CARE moments happen daily in Secure, as we have many young men who arrive stressed and heightened due to their court status. Many of our young people are just beginning the process with new and sometimes very serious charges, so being trauma-informed and developing a relationship-based program within our facility has helped create a more therapeutic environment. This is their holding area until their judge determines the next step, so it is always important to me and my team that their stay with us is filled with respect and that they know we have a genuine interest in their well-being.

One young man was with us for 366 days. We celebrated his birthday, and I noticed he was teary. He quietly told me he had never had a birthday party before. He became attached to much of my staff, and when he was dysregulated, he would come back to my office and sit quietly. I try not to force conversations, but eventually, he would begin to share what was bothering him. Our rapport allowed him to trust me enough to lean on me when he wasn’t able to regulate his own emotions. One of my frequent sayings is, “You have to feel it to heal it.” He later admitted that he had never allowed himself to cry or truly feel until he came here, because for the first time, he felt safe.

In my role, I also ensure that the families of our youth receive my professional cell phone number upon intake. As a mother myself, I want them to feel secure and confident that their child is safe within our facility, knowing they have full access to text or call me at any time. Many parents have maintained sporadic but appropriate contact even after their son has left our unit, often reaching out on holidays to wish me and my team well, or to share graduation pictures.

It is important to ensure we are caring not only for the child, but also for the family. We are working to change the negative connotations surrounding Secure Detention, and by utilizing CARE principles, we believe we can achieve this in the most effective and meaningful ways.