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A Journey of Resilience: Jamie’s Story of Finding Stability and Support at The Buckeye Ranch 

Growing up in the foster care system can come with challenges, and aging out of foster care with no support system is something no youth should have to navigate alone. Unfortunately, it is a journey Jamie knows all too well.  

In and out of the foster care system since she was just five years old, Jamie faced countless challenges throughout a childhood marked by instability and uncertainty. Her most recent stay in the foster care system began when she was 15, and her heaviest mental health challenges began to unfold.  

A Turbulent Childhood 

Jamie’s childhood was filled with hardship. She, along with her three younger sisters experienced neglect and abuse in their home. The fear of speaking up kept them silent for a long time, but eventually, they found the courage to ask for help. Unfortunately, Jamie and her siblings could not be placed together when they entered foster care, so they were each placed in different foster homes. Jamie struggled with navigating new environments, moving from home to home and school to school. In her high school years alone, Jamie attended nine different schools. 

Despite these challenges, Jamie never gave up. She continued to push forward, even when it seemed like the odds were stacked against her. She found solace in her relationship with her sisters. These bonds helped her stay strong during the toughest times even if they weren’t together.  

“My family is very strong. Looking back and thinking about all the stuff we’ve been through together is wild,” she shares. “I feel like a lot of people would have given up if they were in our shoes.” Despite being physically separated, Jamie says she and her sisters have grown closer than ever before, since realizing the deep need to support one another. 

Finding Support at The Buckeye Ranch 

Thankfully, in April of 2020, Jamie was connected to The Buckeye Ranch’s Permanent Family Solutions Network (PFSN) program team. The Buckeye Ranch’s Permanent Family Solutions Network program falls within our Child Welfare Services umbrella and is a managed care entity for Franklin County Children’s Services and support families in need with child protection and case management services, ensuring children who’ve experienced challenges within their family are supported. The PFSN team worked with Jamie to help her find a placement that was a fit for her, working with her through several foster care, kinship, and respite placements. Jamie’s road was not always easy, and she was experiencing some deep trauma and needed an added layer of mental health support. 

At 16, the PFSN team helped her find that support from The Buckeye Ranch’s Residential Treatment Services’ team, where she received mental health services from our Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP)  program on our Grove City campus. 

The Buckeye Ranch’s QRTP program uses a family-centered treatment approach to provide youth a dedicated space to heal while preserving family relationships. Our secure campus provides 24/7 care comprised of an interdisciplinary clinical team to support youth of all genders and backgrounds, ages 9-18. 

As the need for residential mental health services adapts to support the higher-acuity mental health needs for youth in our community, like Jamie, we’ve partnered with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to add a new 57,000 sq/ft building on our Grove City campus. This expansion will support 48 new rooms as well as four stabilization beds for youth in crisis to support the increased need for Residential Treatment Services at The Buckeye Ranch. 28 of those rooms will be specifically dedicated to youth receiving support from our Qualified Residential Treatment Program (QRTP), while the other 20 beds will support our new Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) program, which supports our highest-acuity youth. 

Aging Out of Foster Care With the Right Support

Once Jamie completed her treatment and was ready to leave the Residential Treatment Services campus, The Buckeye Ranch’s PFSN team helped Jamie connect to My Place program at age 18, a Transitional Age Youth program within our continuum of care that supports young adults aging out of foster care and into adulthood with independent housing, educational and vocational supports.  My Place gave her the autonomy and stability she needed to feel safe and thrive. 

My Place has helped Jamie continue to find her footing as she transitions into adulthood and navigates her new role as mother to her son, Elijah. Through it all, one constant has been her determination to overcome the obstacles life has thrown her way. 

Finding Her Place at My Place

Jamie’s path to stability continued when she was referred to The Buckeye Ranch’s My Place program. My Place provided her with a safe place for her and her son with support from staff to teach her advanced life skills and give her the space to grow into the adult she was meant to be in our community. 

“I was ready to leave the foster home in Shelby where I had been living for a year,” Jamie recalls. “I wasn’t getting along with the other kids, and I felt like I couldn’t get what I needed done while I was there. My caseworkers told me about My Place, and I remembered hearing about it when I was in residential care. Mr. LaMonte, one of the team members, had told me I’d be a great fit, and guess what? That’s where I ended up a few years later.” 

My Place is a Transitional Age Youth (TAY) program that provides young adults ages 16-21 who are transitioning from foster care but still receiving support from a Public Children Service Agency.   It is an independent living campus of 15 fully furnished, one-bedroom apartments and amenities, providing residents the opportunity to learn self-sufficiency skills and grow into the adults they were meant to be in their communities. 

Since moving into My Place, Jamie’s life has taken a positive turn. In just two months, she accomplished more than she thought possible. The staff at My Place have provided her with stability and support, helping her navigate the challenges of living independently while raising her 10-month-old son. 

“The staff at My Place are just amazing,” Jamie shares. “They sit and listen to your problems and help you figure out what to do next. They meet with you weekly to create a budget and set goals, and they make sure you’re staying on track. I thought this was very helpful because I could sit down with an older adult that I trust and talk to them about what I need.” 

The Difference Support Makes After Aging Out of Foster Care 

Since aging out of foster care and living at My Place, Jamie has learned valuable life skills, such as managing her time, controlling her emotions, and speaking up for herself. She’s also learned the importance of making time for self-care, even while caring for her son. 

“My biggest challenges have been constantly changing case workers, moving without my sisters, and dealing with my mental health,” Jamie explains. “The Buckeye Ranch took my mental health seriously when I felt like no one else would. They helped me find the right therapist, the right home, and made sure I was safe. They even found ways for me to stay connected with my sisters.” 

When thinking about what mental health means to her, Jamie says it’s all about thinking about our behaviors and emotions, “I learned that it is okay to not be okay. It may take years, but it does get better. I can’t say it’s easier, because it doesn’t really get easier. You just learn to manage everything, but eventually everything gets better and falls in line.” 

Jamie’s journey hasn’t been easy, but she’s proud of how far she’s come. She’s finished high school, even returning to complete her studies after giving birth to Elijah. She’s been accepted to The Ohio State University, receiving scholarships through Ohio State and Franklin County Children Services. She has completed her first year of school and recently welcomed her second son, Kasen. 

“Today, I’m doing pretty good,” Jamie says with a smile. “I take care of my sons, then myself, and then everyone else. My biggest success is not giving up when I wanted to, and mostly, it’s my kids. They’re my motivation to keep pushing.” 

A Bright Future Ahead 

As Jamie looks to the future, she envisions herself walking across the graduation stage at The Ohio State University, and eventually earning her master’s degree in social work. She’s not sure exactly what she wants to do in the realm of social work yet, but she knows she wants to help others and give back, just as she’s been helped along the way. 

“One piece of advice I’d give my younger self is that healing takes time,” Jamie reflects. “It doesn’t get better overnight, but it does get better. It may take weeks, months, and even years but it does get better.” 

Jamie’s journey is a testament to the power of resilience, and the difference that mental health support and guidance can make in a young person’s life. The Buckeye Ranch’s Residential Treatment Services and My Place teams have given Jamie the tools she needs to succeed, and with her strength and determination, there’s no doubt she will achieve her dreams. 

Interested in learning more about our My Place program? Visit our service page to learn more.  Want to lend a hand? You can also make a life-changing gift in support of our My Place program so that we can ensure even more youth, like Jamie, have a bright future.