Jeremy's Story

It all began when Marni Luther, Hired Power’s Intake Manager, received an inquiry call from an educational consultant regarding a family whose 15-year-old son was struggling with mental health and behavioral challenges. Already familiar with Hired Power’s offerings, the consultant was seeking Safe Passage assistance to bring the boy from the family’s home to a wilderness program in another state. 

As usual, Marni quickly dug in to learn more about the context of the case. DAs she chatted with the consultant, Marni learned that the family had been working with local professionals for several years, and that the teen had been diagnosed with anxiety and depression.

With the support of the consultant, Marni reached out to the family for transition details and to learn more information about the family dynamics within the home. The parents shared that their son, Jeremy, had been acting out towards family members, school officials, and therapeutic professionals. At this point, it was clear they would benefit from the professional guidance of Hired Power’s Transitional Services team.

As the family was walked through an extensive overview of Safe Passage, Client Services Manager Tracy Waters provided emotional support and guidance along the way. She outlined the process of providing coaching on the family’s role and the engagement they and their son would experience. Tracy included a confident introduction to the transport team that would be working directly with the family, explained the itinerary, and detailed the travel that would be needed for the client and team’s safety. Her coaching and in-depth explanation opened up a connection for collaboration, which alleviated the parents’ questions and need for concerns.

When the morning of the Safe Passage arrived, the Hired Power team notified the family of their arrival and spent time with them reviewing the day’s plans. The parents were reassured of safety procedures and that they would receive ongoing updates from Tracy throughout their travel. The parents then introduced the team to their son Jeremy, sharing with him that he would accompany the team to a wilderness program. The two team members reintroduced themselves to Jeremy, further explaining where they were going and what the process would include. Jeremy was initially very upset, telling both his parents and the team he was not willing to go to the wilderness program. 

However, the Hired Power team members reassured Jeremy of his safety and ability to comply with what was being asked of him. After additional conversation — including support and direction — Jeremy agreed to go with the team. Together, they headed to the airport to catch an early flight. Upon arrival, though, there was a new wrench in the plans: All flights to their destination were either canceled or delayed, triggering a level of anxiety and resistance in Jeremy.

After discussion among the family, the transport team, and the Hired Power office, it was decided that renting a car and driving the 10 hours to the destination would be the best solution. This decision ensured Jeremy would reach his destination as quickly as possible, reducing his returning reluctance with professional support and guidance.

Jeremy went with the change in plans without incident, falling asleep once they were on the road. After about a 3-hour nap, he woke up stating he felt much more relaxed and requesting a burger with fries. After the meal, Jeremy and the team continued to build upon the initial trust and rapport with discussions about music, sports figures, and cars.

Jeremy had questions regarding the program he would be attending and what the other guys were like. The team shared additional information about the wilderness program and what to expect, encouraging him to take this time to focus on himself, his communication with his family, and experiencing the outdoors.

Upon arrival at the destination, the team and Jeremy met with the receiving program professionals relaying the trip’s details and Jeremy’s overall attitude. Jeremy was nervous but accepting, shaking the transport team’s hands during their departure and thanking them for both supporting him on his journey — and for the burger.

The team was pleased to call the educational consultant and the family informing them that Jeremy had arrived safely into his treatment program. Even more importantly, he did so with a calm and respectful attitude that set the path for recovery.