CHOR Residential Success Story

Edward arrived at CHOR on May 21, 2008. Prior to arriving at CHOR, Edward was already getting into trouble with the law. By his own self-report Edward was an angry individual. He was failing his classes in school because he didn’t listen to the teacher. He was unable to keep a lasting friendship with another person his age, was arguing and fighting with his family members and was getting into fights with peers on a regular basis. Edward had very few goals for himself and seemed to be drawn to people who didn’t listen to authority and activities that were against the law.

           Initially, Edward was not invested in his treatment. He had difficulty following directions given to him by staff, struggled to build relationships with staff or peers, and continued to display his angry aggressive behavior.  Through patience and hard work, the treatment team was able to learn a lot about Edward and his needs. Edward was picked on a lot before coming to CHOR and did not know how to build a relationship with a friend. He often kept people at a distance and was resistant to making connections with others. This was displayed through his

negative behaviors.

Over the course of the almost two years that Edward was at CHOR, he learned how to be himself and accept  himself for who he is. Through his own self acceptance, he was able to make friendships with his peers and open up to staff. Edward reports that he doesn’t feel angry at the world anymore and has goals of becoming a graphic designer and living a successful life. He took on the role of a peer leader at CHOR and helped those new to the program by sharing all that he has learned. Edward stopped expressing himself through aggression and now expresses his feelings through music and artwork.

Edward left CHOR with the confidence in himself that he can make friends and be successful at whatever he chooses to do in the future. He came to CHOR surrounded by walls that he built himself in order to keep everyone away. Through patience, understanding, and encouragement, the team at CHOR were able to help Edward begin to tear down those walls little by little, allowing him to leave as the happy and confident young man that he now describes himself as.