Synopsis:
Since late December 2010 to today, I have been an active intern to the Compass House. The Compass House has been a non profit homeless shelter since 1972, and assists the homeless youth of Western New York with shelter, protection, and service resources. We as staff provide voluntary time and dedication in helping the youth during their stay. Many guests at the Compass House come from destructive homes and neighborhoods and in many cases CPS is involved. Once an adolescent is welcomed into the house they are provided with a case worker and counselor that periodically meets with the guest several times a week. The house staff provides its services 24hrs a day, 365 days a week and assigns the rules and regulations as well as daily chores for the guest to assist in daily. They also provide home cooked meals, rooming, tutoring, and counseling if needed. The house also has games, movies, arts, music, and other recreational activities that keep the youth entertained throughout their stay. On my first shift the volunteer and myself had to go through the training process where we went over the house rules and regulation, safety precautions, and a house tour. Once the Spring 2011 semester began, I returned to the Compass House to start my official day as an intern. Upon my arrival I met 2 staff members names Trisha and Amanda. Both started as volunteers years prior but due to their hard work and dedication they received jobs and now assisted volunteers and interns like myself. I also met two guests by the names of Jasmine and Takira. Both adolescents arrived to the house to to abuse from their parents. In the first couple of days they remained isolated but once group sessions occurred, they began to open up to the staff and myself, and their personalities shined. over the next several weeks new youth would come and go, and in most cases would usually arrive back to their homes within a week or less. Yet, their was one incident where a young Arabic girl arrived that would make her stand out more than others. She arrived in early February on a Saturday morning distraught and concerned. She rang the bell with a police escort, and several suitcases packed to the gill. She was a 16 year old girl names Nasari, and she ran away from home because she was dating a non Muslim boy. She feared returning back home because according to her, in the Muslim religion/tradition, if she dated outside of the religion she would be sent to the homeland and be killed. We brought her to the office and began the intake process. The intake process involves asking vital and important information about a new guest that is put into database recording and stored for staff and legal purposes. She mentioned how her plan of running away occurred, her relationship with her immediate family, her lack of schooling, lack of freedom and equality within her family, and the great depression she felt daily that consumed her. She cried and begged us not to contact her parents about her where about but it is policy that we did. After the intake process we took her personal belongings such as jewelry, money, and phone and stored them in a protective safe to avoid theft, loss, etc. We then notified her parents of her safety and mentioned that she had little intention in speaking with them or having them visit her. The parents arrived shortly after the conversation in anger and wrath demanding that Nasari returned back home with them. The staff stood outside with the parents and explained that it was not going to happen. After bickering and arguing, the parents decided to leave but planned on returning soon, for they were not giving up on getting her back. Young Nasari was terrified and stayed close to the staff through her stay. In my return the following weekend, I met with the staff that mentioned that she returned back home the day before my shift with excitement and anticipation. She was talking to her family daily and was believed to be "guilted and bribed" back into her home. She has not returned since. Since January I have also met other staff named Andrea, Ben, Will, and John. All the staff are pleasant and welcoming people that make the Compass House a happy environment for their coworkers, and adolescents. In early March their was a 14 year old girl who was kicked out of the Compass house for sexual and physical assault towards another adolescent. Her file stated that she has conduct disorder, and would regularly get into physical altercations with her family and friends. She was not cooperative with the staff and did not abide by the rules of the house. Since then we have had pleasant guests in the house. As of now we have 3 boys and 4 girls varying in age between 12 and 17 years old. They all cooperated, play, and work together in a proper manner and I have hope for their future.
March 19th-20th
The Compass House has 4 guests as of now, 2 male and 2 female. All of which are between 15-17 years of age. They all seem to cooperate effectively in completing assigned chores, and working as a group in given activities. However the issue of "keeping your hands to yourself" was addressed on several occasions. It is during this time of adolescents where sexual attraction and liking are common amongst teens of the opposite sex. All the guest are relatively attractive and have varying personalities that compliment their appearances, making their individuality more appealing to the others. It was recognized by myself and other staff that a 15yr old guest named Jessica has been caught cuddling closely to a 16 yr old named Deione during t.v. time, they also pass flirtatious glances and grope each other when they assume they are out of sight. I took initiation in meeting with Jessica during her leisure time in the arts and crafts room where I briefly spoke with her about her interests to :break the ice and relieve tension", as she became more engaged in our conversation I began to slowly mention Deione, and she exposed that they are considering dating and that she has a crush on him. I then made it clear that the rules of Compass House must be abided by and that she could not continue to grope him while staying because further actions will result in a termination. I also mentioned that her stay isnt intended to be an opportunity to date, but to find herself and peace so that when she departs she can take what she gained and apply it within her life settings.
March 26
The compass house was a full house this morning, it is Deione's last day at the compass house, and Jessica had left 2 days prior to the shift. I entered the living room and noticed Deione sitting alone with an upset face and slumped body position. I spoke with Deione alone in the art room considering his unusual gloomy mood. I asked him why he was upset and he mention that he missed Jessica, and that he truly wanted them to be together. I again mentioned the rules, and that she lived in Hamburg while he was a local resident. He knew realistically that they couldn't be together but in his mind he created a "fairy tale ending" of him and Jessica living happily ever after. He thanked me for talking to him since no one approached him sooner and we joined the rest of the bunch. There were 5 guests today inclunding Deion, Jakar, Ta'Neesha, Jennifer and Gia. All the residents were a lively group, eager to meet me and join in on their fun. Lunch time was soon after, it was Pizza and tatter tots. Everyone was seated and said grace, then they all dove in for the biggest pieces for their growing appetites. They laughed and joked amongst each other like a big family, and decided on playing monopoly shortly after. Once lunch was finished they cleaned up and started the game which I joined. It was interesting to watch children of all different lives come together and play in harmony. Once my shift was coming to an end, they pleaded for me to stay longer but I reassured them that I would be back the next day.
March 27
I entered the Compass House today with the same group of individuals. They all greeted me and automatically began making plans for my shift. I mentioned that i had to work with the staff as well and that I would try to do as much as I can with them after my work was completed. I went to the office to complete some residential folders, and make copies of their files for the staff, while fill out group activity sheets, then as I promised, I joined the adolescents. They wanted to go to MC Donalds for lunch and were granted the permission with a chaperon, which I volunteered to do. We huddled asa group as I laid down the rules. It was important that they all respected each other, and myself as they would if they were in the house, no vulgar language allowed, staying within the group, and behaving maturely. They all agreed and the journey began.We entered the restaurant and waited in line till it was our turn to order. Once the food was recieved we all walked back to the compass house and resided to the dining room to eat our lunch. Jakar though it was a great idea to convince the girls that Mc Donalds beef and chicken was not real. As gullible girls do, they began to "Aww, Gross, and Really???" throughout lunch. Everyone burst into laughter as the girls looked around confused and distressed. After lunch we all went to play pool. Boys versus the girls. In the end the girls won, completing a victory dance around the boys. Soon after my shift ended, and they said their farwells.
April 2nd
Today overall was a calm one. As I entered the house and looked in the resident folder I noticed we had 1 boy and 1 girl. Most days when I arrive at the Compass house, the adolescents are usually upstairs waking up, or getting ready to come downstairs for the day yet today they were both downstairs early eating breakfast. I walked into the dining room to introduce myself as always. They presented themselves as Marcus and Tasha. Both residents were 15 years old and went to the same high school; East H.S. After breakfast we all entered the living room and put on a compass house favorite “Sixteen and Pregnant”. They both watched in eagerness, and knew each person on tv by name and life story. They then started joking to each other about how a girl on the show looked like a girl that went to school with them. Lunch was served at 1pm; we ate chicken fingers and fries. As usual we all helped out with lunch time chores including setting the table then cleaning up after and washing the dishes. Tasha left soon after to spend the day with her mother, leaving Marcus with the crew for the remainder of the night. Noticing that he was bored I offered to challenge him in a game of pool. He chuckled at me, assuming that I wouldn’t win. # games later, he resided and apologized for underestimating me. We then went back into the living room to join the rest of the staff, and I left shortly after.
April 3rd
Today was an interesting day. I entered the house and a staff member informed me that Marcus left at 3am because he was sneaking marijuana into the house and smoking in the bathroom. A staff member was doing room check at 12am and notice he was not in his room, he later discovered through the foul smell coming from the bathroom that he was smoking. The staff called the police and once they arrived they checked the room to discover that he was stashing more marijuana in the dresser drawer. They then escorted him out of the house and informed his parents. It was shocking to think that the sweet and kind boy that I played with the day before was hiding a secret from everyone. I walked into the living room to find Tasha and a new resident named Kayla sitting on the couch, again watching “Sixteen and Pregnant”. Tasha said “Did you hear about Marcus???” and then shook her head, she began talking about how in high school he was always getting in trouble for smoking, and swearing in class. Although she got along with him in the house since they knew each other prior, she had insight in knowing who he was outside of the Compass house. Later that day, her mother would pick her up to take her back home. I helped her finish pack her belonging and say our farewells. The rest of the shift went by smoothly, and Kayla left for the day to visit her sister. Leaving the house empty for the day.
April 9th
Today the compass house had 2 residents, both males. One named Justin, and the other Matthew. Both were Caucasian males from suburban areas. Ive noticed that they were quite isolated that the usual guest at the house. Specifically Justin who was introvert. After looking over his file, it stated that his reasoning for entering the Compass house was due to his abusive behavior towards his adoptive mother and younger siblings. It stated from a letter written by his mother that he repeatedly has attempted to throw his 6 year old sister down the stairs, and punch them including his mother as well as use vulgar language. He was adopted at the age of 9 and is now 14. His abusive behavior began to increase this year in correlation to entering high school as a freshmen. He has a stutter and was picked on by his fellow classmates. As I approached him to introduce myself he looked at me and nodded, not willing to shake my hand or make eye contact. Matthew who is 15 shook my hand but remained focused on a book he was reading. His case was different. He was sent to the house due to arguing with his father, who he claims to be neglectful to his emotional and physical needs. For lunch we had soup and grilled cheese. After lunch the boys completed their chores and played video games for the remainder of the shift.
April 10th
Today was another quite day. Matthew no longer was in the house, yet Justin still remained here in silence. The staff and I stepped aside and she told me that the night before (after my shift) Justin's mother came to the house and tried to convince him to come back home in tears, but he refused and said that he'd rather have no one at the compass house, the live with her and the "crazy family". He had not utilized his resources we provide at the compass house, and had no intention in being counseled by myself or other staff members. Although I was aware that he didnt want to engage in conversation I attempted to play video games with him till lunch was served. He agreed to play yet still remained quiet. We ate roasted chicken, corn, and mashed potatoes for lunch. Their was an awkward silence in the room and the staff members made attempts at starting group conversations to see if he would join in, but it was not successful. After lunch he completed his chores and napped on the couch for the remainder of my shift.
April 16th
Today's shift was new and lively. I was greeted with completely new set of kids.2 males and 2 females, one of which was 6 months pregnant with her second child at the age of 17. According to the staff, the pregnant resident has been their twice before in the past, including when she was pregnant with her first child 2 years ago. She, Takaria was a sweet and pleasant girl and came from a very humble upbringing. Although her situation separated her from the rest, she served as a nurturer to the other residents, and acted as a peer counselor offering advice that she learned the hard way. The other girl was Renee, and the two males were Kyle and John. Renee was quite the character, and had her priorities completely out of shape. The two boys enjoyed playing video games...all day. Takaria left for the afternoon to spend it with her boyfriend,and we were left with 3 residents for the rest of the shift. We had tacos for lunch and after clean up we entered the art room and decided to make pictures for the "staff and resident" wall where they would display art work completed by old guests. Soon after my shift ended.
April 17th
Wow. interesting shift. Today was Renee's day to shine. Since Takaria was out for the day,she felt as sense of dominance over the two boys who were easily amused by her naive and childish behavior. She received a phone call this afternoon from her mother that mentioned that she would be permanently leaving the residence the following day, they soon started arguing because she wasnt ready to leave the house yet. After her heated conversation ended she stormed into the living room and began to vent about her hatred towards her mother. She mentioned that she loved to say and do things to make her mom upset and revenge was sweet. She then went on a tangent about how much she loved the "street life, ghetto" because they accepted her for who she was. (She is Caucasian) She then said that she wanted to go to college to become a rapper and marry a black basketball player so they could have mulatto children and live in a mansion in L.A. She continued to speak out randomly about everything that came to mind, leaving the boys, the staff, and myself in an awkward state. Luckily, lunch was served soon after, beef stew and rice. Again Renee stirred up another random conversation with the group about wanting a pet tiger. It was quite evident that she enjoyed getting attention and making the boys laugh at her. Perhaps it was a defense mechanism to mask how she really felt about getting into an argument with her mother earlier that day. Soon after my shift ended.
April 24th
Today was a short shift since it was Easter. I stayed for several hours but none of the residents were in the house. There were supposed to be 3 residents but all of them spent the day with their family and friends outside of the house. This was a good time to complete my paper work, make copies, and organize files as well as help the staff with spring cleaning.
April 30th
Today was a calm shift. The house had 3 girls today, all between ages 14 and 15. One of the girls were from Puerto Rico but resided with her family in the Lower West Side of Buffalo, and spoke a minimal of English, her name is Jiselle. The other two girls are African American and are siblings. I noticed that the language barrier had distanced her from the rest of the staff and residence and she spent a lot of alone time in the drawing room, working on art pieces with Spanish poetry and drawings of her home flag and animated figures. The staff took me aside and asked if I spoke any Spanish and although im not fluent, I do understand a fair amount that I was able to communicate with the girl. Jiselle and I spoke about school and her family and she mentioned how much she missed being back home in Puerto Rico, she talked about her mom's cooking, and the ocean, and her dog "Pito". She giggled at my attempt to try and speak Spanish in response to her questions and tried teaching me her dialect. Lunch was served soon after, pancakes, sausage, and eggs. After the girls ate and finished their chores we all played the board game "operation" since it was language appropriate for everyone to join then after we played pool. My shift came to an end soon after and the girls were starting to interact with Jiselle more.
May 7th
Final Shift. Today was bittersweet, I created a bond with many staff members including Trisha, Will, Ben, Amanda, and Andrea. We had 2 residents today, one boy and two girls. The boy is Jeffery, and the two girls were Krystal and Keila. After looking over their files, it was brought to my attention that Jeff was sent to the compass house due to death threats he proposed ot his mother and his attempt to chase her around the house with a knife (wow), the other girls had other parental issue but were primarily due to their parents not allowing them to come and go as they pleased so they either chose to come to the house in their own will, or were sent by their parents to get "straightened out". As I entered the living room to greet the guests Jeff was the first to approach me. He had a smile from ear to ear and was extremely friendly. The two girls then greeted me and went back to playing 5oo rummy. We all sat in the living room conversing and watching MTV till lunch time. For lunch Ben made tacos which the kids were excited for. We all ate at the table and laughed and talked and after cleaned up. Once the chores were complete I went to the drawing room and noticed jeff sitting by himself drawing a heart with his name and another boys name in it. I asked "Hey, cool picture. Who's name is this?" He then said it was his boyfriend. He soon opened up to me and mentioned that the reason for his mother and his arguments have been because she doesn't want him to be homosexual and that she would rather deny him as her son that to have him be gay. He began to wimper and explain that he always knew he was gay but was afraid to tell her but she found love letters in his room when he was at school which lead to the physical altercation that brought him to the house. I was open and supportive to his confessions and mentioned to inform his case worker when he meet with her the following day. He thanked me for listening to him and resided with the rest of the group shortly after. Once everyone was in the living room, we watched the movie Mean Girls, and my final shift came to an end.
Overall:
The Compass House has provided me insight to the vast array of modern day youth and their common stressors and conflicts which they face. Ive had hands on experience with developmentally disabled, manipulative, kind, and confused teenagers, and I anticipate working in the field in my near future. Ive learned to work in group and individual counseling sessions, and how be assertive as an authoritative figure amongst the youth. It has been an interesting yet enjoyable ride working with the staff and residents at the Compass House, and I truly appreciate everything that I have learned.
