Jonah’s Story of Hope
July 9th, 2019
Jonah came to House of Hope to join his mother in treatment when he was four years old. He had bounced between foster care and his grandmother. When he joined House of Hope’s Children’s Program, he was far behind his peers in his motor and verbal functioning and struggled to control his anger. The only way he knew how to communicate was through hitting and screaming.
With patience and therapy, Jonah was able to learn how to manage his emotions, express himself verbally and refrain from hitting others. Through bonding exercises and therapy sessions with his mother, a bond of security and trust was created that allowed Jonah to flourish. Jonah loved to express himself through good behavior and got excited with the positive reinforcement from his mother. When Jonah left House of Hope’s Children’s program, he had caught up with his peers verbally and developmentally.
“It was so hard when I had to send my grandson to be with his mother in the House of Hope’s residential unit. After taking care of him for so long myself, it took time for me to feel like I could trust the people at House of Hope to take care of him and his mother. Now, I can see that the staff are professionals and know what they are doing. On the first weekend visit, I could see how my grandson was learning and growing.” ~ Jonah’s Grandmother to House of Hope Family