Luke's parents had a history of drug and alcohol abuse, and he and his siblings were removed from their home when he was only three years old. The children were placed with their grandmother, and as Luke grew older, he learned to play the saxophone and attended Arts High School.

But eventually his grandmother, also an alcoholic, became abusive toward him as well. Luke said he had lived with abuse his entire life, and he finally decided he didn't want to suffer any longer. His DYFS case worker brought him to Brahma House, Somerset Home's short-term residential crisis intervention program.

There, he met April McGrath, his psychotherapist. In addition to attending the in-house school, doing his assigned chores and participating in recreational activities, Lucas met with April for regular counseling sessions to address his history of physical abuse and family substance abuse. Slowly, he learned to find new ways of dealing with conflicts and improved his ability to use appropriate coping skills.

One day, April told Luke she had a surprise for him. She had persuaded a local music center to donate a tenor saxophone and music for Luke to use for practice. This was one part of his past he was happy to reconnect with.

When it was determined Luke didn't have any other family members to live with, April recommended a long-term placement close to his grandmother's home, so he could return to his high school.

"Playing the saxophone helps me forget about the bad things that have happened to me," Luke told April recently. "It has made a big difference in my life."