Hello visitors,
If you are new, we have been very successful as a family! Read the latest update to see where we are today!
We welcome you to our campaign.
We wanted to provide everyone with an updated introduction so you know where we are in this process. Jon has completed the wilderness program. He fully engaged that experience and it was, for sure, the right thing to do for him. He then accepted the recommendation for therapeutic boarding school, and has been enrolled there since March. As he progresses through their recovery program, he also works on academics. We think he will finish his junior year around December 2019, and then begin the work of his senior year. He will be only three months behind his graduating year classmates in NJ. The money involved with this has been intimidating. Below, you will find further explanation of the costs involved. We have now needed an attorney to represent us with the school district. Our request for the funding of the academic portion of the boarding school was denied. As we see it, legally, the district failed to identify Jon's needs more than a year ago when we informed them what was going on with him. We see the law as pretty cut and dry. Our attorney agrees. He also likes to get paid, as does the doctor who will be doing another psychological evaluation. We are not used to this level of expense, and frankly, we cannot afford it. We are absolutely overwhelmed by the support we have received for the financing of Jon's path. We have borrowed from our 401k, we have refinanced our home, we have drained our accounts. We have done everything we can. Yet, its not enough.
Jon will most likely finish the program at his school around December/January. He will likely then live at a Transitional Living facility ( TL ). An excellent environment for someone his age. He will carry forth with his senior year work and get his diploma. After that, he's talking college to study psychology to enter into the addiction field so he can help others. TL is also a paid opportunity for us to fund.
If this is your first time discovering our story, or this is your tenth visit, we thank you for your time. Should you be in a position to contribute, no matter how large or how small, it will be greatly appreciated.
Our names are Michael and Casie ( Kathryn ) Fariello. We live in Union Township, Hunterdon County NJ. We have created this campaign for treatment for our son, Jon. Jon is 17 years old and is a junior at North Hunterdon High School. This year, he has only been able to attend 5 days of school due to addiction, depression and anxiety.
Before we get into the tale of his addiction and mental illness, we want to share a bit about Jon as a person. He is quick witted and smart. He is charming and insightful. He is a Life Scout, close to Eagle. He is an athlete, competing in three seasons of track a year. He cares about his friends and family. He has a great concern for fairness. He is personable, well mannered and has a great sense of humor. That is, when he's not on drugs or thinking about drugs. These days, that's almost never.
We have been working with him since June. It was in June when we discovered drugs in his suitcase while on a family trip. He claimed this was experimentation, but as it turns out, it was actually full blown addiction.
We started off slow: home testing. The positive results led us to Intensive Out Patient treatment ( IOP ) at High Focus in Branchburg, NJ. Relapses during those weeks led to residential treatment at Newport Academy in Bethlehem, CT ( 30 days, as insurance would not pay for more, even thought statistically, it takes the average teen 90 days or MORE to embrace sobriety).
Upon return from there, Jon returned to High Focus in Branchburg for a Partial Hospitalization Plan ( PHP ). More relapses. A suicide attempt. Involuntary hospitalization at Carrier Clinic in Belle Meade,NJ followed by residential treatment round 2 at Newport Academy again with the thought that he would not have to retell his story and could start with a head start by knowing his therapeutic team. He was very angry at this point and did not really participate in the program. He avoided school work, got into physical altercations, ran away, and crushed another clients medication to be able to snort it. This behavior led to an abrupt ending to Newport ( 21 days ). We ended up with the insurance company landing him home and no program to take him due to concerns of behavior. Jon was in no way willing to deal with the underlying reasons for his addiction, let alone give up the substance abuse. We were told by the help we were receiving in NJ, that we had to take him home with us or they would call Child Protective Services.
More relapses. Last week, an overdose/suicide attempt. 7 days in a normal hospital, and now admittance to a lock-down facility. He will probably be released in 7 days. To where? To what? This is what concerns us. There is NO continuity of care except for our love. Each place, every nurse, every doctor, and every therapist is like starting all over again. He feels like he belongs nowhere, like nobody cares.
Nothing could be further from the truth, but he can't see it. He is loved. He is worried about. WE want him to see the light and to want to help himself. He needs time and the proper environment. We believe High Focus and Newport Academy are both very good facilities that offer sincere programs. They simply weren't enough for Jon.
During these past several months of treatment, he has run away four times. During those episodes, he has stolen, trespassed and hitchhiked.
We don't know the full extent of the drugs he has tried. He claims that he has not tried heroin or meth, but he has tried many others. Loads of different kinds of pills, 3 grams of pot a day, alcohol, cocaine, vaping, ecstasy, LSD, mushrooms, PCP, the list goes on and on. He is only 17 and he claims to have started slowly at 14 but has steadily increased since he started high school.
We love our son. We are scared for our son. The last psychiatrist that we saw in the hospital said that ' Jon is the kind of kid that he is afraid for.....the kind of kid who will will succeed in doing something impulsive and die". We live in lock down at our home. Everything is behind locked doors. He breaks the locks. He punches holes in walls, he has destroyed furniture and nearly burnt the house down.
We have read many books about addiction and worry that he will be a statistic. We participate in all the therapy sessions and are working the Al Anon program.
We are desperate. We do not have the funds to follow through with what is suggested to give him opportunity for recovery.
Jon is currently in an involuntary hospitalization. The only place that would take him. We have 5-7 days of knowing he is safe. We are utilizing this time to proceed with a solution. We need to move quickly. We are meeting with a creative educational options consultant. She has found the next step: Second Nature. We are fully on board.
He is angry. He's punching walls at the hospital. He refuses medications that might be of help. He does not want to stop. He does not see that his actions are a problem. He does not see that dealers coming to the house is a problem. The multiple visits, relapses and therapies have made it difficult for both of us to work. We have been getting some assistance from his grandparents but the following recommended treatment is essential and unattainable for us.
When Jon is healthy, he speaks of a future as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. We know he will make a good one, as he is caring and has great listening skills. As an addict in recovery, he would have the potential to help many people who often feel misunderstood.
We are worried for our son and want give him the future that he deserves.
With doctor fees, travel to facilities and co-pays, we have spent all our savings and maxed out our credit cards. We are in serious debt but will pay that back over time.
In the world, today, drugs are prevalent. We desperately want our son to not be a statistic.
Please help us help him. We sincerely appreciate a gift of any amount that will work towards getting Jon the help he needs.
How The Funds Will Be Used:
Educational Consultant Fees(which will actually give us a dedicated advocate for one full year):$7500
WE RECEIVED A GENEROUS DONATION FOR THIS PIECE TO PAY DIRECTLY
We are using Nancy Greene as our Creative Educational Consultant who has been doing this for 21 years and helping many families. We feel fortunate to now have an advocate who will help us though the pitfalls.
Transport services from Right Direction to get Jon to his new facility at Second Nature costs $5000.00. We paid by card and will reimburse our credit card for that.
Second Nature Wilderness therapy: $35,000 - $49,800 for 8-12 weeks depending on his need. He will receive group, individual and family therapy as well as schooling. We are working with Second Nature to get some scholarship money, so that we will not have to use all of the initial funds that have already been generously donated.
Therapeutic Boarding School called In Balance Ranch Academy in Tombstone, AZ: $9,800 per month for at least 15 months.
Psychological Testing: Once Jon is clean to see if there is underlying mental health issue besides depression and anxiety: estimated at $3000-$5000
Possible fees for lawyers to advocate for school district assisting with partial payments and insurance advocates. We are feeling blessed about that Aetna is our insurance as of Jan 1st.
For a total need of $159.852.00. This takes into account for the donations of $8105 given to us directly. ( Educational Consultant fees paid, and some donation brought o our home )
Time frame: $46, 500 in the next 10 days, then 9,800per month for 15 months ending in June, 2020 plus a travel experience that will cost $9000 and will involve two weeks of service in a community and a AA conference fee of $650 for air travel.. It is amazing already with how quickly donations have come in. We will be sending Second Nature their initial intake fee and pay the first 30 days of services. We will share the exact amount of that once the financial aide package comes through.
We have an email just for this [email redacted]
We will be opening a bank account dedicated to this.
We promise to keep everyone updated about expenses and progress.
There are multiple updates for you to look at as you see our son progress and where he is now. We feel blessed with what we have been able to do so far and will continue to work for our son and our family!
Thank you in advance,
Casie and Michael
If you are new, we have been very successful as a family! Read the latest update to see where we are today!
We welcome you to our campaign.
We wanted to provide everyone with an updated introduction so you know where we are in this process. Jon has completed the wilderness program. He fully engaged that experience and it was, for sure, the right thing to do for him. He then accepted the recommendation for therapeutic boarding school, and has been enrolled there since March. As he progresses through their recovery program, he also works on academics. We think he will finish his junior year around December 2019, and then begin the work of his senior year. He will be only three months behind his graduating year classmates in NJ. The money involved with this has been intimidating. Below, you will find further explanation of the costs involved. We have now needed an attorney to represent us with the school district. Our request for the funding of the academic portion of the boarding school was denied. As we see it, legally, the district failed to identify Jon's needs more than a year ago when we informed them what was going on with him. We see the law as pretty cut and dry. Our attorney agrees. He also likes to get paid, as does the doctor who will be doing another psychological evaluation. We are not used to this level of expense, and frankly, we cannot afford it. We are absolutely overwhelmed by the support we have received for the financing of Jon's path. We have borrowed from our 401k, we have refinanced our home, we have drained our accounts. We have done everything we can. Yet, its not enough.
Jon will most likely finish the program at his school around December/January. He will likely then live at a Transitional Living facility ( TL ). An excellent environment for someone his age. He will carry forth with his senior year work and get his diploma. After that, he's talking college to study psychology to enter into the addiction field so he can help others. TL is also a paid opportunity for us to fund.
If this is your first time discovering our story, or this is your tenth visit, we thank you for your time. Should you be in a position to contribute, no matter how large or how small, it will be greatly appreciated.
Our names are Michael and Casie ( Kathryn ) Fariello. We live in Union Township, Hunterdon County NJ. We have created this campaign for treatment for our son, Jon. Jon is 17 years old and is a junior at North Hunterdon High School. This year, he has only been able to attend 5 days of school due to addiction, depression and anxiety.
Before we get into the tale of his addiction and mental illness, we want to share a bit about Jon as a person. He is quick witted and smart. He is charming and insightful. He is a Life Scout, close to Eagle. He is an athlete, competing in three seasons of track a year. He cares about his friends and family. He has a great concern for fairness. He is personable, well mannered and has a great sense of humor. That is, when he's not on drugs or thinking about drugs. These days, that's almost never.
We have been working with him since June. It was in June when we discovered drugs in his suitcase while on a family trip. He claimed this was experimentation, but as it turns out, it was actually full blown addiction.
We started off slow: home testing. The positive results led us to Intensive Out Patient treatment ( IOP ) at High Focus in Branchburg, NJ. Relapses during those weeks led to residential treatment at Newport Academy in Bethlehem, CT ( 30 days, as insurance would not pay for more, even thought statistically, it takes the average teen 90 days or MORE to embrace sobriety).
Upon return from there, Jon returned to High Focus in Branchburg for a Partial Hospitalization Plan ( PHP ). More relapses. A suicide attempt. Involuntary hospitalization at Carrier Clinic in Belle Meade,NJ followed by residential treatment round 2 at Newport Academy again with the thought that he would not have to retell his story and could start with a head start by knowing his therapeutic team. He was very angry at this point and did not really participate in the program. He avoided school work, got into physical altercations, ran away, and crushed another clients medication to be able to snort it. This behavior led to an abrupt ending to Newport ( 21 days ). We ended up with the insurance company landing him home and no program to take him due to concerns of behavior. Jon was in no way willing to deal with the underlying reasons for his addiction, let alone give up the substance abuse. We were told by the help we were receiving in NJ, that we had to take him home with us or they would call Child Protective Services.
More relapses. Last week, an overdose/suicide attempt. 7 days in a normal hospital, and now admittance to a lock-down facility. He will probably be released in 7 days. To where? To what? This is what concerns us. There is NO continuity of care except for our love. Each place, every nurse, every doctor, and every therapist is like starting all over again. He feels like he belongs nowhere, like nobody cares.
Nothing could be further from the truth, but he can't see it. He is loved. He is worried about. WE want him to see the light and to want to help himself. He needs time and the proper environment. We believe High Focus and Newport Academy are both very good facilities that offer sincere programs. They simply weren't enough for Jon.
During these past several months of treatment, he has run away four times. During those episodes, he has stolen, trespassed and hitchhiked.
We don't know the full extent of the drugs he has tried. He claims that he has not tried heroin or meth, but he has tried many others. Loads of different kinds of pills, 3 grams of pot a day, alcohol, cocaine, vaping, ecstasy, LSD, mushrooms, PCP, the list goes on and on. He is only 17 and he claims to have started slowly at 14 but has steadily increased since he started high school.
We love our son. We are scared for our son. The last psychiatrist that we saw in the hospital said that ' Jon is the kind of kid that he is afraid for.....the kind of kid who will will succeed in doing something impulsive and die". We live in lock down at our home. Everything is behind locked doors. He breaks the locks. He punches holes in walls, he has destroyed furniture and nearly burnt the house down.
We have read many books about addiction and worry that he will be a statistic. We participate in all the therapy sessions and are working the Al Anon program.
We are desperate. We do not have the funds to follow through with what is suggested to give him opportunity for recovery.
Jon is currently in an involuntary hospitalization. The only place that would take him. We have 5-7 days of knowing he is safe. We are utilizing this time to proceed with a solution. We need to move quickly. We are meeting with a creative educational options consultant. She has found the next step: Second Nature. We are fully on board.
He is angry. He's punching walls at the hospital. He refuses medications that might be of help. He does not want to stop. He does not see that his actions are a problem. He does not see that dealers coming to the house is a problem. The multiple visits, relapses and therapies have made it difficult for both of us to work. We have been getting some assistance from his grandparents but the following recommended treatment is essential and unattainable for us.
When Jon is healthy, he speaks of a future as a psychologist or a psychiatrist. We know he will make a good one, as he is caring and has great listening skills. As an addict in recovery, he would have the potential to help many people who often feel misunderstood.
We are worried for our son and want give him the future that he deserves.
With doctor fees, travel to facilities and co-pays, we have spent all our savings and maxed out our credit cards. We are in serious debt but will pay that back over time.
In the world, today, drugs are prevalent. We desperately want our son to not be a statistic.
Please help us help him. We sincerely appreciate a gift of any amount that will work towards getting Jon the help he needs.
How The Funds Will Be Used:
Educational Consultant Fees(which will actually give us a dedicated advocate for one full year):$7500
WE RECEIVED A GENEROUS DONATION FOR THIS PIECE TO PAY DIRECTLY
We are using Nancy Greene as our Creative Educational Consultant who has been doing this for 21 years and helping many families. We feel fortunate to now have an advocate who will help us though the pitfalls.
Transport services from Right Direction to get Jon to his new facility at Second Nature costs $5000.00. We paid by card and will reimburse our credit card for that.
Second Nature Wilderness therapy: $35,000 - $49,800 for 8-12 weeks depending on his need. He will receive group, individual and family therapy as well as schooling. We are working with Second Nature to get some scholarship money, so that we will not have to use all of the initial funds that have already been generously donated.
Therapeutic Boarding School called In Balance Ranch Academy in Tombstone, AZ: $9,800 per month for at least 15 months.
Psychological Testing: Once Jon is clean to see if there is underlying mental health issue besides depression and anxiety: estimated at $3000-$5000
Possible fees for lawyers to advocate for school district assisting with partial payments and insurance advocates. We are feeling blessed about that Aetna is our insurance as of Jan 1st.
For a total need of $159.852.00. This takes into account for the donations of $8105 given to us directly. ( Educational Consultant fees paid, and some donation brought o our home )
Time frame: $46, 500 in the next 10 days, then 9,800per month for 15 months ending in June, 2020 plus a travel experience that will cost $9000 and will involve two weeks of service in a community and a AA conference fee of $650 for air travel.. It is amazing already with how quickly donations have come in. We will be sending Second Nature their initial intake fee and pay the first 30 days of services. We will share the exact amount of that once the financial aide package comes through.
We have an email just for this [email redacted]
We will be opening a bank account dedicated to this.
We promise to keep everyone updated about expenses and progress.
There are multiple updates for you to look at as you see our son progress and where he is now. We feel blessed with what we have been able to do so far and will continue to work for our son and our family!
Thank you in advance,
Casie and Michael
Organizer
Kathryn Smith Fariello
Organizer
Hampton, NJ