When Caitlin looks back on the summer before her daughter Jenna (name changed for anonymity) entered 8th grade, one word comes to mind: awful.
“Every year things just seemed to get worse and worse,” she says. “That summer, things hit rock bottom.”
Jenna had just experienced a traumatic event. She was only 13 but had spent most of her young life holding in pain she didn’t yet know how to express. Her school’s IEP was the only structured support in place. The family had been waiting for months for outpatient therapy, but the list was long. Too long.
Then came the moment everything changed: Jenna was hospitalized—and that’s when Caitlin first learned about Eliot Community Human Services’ Community Behavioral Health Centers (CBHC).
“I had no idea the crisis center even existed,” Caitlin says. “But as soon as we connected, it was all hands on deck.”
From Overwhelm to Trust
Transitioning into Eliot’s care was a huge shift. “At first, I was extremely overwhelmed. I went from almost no help to a full team,” she explains. “But everyone was so patient with me. It didn’t take long to realize this wasn’t just more care—it was the right care.”
The CBHC team rallied around the family, offering wraparound supports that included clinicians, care coordination, systems navigation, and compassionate presence. Two team members in particular—Angeliki and Lauren—left a lasting mark.
“We were blessed to stumble on them,” Caitlin says. “They worked as a team, they genuinely cared, and they were always there if we needed them.”
A Daughter’s Transformation
The change in Jenna didn’t happen overnight—but it did happen. And it was profound.
“I’ve seen a huge difference in my daughter, emotionally and behaviorally,” Caitlin shares. “She can now advocate for herself. She has confidence. She smiles and laughs more. She has the tools to cope, and before Eliot, we didn’t have any of that.”
One moment stands out above all others: the day Jenna truly opened up in therapy.
“She trusted Angeliki. She wanted to go every week—there was never a fight about it. She felt safe. That was everything.”
Community Behavioral Health Centers – Healing the Whole Family
Caitlin didn’t expect to grow as much as she did through the process—but the healing extended to her, too. “As a parent, I feel like I understand her more,” she says. “We communicate better. I’ve learned ways to handle tough situations. Not only did Jenna get help—I did too.”
That’s the power of Eliot’s Community Behavioral Health Centers model: it doesn’t just stabilize individuals, it strengthens families.
From Isolation to Hope
More than a year and a half later, Caitlin says their family feels more connected—to each other, to their future, and to the support systems around them.
“If any parent is struggling, I would say: don’t wait. If your kid seems ‘off,’ reach out,” she urges. “Eliot’s wraparound support changes everything. When your child needs help, your family probably does too and this program helps everyone.”
In a mental health system that too often leaves families waiting or navigating alone, Eliot’s Community Behavioral Health Centers gave Caitlin and Jenna something different: timely, compassionate care that works—when it’s needed most.
