{"id":7757,"date":"2016-10-26T11:16:16","date_gmt":"2016-10-26T16:16:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dev.thechicagoschool.edu\/"},"modified":"2025-09-30T10:13:26","modified_gmt":"2025-09-30T15:13:26","slug":"when-all-other-systems-fail-he-is-ready-to-serve","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thechicagoschool.edu\/insight\/community\/when-all-other-systems-fail-he-is-ready-to-serve\/","title":{"rendered":"When all else fails, he is ready to serve: Helping at-risk youth"},"content":{"rendered":"

The young people that Dr. Mitchell Sandy works with every day have fallen through every safety net our society provides. Success is hard to measure. But when it comes, The Chicago School alumnus says there is nothing more rewarding.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe youth that we work with are very at-risk kids,\u201d explains Dr. Sandy, vice president of health and residential services at Lawrence Hall,<\/a> a Chicago nonprofit agency that serves the needs of young people who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned. \u201cSometimes you won\u2019t know you\u2019ve succeeded until a couple of years later and they come back to visit you.\u201d<\/p>\n

For these kids, a happy ending could be something as simple as finding a job or a stable, long-term living situation\u2014things most people take for granted.<\/p>\n

A state-licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Sandy has devoted his career to serving this very fragile, underserved population.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\u201cI deal with extremely acute cases of complex trauma,\u201d Dr. Sandy continues. \u201cThey are abuse and neglect cases; most of them have gone from 5 to 10 different placement or detention centers. They have extraordinary attachment difficulties, and typically their education achievement is lower than those not involved in child welfare. Complex trauma and child welfare involvement have really long lasting psychiatric and behavioral issues. We usually don\u2019t get them until they are 8 or older and by that point, the resiliency factor is a big piece of what can make a kid successful for us.\u201d<\/p>\n

A state-licensed clinical psychologist, Dr. Sandy has devoted his career to serving this very fragile, underserved population.<\/p>\n

A perfect fit<\/h3>\n

He was working in a similar agency when he chose to pursue his Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology<\/a> at The Chicago School. For him, it was an easy choice. \u201cBased on my personal interests and beliefs, The Chicago School was a perfect fit for me,\u201d says Dr. Sandy, who serves as vice chair of the The Chicago School Alumni Council and regularly recommends the school to prospective students. \u201cI really think you get a breadth of experience and really get exposed to invested faculty who are experts in their area of interest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Sandy also plays an active part in the student and alumni network by helping to facilitate internships and practicums for Chicago School students with his Lawrence Hall agency. It\u2019s his way of paying it forward.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the place where I ended up getting employment after graduating from The Chicago School, my supervisor was a Chicago School graduate. He knew a couple of my references and I know he called them. So that had a lot to do with why I got the job,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe networking is a big piece that makes The Chicago School what it is.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Dr. Sandy expects to devote the remainder of his career to doing what he does each day\u2014helping society\u2019s most vulnerable youth heal and find their place in the world.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s inspiring to know that little moment of time when I was interfacing with a kid would have a lasting impact on them,\u201d he says. \u201cThose are the moments that don\u2019t come often, but they are the reason we do the things we do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Learn more about The Chicago School<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Chicago School offers a range of academic programs that can prepare you to positively impact mental health. Fill out the information below to request more information, or you can apply today through our application portal.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Mitchell Sandy’s job is to give at-risk youth hope and help them stay on track. Find out how his agency serves some of our nation\u2019s most vulnerable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":107229,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[191],"tags":[],"coauthors":[1062],"class_list":["post-7757","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhen All Else Fails, He is Ready to Serve: Helping At-Risk Youth<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Mitchell Sandy's job is to give at-risk youth hope and help them stay on track. 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