Nexus Champion
Abbigail Ligue

Abbigail, who goes by Abbi, entered foster care as a teenager, after enduring significant family trauma and instability. She struggled with poor self-image, frequently skipped school, and was hospitalized multiple times. She was on a suite of medications to help manage her diagnoses, which included ADHD, ODD, DMDD, and PTSD. Before Nexus, Abbi went through five different residential placements. “She was my most rebellious kid,” said her case manager, Kelly McFarland. She deliberately sabotaged a foster home placement after three months because she did not want to get close to anyone or risk attachment. “She had been through so much already,” said Kelly.

Abbi initially entered the True North Hospital Program where she spent 42 days stabilizing. During that time, her care team built a deep understanding of who Abbi was, established her diagnoses and triggers, and built an individual plan to help her step down to a lower level of care with the True North Residential Program.

At the residential center, she participated in individual and group therapy, along with programming and activities tailored to her interests: arts, crafts, and reading. Abbi was also included in weekly care coordination meetings with her case manager, therapist, psychiatrist, director, house supervisor, and house staff member. “That’s huge to be able to get that whole team together every week,” remarked Kelly. “It’s very beneficial for the child, because they feel like you care about them. You’re all on the same page.”

In the beginning, Abbi had significant trust issues and resisted help. She walked out on therapy sessions, hung up on her case manager, and fought with other girls at the center. Her care team never gave up and instead sat with her and talked her through these difficult moments. For a teenager who had learned to expect people to walk away, that consistency was new, and it mattered.

This persistence created a turning point after about nine months. During a particularly tough therapy session, Abbi’s therapist and case manager reemphasized her care team’s unwavering support. Kelly remembers the therapist’s words, “Our team does not give up on our children. I’m not going anywhere, and neither is anybody else.” For the first time, something clicked. “It doesn’t matter what I do. You guys aren’t going to give up,” Abbi said.

This realization led to Abbi taking ownership of her treatment plan, rewriting it in terms and steps she understood. Her team adopted it fully, and Abbi quickly made progress. After 17 months at True North Residential, Abbi discharged from the program feeling more confident in navigating the future. “When I picked her up at the airport, I was like, who is this?” Kelly said. “She’s so different. She has so much confidence, and she’s built so much pride in herself, and she knows what she’s worth now.”

Abbi returned to foster care, but in a new location and away from old associations, as she wanted a fresh start. While she previously ran away from foster placements, she is now stable. She hasn’t had a single episode or incident since discharge. When Abbi arrived at Nexus, she was managing her mental health with six medications. By discharge, that had been reduced to one.

Abbi hasn’t missed a day of school since leaving Nexus, and she now has career goals. She wants to be a police officer and plans to join the academy after graduating. But perhaps most significantly, she now looks forward to adoption and a family, something she refused to consider before Nexus. For a teenager who once refused to let anyone in, that openness is its own kind of milestone. “Now I wake up with a big smile,” shared Abbi. “I can look back and say I’m a better person today.”

When asked what Abbi would tell others who are starting care with Nexus, she said, “Keep your head up. It gets better. They’re there to help, not to fight.”