From Worry to Stability: Bennie 

Bennie,11, was chronically absent from school. He was living with his paternal grandmother and father who was bedridden due to intestinal cancer and complications from a prior injury. His mother had abandoned the family years before; Bennie had never developed a meaningful relationship with her.

The school knew Bennie was anxious about being away from home, fearing his father would die in his absence. By the time of the Child Requiring Assistance Truancy petition, he had stopped attending school entirely.

Bennie was referred for a Juvenile Court Clinic evaluation after the school filed the CRA truancy petition. When the family did not respond to outreach from Juvenile Probation, Department of Children and Families (DCF), Bennie’s attorney and the Juvenile Court Clinic, DCF filed a Care and Protection  (C&P) petition. The judge ordered a second Juvenile Court Clinic evaluation. This time Bennie’s DCF worker brought him to meetings with the Juvenile Court Clinician.

Juvenile Court Clinic Interview

The Clinician noted that Bennie was polite and articulate, though notably anxious, sad, and socially isolated. He expressed persistent fears about his father’s death and stated that he might attempt suicide, though he did not appear at imminent risk. He said his closest friend was a peer at school with whom he frequently got into trouble. His mental health support had been minimal, just two sessions with a temporary therapist. He mainly took care of himself. Though the school described him as intellectually capable, Bennie reported feeling unable to meet school expectations and expressed a pervasive sense of failure.

The Clinician recommended that Bennie needed a living situation with long term support; fortunately, DCF found a home with a family friend who Bennie regarded as an aunt and who supported Bennie staying in close contact with his father. Other recommendations included weekly therapy, a psychiatric evaluation, and psychoeducational testing.  

Support for a Far Better Future

Within one month, the DCF worker reported Bennie was back at school and completing his schoolwork; his self-care had improved and he seemed happier. Therapy and psychoeducational testing were both underway, with the goal of supporting Bennie’s emotional well-being and long-term stability. The Juvenile Court Clinic evaluation could not change Bennie’s challenges, but it could identify and help secure the support he needed for a far better future.

To protect confidentiality, MAJCC does not use real names or identifying features in case examples.

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1 Child Requiring Assistance (CRA) Truancy is a status offense (a civil, non-delinquent matter) which brings a child before the Juvenile Court due to excessive school absences: failure to attend school (unexcused absences) for more than 8 school days in a school quarter.

2 Care and Protection (C&P) is a matter filed in Juvenile Court alleging that a child under age 18 is at risk of neglect or abuse. (See full definition in the Glossary).

3 To work in the Juvenile Court Clinics, clinicians must become Certified Juvenile Court Clinicians through a DMH-directed specialized training with on-site supervised clinical work conducted at the Juvenile Court Clinics.