Marco* learned many things about himself during his residency at the William George Agency. One of the most important is that lying undermines relationships and causes more chaos and damage than it’s worth.
“We’re working in a short amount of time to change mindsets and habits that have formed over years. Honesty is non-negotiable; deception only delays growth,” says Trevor Bauer, Director of the Rethink, Transform and Achieve (RTA) program at The William George Agency for Children’s Services (WGA). “A first step in helping young people to reconnect with themselves, their families, and their community is to guide them through an honest evaluation of the circumstances that brought them to their present situation. Everything else flows from that.”
The RTA program at WGA was developed to provide a therapeutic alternative to juvenile detention for justice-involved minors like Marco. It opened in 2018, one year after New York’s Raise the Age law, which raised the age of criminal responsibility for misdemeanors and felonies from 16 to 18. Since then, WGA has become the largest private provider of out-of-home alternative treatment services to eligible youth under the Raise the Age law.
When Marco was accepted into the program, he was seventeen. He doesn’t like to dwell on what he did to make him eligible, but recognizes he was a different person then, with a different attitude toward himself, his life, and other people.
“Truth to tell, I just didn’t care,” he says. “My mom didn’t really trust me before because I was lyin’ a lot. I made some bad choices. Facts. I see that now. But I learned [at the Agency] to make better ones. We get along a lot better now that I don’t lie anymore.”
Marco’s mom knew about the William George Agency because her daughter participated in its Empowerment program for girls, and “has been on the honor roll ever since she came home.” But she was unsure of the boys’ program. She heard it was very different, and didn’t know if it would be right for Marco. Her anxiety subsided when she noticed her son’s behavior was changing for the better.
“Before, when he was at home, he made beef with everybody in every hood,” she says. “At William George, there were hardly any fights, and he got his first job.”
In fact, Marco held a variety of jobs at WGA. He cared for horses at the Equine Center, worked on cars in the Auto Shop, and maintained the campus grounds as a member of the Landscape Crew. His final job was at a local bakery in the community.
“The range of vocational training opportunities our campus offers is a great benefit to youth,” says Helen M. Hulings, Executive Director of WGA. “It helps them gain meaningful insight into what a particular trade entails, along with the technical knowledge and the soft skills required. From that experience, they’re better equipped to recognize the kinds of jobs they would probably enjoy and would likely be good at in their community.”
Employment on campus is optional for RTA residents. What’s not optional is that each young person creates a personal presentation that recounts significant moments in their life and identifies goals they have yet to achieve. That’s where honesty comes in, again.
Marco’s presentation included an image of a hospital from a time in his life when he did care and wanted to become a nurse. His presentation also included an image of a red sports car, something he aspires to own one day.
“I felt safe at William George,” says Marco, who recognizes it was important that he feel that way to open himself up to change.
Marco’s journey of self-discovery not only led to improvements in his family relationships and acquiring job skills but also to a renewed interest in life’s simple pleasures – like cooking.
He regularly volunteered to cook for his housemates, and one evening, grilled burgers for more than 40 peers and staff after they’d spent a grueling day in the sun competing in the campus Olympics. He’ll tell you it’s all about seasoning.
Nowadays, the only ‘lying’ Marco does is lying in the bed he made for himself at his family’s home after an honest and hard day’s work. A bed built on honesty, integrity, and character.
“William George is amazing,” says Marco’s mom. “They changed my son for the better. They gave me back the son I knew he could be.”
*name changed to protect privacy