Tommy*, a second grader who is always on the move, was struggling to pay attention and complete his work in the classroom. He often wandered the halls and got into fights with other students. At home, Tommy and his younger sister are being raised by a single dad, who as a recovering addict is working hard to make ends meet.
Bridging the Gap
Tommy’s school partners with Nexus-PATH on an intensive school case management program and works with Maddie, the school’s dedicated full-time case manager. Maddie works with Tommy, his sister, and his dad to bridge the gap between school, home, and the community. She's connected them with several community resources to help make their home environment less stressful and to arrange therapy sessions for Tommy at Nexus-PATH. She also provides transportation to these appointments, so Tommy’s father doesn’t have to take time off from work. Because of generous donations to Nexus-PATH, Tommy was able to enroll in flag football. The team experience and the exercise became ways to reduce Tommy’s stress. Flag football has helped Tommy’s dad, too. He was able to help coach the team and network with other families.
*Name and some details have been changed to protect privacy.
