Client Focus: Jane

Being a 12 year old girl isn’t always easy. For Jane, being 12 is more complicated than most. When she suffered from a mental health crisis in the middle of the school year, Jane was struggling not only with her health but with bullying at her school. Any child would find it hard to cope with this combination, and Jane was no exception. For months, she was not well enough to go to school. Even once she mentally recovered, she refused to go to school for fear of being bullied. When her mother tried to get the school to help transfer Jane to a more appropriate setting, the school insisted Jane wasn’t currently enrolled because she had missed too many days. Unenrollment due to absences is in direct violation of school policy, but Jane’s mother couldn’t get any help from the school in settling this matter.

Luckily, Jane and her mother found the Legal Council. Through determined advocacy, our staff convinced the school to recognize Jane as a student. After overcoming that obstacle, the school was willing to assess Jane and give her an individualized education program (IEP). Our staff was present at the IEP meeting to make sure Jane and her mother were heard, and the school developed a comprehensive and appropriate IEP for Jane. Once her needs were understood, Jane transferred and currently attends a new school that better suits her. With the resources and support she needs, Jane is now happy and able to go to school every day.