New Partnerships with Families

At Germaine Lawrence, a girl's family is a vital partner in her treatment. In order to help families prepare for their daughter's return, we have developed new, more comprehensive ways to engage families in the treatment process.

Over the past year, we have expanded our parent coaching program to include both on-site and in-home parent coaching. By meeting families in their homes, our staff gain a greater understanding of family strengths, dynamics and needs. The following story tells about our experience with one of our families.

Making a Difference for One Family
by Susan Hamilton, Germaine Lawrence's STARR Program Director

We recently had two sisters placed with us after they were removed from their home because of concerns of neglect. Before the girls came to Germaine Lawrence, the family had been very resistant to any type of services. They would not let social workers in the home, would miss appointments, and hid information.

When the girls first arrived, they quickly won over the staff and our staff did a superb job helping the girls live as sisters while they managed program rules and expectations. We provided family support services in the home, while our treatment coordinator worked individually with the girls in the program. Our staff worked hard to engage this family and to support the girls.

The mother finally welcomed our staff into the home and we were able to get to know the other family members. Through these in-home visits, we discovered that a great deal of the family resistance had to do with the fact that the mother is extremely limited in her cognitive functioning and is suffering from multiple medical problems. In addition, the home environment was empty with no plates or dishes, no table or chairs, no couches, no beds or bedding...

Meanwhile, at Germaine Lawrence, we discovered that these girls presented few behavioral problems. They had fairly good social skills, were able to build relationships and care for themselves. Realizing that many of the difficulties this family was dealing with had more to do with poverty and the mother’s limitations, the treatment team shifted gears to provide this family with basic needs. We worked with DSS and the family support team to identify the family's immediate needs.

Through Germaine Lawrence’s Family Innovation Fund, we secured money to shop for kitchen needs. Our treatment coordinator also solicited and organized donations of furniture. She then organized a team of staff and friends to help deliver all of these things to the family. She was able to provide the family with a dining room table and chairs, a living room set, and much needed kitchen items so the family could actually cook and serve food. This was the first time the family experienced a group of people following through to provide them with tangible services.

I think the family has learned that they can look to providers for support when it is needed and that outsiders do care. At the end of the day, this family held a discharge meeting for one of their daughters. They were able to invite Germaine Lawrence, DSS, and the Family Support team and they had a chair available for each professional and family member. This was the first time this family was able to hold a meeting in comfort in their home. In the end, the donations won't solve all of the ongoing issues, but the family will have the opportunity to sit with outsiders on a more level field with a bit of self-respect. This may make a world of difference in how they engage in services in the coming months.

The staff and clinicians have really been energized by this experience. Their knowledge and understanding of families has expanded greatly through the work in the community. I know as the Program Director, I am very proud of the lengths this group will go to to support girls and their families as they re-enter the community.

The STARR program provides Department of Social Services contracted services for girls requiring acute care and short-term comprehensive assessment services. The program has a successful track record of behaviorally stabilizing and assessing girls with histories of running away, substance abuse, aggression, self-abuse and suicidality.

For more information about Germaine Lawrence, go to About Us

Expressive Arts at Germaine Lawrence

Thanks to the support from a foundation, this year we offering a wide variety of expressive arts opportunities for our girls. Expressive therapies are a powerful mechanism to help our girls master new skills and discover new strategies for controlling their emotions.

Over the last few months, we have provided art, music and drama workshops. Our art programs have included tell-tales (story telling through collages), photography, film making, memoirs and creative writing. We offered singing and drumming sessions. In drama, girls had the opportunity to write plays, perform improvisational skits, learn Shakespeare and incorporate drama into their social science classes.

Many of our girls struggle to find a positive identity, and the expressive arts program has helped girls discover new interests and skills. Some girls have discovered that they love singing. Others found that they would like to explore writing. One girl is now performing in her high school play and another has been invited to participate in a summer photography class.

The expressive arts program helps girls work on issues that have been identified in their treatment plans. After the first set of workshops, girls reported that the expressive arts workshops:

• Helped me express myself
• Helped me find my limits
• Helped me learn new team working skills
• Helped with my anxiety
• Helped me get along with other kids and get to know my peers
• Helped me not be so shy.

We are very grateful for the generous support that has allowed us to offer this exciting program.

For more information about Germaine Lawrence, go to About Us

15th Annual Dinner and Auction

Mark your calendar now! Germaine Lawrence's 15th Annual Dinner and Auction Benefit will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2008 from 5:00-9:00 pm at the Boston Marriott in Newton.

Our Dinner and Auction is a festive evening with live and silent auctions that include vacation retreats, sports outings, culinary delights, special indulgences and more. This is our largest fundraiser of the year and proceeds from the event go directly to helping our girls rebuild their lives.

Our theme this year is Journeys, conveying the essence of Germaine Lawrence as a place where girls move forward toward a new way of life.

To sponsor the event or purchase a ticket, click here.

For more information, contact Carrie Murphy, 781-859-1220.

Insider's View

What happens to our girls when they leave Germaine Lawrence? With funding from a foundation grant, we have initiated a research project to track our girls’ progress after they leave our program.

Join a small group of supporters for a conversation with Germaine Lawrence’s Executive Director, David Hirshberg, and Director of Research, Susan Thomson, to talk about the initial results from our outcome research project.

When: Thursday, March 13, 2008 from 6:00-7:30 pm
Where: Germaine Lawrence 18 Claremont Ave. Arlington

RSVP: Cathy Fulton, 781-648-6200x159 or by email.

Light refreshments will be served — Please bring a friend!

Discover Germaine Lawrence

Join us for an engaging tour and information session the second Friday of every month from noon - 1:30pm.

See the changes on campus - hear about life here from a student - meet new people - learn how to become more involved!

March 14, April 11, May 9

RSVP: Pam Nourse, 781-859-1233 or by email

For more information about future events or ways to support Germaine Lawrence, call Pam Nourse, 781-859-1233 or email.