Lindsay is a 16-year-old African American boy who was placed in an emergency shelter last week when it was discovered that he had run away from home and was living on the street. When he was admitted to the shelter, Lindsay reported that he had to run away because his stepfather - who adopted him when he was 8 - had begun hitting him and verbally abusing him after it was discovered that Lindsay was dating another boy. Lindsay said that he has been out on the street for about six weeks, and that he had been hooking up with older men so he can have places to sleep and get cash to buy food. When Lindsay was examined at the ER after the police found him, ER doctors found signs that he had been physically and sexually assaulted.
Lindsay’s mother, Rose, agreed to participate in plan development at the shelter after several telephone contacts with staff. Rose says that she is not sure it is a good idea to have Lindsay come home because "he and his stepfather just don’t see eye to eye," but she wants to remain involved in his life. She says Lindsay is a good boy who used to do well in school, and that she just doesn’t understand why things are turning out this way.
Lindsay’s school district reports that, until about two months ago, he was a "B" student with an interest in computers and graphic design. His guidance counselor reports that she had been talking with Lindsay about the possibility of college scholarships, because of his talent with computer graphics programs. Until he disappeared and stopped showing up to school six weeks ago, they connected frequently about his hope to become a graphic designer and she had no idea that anything was wrong.
Lindsay is unwilling to talk much about what he is thinking. He speaks very little, and avoids eye contact with the intake interviewer. Staff at the shelter say that he is very quiet almost all the time, and spends much of his time drawing, reading, or working on his graphic design skills in the computer room. He avoids contact with his peers as much as possible, and staff are trying to work with Lindsay to identify his interests and his needs so that they can help shape a care plan for Lindsay. When pushed to participate, Lindsay expresses skepticism about the shelter’s ability to help him in any meaningful way and refuses to participate in planning for himself.
Lindsay will talk openly with his mother, Rose, during visits and family counseling sessions. He tells her that he wishes he could come home and that he thinks she should separate from stepfather so that they can live together again. Rose repeatedly explains to Lindsay that she depends on her husband emotionally and financially, and that she does not think she can or should leave him and has no idea how to engage the stepfather in family therapy. As a result, she wants Lindsay to plan for independent living. During these conversations, staff have noted that Lindsay becomes very quiet and tears up, although he does not challenge his mother’s wish to stay in her marriage.
Last week, Lindsay was caught smoking weed in the back vestibule of the shelter. He is refusing to participate in a substance use evaluation and has said to staff that he "smokes from time to time so I can feel better." Because he is refusing to participate in the evaluation, he is at risk for expulsion from the shelter.
