Judith Reflects on Her Son

"Beginning with adolescence, he faced significant challenges coping with environmental and other stressors. As a young adult, it was difficult to secure a group home placement that was able to accommodate him safely, despite the best efforts of management and staff. He, therefore, was admitted to the Northern Virginia Training Center.

During his seventeen years at NVTC, the social workers and I looked into several possible group home placements, but none of the providers had the necessary resources to offer adequate behavioral supports to improve his coping skills. On the announcement of the DOJ Settlement Agreement in 2012, I began an exhaustive search for appropriate residential & day services outside NVTC for my son . This search continued without success through late 2015, & it seemed likely that we would have to initiate the protocol for transfer to the Central Virginia Training Center while continuing to seek adequate residential placements closer to home.

An alternative appeared at the eleventh hour in the form of a new program offered by CRi to accommodate residents leaving Training Centers & needing a high level of staffing and intensive structural and behavioral supports. Based on CRi’s excellent reputation & after thorough discussion of the proposed program, we accepted this option and have never regretted it. My son &d his two housemates, three of the last four residents to leave NVTC just before it closed in early 2016, moved into the new CRi Lindendale Road Home, located in Woodbridge, VA.

CRi’s management & staff have provided outstanding residential & day support, handling every challenge with care, compassion, & expertise. At first my son chose to spend much of his time in his room, but he soon gained confidence in his new environment, enjoying the common areas of the home, & participating enthusiastically in group activities including gardening, swimming, volunteer work, and a variety of field trips. Throughout the two years following this major life change, CRi has ensured that his days are rich in meaningful community- based experiences & that he truly feels at home. While he was quite contented in the NVTC setting and we had serious concerns about his removal from it, today I can state confidently that in his Lindendale home he is safe, well, busy, and happier than he has ever been. I owe all of that to the dedicated care that CRi provides to him." 

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