Lighthouse Youth Crisis Center

Burke Garcia, Summer 2018

Lighthouse Youth and Family Services: Mecum House (formerly Youth Crisis Center) is a 24-hour safe haven for youth ages 10-17 who are victims of abuse/neglect or otherwise believe that they cannot safely be in their homes. Regardless of the reason for their stay, Mecum House provides each resident with a room, meals, educational and recreational programing, and ultimately just a safe place to stay until they are able to find a home. Additionally, the youth have access to a variety of staff members who provide social work services, trauma counseling, and a variety of other resources.

A typical day for a resident of Mecum House consists of a careful balance of autonomy and respect for others. This is perhaps best characterized in the fact that all residents are free to come and go from the property as they please. That being said, there are well known, clear consequences for their actions. For example, if a resident decides that they would like to go off property they can do so, but they may not be able to go on the field trip the next day. This allows residents to have some control of their lives while also encouraging respect for the staff, their fellow residents, and the rules.

My role as an intern was mostly that of an extra youth worker. Although I took on various other projects including translating documents into Spanish and revising the intake health screen, most days I was focused on helping staff supervise and assist the residents. In this role, I would help out where ever I was needed: answering and redirecting phone calls, resolving arguments between residents, assisting with meal preparation, keeping accurate logs of visitors and resident activity, dispensing medication, etc. However, perhaps the best part of my duties was assisting with the various outings that residents could go on. Whether it was visiting the Cincinnati Zoo, kayaking on the Little Miami river, visiting the local bowling alley, or just going to the park to play basketball, I was able to connect with the residents on a deeper level. Perhaps due to my proximity in age, once were outside the walls of the Mecum House the residents became much more open and genuine with me, telling me about their problems and concerns and asking me my opinion. It was here that I think I had the greatest impact as I was someone who they could relate to. Coincidentally, it was on these trips that they had the biggest impact on me.

Having grown up around situations similar to what many of the youth at Mecum House experienced, their strong personalities and coping mechanisms were something I had experienced before. That being said, having had the privilege of being in school for as long as I have, it was something that I had not been exposed to for a long time. Hearing about issues with abuse, neglect, rent, electricity, food, clothing, transportation, etc. made me remember and reconsider my own experiences growing up and how I want to interact, as a future physician, with people who have experienced any of these forms of trauma.