Anna

Anna is having a very rough year. Not only did she begin middle school which is a challenge for any adolescent, but unfortunately her school year started off with significant trauma. Anna was seriously injured in a traffic accident and missed over a month of classes as a result of her injuries.

After she was well enough to return to school, she learned that her mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Now not only was Anna battling fear and trauma from her accident, but also she was scared for her mother and did not want to leave her each day. Anna’s attendance has been a growing concern all school year. Students who are habitually truant are more likely to suffer academically and to be held back multiple grade levels, which often leads to dropping out in high school. Anna’s attendance concerns escalated and peaked when her father was hospitalized due to a minor stroke.

In March of 2015 Anna became one of the students case-managed by the CIS Site Coordinator within her school. The Site Coordinator went right to work forming a one-on-one relationship with Anna. He has been making daily calls to her parents to coach them on how to motivate and coax Anna into coming to school. He has traveled off-site to encourage Anna to attend classes when her mother reported that Anna skipped school and was playing games at the library down the block from their home. The Site Coordinator has coached and mentored Anna on how to handle her fear and anxiety about leaving her ailing parents for the entire school day. The Site Coordinator has also worked with and consulted the agency performing family-based therapy on how to reach Anna and get her attendance up, and how to iterate the importance of consistent school attendance to the family as a unit.

Before spring break, Anna had achieved her highest rate of consecutive attendance all school year: 13 days in a row without an absence. Although this may be seen by some as a small victory, it is a huge step toward ingraining the importance of school attendance into Anna’s life and family. Because of the CIS Site Coordinator’s involvement in this case, Anna is gaining confidence in the classroom and experiencing reduced anxiety about being away from home.