A former ROC participant spotted Director of Residential Services Cheryl Artis outside of a WesCare residential program in Eden, NC one day. He lived with his mother and step-father in a home just behind the location.
As an adult with mental and physical disabilities, he expressed in conversation that his mother was abusing him; hitting him, locking him outside of the house, and refusing him food or drink.
Cheryl contacted Jonathan Briggs who worked as part of the administrative staff at the ROC day program and once cared for the young man years ago. She learned from Jonathan that the mother did abuse him in the past. It was reported, but she had removed her son from the program.
Together, Cheryl and Jonathan decided it was best to contact DSS. After conducting several investigations, the agency removed the young man from his mother’s home.
Away from the abuse and living with his biological father, he is now safe, happy, and has plans to find work.
Although he was no longer a consumer under their care, WesCare staff, as mandatory reporters, found it their business to help someone in need, working together across agencies to do so.