“I own a child placement agency. I’ve been working with one of my foster moms and her 13 year old foster daughter for almost two years now. This is the most challenging youth I have worked with in my 12 years of being a foster administrator. This child had seen dozens of placements in her short life. Even over the last two years, she has been failed by therapist after therapist; she has been through five of them, and none has been helpful. Even the school system claimed they didn’t know what to do with this child, because of her challenging behavior. We were dealing with multiple charges for assault, property destruction, criminal mischief….expulsions…you name it. Behavior continued to be dangerous, and risky, and I was unsure if we would be able to hold on much longer. I had no answers. My foster mom, the child, the system, and even myself- were at a crossroads. We had to do something differently, and fast, or this youth would be in a facility again, and likely until adulthood.
We were finally successful in getting Juli on board. I have known Juli and her work for a decade or more, and have seen her in action in her trainings- I even arranged for her to be the keynote speaker for Navajo Nation, who I was working with at the time (because I believe in her so much). Juli provided an in home intensive for my foster mom and “our kid”, then subsequent phone coaching and individual sessions in her office. It was not easy work. The dynamics that had been in place between mother and daughter to this point were entrenched- there was a lot of resistance from both. But that did not deter Juli. She kept with them. She brought me in as a support. I have NEVER seen a professional of Juli’s stature be so up close and personal- so present…so available…I really did not know it was possible. But there she was- and at the end of only a month, I am witness to a TREMENDOUS change for the better in both foster mom and foster daughter. For the first time I have hope that we can make this work- that we can move toward an adoption!
I can’t explain what she does, except for to say that you have to hear her- see her with your own eyes. I was there for a 4 hour in-home intensive and saw the genuine compassion that Juli extended to my foster mom, and to the foster daughter. She is PRESENT. She has the capacity to encourage healing through loving kindness. She is not daunted by even the toughest cases. Her knowledge is vast and I consider Juli to be at the top of her field. She loves- and lives-the healing work that she does. I truly don’t know if there are many others (if any!) out there like Juli- and I have seen a lot of professionals in my years.
I believe in Juli 100%.”
Kerri
