyler’s world.”
Noel and her husband created a structured environment for Tyler. Soon, Tyler realized that it was time to get motivated and do better in school. Over time, progress began to show. The “my way or the highway” mentality began to disappear. Tyler’s manners improved, and he was saying “please” and “thank you” more often.
These small victories showed Joan that progress was being made. “I felt like we were dancing,” Noel joked. “Forward one step, back one step.”
Today, Tyler is doing much better in school, and Noel is thankful for Ron and Highfields’ help along the way.
*Names have been changed to protect the confidentiality of the family.