Sometimes, our stories of triumph come from kids who have spent many months, or even years, overcoming obstacles.  However, in the case of Allison, despite having a long road ahead of her still, she’s experienced a recent triumph thanks to the swift action of her family and staff at YouthZone.

Recently, Allison came to YouthZone through the juvenile justice system after being issued a petty theft charge.  Allison was also experimenting with marijuana, which was a great concern to her mother.  While working with YouthZone, Allison’s mother approached Case Manager Samantha Lovas to express her concern about Allison’s marijuana use, as well as a recent post she saw on her daughter’s Facebook page.

“Allison’s mother saw a post on Facebook that she feared was Allison’s attempt to say goodbye to her friends and family,” said Lovas.  “It’s always a good idea for parents to monitor what their children post on social media sites.  Not only to oversee who they’re interacting with, but in some cases, as with Allison, social media sites are used as an avenue to reach out for help.”

In addition to Allison’s mother bringing the Facebook post to Samantha’s attention, a sibling provided her with a screenshot of the post, so Samantha could have an understanding of what was happening.  After reading the post, it was clear to Samantha that Allison was in danger of hurting herself, and she quickly sprang into action, discussing the post with both Allison and her mom.  Allison recently had experienced a significant loss in her life, losing a dear friend in an accident.  Despite Allison’s assurance that she wasn’t going to commit suicide, Samantha and Allison’s mother recognized that she was devastatingly impacted by the loss of her friend. Samantha was able to arrange for counseling through Mind Springs Health for Allison, which she is continuing to attend on a regular basis.

While dealing with the emotional trauma of losing a friend, along with other issues, won’t be something Allison can overcome overnight, she’s well on her way to becoming stronger with the support of her family and YouthZone.