Here for Mia
“I miss seeing my friends because of coronavirus, and Ms. Heidi always helps me feel much better”
Mia, age 9
Mia, age 9
Mia
Mia’s father was the family’s primary breadwinner, but with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, he promptly lost his building maintenance and dishwashing jobs.
As the bills began to pile up and lockdown began, the family of six was also faced with food insecurity, as the children no longer had access to the school meals the family relied on. Then Mia’s mother became ill with COVID-19 and, within days, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator. This devastating turn of events left nine-year-old Mia distraught, and she began having nightmares, throwing frequent tantrums, and wetting the bed. As a result, her therapist at Child & Family Guidance Center, "Ms. Heidi", quickly got to work helping to normalize her fears and teaching her to express her feelings through art. Her case manager also helped to meet the family’s basic needs, connecting them with resources for assistance with utility bills, groceries, and school supplies. This critical support is allowing Mia's father to focus on attending to his daughter’s emotional needs which, along with her mother's full recovery in May, has helped Mia cope better with her high stress and anxiety. She still misses "seeing her friends" at school but is doing "much better" overall.
Right now, children and families like Mia's need your help more than ever. Thank you for being "here" for them.
As the bills began to pile up and lockdown began, the family of six was also faced with food insecurity, as the children no longer had access to the school meals the family relied on. Then Mia’s mother became ill with COVID-19 and, within days, was hospitalized and put on a ventilator. This devastating turn of events left nine-year-old Mia distraught, and she began having nightmares, throwing frequent tantrums, and wetting the bed. As a result, her therapist at Child & Family Guidance Center, "Ms. Heidi", quickly got to work helping to normalize her fears and teaching her to express her feelings through art. Her case manager also helped to meet the family’s basic needs, connecting them with resources for assistance with utility bills, groceries, and school supplies. This critical support is allowing Mia's father to focus on attending to his daughter’s emotional needs which, along with her mother's full recovery in May, has helped Mia cope better with her high stress and anxiety. She still misses "seeing her friends" at school but is doing "much better" overall.
Right now, children and families like Mia's need your help more than ever. Thank you for being "here" for them.
Mia's Treatment
Mia is in the Youth Empowerment Services (YES) Waiver program at Child & Family Guidance Center. The program is designed to stabilize children with high behavioral needs who are at risk of being placed outside of the home. It is intensive and can be challenging for everyone involved, but the family-centered, wraparound approach ensures the child steadily makes progress toward stability and improved functioning.
