(upbeat music) - Hey, y'all.

Welcome to Generation Rising, where we discuss hard-hitting topics that our diverse communities face every day.

I'm your host, Kiara Butler, and our guest today is Lauri Smalls.

Lauri is the executive director of Turning the Corner here in Providence, Rhode Island.

Turning the Corner is known as a residential treatment program providing services for adolescents ages 12 through 21, with behavioral problems.

She has over 20 years of experience in the delivery of human services, and is the first woman pastor elected to lead Union Baptist Church in New Bedford.

Hey.

- Hey.

How are ya?

- I'm making it out here.

How are you?

- I'm good, thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you for having me.

- Yes, thank you for coming.

- It's really an honor to be here.

Thank you very much.

- You ready to jump right in?

- I am.

- All right.

So for people who don't know what Turning The Corner is, what is it?

- Turning The Corner is a program of Jammat Housing and Community Development Corporation.

- [Kiara] Okay.

- We provide residential care for adolescents who are in DCYF custody.

So, pretty much that means that we provide supervision, direct line sight of supervision, care, prevention, intervention, clinical services, housing.

Making sure that they obtain their treatment plan goals.

So while they're in DCYF care, that they can get the treatment that they need in order to go home with their families, where they belong, or transition to independent care.

- Is there an automatic connection that happens between DCYF and your program?

- Yes.

So, the only way that residential youth can come to our program is if they are referred to us by DCYF.

- Okay.

- And so we're considered a provider for DCYF.

- And then, is there different types of housing based on treatment plan or gender?

- Yes and yes.

So, we have programs for youth who need specific types of treatment.

So, currently we have an assessment center, which is available for juvenile males, who for whatever reasons, are unable to live with their families.

And then they can stay there for 30 days or more, based on what they need.

If it's just a temporary thing between families, and you know, they're not getting along, and parents say, "I can't manage it."

We're there for the young people.

Ideally, we'd like to get them back home as quickly as possible, in the safest manner as possible.

Then I have two programs for juvenile males who have been accused or adjudicated in court for offending other youth, and they can stay there for as long as needed for them to get the treatment that is important for them to establish boundaries.

So, you know, again, they can go back home if it's possible, or go to a foster family or independence.

I do have a program for youth who have cognitive impairments who just operate at different frequency.

But oftentimes those impairments are compounded with behavioral issues, and makes it a little difficult for their families to manage them.

And so they can stay there for a long time too.

So the families and the youth can figure out what best works for them.

Ideally, they should be able to go back home.

I do have a program for young women who have mental health challenges, compounded with behavioral issues, right?

And that's a short term program, because we really wanna work with the families and the youth to figure out what works for them, so that they can work as a family unit.

Our purpose, our intent, is to be a resource to the family and the youth.

Because we really believe that young people do best in families.

Families that they identify as their own, or families that they're born into, right?

Sometimes we just all need a little help to get it together, and that's our job to be a help, to be a resource for families.

- Yeah.

And you were actually kind enough to give us a tour and take us on an inside look at the work that you're doing at Jammat.

And so, let's take a look.

(lighthearted music) (lighthearted music continues) (lighthearted music continues) - So this is Jammat Housing and Community Development Corporations, Turning The Corner Residential Treatment Program for juvenile females.

- Okay.

- Who are in DCYF care.

This is a program specifically designed for young ladies who are at risk of being hospitalized.

We call it our "Hospital Diversion Program".

And we provide treatment and care, supervision, for youth who are in DCYF custody, specifically to try to avoid them going back to the hospital.

And this is why the setting is set in these colors.

It's kind of blue-ish.

We try to do calm and muted tones.

To create what we call a therapeutic environment.

- All right.

Can I see the rest of the place?

- Absolutely.

- All right.

- Absolutely.

- All right now.

Lauri, I know what this room is.

It's the kitchen, so, please tell me how are meals prepared?

- So actually, we have meals catered Monday through Friday.

- Monday through Friday?

- Monday through Friday.

- Okay.

- We have lunch and dinner catered for the youth, to ensure that they're complying with the federal regulations on food safety, right?

Make sure they have the proper amount of proteins and whole wheats, reduced amounts of sugar.

'Cause again, the youth over in our care.

we want them to leave healthy.

Right?

- Yeah.

- So we have their meals catered in.

But on Fridays, Saturdays and Sunday evenings, the youth prepare the meals in this area with the staff.

- Yeah, and I see you have the chores listed here as well.

- Yes.

- How do you all divvy up the chores?

- [Lauri] So, the chores are rotated each week.

- [Kiara] Okay.

- So again, you learn how to clean a kitchen.

They're gonna mop a floor, they're going to wipe down a stove, they're going to clean a kitchen sink, put away the dishes.

They're going to clean the bathrooms, living room.

It's a living environment.

Again, when they leave, we want them to be able to know how to take care of their living environment.

Because the objective is when they leave, that they'll have all the tools they need to be successful.

Some of them are going to independent living, some of them are going back home, right?

So we want them to be able to have all the skills.

- Well, listen, this space is immaculate, so they're doing a good job on the chores.

- They do a really great job.

- I can't wait to see the rest.

- Okay, let's go.

- Let's go.

All right, so I noticed there's a lot of quotes on the walls.

Is that intentional?

- Absolutely.

We always want to have positive reinforcement.

And so oftentimes some of the things that you say, they don't always remember.

But if they see it and read it regularly, they can remember they're in a program, right?

Although we try to have a home-like setting, intentional about it's a program, that they need to work their part of the program.

We'll do our part, they do their part.

So we try to always have positive reinforcements all around the house for all of the youth.

- And what is this room?

Is it an extension of the living room?

- It is not an extension of the living room.

It's another space.

We often call this the rec room, right?

This is an opportunity where the youth will come in.

Behind is where the program coordinator often will do most of their work, you know, on the computer.

And if they want to have a one-on-one with the youth, or the youth wants to have a one-on-one with them, it's a great opportunity here.

- All right.

- Yes.

- Well, let's keep going.

- All right, let's go.

- [Kiara] So, this is giving me a dorm room feel.

- Well, I'm glad.

This is what was established.

It's their living room.

Their living environments, right?

- Mhm.

- We try to do nice, soft, muted colors, for a really therapeutic environment.

We don't think about how important colors are to like mental health stability, so that's why it's a nice, soft blue.

You won't see any real stark colors in the house.

- And then each bed is unique.

Are they able to bring their own, decorate everything?

- So we give them all the bedding, but they can decorate it however they like.

They can put artwork on the walls, and you know, just take their time while they're here.

It's a short-term program.

90 days, maybe a hundred days.

But we really want them to plan to go home.

Right?

To go back to their families.

'Cause that's where they, you know, really do their best work.

And so this is a time where they can just have a nice space to relax, to sleep every night.

And we're really proud of these spaces.

And so it shows in just these small little things.

- It does.

- Yes.

- It definitely does.

- Yes, yes.

All right, let's go.

- Lauri, I just wanna thank you so much for having me.

I recognize that this is probably a small bit of the work that you all actually do here.

- Well, I'm so glad that you came, and I'm glad that you enjoyed this environment.

So grateful for the opportunity to show you the hard work that my staff of superstars do every day.

Every day.

And we ended up in a place where, just wanted to show you these amazing lions.

- Can I touch it?

- Absolutely.

Absolutely.

- Is it giving me good luck?

- It's giving you good luck, and it should give you strength, right?

We had them painted pink for our young ladies, to know that they have strength, right?

So this lion represents strength.

They have certain strength and value, and we want to bring that out.

And so while they're enjoying a meal, they get to see a visual reminder.

That they have the strength to overcome.

They have the strength to turn the corner.

They have the strength to be successful in life.

And this is why we have these pink lions in this dining room.

- I love your energy.

Can I hug you?

- Absolutely.

- Thank you.

Thank you so much.

- You're welcome.

Thank you.

- So, thank you Lauri, for taking us on that tour, giving us that inside peek.

For the girls that you are working with in the program, what would you say are the biggest changes that you've seen?

- We've seen them figure out how to be upset, and not lash out.

And that is a really important thing, because in life, you're gonna have things and situations that occur.

- [Kiara] Yes.

- That really make you heated.

And you gotta figure out how I can express myself, to be able to say that, "I'm angry, I'm frustrated, I'm afraid, but I'm not lashing out.

I'm not hurting myself, and I'm not hurting anybody else."

And so we've found that those are the biggest changes, that the parents have found it the same way.

Right?

And that really comes in because of my staff.

They're superstars.

They provide really wonderful care to the young people, listening to them, but also giving them firm discipline and direction to be able to help them make better choices for themselves.

Right?

Because we recognize we can't change anybody, but we can give them the tools that they need to be able to make the changes for themselves.

And that's what we have found, that has been very, very helpful.

It also helps that our staff look like the kids they serve.

So, you know, it's always important to be able to see...

I can see myself reflected in you.

- [Kiara] Yup.

- And I know that you don't feel sorry for me, but you really know what I'm going through.

- And you empathize, yeah.

- Yes, it's very helpful.

- And so do you have any concrete tools that I myself, or our viewers can use?

'Cause I could use some.

(Lauri laughs) - Well, one of the things that we have found that really works for our staff, is that whatever you're going through, however the youth are expressing themselves, don't take it personally.

- [Kiara] Okay.

- That's the hardest thing.

Because generally, you know, we wanna clap back, right?

But sometimes we recognize that if someone's lashing out, they're just trying to say "I need help", in a different way.

And so, we have to listen to what they're saying.

How are you saying that you need help?

You know, oftentimes anxiety shows up as aggression or fear.

And we have to say, "Okay, you're safe."

- [Kiara] Yeah.

- "Okay?

I hear you.

And I wanna be able to hear the message, but I can't hear it through the mess.

So if we can all just take a step back, maybe we can get to the place where we can understand one another."

- That's a word, Lauri.

And it sounds similar to the takeaway that Crystal had.

We actually got a chance to sit down with Crystal.

Her daughter is enrolled in the program currently.

And so, let's take a look.

Well, Crystal, thank you so much for sitting down and talking to me today.

I'm happy that we're able to share your daughter's story with my viewers.

I guess I want to start by asking you... How did the decision come about to place your daughter in a group home?

- So, it wasn't a decision that was,..

I feel like it came about the wrong way.

It was the decision that we were looking for, but it happened differently.

So she was... She's had problems.

She's been having a lot of problems for, I wanna say three and a half, four years.

And I was screaming for help.

Like, somebody.

And I wouldn't give up on her, I knew she needed the help.

And she was progressively just getting worse with the depression, and she had other things going on in her life.

And there's no 13 year old little girl that's gonna want to go and sit in Bradley and talk about her feelings.

And she's not the type of kid that'll sit there in a room with a counselor and talk either, because there's not a relationship there.

There's no feeling.

I ended up calling DCYF on myself, because it got to a point where now she's not only like out of control, but she's hurting people.

She's hurting her sister, she's hurting her teachers.

So DCYF had come to the house and just said that they were removing her, and putting her in a group home.

She agreed on going.

She knows that she needed help.

And I think she fears the help.

The outcome of things, but... - What changes have you seen?

- I feel like I got my little girl back.

Like, she ain't all the way there yet but... She was so cold before Like, angry.

And it was almost like she was full of hate.

And just so much going on.

And it was going on for so long, that it was like we couldn't take that space, and then come back to something fresh, because it was going on too, too long.

Now this child has...

I could say a complete 360.

- [Kiara] Yeah.

What do you think has contributed?

I know I talked to Lauri, and she said they have a routine, they have a schedule, they do chores, they have rec time.

- Yes, structure.

And the rec time, going out with a group.

The meetings that they have as the house... (Crystal chuckles) For her to hear the other girls talking about what they're going through, whatever they want to share.

My daughter I know sees like, she's not the only one, that has this anxiety, the depression, she's overwhelmed.

Like, she's not alone.

- And what changes have you made as a mom?

- As a mom...

So another big thing that I learned about myself, 'cause I've told every counselor that I know, that I've come across...

Even if it's something that I'm doing wrong, tell me.

- Yeah.

- Because it's not just my daughter.

I wanna fix me too.

- Yes.

- Let me help her, help myself, and let her know that she's not alone.

We know that it's not all her fault.

- Mhm.

I think that's a big one.

- I always tell my kids, "Don't let anybody tell you that your feelings are wrong.

Your feelings are legitimate, and you can feel the way that you wanna feel, and you can have different opinions."

So, our communication is getting stronger.

- Yeah.

Well, it sounds like now you're thinking about it.

- [Crystal] Yeah.

- And that is gonna be a change that she's gonna see when she comes back.

- Mhm.

- And so, you are doing a great job.

- Thank you.

- And I do see the changes, and I hear the changes, and so- - She's doing amazing.

- Yeah.

- She really is.

- Thank you for sitting down and talking with me.

- Thank you.

(Crystal chuckles) So Lauri, one of the things that I noticed when sitting down with Crystal was that it was like wraparound services that you all provide.

She was getting things as the parent, the daughter was getting things and resources.

How does that work?

- So, that's a unique program.

We don't offer that at all of our different areas.

But when we started that program for girls, we recognized that there is no way that these young people can be successful if we don't address all of the areas of their lives that means something to them.

- [Kiara] Yeah.

- Right?

So oftentimes youth come into our care, and then they leave and we're like, "Hey, good luck.

Hope everything works out."

But this one, we were intentional.

Because we wanted the young people to exit care, and not come back.

Not that we don't appreciate them, but care is really an unnatural situation that occurs for youth sometimes.

So we intentionally started the program where from the beginning, the family was involved from day one.

Because of the family, that's like their main thing.

Their main source of strength, their main resources.

And we recognize that even after they leave care, they're gonna go back to their family.

So if the family is still fractured, these young people are gonna grow up to be fractured adults.

So we intentionally started with the family and the youth, to say, "Hey, what do you need from us?"

We didn't want to tell them.

We wanted to hear from them.

"What do you need from us, and how can we assist you?"

- [Kiara] Yeah.

- Right?

So if mom or dad needs to talk it out, because again, when our young people are in crisis, we're in crisis.

- Right.

- Your other daughters, other sons, other family members are also in crisis.

"How can we listen to you to help you get what you need for a family to be whole?"

And so that has been our approach.

So all of our staff, our directors, our care managers, reach out to the family regularly to say, "Hey, your kid is doing really good today.

This is what she did, this is how she overcame, this is what she addressed for herself.

So this is how you can use it when you go back home."

And then before, even before you go back home, we are having meetings.

Tell us what you need.

- [Kiara] Yeah.

- Because you're gonna live with your people.

They're your people.

What do you need, right?

So that everybody knows what's expected, and so we open up lines of communication between the youth and their families that oftentimes was fractured because of behavior.

And then the other piece is that we say, "We're here."

So if you're having a hard day, it doesn't have to be fatal.

- Yeah.

- Call us.

We can help you.

We'll come out, we'll meet with you, we'll talk with you.

We'll figure out what works best for you.

And that has been very helpful.

So that the young people know, again, I've had people who have been in my life, this relationship is not over.

If I need to call back to say, "My day is tough."

And I know that this person who was at Turning The Corner could talk me through it.

- [Kiara] Right.

- Right?

To listen to me and help me figure it out, to remind them, "You remember you have these tools.

Remember the things that we learned.

Remember the things that work for you?

Use that here."

Right?

Use that in that situation.

And so that's been very, very, very helpful for everybody.

The families as well.

- And you've said multiple times, like exiting or it's a temporary program, or we want you to leave, we are encouraging you in that growth.

Is hat predetermined?

The length of time that someone stays in the program?

Have you ever seen like someone come back?

Like, "I'm not ready to leave.

I actually need to re-enroll and come back."

Like, how does that work?

- So, the program is set up for 90 days, but we're dealing with humans.

So, 90 days is aspirational, right?

We would hope that young people would stabilize enough, and families would be strong enough to say, "I'm ready now to reengage with my daughter, my child."

Sometimes it takes 180 days.

But ideally, we want youth to stay in care for the least amount of time.

- [Kiara] Okay.

- Because again, families have to figure out how to work together, how to build on their strengths, right?

How to figure out, "We had a bad moment, but that doesn't mean that it's always gonna be that way."

- [Kiara] Right.

- So we've not had anybody come back to say, "I want to come back to stay here."

You know, 'cause it's a program, right?

So there's rules and regulations.

You don't get to see all of your people like you like, but you know, if they needed a little extra time, we're willing to work with the families and with the youth, because we want them to be successful.

So no matter what we establish in terms of framework, we will say, "Hey, you know, we agree, you need a little bit more time."

But we intentionally work toward rebuilding the family.

And we also remind everybody, "These are not our kids."

They belong to a whole other family.

So, how do we help the family come back together in their strengths?

Because you know, people are going to be people.

Right?

And so you gotta figure out, "How do we accept each other as we are?

And how do we try to draw out the best versions of ourselves."

Right?

That's what we really are trying to work toward.

- And so if someone's interested in your services, but they aren't necessarily affiliated or connected to DCYF, how can they get in touch with you or... - Well, they can go to our website.

We wouldn't be able to serve that young person.

- Okay.

- Unfortunately.

But we can help.

So if they go to our website, jhcdc.org, they can contact us, and we'll be happy to help.

Because a lot of stuff that we do is not necessarily contracted.

We'll be happy to talk with them and direct them to resources, or even talk with a young person.

Because ideally, if we could prevent somebody from coming into care, we've actually done our job.

So, we absolutely would love to talk with them if they're having difficulty, because there are resources out there that they might not know.

And we don't want any family to struggle.

No need to wait till it becomes a crisis.

You know, if you reach out to us early, we can help in many different ways.

- All right.

Well, I wanna thank you so much for joining us.

We have run out of time.

Right?

It goes by quick, doesn't it?

- It does.

It was great.

Thank you so much.

- Doesn't it?

Yes.

And for our viewers at home, you can catch past episodes anytime on watch.ripbs.org, and be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest updates.

Again, I would like to thank today's guest, Lauri Smalls, for her time and incredible work.

And Lauri, we have started a tradition where I'm gonna have you grab some chalk.

- Okay.

- And head on over to our board that we have here, and leave your mark.

- Okay.

- It could be anything.

And it's gonna be there.

- All right.

- All right.

- All right.

(calming music) (calming music continues) (calming music continues)