YCC Team

During her fifteen-plus years in the mental health field, Cecelia Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs, LMHC, has met her share of people who feel lost, sad or abandoned. As a licensed mental health counselor and current Director of Program Services at the Youth Crisis Center (YCC), she says those feelings can often be indicators of suicidal thoughts.

The Questionnaire of Concern

YCC requires young adults to fill out a questionnaire when they apply to its Touchstone Village transitional living program and one question asks if they know at least one adult or family member they could call in the middle of the night in case of emergency. Sadly, for most, the answer is no. Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs says when a young adult has no connections or support, there is an increased sense of loneliness and despair. She recalled one young man, named DD*, who came to Touchstone Village and made her very concerned about his potential for self-harm. (*Name has been changed.)

Afraid and Alone, A Worrisome Combination

Touchstone Village provides transitional living services to young adults ages 18-21 who may be homeless or in a variety of other situations which limit self-sufficiency. They have little-to-no family support and some have major mental health concerns, mostly stemming from traumatic events. “Often times, the family or friend support they do have is from someone who is taking advantage of them,” adds Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs. “We discuss and work through what a healthy relationship looks like.”

DD had just turned 18 when he arrived, afraid and alone. With his father incarcerated and his mother addicted to drugs, he’d been left with abusive grandparents, only to later be placed in roughly 30 foster or group homes. DD described himself as “anti-social” and “not having any friends”.  YCC’s mental health evaluations indicated he struggled with PTSD, anxiety, depression and low self-esteem. These all contributed to a worrisome combination for Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs and her colleagues.

Digging Deep to Find the Brave in the Boy

At Touchstone Village, each resident has their own fully furnished efficiency-sized apartment and receives life skills, career development training, academic monitoring and support, and mental health services, if needed. The goal is to assist residents in developing skills necessary for self-sufficiency.

Upon entering Touchstone Village, DD remained reserved and cautious, isolating himself in his apartment. Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs and the team worked with him on both his life skills and social skills. They encouraged him to interact with other residents by playing air hockey, watching TV together and helping the group cook in the kitchen. DD began to show improvement with hygiene, keeping his room clean and increasing his social interactions. As his anxiety level decreased, he took college classes and held a part-time job. No one had ever taken DD for a professional haircut; so, as a reward, he got his hair styled. Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs says that was a big turning point in his self-confidence.

The Answer to the Question is YES!

Since coming to Touchstone Village, DD has been promoted to a shift leader role at his job, has a girlfriend, opened his first checking account, and now laughs and jokes with other residents. On his re-assessment questionnaire, DD answered “YES” that he did know someone he could call in the middle of the night. He responded that he is now part of a family that cares about each other. “He has a vision of himself as a successful adult,” boasts Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs. “It’s exciting to see him full of happiness and confidence.” Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs says knowing that DD has not just one person he can call, but a group of people he considers family makes her job fulfilling.  

If you know a young adult between the ages of 18-21 who is struggling to become self-reliant and independent, YCC can provide transitional living services through its Touchstone Village program. Click to learn more about Touchstone Village and the 5 Key Skills Young Adults Need to Successfully Live Independently.

Something Was Wrong

Justice’s parents could tell, even as a child, that their bright and precocious daughter was struggling with something. They didn’t know what it was, and she couldn’t explain it. They had her tested for everything from ADD to autism and nothing showed up. When Justice turned 12, her behavior was so extreme that she had to be hospitalized, where she was then diagnosed with depression and anxiety. Her diagnosis, however, did not mean she was cured; and, over the next five years, her condition led to increasing conflicts with her family and additional hospitalizations. Her mother began to fear their home did not feel safe for the rest of the family, so Justice moved out. “A lot of the time – when I was going through my depression – I didn’t want to seem needy or ask for help,” explains Justice. “I wanted to handle it myself, but I really wasn’t handling it.”

The Village That Gave Her a Voice

Justice heard about the Youth Crisis Center’s Touchstone Village and was eager to see if she qualified for the program. Touchstone Village provides transitional living services to young adults ages 18-21 who may be homeless or in a variety of other situations that limit self-sufficiency. Residents live in their own efficiency-sized apartment for a monthly nominal fee. Residents also receive life skills training, career development training and academic monitoring and support. Mental health services are available as needed. The goal is to assist residents in developing skills necessary for self-sufficiency.

Justice qualified for an apartment, but it was the mental health counseling that was critical to helping her realize she needed to be responsible for her own future. She had to learn to take her medication and manage her depression and anxiety herself if she wanted to be independent and live on her own successfully. Justice finished high school, found a full-time job and enrolled as a part-time college student. “As an adult, if I don’t take care of myself and I lose my job, then I won’t be able to pay my bills or have a place to live,” acknowledges Justice. “I love being able to make my own decisions and buy what I want, so it’s very important that I stay on track.”

You Can’t Press Pause on Your Life

Justice encourages other young people and their families to be proactive about mental health. She believes that mental health issues should be addressed and managed at a young age, before a person needs hospitalization or begins to experience suicidal thoughts. According to the World Suicide Prevention Day website, suicide is responsible for over 800,000 deaths, which equates to one suicide every 40 seconds. Justice admits it is hard for a young adult to ask for help. “You don’t want to appear different to your friends because you have to take medication or go to a counselor,” adds Justice. She says friends or family can be supportive by simply telling that person they are loved, appreciated and valued. For young adults battling depression, she encourages them to educate themselves, seek out counseling or medication, or even find a form of spiritualty. “You can’t pause your life because you have a mental illness or something,” insists Justice. “You have to be able to say, ‘Whatever happened to me is part of who I am. My life is what I make of it and I want mine to be great.’”

If you know of a young adult between the ages of 18 – 21 who is struggling to become self-reliant and independent, YCC can provide transitional living services through our Touchstone Village program. Click to learn more about Touchstone Village and the 5 Key Skills Young Adults Need to Successfully Live Independently.

Most people would admit to preferring the company of happy people over grumps. But did you know that happiness is contagious and can spread to an entire group of people from just one happy person? National Happiness Happens Day encourages us to recognize happy moments and think about happiness in our daily lives. This “happy-holiday” encourage us to remember the joy we create for ourselves and others.

To share some healthy happiness, residents at the Youth Crisis Center’s (YCC) Touchstone Village, a transitional living program that provides services to young adults still developing self-sufficiency skills, were treated to a “family night” at Bowl America. “We know that many of our residents struggle with healthy and happy relationships,” said Cecelia Stalnaker-Cauwenberghs, LMHC and Director of Program Services at YCC. “So, we want to create opportunities that encourage an environment where they can develop a sense of family, to feel what it’s like to trust, support and bond with each other.

Researchers say a happy family environment, no matter the size, genetic relation or how the members came to be a family, creates a healthy life for everyone involved.

4 Reasons Why Family Time Is Happy Time

Families Who Play Together Stay Together
Family time is an important bonding experience, which deepens relationships. Play is a way to work out family issues, relieve stress and create opportunities for teamwork, which is helpful in coping with stressors like finance, health issues and busy schedules.

Making Merry Memories
It’s important to create environments where happy memories can occur. Families come in all shapes and sizes, so providing a variety of healthy experiences will help give blended families a common goal and mutually-fond memories, especially if the family unit has challenges to overcome when together.

It’s Okay to Be Sorry
When family members or a family unit gather, it’s possible that someone will say something hurtful or annoying. It’s important to spend enough time together to make those mistakes and learn how to apologize and forgive each other. If time isn’t invested to first establish trust, it’s hard to turn to those underdeveloped skills later.

Bonding for Better Behavior
Parents should not only teach rules and good behavior to children at home, but also take children into the outside world to practice socializing and interacting with others. Activities that provide time to talk, laugh and compete all help the bonding experience. Correcting behavior like being a bad sport, or not following rules or etiquette, affords low-pressure teaching opportunities for parents, siblings or friends to model.

Make sure to put the fun in your family time; even deciding what to do can turn into a fun activity. If you need an idea, the residents at Touchstone Village say they are heading to Skate Station next month!

If you know of a young adult between the ages of 18 – 21 who is struggling to become self-reliant and independent, YCC can provide transitional living services through our Touchstone Village program. Click to learn more about Touchstone Village and the 5 Skills Young Adults Need to Successfully Live Independently.