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To make a referral or to schedule an appointment, please call us at 503-258-4381. In-person and telehealth services available.
Morrison Child & Family Services
Search
  • About Us
    • Mission & History
    • Equity & Inclusion
    • The Sanctuary Model
    • Staff Leaders
    • Board of Directors
    • The Morrison Foundation
    • The Joint Commission
    • Reports and Resources
    • Locations
    • News
  • Programs
    • Prevention
      • Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
      • Listos Para Aprender
      • Parent Mentor Program and Parents Anonymous® of Oregon
    • Foster Care & Respite
      • Become a Foster Parent
      • Counterpoint Day Treatment & Foster Care
      • Therapeutic Foster Care
      • Planned and Crisis Respite Care
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      • Clinic-based Outpatient
      • Community- and School-Based Outpatient
    • Day Treatment
      • Counterpoint Day Treatment & Foster Care
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      • SAGE Youth Residential
      • Immigrant Youth Services
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Stories

From a Foster Parent

June 7, 2016 - Breakthrough, Foster Care, Therapeutic Foster Care
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FromAFosterParent3

My first experience as a foster parent for Breakthrough permanently altered my perspective. I had taken on a teenage boy with whom I could barely communicate. Jason kept his hood up all the time, folded his arms defensively, and reacted negatively to any change in my voice or facial expression that wasn’t a smile.

Eventually, I learned that Jason had been physically and emotionally abused by his mother and father. When I spoke with his counselor, I learned that his first request was, “Please tell me my new foster parent’s rules so I won’t make her mad.” Having no previous experience with abuse, I educated myself, learning to maintain a calm and nurturing approach and spending extra time with him.

After many sessions with Jason and his counselor, I understood that his laughter wasn’t spiteful, but nervous; his chosen isolation wasn’t anti-social, but defensive. He stayed in his room because he didn’t want to get in trouble with me!

Jason has changed. He no longer hides in his hood, he is not afraid to ask questions, and he openly shares his feelings with me. When I asked him what the most important thing was that he had learned at Breakthrough, he replied, “I have learned how to communicate with my parents. It’s the first time we ever sat down and just talked.”

A few weeks later, Jason told me that he is becoming the person he wanted to be.

This is why I am a foster parent.

abusebreakthroughfosterfoster carefoster parent

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About

We provide culturally responsive, anti-oppressive mental health and substance use disorder treatment, support, and prevention services to children, youth, and families who are working through the effects of systemic racism, trauma, poverty, abuse, neglect, or other mental health needs.
Tax ID: 93-0354176

The Morrison Foundation partners with the community to sustain and expand financial support for Morrison Child and Family Services’ programming.
Tax ID: 81-4453786

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