Upon initial referral, Peter was a depressed and angry 17 year old with little support in his life. He was referred from probation for trespassing and providing false information to a police officer. Peter was habitually truant and open about his frequent marijuana habit.
During the course of JusticeWorks’ services, Sean Lazarus was able to develop a strong positive relationship with Peter. Sean helped him look at his life more objectively and articulate his goals for his future. With continuous help (and a few early morning reminders!), Peter’s school attendance improved from 40% to 95%! With better drug education and Sean’s encouragement, he stopped smoking marijuana and found other ways to ‘chill’ and deal directly with the issues in his life. Sean helped Peter find a psychiatrist and outpatient therapist. Through family counseling sessions, Peter was able to dramatically improve his relationship with his mother. Sean was able to intervene during a severe crisis and developed an ongoing safety plan with the family. Upon graduating High School this past spring, Peter paid Sean an open compliment by saying that JusticeWorks’ had “saved his life” and gave him the tools to succeed.
Sean Lazarus was recently promoted from Family Resource Specialist to Supervisor of our York County Juvenile Probation Programs. He continues to bring us pride in his accomplishments working with challenging kids. Thanks, Sean!