Jason's Story "One family after another gave up on him..."

Jason entered the foster system at a young age because his mother’s drug addiction made her unable to care for him. By the time he was 8 years old, young Jason had been removed from the homes of two different foster families and several relatives.

His uncontrollable fits of rage made him difficult to care for, and one family after another gave up on him. He yelled and screamed at the adults in his life, threw objects, and defied authority at home and school on a regular basis. Sometimes he took out his frustrations and anger on his younger sister who was also traumatized by their mother’s drug addiction and inability to care for them.

Jason and his sister had a grandmother, Paula, who visited the children regularly but did not want to become their regular caretaker because she believed they could get better care from others. But now Jason’s behavior had become so extreme that Paula agreed to step in and take him into her home. After about a year with his grandmother, Jason’s behavior had not improved very much. That was when Paula asked Jason’s county social worker for help. The social worker put Paula in touch with EMQ Children & Family Services in Santa Clara County.

At EMQ, a specially trained team including a family specialist, case manager and psychologist all worked together to create a tailored program that worked on Jason’s mental health issues, including his outbursts of rage, which would allow him to become more productive in school. EMQ provided over 60 hours of training for Paula that enabled her to understand and learn techniques to handle Jason’s rages. “Where EMQ excels is in their ability to be creative and flexible when designing the right program and treatment for children. EMQ was our shining star that enabled Jason to see a path for his future,” says Paula. “EMQ’s specialists and psychologists are persistent in trying new ways to figure out how to best communicate and help troubled children—they definitely go beyond textbook solutions.”

Paula saw a dramatic change in Jason’s attitude and behavior once EMQ stepped into their lives. Jason has become a better student, his behavior has improved dramatically, and the fits of rage have stopped. He is a senior in high school this year and has already made plans to attend a local junior college to investigate some of his interests and career options. His future took a turn for the better when Paula took the chance and brought him home to live with her and then found EMQ.

Paula says, “I believe that the mix of my family love and support and EMQ’s knowledge and know-how has vastly improved Jason’s chances for a brighter and productive future. I couldn’t have done it alone just with my love… I am grateful for EMQ and our social worker who recommended them.”

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Confidentiality of EMQ children and families has been preserved
through the use of models. Some stories may be composites of multiple cases.