“Filled with profound lessons for parents, care providers, and policy makers, No Saints Here is a must read—a healing journey--for parents of troubled children.
No Saints Here is really two books—a poignant portrayal of the effects of trauma, mental illness and addiction on affected individuals and families and a manual of guidance drawn from scientific studies, cumulative clinical experience, and the voices of lived experience. It offers dire warnings of the risks of harm in the name of help proffered by exploitive and abuse institutions as well as effective alternatives.”
—William White, Author, Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America
“In this compelling and beautifully written book, Claudette Fette and her son, Aaron share their challenging personal stories and as mother and son, contending with significant trauma, very difficult family circumstances, and struggles with mental health problems and addiction. The book underscores how our systems often fail families and young people, with multiple failures by education, health, mental health and justice systems, which instead of helping, added harm to a family that was clearly suffering. People with mental health and substance use issues are subjected to double stigmatization, and interaction with systems that shame and blame them and use damaging labels (like Severe Emotional Disturbance, Conduct Disorder) that lead to increased stigmatization and self-stigmatization. Through all of these challenges though, there is a hopeful message, powerfully demonstrated by Claudette’s recovery and going on to become a renowned national leader in occupational therapy and school-based services and influential advocate for systems improvement, and Aaron’s amazing poetry and words, with both making a contribution here that will inspire others and promote positive systems change for years to come. I extend my sincere condolences to the Fette family for Aaron’s passing, and my heartfelt congratulations for this extraordinary contribution.”
— Mark D. Weist, Professor, Clinical-Community and School Psychology, University of South Carolina
“Heartfelt, honest, and creative. A must-read book for families dealing with mental illness and for the professionals and systems aiming to help. Written by Aaron and his mother, Claudette, this book takes the reader inside their life-long journey of love, persistence, and grit in dealing with Aaron’s serious mental health challenges. As a gifted poet and writer, Aaron describes the ups and downs of living with learning and emotional challenges in a world lacking the medical, educational, and family resources needed to help him thrive. As a young teen mother, Claudette describes the unending strategies used to provide a loving home and manage Aaron’s complex emotional, sensory, and behavioral challenges without early intervention and family supports. With escalating behavioral challenges, Aaron describes living in a residential coercive treatment program which caused further trauma and mental anguish. Despite the unending stress and chaos in helping Aaron create a life worth living, Claudette persisted in becoming an occupational therapist and advocate for families with children with mental health challenges. Comprehensive evidence-based chapters describe best practices known today for helping children and families such as multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS), restorative justice, trauma-informed care, wraparound services, and strength-based practices to name a few. Perhaps Aaron’s life trajectory would have been different if these services were available during his childhood and young adult years?”
Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA Director, Every Moment Counts, www.everymomentcounts.org
“We meet the co-authors as a fragile teen and a child struggling with mental illness. The trajectory of their lives shows us in vivid detail how policy, practice and people combine to impact the lives of those in most need. One author chronicles the slog of a troubled child through the world of adults and their systems. The other shares a story of love and learning that helps us understand the better choices we can make in supporting families who have children living with mental illness.”
Joanne Cashman, ED. D., executive director, National Association of State Special Education Directors