09/08/2010

Read the Inspiring,"Throwaway Kids," Article About Oesterlen Services for Youth

The following article was printed on TheLutheran.org in its September 2010 issue.

'Throwaway kids'
Troubled children find a haven at Oesterlen, an ELCA-affiliated agency in Ohio

Editor's note: Names of children in this article were changed for their protection.

Jordan, 13, has already seen more of life's dark side than most adults ever will. Sexually abused for years by his parents, Jordan eventually began abusing his younger sister and brother. Upon discovering this, the county immediately removed the children from their home and prosecuted the parents, who received lengthy prison terms.

Jordan entered the foster care system. But his abusive behavior continued, so he was eventually admitted to a residential treatment program for adolescent sex offenders. He was dismissed after attacks on staff and peers, and repeated destruction of property. Shortly thereafter, he and his siblings became wards of the state.

With his anger out of control, Jordan was sent to Oesterlen Services for Youth, an ELCA-affiliated, Springfield, Ohio-based mental health facility and social services agency. Within hours of his admission, Oesterlen engaged a team including a primary therapist, youth leaders, a unit supervisor, teacher, nurse, recreational and art therapists, and a consulting psychiatrist. They began intensive therapy, and their never-give-up attitude became a cornerstone of his progressive treatment plan.

After more than two years, Jordan successfully completed the program and today lives in a group home.

In the world of the severely emotionally troubled boys and girls at Oesterlen, baby steps often define success. But for Donald L. Warner, executive director, the opportunity to bring hope to what some in society call "throwaway kids" can never be measured.

"We think these kids are reachable and that we can be a positive, constructive change in their lives," he said. "By dedicating some time and making a commitment to them, we can make a real difference."

The ELCA has supported various initiatives at the facility. This includes a low-interest loan through the Mission Investment Fund for Oesterlen's Residential Mental Health Intensive Treatment Complex and Community Counseling Center, built in 2006.

For more than 100 years, Oesterlen has touched thousands of lives, first as an orphanage and now through extensive residential and community-based programs. Some stories resemble Jordan's, while others reflect the outpatient services that intersect with Oesterlen, including wraparound treatment programs for schools and families and therapeutic foster care. In 2009, these services helped more than 800 families and children, including Lily.

Often high, angry, stressed or simply not at home, Lily watched her mom regularly pop pills and struggle with depression, which in turn led to Lily's battle with drugs. At risk for foster care, Lily received a second chance through Oesterlen's home-based therapy program. Five months later, Lily's family dynamics improved significantly.

But for those in Oesterlen's residential program, developing relationships can prove far more difficult. "It's always a challenge to build a relationship with a child that doesn't cross professional lines or create a setback when the child leaves," said Ronald Green, an ELCA pastor and Oesterlen's director of church relations and development. "So often we have kids who bond with their therapists and others on our team [who] will ask, 'Can you be my foster mom or dad?' We grow to love these children, and the last thing we want them to think is that someone has abandoned them again."

A walk inside one of Oesterlen's four residential treatment centers confirms the daily challenges faced by the 100 full-time and 70 part-time staff members. Arms-length personal space is mandated in every common area and hugs rarely occur on this 100-acre wooded campus. Every movement and conversation within the center is videotaped and recorded. The only hints into the residents' personal styles appear in the limited decorations adorning their cinder-block rooms.

"Some of these kids have never even experienced a birthday," Green said. "They are broken, depressed and downtrodden."

For residents, the tightly secured, highly structured environment brings a sense of normalcy to their otherwise chaotic existence. Jenna, one resident in the facility for females with sexually aggressive behavior, had already seen the inside of more than one Ohio juvenile facility. Repeatedly abused, she came to Oesterlen jaded and ready to "snow" the staff.

After a few months, Jenna started to see the power of teamwork. She enjoyed art and classes through her individualized education program administered in the residence. Jenna is beginning to see that her life and actions do matter. "I don't feel locked up here," she said. "I'm opening up more, and I see that what I do affects the other girls here."

For Oesterlen officials, this type of comprehensive, compassionate care is the only way to save these children from being incarcerated or becoming statistics. According to Childhelp, a nonprofit organization for victims of child abuse and neglect, "children who experience abuse and neglect are 59 percent more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28 percent more likely to be arrested as an adult and 30 percent more likely to commit a violent crime."

Warner and Green know these statistics well, which makes them all the more proud of Oesterlen's results. Working with an annual budget of $6.5 million, 90 percent of which is funded through referring agencies, Oesterlen had a 73 percent completion rate in its residential program in 2009.

According to the 2004 National Conference on Residential Treatment Outcomes, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, treatment centers nationally saw an overall success rate of 76 percent, with state studies showing a 53 percent overall success rate. Although conference participants note that data collection of this kind "is both varied and inconsistent," the fact remains that many children respond positively to intervention of this magnitude.

That said, residential treatment comes at a cost — in Oesterlen's case, roughly $125,000 per resident per year.

"Yes, it is cheaper to put these kids in prison, but that's not what we're about," Green said. "Oesterlen is here because of a faith that calls us to help the forgotten children. Like skilled jewelers who chip away at a stone to reveal the gem within, we will continue to use every tool and every gift and skill that God gives us to find that diamond inside so we can shape it and set it free. We won't give up because these are God's kids, and God doesn't make junk."