Summary: Providing healing and hope to children and families. This is something that I think and speak a lot about in the work I do through the ministry of Saint Francis Community Services. Healing and hope are the cornerstones of the mission of Saint Francis and one of the ways we offer healing and hope is through work that takes place in our psychiatric residential treatment facility. This facility focuses on the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of children who have experienced severe trauma. Children who are admitted to the facility bring with them everything that is adversely impacting their lives. The demons that some of them have known, and continue to know, are very real. Last Fall, a 17-year-old boy, whom I will call Daniel, was referred to our staff at the facility. When the process of evaluating Daniel for admission began, the Saint Francis team discovered that Daniel had significant intellectual disabilities and was unable to speak. At 17, Daniel was functioning at the level of a six-month old child. Because of the kind of neglect, he experienced growing up, Daniel had never been to a doctor, and had never received any dental care. It was also reported that Daniel only slept a few hours each week, which contributed to him being easily over stimulated and stressed. He required assistance with everything, including bathing and brushing his teeth. He also needed help eating, because Daniel still did not know how to use utensils.
