Together, We Grow

Maria has a dissociative disorder, as well as a tendency towards major depression, which she has learned is very hard to treat. Yet, not impossible.

She has been undergoing a process called integration in therapy, which usually takes a few years. Never before has she experienced an improvement in symptoms like this. She also reports that she is much more effectively medicated, which she says is a testament to the quality of the prescribers here.

“I have taken the resources that come to me through Places for People and I have divided equally – my time between improving my parenting so I didn’t pass on the cycle and overcoming my trauma,” says Maria.

Places for People helps her with medication, quick access, Medicaid for her children, coordinating all her family’s appointments, and more. She feels supported and knows that there are multiple people she can contact when she has questions or problems that arise.

The hard work she has put into her journey has not only helped her function, but also equipped her to respond when her children need her. “If you could look at my house – the difference in how much I’m functioning as a parent is pretty dramatic,” Maria says.

She has set a prime example to her children of how it’s ok to talk about mental health, get help, and also process your trauma.

Today, Maria has acquired a credit score, bought a house, and gotten the family their first pet, a sweet puppy named Princess. She looks forward to continuing to improve being more present and enjoying the fruits of the hard work she’s been putting in for herself and her whole family.

Rocket has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and is also on the autism spectrum, which can make school very difficult to navigate at times.

A PFP staff member was able to identify the subtle autism presentation early on. It was not previously known.

In fact, Maria was transparent that it wasn’t something she would have ever considered. Finding this out was transformative though, as it has allowed them to learn how to best support him.

Wrap around services for school have particularly made a difference for him. He is able to get medication support and staff meet with him once a week to check in. They talk about planners, assignments, breaking tasks down into steps, and more.

Instead of letting his diagnosis define him, he’s put in the work to excel in school at a whole other level. He’s now a mathlete!

Malala recalls being super happy until she became an “angry teenager.” She began self-harming and ended up at the hospital when her mom found out.

With therapy, medication, and a solid support system, Maria says that Malala has really come to know herself and developed better coping mechanisms.

For example, Malala has learned that she likes to listen to music when she studies because it helps her feel less overwhelmed. She also enjoys playing musical instruments, developing and checking off her bucket list, speaking with her therapist (who she considers to be like a best friend), and even appreciates the structure her mom has given her.

Malala has gotten 3^rd place in her school’s spelling bee and plays the guitar and trombone in the band. She’s excited to have landed a solo for the upcoming band concert!

When speaking about what Places for People means to her, she said, “the staff are such a vibe. They’re helping me heal. I’m really happy because they are teaching me new coping mechanisms, like ways to solve my problems and they also let me trauma dump on them.”

Seeing her utilize tools and resources, confidently plan for her future, and even say that she’s happy again is an incredible thing to witness.

Atticus will tell you that the move to St. Louis was quite hard for him. He left the home he knew and loved, as well as accidentally left his shoes.

He was a boy of few, if any, words for some time. In fact, the family remembers using American Sign Language (ASL) as a way to communicate with him during this period.

The boy you meet today is far from using few words. Maria talks about how he has made a dramatic change to being sort of extroverted. He’s become this playful jokester and has made a bunch of new friends at school.

Even though he’s become a social butterfly, he’s also getting good grades. He jokes about recess being his favorite subject, but what he says he most looks forward to is going home, which he now associates with St. Louis. A true testament to the new home they’ve built together.

We hear it’s a place with great pizza and ice cream, as well as an abundance of laughter and sibling shenanigans.

Eleanor witnessed an assault and about two years later, showed signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Suddenly, the family and her school were seeing symptoms, such as her going into fight or flight. No one knew what to do.

Maria ended up getting Eleanor into therapy and they saw a night and day difference. She was so grateful that they were able to get her in quickly. Maria says, “Eleanor has worked very hard to get her skills up and get her chill back.”

Eleanor, the spunky storyteller of the group, tells us that when fights break out at school, she isn’t in them. She’s much more interested in developing her exceptional artwork and skills, as well as hanging out with her best friend, Piper.

We’re always excited to see her latest piece of art, such as ones that show off her shading skills. Recently, she drew a beautiful picture of a flower for us to utilize for this campaign.

When explaining that she would be featured on our social media, website, and campaign materials, Eleanor said, “I’m excited to be famous!”