System of Care Stories
April 5, 2022
“5 Things about Queer Intimate Partner Violence You Should Know”
by Sawyer Keegan
I am often in positions where my autonomy is deemed irrelevant, be it in hospitals, schools, my old family home, but the place with the most heightened sense of anxiety for me is with my previous partners. Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence regularly face this very hard question: do I tell people? And if so, who? This is something I chose to disclose after both my safety and the safety of others were put in danger. Read more
January 4, 2022
“We Need More Than Youth Voice . . . We Need Action!”
by Evelyn Clark, Change Consultant & Racial Equity Trainer
Individuals with lived experience in the juvenile justice system should be to enhance the work, the workplace, and the systems of care, and ultimately to enhance outcomes for youth and their families. But what happens when critical conversations and hard truths are avoided or prohibited? What happens when young people experience tokenism from systems and burnout from sharing and reliving their trauma over and over again? Read more
January 4, 2022
“5 Things Elijah Would Like You to Know”
by Elijah Tankersly & Adaminah Tankersly
Elijah is a 23-year-old young adult living with autism and several other mental health challenges. He lives with his mother, Adaminah, in Philadelphia. Over the years, Elijah has struggled to get appropriate, responsive, and compassionate crisis care. Because of this, Adaminah has become a strong advocate not only for her own son but for all children, youth, and families living with behavioral health challenges. Read more