Angel, Male – 12 y/o

Running away seemed the easiest solution for Angel. He ran away from the group home where he was living. He didn’t show up at school. “No one cares about me,” he said. “There’s no hope.” Twelve year old Angel was depressed and impulsive and had been cutting himself as a way to deal with his pain.

Angel came to VIP for counseling. Each time he threatened to run, our clinicians would talk with him until he was settled into staying. And Angel began to confront his problems. Angel had falsely accused his Grandfather of hitting him, which ended their relationship. With the guidance of our Youth Placement Stabilization team, eventually Angel worked to reconnect with his Grandfather, who went through all the required security measures so Angel could visit him on weekends. Through counseling, Angel also opened up about the bullying he was experiencing at school, which affected his attendance. Our clinicians and the staff at the group home worked with the school to resolve the bullying issue.

A lot has changed in Angel’s life through the help he received at VIP. Angel is now going to school regularly. He’s less impulsive and has agreed to ongoing counseling. And he no longer threatens to run away. He’s learned what his VIP therapist first told him. “No matter where you run, your problems will follow you.” With a caring support system helping him manage his problems, Angel doesn’t need to run anymore.