“At this point in my career, I am speaking up because it has to be about our humanity and love. Apathy can no longer be an option in response to all the trauma that youth in foster care experience,” says Aisha Henry, former AHW volunteer.
“It’s a wonderful organization that does such good work! It connects seasoned therapists to children and young adults who desperately need stability and continuity of care….
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Chrissy Arlen, Volunteer Engagement Manager, announces plans to launch A Home Within’s first San Luis Obispo Chapter.
“The therapist becomes part of the client’s network of relationships, which ordinary children in ordinary circumstances completely take for granted. It is just there for them. And that’s what we are trying to build for our AHW clients,” says Eileen Keller, California volunteer.
With the public mental health care system strained by the pandemic, a new Northern California program aims to serve children least likely to get the help they need — foster youth who are struggling emotionally but not in an apparent crisis.
“Being part of the solution and making a commitment to one youth can have a valuable impact for an entire community,” says Mae Howard, San Diego volunteer.
“There isn’t a parent out there who doesn’t see the impact of isolation and social disruption on their children. All of us now recognize that every young person needs and deserves support for their mental health,” says Executive Director, Reed Connell.
Although it’s been more than 15 years since Mitchell Findley, 34, has been in the foster care system, he is continuing to work through the trauma and emotional struggles that came from facing homelessness and having parents who suffered mental health and substance abuse issues.
“Working with foster youth, I realized that was really where I needed to be, because kids who are in foster care need so much more support than a lot of people I have worked with,” says San Francisco volunteer Emily Kent.
“My husband has been a therapist with A Home Within for over 10 years and is now working with his third client. Working with AHW has enriched his life and the lives of his clients. When the former clinical director asked me to take the position because she was retiring, I wanted to be of assistance to this incredible organization,” says Kathy Adorney, former AHW volunteer.
“It’s an amazing experience. It gives therapists the opportunity to truly use their skills to help those who have experienced trauma, who wouldn’t usually have access to this type of assistance,” says Elizabeth Earnshaw, AHW volunteer.
“You have a chance to offer your professional expertise, which is of high value. You get to contribute your time and make an impact in your community and repair inequalities that we are becoming more aware of in terms of privilege, class, and race. You get to learn and connect to somebody in a way that is deeply meaningful,” says Mary Haake, AHW Clinical Director.
“It is common for A Home Within clients to be unsure if we are going to be there for them long-term because they have made connections and lost them in the past. So just the idea that we are offering to be their therapists for as long as they want—that it’s in their control, not ours—is so unique,” says Vanessa Hernandez, AHW volunteer.
“My work with A Home Within is one of the most important parts of my private practice,” says Sarah Campbell, AHW volunteer.
Anthony Pico speaks to Reed Connell from A Home Within, a national organization that connects current and former foster youth to therapy services.