Sarah (not her real name), 16, knows this is her last chance. She has been in and out of residential programs and in the court system since she was 11. This is her second time at the Antrim Girls Shelter.

"If I mess up and get arrested after I'm 17," she says, "they can put me in jail."

It started with arguing with her mother and skipping school, Sarah says, and progressed to using drugs and running away from home.

"I have a cycle," she says. "I'm home for six months, then back to a program."

Sarah has responded well to the Shelter's rigid structure and teaching model that emphasizes positive behavior. Their days are scheduled from morning to night. They know exactly what time they will take their showers, eat their meals, attend school, study, exercise and participate in evening activities such as recovery groups or watching videos. Each girl has chores and there is a 20-minute meeting each evening to discuss any problems.

The girls are never without a staff member. The Shelter isn't a detention facility, explains Karen Lamoureux of Lutheran Social Services of Northern New England, the organization that oversees the Shelter. "It's 'staff secure,' which means the staff have 'eyes on' every girl 24 hours a day. It's a transitional program, offering the girls safety and a cool down period when they can stop doing what they've been doing and make new and better choices."

The staff ratio is small – one staff member to three girls. The girls, who range in age from 11 to 17, have been ordered there by the court, explains program manager Randa Tenney, the vast majority -- more than 90 percent – for truancy from school and running away from home. Most have drug or alcohol problems as well, she says, and some have eating disorders or cut or burn themselves. The average stay is about 28 days.

"The girls do surprisingly well here," Tenney. "Everything is consistent and they know what to expect. We're very strict. There're no drugs or alcohol, of course, and no swearing or anti-social behavior. And, if they become violent, they are moved out. We're not set up to handle violence. "

For some girls, she says, it may be the first time in their lives that they've had a predictable, consistent and safe environment. ""Many have moved a lot," she says, "and their parents may be struggling with alcohol or drugs or may be ill or even homeless."

The girls respond well to the teaching model, says Tenney, which emphasizes their strengths and allows them to earn privileges – such as skiing or free time or phone calls – when they make good choices.

"We try to catch them being good and reinforce that behavior," says Tenney, "and correct any bad choices. The girls often surprise themselves when they discover they're making maybe 80 percent positive choices. They may have heard only the negatives before – what they were doing wrong.

"Children are very resilient," she adds. "They respond amazingly well to kindness and empathy and structure. Our girls are pretty nice kids when you get to know them. They might have orange hair or nose rings or tattoos, but all are really just little girls."

The girls all get a complete intake assessment when they arrive, including drug, alcohol and mental health assessments. They also have regular access to a nurse and a mental health counselor. Some have outside therapists, says Tenney.

"It's important for the girls to have someone who wants to know how they are doing," says Tenney. "Mostly what they need is someone to listen to them and to hold them accountable. All of our staff members are very nurturing."

The Antrim Shelter is the only all-girls shelter in the state (there's also an all-boys shelter and a coed shelter) and it currently houses 12 girls. There's a need for more spaces, says Wendy Carignan, intake coordinator for the Department of Juvenile Justice Services for the State of New Hampshire.

"I get anywhere from two to 18 calls or emails a day seeking a bed," she says. "Just today, I've had to deny two people."

The Antrim Shelter is seeking to raise $1.2 million for a major renovation and expansion of the three-story Victorian built in 1850 that houses the program. Even then, it will only be able to accommodate 15 girls. Now, girls are sleeping three and four to a bedroom and, while the house is clean and orderly, it is in obvious need of repair.

After their stay at the Shelter, many of the girls go home while others may go to long-term treatment programs or group homes.

Sarah expects to go home and she has a plan. With the help of the staff at the Shelter, she has arranged for a medical doctor, therapy and gotten information about 12-step meetings in her hometown. She's also in the process of registering for an alternative high school.

"I do great in programs," she says. "I just need to transfer that to life."

That's the goal, says Tenney, to help the girls "see that they can make better choices and that they're worth it. We don't always know, when they leave, if we've gotten through to them. Sometimes it's a while down the road before they get it. But we are planting the seeds. If we can help even one kid, it's worth it, but I believe we help every single kid who comes through here."

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