Lisa: From Uncertainty to Independence

Before enrolling in Choices, Lisa bounced between foster homes, psychiatric hospitalization, emergency shelters, and a hospital’s behavioral health unit. At Lisa’s first child-and-family-team meeting, her caseworker pushed for residential treatment. Her Choices care coordinator advocated for other alternatives, and the team agreed to proceed with a community-based specialized level of care. Lisa’s care coordinator contacted five emergency youth shelters and 42 private agencies to find placement for her. Lisa transferred from the hospital to an adolescent center, and was ultimately placed with a foster family where she felt safe and supported, and began receiving services that put her on a path to independence.