Right help at the right time brings family hope, healing

This piece is sponsored by Chidren’s Home Society.

The Beslers were almost out of hope.

Angie and Casey Besler were desperate to help their daughter, Rhianna.

“She suffered from severe fear, anxiety and depression,” Angie Besler said. “She was running away from school, just uncontrollable, and medications weren’t working; counseling wasn’t working.”

“It just got to the point where there was nothing we could do to help her. We were afraid we were going to lose her.”

The Spearfish School District told the family about residential treatment at Children’s Home Society and helped get Rhianna admitted.

Rhianna was 12 when she arrived at CHS. “The reason for her coming was suicidal ideation, anxiety and major depression, along with intellectual disabilities and impulsive behavior,” said Rachel Walton, Black Hills Children’s Home therapist.

“During her time here, it was discovered that her thyroid wasn’t working properly,” Walton said. Rhianna received treatment for that condition along with appropriate medication, which helped jump-start her journey to healthy behavior.

“It was a miracle, and it makes me want to cry. They do wonderful things with the kids there,” Besler said.

The healing begins

“To this day, we don’t know what Rachel did to get through to Rhianna, but she’s still using those coping skills now.”

Rhianna isn’t the only client who has made breakthroughs with Walton. Although the therapist clearly has the secret sauce, she’s not sure what it is.

“If I had to break it down … something I do with all my kids that are cognitively able to manage it is honesty,” Walton said. “There were some pretty honest discussions with Rhianna about negative thoughts and what that leads to. And then her faith played a part. That was something I could use in therapy to help her.”

Rhianna’s social anxiety and lack of social skills meant she was unwilling to even try to connect with others.

“We would practice; we would role-play,” Walton said. “And then we’d go practice with staff here, just guiding her through how to engage in those interactions.”

Another important piece was Rhianna’s family. “Having supportive adults who are on the same page really matters,” Walton said.

A lasting transformation

Discharged in 2020, Rhianna continues to thrive and now shares her fun, unique personality with others.

“She’s fantastic now,” Besler said. “She has a sense of humor, she laughs, she doesn’t take things so seriously.”

What’s more, Rhianna walked in her high school graduation last year. “She has done things that we never thought she would do,” Besler said. “She went to prom last year. She sits with her peers at homecoming and at every football game. In the past, she would just be as far away from other people as possible.”

 Besler said her daughter has good memories of BHCH.

“She invited Rachel and a couple of the other unit leaders to her graduation party, and they came. And her face just lit up when she walked outside and saw them coming up the driveway.”

Rhianna with therapist Rachel Walton and Walton’s sister Christine at her graduation party.

Walton was delighted to be at the graduation party as well.

“When kids leave and use things we’ve tried to teach them, it’s validation that we are doing it right. And it makes me extremely proud,” she said.

Residential treatment

Children’s Home Society offers psychiatric residential treatment for children age 4 to 14. Many children admitted to residential treatment come from homes where they’ve experienced abuse or neglect. Many other children come from loving families but have mental health or behavioral challenges. The average stay is 17 months. Children attend school, receive psychiatric care, work with therapists and learn how to succeed in home and school settings.

To learn more about Children’s Home Society, visit chssd.org.