Silence of the Lambs

For the first few weeks at LaEuropa, girls can only receive communication from their parents by email or snail mail. It’s been really hard for me not to hear her sweet voice. It’s similar to what one experiences after losing the death of a loved one. There is physical evidence they are alive, but you can’t see or hear them.

As the girl goes through the six phases they must complete to graduate, more weekly time is earned to talk with their parents, and at some point their friends. In addition, there is also a 1-hour weekly call for family therapy with her therapist. The process is about Miya, but I am a part of the process and have my own weekly assignments.

This weekend was the first time I got to speak with Miya. Our first call happened to fall on her birthday. I was so excited to hear her voice, but wasn’t sure what to expect ¾ she would either love or hate me. The first 30-minutes I spent time speaking with her therapist. After getting off to a rocky start, it sounds like Miya is starting to settle in. Last week, she  even received a weekly leader award, which allowed her to go off campus with some of the girls. I was so thrilled. Not only because she is moving in the right direction, but because I hoped it would make her feel she had some kind of celebration for her 15^th birthday. In addition, she is off safety and now she can start her level one journey. Until the staff feels comfortable that the girl will not harm herself, others, or try to run away, the girl is kept on safety and monitored 24/7.

Overall, my conversation with Miya Friday and today was wonderful. She sounded really good, very mature, and said she was glad to be there. She seems to be invested in the process and willing to work on the goals that she creates for herself. I am, however, apprehensively optimistic because I know she has not yet begun the really hard work.