Thirteen-year-old Carlos* came to Morrison's Breakthrough Day Treatment Program in handcuffs and shackles. The State Department of Human Services had removed him from his mother's home after he was picked up for shoplifting and found to be addicted to heroin, which his mother had supplied to him. Carlos' past was full of violence, dangerous situations and a troubled home life. His mother and older sister were both heavy drug users, and his father, who had been involved with a gang, died of an overdose when Carlos was just eight years old.

Despite these experiences, Carlos had a close bond with his family. He and his mother and sister had moved frequently, and were often each other's only friends. Their nomadic lifestyle meant that Carlos had to jump from one school to another; in fact, he had only attended school sporadically since the fifth grade. Carlos' maternal grandparents wanted nothing to do with his mother and her children, so his support system was small and, due to the drugs, highly unpredictable.

At Morrison, Carlos was placed with a proctor family (therapeutic foster care family) and began attending school and participating in treatment. At first, Carlos was thought to be at a high risk for running away from the program and his family; but he did not run. Instead he excelled. In a stable, secure environment free from drugs and gang violence, Carlos was able to use class time to catch up academically with his peers. In school he was named both Student of the Week and Student of the Month. And in treatment he willingly attended meetings and actively participated in his own recovery from addiction.

Carlos proved to be a resilient young man. His sense of fun and humor helped him get through even the toughest parts of his treatment, and his sensitivity to others' feelings made it easy for him to relate to people on many levels. He adjusted easily to life with his proctor family and bonded with the biological children in the family. He loved reading books to the youngest, playing basketball with the eight-year-old, and teaching all of them how to breakdance. He helped the oldest child, an eleven-year-old girl, learn to cope with her Attention Deficit Disorder, always showing her extreme compassion and concern.

After a year of treatment at Morrison, Carlos has graduated into a new, long-term foster home, and is now attending regular high school. He continues to excel in everything he does, and has kept in close contact with his proctor family. Thanks to his therapist's help, he has also built a new, positive relationship with his grandparents, who provide him with a valuable connection to his biological background and heritage. With everything he's been through, Carlos has truly triumphed over the odds. His is the story of a boy well on his way to becoming a sad statistic who, with the help and encouragement of people who care, has proven to himself and to the world that he can accomplish whatever he strives for.

More about the Breakthrough program that helped Carlos
Other Success Stories

* Names and certain events have been changed to maintain confidentiality and to protect the children and families we serve