A few months ago, Second Story for Teens in Crisis (SSTC) welcomed “Joan,” a 17-year-old, into our emergency home for teens. Joan had been in and out of psychiatric placements due to suicidal thoughts and depression. Both of her parents had passed away, leaving her in the custody of her grandmother, who struggled with alcoholism and became abusive toward Joan. Their tense relationship left Joan feeling unsafe confused, dejected, and overwhelmed. She needed time and space away from her unsafe living situation to focus on her mental health and plan for her future. And that’s what she found at SSTC.
Second Story operates the only short-term residential facility for teens in crisis in the Northern Virginia region. Licensed as a youth residential facility, SSTC provides teens with a safe place to sleep, meals, individual, group, and family counseling, and support with life skills and staying on track academically.
Joan worked with Second Story’s staff to develop healthy coping mechanisms to deal with past trauma and manage ongoing struggles. At the same time, she stayed focused on her educational goals, determined to graduate and pursue a college education.
Second Story’s goal is always to reunite young people with their families whenever it is safe to do so. If a safe reunification isn’t possible, we help connect youth with other arrangements. In Joan’s case, returning to her abusive and alcoholic caregiver was not a safe option. Instead, our staff partnered with Virginia Child Protective Services to identify an alternative placement, ultimately helping Joan transition into a foster family in a new home—far from the sources of her emotional and physical harm.
Joan still faces challenges, but now she has new coping tools, a safe place to live, and renewed hope for her future as she continues working toward her educational goals.
Joan is just one of the 77 youth who stayed at SSTC last year. In addition to offering short-term residential options, Second Story also provides long-term rental assistance to young mothers fleeing dangerous living situations and to other youth experiencing homelessness, as well as community-based services to those in underserved communities.
“Joan’s” name, photo, and identifying details have been changed to protect her privacy.