An Update on Highfields' Residential Treatment Program
Winter 2017 - In This Issue:




"It seems like there's always someone who comes in the door that needs you, and I just hate to leave somebody like that." 

- Highfields' Family Counselor, Gary Turner
Students Marcus (left) and Lonnie get ready to eat at Highfields' annual Black History Month Dinner on February 23, 2017. 

Marcus
Becoming Independent
"Highfields has changed my life,"  - Marcus

   Marcus came to Highfields' residential treatment program in 2016.  He needed to work on his anger, learn how to get along with his mom, and make a plan for his future that didn't involve running away.
   With help from his Family Counselor, Chris Jurasek, Marcus is building a new relationship with his mom.  "We can't always meet face to face so we have family therapy sessions on the phone," said Chris. "We confront past problems, strategize new ways to handle them and then Marcus spends a weekend at home with his mom and they try out the new techniques."
   "I want to have a better relationship with my mom, and we're trying to figure out the best way to do that, and maintain it," Marcus said.
    Marcus attends treatment groups at Highfields to control his anger. He is learning what triggers his anger, why he gets so angry, and how to stop before he blows up. 

 "I've done stuff in the past that I'm not proud of. It made me think that something worse could have happened. Seeing that and going through that makes me want to change things."

- Marcus
ArtRussell Davis Empowers Kids Through Music
"Any form of music can be used as therapy," - Russell

   Russell Davis grew up in a musical household. He remembers first getting into music in the fourth grade when he got a journal and started writing down song lyrics for fun.  
   Now Russell is an accomplished songwriter and producer. He has produced for various artists including a Grammy-nominated R&B artist. He uses his knowledge at Highfields to help students open up about their problems.
   "Any form of music can be used as therapy," said Russell. "A lot of students are angry and they don't know how to release that anger in an appropriate way."
   Thanks to a grant from the James and Kimberly Currie Foundation, Highfields has a new music studio on campus. Russell took over responsibility for the music program because it blends his two passions: music and working with kids.
TurnerA Champion For Change
35 years and hundreds of kids later, his passion continues.

   Gary Turner has the natural-born talent of a social worker. He grew up in Lansing with five siblings, and his home was always open to friends and neighbors. His mother was a home-maker and took care of everyone. Gary was inspired by the way she helped people with their problems.
   "My mother was probably the biggest inspiration as far as me getting into the field," said Gary. "She taught us to always have that helping mentality."
   Gary knew that social work was his calling. He studied Sociology at Michigan State University and took a job in Washington D.C. after graduation. He was excited to head off into the world and make change by assisting lower income families; however, the job wasn't what he expected.
   "I kept thinking they would call on me for a new opportunity actually helping people, but it never happened," he said.

For more information or to make a referral, please contact:

Brian Philson
CEO/President
(517) 628-2287 ex. 371

Derek Hitchcock
Director of Residential Services
(517) 628-2287 ex. 323

Julie Duffey
Intake Coordinator
(517) 628-2287 ex. 321