We first met “Keenan” as an 8th grader arrested for simple burglary. His case was resolved, but his troubles continued; progress with our teens isn’t always linear. In early 2024, he was arrested again for another series of thefts.
While Keenan’s attendance at school was always spotty, he had now stopped going altogether. Worse, his mother was homeless and the shelter she was in wouldn’t allow him to stay with her. Fending for himself, he stayed on friends’ couches. Keenan’s life was in chaos. He knew he didn’t want to keep going on like this.
When LCCR Social Worker Brianna met with Keenan, they brainstormed ways for him to stabilize his life and exit the legal system. Keenan badly wanted a home where he felt safe and his needs would be met. Brianna reached out to his family and found that his godmother was willing to take him in. She lived in a safer neighborhood where he’d be less prone to negative influences.
Once settled in his new space, Brianna worked tirelessly to get Keenan enrolled in a new school. The one they had identified as ideal initially refused him due to a technicality. However, Brianna kept pushing until the school granted him placement. Brianna also secured a laptop donation so that Keenan could study and do his homework.
With his home and school now squared away, Keenan wanted to find a job to earn some money. Ashton, his LCCR youth advocate, took him to get his state ID card, paving the way for him landing a restaurant job near his home. Ashton also got Keenan enrolled in a driver’s education program, which would help him become more self-sufficient.
Keenan’s case closed this summer. He’s still working at the restaurant, continues learning how to drive, and is back on track to graduate from high school next year. Keenan has matured immensely over the past several years. By helping address his core needs when he was ready for change, Keenan and his LCCR team were able to effectively disrupt the harmful cycle he was stuck in.
