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Starting over
Troubled teens try to put lives together at Caravan House
by Rachel Metz
Jessica fidgeted, casually swinging her legs back and forth while sitting on a wooden bench outside her house.
She flitted between talking about her first few days of school — how she enjoys dance class and would soon start dance lessons — and checking out boys across the street.
Although such scenes seemingly portray a carefree teenager, Jessica's life hardly resembles a Norman Rockwell painting. At age 12, she was depressed. By 13, she was diagnosed with bi-polar disorder — the same year she was physically abused by her father. Jessica (not her real name) said he often hurled items like dresser drawers, tapes and glass if she returned late from the mall or simply argued with him.
"Every piece of a day he got mad at me and started abusing me," Jessica said.
If Jessica is aching, though, it doesn't show. She's focusing on her future as one of four girls living at Caravan House, a group home in Palo Alto for girls aged 12 to 18. Jessica, like many of the nonprofit's residents, is working on being a teen — a task that is more complicated than it appears. These girls talk tough, at least in front of guests. Many are on anti-depressant medications.
"When you look at the obstacles they're up against, it's amazing they're, you know, still feeding themselves and getting up in the morning," said Laurie Linscheid, Caravan House's program director.
S ince 1977, Caravan House has sheltered teenage girls who — for reasons such as neglect or abuse — can't live at home.
The group home has a capacity for six, with many girls staying an average of six months. Clients tend to be fairly local, although some come from other parts of California or even out of state.
Caravan House refuses kids involved in more than minor criminal incidents.
Once they're at the house, residents have to stick to a panoply of rules and restrictions. Following instructions like making dinner once a week and performing assigned chores can grant a girl more privileges — such as increased phone time and having friends over for sleepovers.
Because the girls are susceptible to drug and alcohol use, the house performs random testing at least once a week.
Those who remain in the program for three months or longer often increase their school attendance by about 80 percent, improve their grade-point averages by nearly a point, and are less likely to run away.
Yet, despite such heartening trends, difficulties remain. Often kids leave Caravan House without graduating from high school and have children at a young age — a phenomenon that may have been common in their own families.
Like other minors in the state foster care system, Caravan House clients are released from state custody once they turn 18. Although the nonprofit attempts to prepare the girls for life outside the home, the kids are basically expected to fend for themselves.
"That's the sad truth of it. There are some resources but you have to know where to look and you have to have help with it," said Debbie Stehr, assistant program director of Caravan House.
Michelle, a resident of Caravan house for about two months, epitomized the difficulties inherent in aiding troubled teens.
She came to Caravan House earlier this summer, after spending time at a San Jose shelter. The teen was not a big fan of the facility; she felt the uncluttered house was dirty and felt the other girls weren't respectful of others' property.
"A lot of the girls don't realize they're living with three other girls," said Michelle, an alias used for this story.
"I don't like it here because it's not my house and I can't do anything."
A heavy metal fan who admired rapper Eminem, Michelle wrote poetry that veered toward darkness, yet remained thoughtful and personal. "I just basically write about how I feel and about my life," she said. " ... I don't like my life."
Michelle entered the foster care system when she was 20 months old, the product of a home plagued by rampant drug use. She was adopted at the age of 6, and by her own admission enjoyed the remainder of her childhood.
However, she started cutting herself at the age of 12 and wore sweatshirts to hide her arms. "I'd concentrate on one arm and completely slice it," Michelle said.
"I didn't know what I was doing, I just started doing it."
Michelle's departure from Caravan House was traumatic. According to her adoptive mother, "Sarah," the teen disappeared from the house for three hours instead of completing her volunteer work. When Michelle reappeared, she learned her privileges would be revoked and violently lost her temper.
Caravan officials said the girls often act out and find themselves in trouble. "It's a struggle for them. I think it's a struggle for all the kids in the system," Linscheid said.
ot every story ends like Michelle's.
Former resident Desiree Shellhart views Caravan House as a stepping stone to a more successful life.
She landed at the group home after running away from home several times, as well as excessive partying and drinking. The Santa Barbara girl found Caravan House a good landing pad and said it is partially responsible for her current success.
"For the most part I think I'm a pretty good case," said Shellhart, who remained at the home from June 2001 to July 2003.
Shellhart was adopted at the age of 2, but her adoptive father left the family a few years later. Her mother died when Shellhart was 14, after which the teen started getting into trouble.
Eventually, Shellhart landed in a Santa Barbara group home and for about two years. She later lived at another for about eight or nine months.
Neither home seemed to have any effect on her partying and drinking problem, so Shellhart was referred to Caravan House.
Shellhart hated Caravan House at first, but it eventually grew on her.
"I've been in a lot of group homes and it was the first one where it felt like a family-oriented place and — I don't know, I just liked it, I liked the people, the staff. I made a lot of awesome friendships with some of the other girls that came and stayed at Caravan House," she said.
She ran away once, but returned to the program. Although she still encountered problems at her new home, she prospered. While in school, Shellhart held down part-time jobs at Footlocker and Longs Drugs and graduated from Mountain View's Alta Vista High School with honors in June.
To prepare for life outside Caravan House, Shellhart opened a bank account and figured out how to finagle housing. "I don't have anything to complain about. I know some people in the system, they feel like when they turn 18 they're cut loose," she said.
She's now a freshman at Santa Barbara City College, trying to figure out her major and playing midfield on the school's women's soccer team. She lives with her former court-appointed advocate, and is looking for a part-time job.
The teen admitted it was quite emotional to leave Caravan House for a new life.
"It was really hard ... I think it was a really big transition in my life from having 10 people tell you what to do to nobody," Shellhart said.
Printed with permission by the Palo Alto Weekly
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