What was happening with your child and family that prompted you to call Bodin?
Our 14-year-old daughter had run away twice and was leading a secret life with a 24-year-old man.
Who referred? What had you tried prior to calling Bodin?
Our family therapist and our school counselor knew Bodin and suggested we contact them to learn about their services. Prior to Bodin, our daughter was seeing a psychotherapist and we participated in family therapy on an outpatient basis.
What was your initial experience with Bodin and why did you hire us?
Our consultant convinced us that we should be ready with a plan of action if our daughter were to run away again.
What kind of plan was developed for your child and family?
Before we had put our plan together, our daughter ran away again but fortunately returned in the same day. We immediately contacted Bodin, and they immediately put in place a plan to help our daughter and our family.
What was your child’s experience in the schools or programs chosen?
Her experience was excellent. Bodin made all of the arrangements within house for our daughter to be escorted to a safe house and then placed in an outstanding wilderness program. In the wilderness program, our daughter came to grips with her having led a secret life and as a result of her testimony, this man was arrested and sentenced. Following the wilderness program, our daughter was in a residential treatment center (RTC) for 18 months where she acquired self esteem and confidence.
What was your experience while your child was away?
We felt confident that our daughter was in good hands. Most importantly, we were relieved that she was safe. We had excellent communication with both the wilderness program and with the RTC program, allowing us to learn about our daughter’s needs better and how to become a closer family when she would return home.
Were there any bumps along the way?
Our daughter did well in these programs. However, when we thought she was ready to come home, we were shocked to hear from the RTC that they were NOT recommending that our daughter come home but t hat she should step down to a therapeutic boarding school. We worked through an alternative approach which was that our daughter stayed longer in the RTC program, and she had specific goals to achieve before she would be ready for graduation and coming home.
How did your relationship with your consultant develop?
Throughout the 20 months that our daughter was away, Bodin was with us through every step. Not only did they find a placement for her in an excellent wilderness program within a matter of hours, they identified a short list of potential RTC programs for us and helped us through the decision-making process. They also helped us through the process of determining the best course of action following the RTC including choice of school and most importantly, the appropriate support services for our daughter upon her return home.
How long did you work with Bodin?
We are still working with Bodin. It’s been two years. They have been essential to our ensuring the safety and well-being of our daughter.
How is your child/family doing now?
Our daughter has been home for a little over two months. It’s not a cakewalk, but then we didn’t expect it to be. We are having some wonderful times and are thrilled to have our daughter, who is now 16, home again. But there have been some very difficult times as well. It’s a major adjustment for all of us to be back together again and to work through ongoing issues.