System of Care Stories
August 2, 2022
Cari’s Story
by Carri Raynor
On October 5, 2005, I left Cleveland, Ohio to start a new life with my soon-to-be husband, Dan, in Western New York. Moving from a city to a rural area was a big change, and it took some time to adjust. As you can imagine, life in the country is simpler and a bit slower than city living. On Friday October 7, 2007, I became a single mother to my 18-month-old daughter, Laken, and a widow. My husband, Dan, had died by suicide. Life as I knew it had changed forever. Read more
August 1, 2022
Do You See Me? One Mother’s Plea
by Deborah Deggs Cariker
I’m the haggard-looking, rapidly graying woman in the dairy aisle, calmly repeating “not this time” and “not today” to my belligerent, man-size child, who earnestly believes chocolate milk is vital to his survival. It makes no difference that it makes him sick. He only wants, and “no” makes him feel threatened. He’ll start crying any moment. You’ll see me wrapping my arms around him, working to convince him that he’s safe and loved. I don’t care if you smirk or point. I only care that I can re-stabilize my baby. You, bless your heart, may take a hike. Read more
June 14, 2022
Left on My Own
by Imani-MB
My name is Imani and I am the single parent of five children from the ages of two to twelve. Steven was my oldest and I had just moved into the projects. He started hanging out with the project youth. One day, I got a call that he had been locked up for breaking into Kmart and he was being held in the Philadelphia Youth Study Center. A few weeks later, he called to tell me he saw a boy being raped. Shortly after that, he had a court hearing, and I made a very hard decision to send him away. Read more
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