CLARK
Clark grew up in an environment of emotional, verbal, and physical abuse on a daily basis and was repeatedly subjected to sexual abuse. The death of his mother caused him to become severely depressed. He felt he had no one to turn to or trust and consistently had thoughts of suicide.
When he was 14, Clark was sent to Hillside. He lived here for three years overcoming his suicidal ideations, and learning to trust people again. The abuse he experienced, as well as abandonment from several family members, was difficult to overcome.
"At Hillside there is so much more to healing than just the therapy. It was the environment, the staff, the "family" closeness that you felt there. I felt safe and protected. Hillside will forever be a good memory that helped change and mold me into the successful adult I am today," Clark says.
Clark was a member of the United States Army as a combat medic. He is a nationally certified EMT. Through the Marion W. and Charles J. Ingraham Educational Fund and the Anne and Richard Schweitzer Educational Foundation, Inc. funds at Hillside, Clark is attending college.
He is working towards a BA in Healthcare Management with a future goal of becoming a physician’s assistant or possibly an MD.
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JOSEPH
Joseph is the youngest of three children. Born to an active, intellectual, and strong family, Joseph's behaviors were "different". By the time he was 5 years old, the "differences" became disturbing and dangerous. His parents sought help through his school, but at the age of 9, it was clear that Joseph needed psychiatric help. He constantly put himself in harm's way and told his mother he wanted to die.
Joseph's rage and extremely dangerous behaviors were the reason his parents put a deadbolt on their bedroom door. It was the only way they could sleep safely.
Joseph was asked to withdraw from the usual social activities - summer day camp, Sunday school, church choir, Scouts. He was also asked to leave two different private schools known for their excellent programs for ADHD and LD kids. He was such a danger to himself and others that he and his family were prisoners in their own home.
At the age of 12, his family was told that Joseph was "untreatable". This diagnosis wasn't acceptable to Joseph's parents and they continued to fight a society that wanted to treat their son as a delinquent instead of as a child with severe emotional and behavioral problems.
After visiting several long-term psychiatric facilities, Joseph's parents decided to try Hillside. His mother says, "We found a place that was strong on structure and discipline. We found staff that had been at Hillside for years and were committed to what they were doing for the kids. We found people who would listen to us and to our concerns, and who treated us like we were part of the solution instead of dismissing us as though we were not worth any consideration in Joseph's treatment plan. We found that Hillside was willing to commit to a length of stay for our son that would ensure that Joseph had the best possible chance of success when he returned home."
Joseph remained at Hillside for over 3 years. Upon leaving, he was able to transition to and graduate from a public high school. His circumstances required that he graduate with a Special Ed diploma, so he needed to take the GED (General Equivalency Diploma) before he could apply for admission to a college.
Not only did he pass the GED, it was noted that his level of accomplishment was such that he would have been placed nationally in the top 20% of all high school graduates that year. With the aid of the Anne & Richard Schweitzer Educational Foundation, Joseph is now attending Georgia Perimeter College with plans to obtain a bachelor's degree at a 4 year college or university. He has not decided if he wants a career in computer science or another field, but thanks to Hillside, he has time and he has options.
Today, Joseph has an active social life that includes church hand bell choir, karate, horseback riding, guitar lessons, attending Georgia Shakespeare Festival plays, and opera. People speak of Joseph as being polite, charming, and interesting to talk to. And his girlfriend thinks he also has a great sense of humor.
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