Our Family Wellness program supports families with young children. Meet Noah, his sister Lila, and their parents as they embark on a journey of healing.

The Green family excitedly boarded the plane, ready for the journey to see Grandma and Grandpa. After saving up and planning their excursion for over a year, the reality of being together again was within reach. Mom and Dad settled 8-year-old Noah and 3-year-old Lila in their seats when a familiar panic set in: Noah’s screams echoed through the aircraft. Judging eyes and scowls shot toward the family, heat rising in these parents’ faces. Dad desperately tried to intervene but found himself losing his temper as he tried to stop Noah from kicking the seats in front of him with endless ear-piercing yells. They were asked to leave the plane. Disheartened, ashamed, and coping with the loss of seeing their loved ones, a thought flashed through their minds, “What if we can never do ‘normal’ things out in public ever again?”

Noah’s mental health challenges had an unusual course for such a young age. Around when his mom left his biological father, who was an unsafe person in their lives, Noah started exhibiting symptoms of depression at three years old. As he got older, his sadness and irritability grew and behavioral problems became apparent; despite attempts at treatment, there was no fitting solution. School’s attention was caught when Noah’s frequent shouting, hitting, and running away interfered with his safety and participation, which all indicated developmental delays. School staff were unsure if there were larger problems of abuse or neglect happening at home, which led to the Department of Human Services (DHS) checking in on the family. The Greens felt a whole new experience of embarrassment as they desperately discussed their situation with their caseworker. “We tried it all,” said Mom in exasperation, “but nothing has helped.” It was clear that this little boy had loving, stable parents; they were just at a loss for how to show up for him as he struggled with his emotions. DHS knew Savio has a proven successful history of assisting families experiencing disruption with young kids and directed the Greens to our care.

Their therapist was welcomed into the family’s home but saw the discouragement in yet another attempt to find a sense of wellbeing. But this time it was different. Noah was not sent off to another office with another stranger clinician. He got to stay in the familiarity of his home while Mom, Dad, and little sister Lila never left his side. Both parents were able to look at their own life experiences to see how they affected their reactions to difficulties in the present. They saw Noah’s behaviors differently knowing that punishment for acting out, something they had been raised to see as the standard, was not necessarily the solution for their son’s actions. And punishing themselves with feeling ashamed of their situations in public would never help them either.

Things started to brighten at home but anxiety still lingered toward the outside world. “We can’t take him in public… we just don’t know what he’ll do,” Dad shared with their therapist. Meanwhile, things at school—where Noah spent much of his time— still looked rocky. Savio knows that no child and no family is an island, and we ensure that each significant element of a young person’s life is brought into the healing process. Noah’s therapeutic team worked together with his school principal, teacher aides, and social workers to help them understand his behaviors and needs as well as how to bridge care into his classroom setting. Once this support was consistently there for him, everything started to change. Days grew into months without Noah having an outburst. And every once in a while, Mom or Dad would catch him smiling and giggling with Lila—a sight that was brand new to them.

As their program came to an end, the Green family bravely packed up their car and ventured toward the zoo. It had been a long time since they had tried a public outing, but this opportunity felt different. Equipped with self-assuredness, the four of them held hands laughing and smiling at the elephants and monkeys. They were immersed in a living dream that had once felt so unattainable. As they drove home, looking at the sleepy eyes in their back seat, they realized that road ahead knew no bounds; they could do anything as a family together.