Army of Angels

One in ten youth has serious mental health problems that are severe enough to impair how they function at home in school or in the community. When Rhonda and Jeff adopted their son Mintesnot (Minty) from Ethiopia five years ago, they found themselves in the midst of a mental health crisis that impacted their entire family. Essentially a street kid who has experiences unbelievable horrors, Minty has significant mental health challenges. The couple had made arrangements for a therapist when they brought him back to the United States but it was clear that he needed more help. Rhonda put it this way, "We were not safe. We never knew when an anger outburst was going to happen." After trying outpatient counseling and residential treatment programs, they were referred to Albertina Kerr's Crisis Psychiatric Care services. In addition to making the family feel safe and at home, the therapists at Albertina Kerr included Minty's parents in his treatment. When he came home, he was able to explain what he was fearful about for the first time. Today, Minty is doing well academically and is stable enough to play on the football team. As Rhonda said, "Albertina Kerr is the reason we are a family of five and our family is complete."