Social worker says Devon Freeman had two sides
Warning: This story contains details about suicide.
In the months before 16-year-old Devon Freeman disappeared and died by suicide, he was extremely unhappy in the Flamborough group home where he was living and supposed to be going to school.
He refused to attend class and ran away frequently, often to the Hamilton Regional Indian Centre (HRIC) where he accessed programs. He was considered a habitual runaway" by Hamilton police, an inquest into his death heard Wednesday.
Jennifer Thibeau, a social worker at the Lynwood-Charlton Centre Flamborough site, described it as a catch-22 in which he ran away because he was unhappy, but running away also made it harder to connect him with - and get approval - for other programs and places to stay. There is a shortage of group homes and foster homes for youths, especially ones like Devon.
When Devon left the home on the afternoon of Oct. 7, 2017, he was reported missing for the 37th time since the previous April. He was missing for more than six months - until the following April when he was found hanging in a tree on the grounds of the group home.
The inquest began Monday on the territory of Chippewas of Georgina Island - the First Nation community on an island in Lake Simcoe where Devon's grandmother, Pam Freeman, grew up and of which Devon was a member. The five-person jury is tasked with reaching a verdict on when, where and how Devon died. But more importantly they can also make recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
Wednesday marked the first day of testimony in Hamilton at the Hamilton Convention Centre. The day began with lawyers reading in a 31-page narrative of agreed facts, recounting important dates and events through Devon's short life - from birth, through the tragedy of the death of his mom Jaime, the multitude of doctors, programs and services sought by Pam to address his complex mental-health needs, and culminating in his disappearance and death.
Thibeau remembers Devon having two sides. The first was the reason he was living at the group home: Emotional outbursts. The 16-year-old was tall and strong. When he would get upset he would lose control, sometimes getting physical and breaking things. He was always remorseful afterward, she told the jury.
The other piece of him (was) very childlike joy," she said, crying. He used to like to jokingly jump out and scare her, sometimes she could hear him giggling in anticipation as she approached. This, she believed, was the real Devon.
At the time Devon lived there in 2017, the group home offered beds to up to 12 boys between the ages of 12 and 18. Some, including Devon, would attend school there while also accessing counselling and programming for various mental-health and emotional issues. Devon didn't like the school, he didn't like the points system Lynwood used at the time - good behaviour earned points that led to privileges and bad behaviour led to lost points and lost privileges - and he didn't like the rules.
Thibeau recalled that, at first, she tried to work with Devon to find ways to make the school fit, but when it became clear that wasn't going to happen, she tried to find alternatives. He wanted to live more independently.
The Flamborough site is not a lockdown facility. Thibeau said staff do their best to follow kids as they leave and try to get them to come back, but because of staffing shortages that's not always possible.
At the time, staff had little training around Indigenous communities and no Indigenous programming on site, instead relying on HRIC.
In late May 2017, Devon returned to the Flamborough group home where he was living and told staff that he had tried to hang himself the day before, but a friend cut him down.
Thibeau recalled that the May 29, 2017, suicide attempt scared Devon and he became open to some one-on-one counselling. But he also was adamant in their conversations that he was no longer suicidal and didn't want to talk about it more, she said.
The inquest heard that there were new safety plans put in place after his suicide attempt. Devon was in the care of the Children's Aid Society of Hamilton at the time and they were informed of what happened. But his grandmother Pam was not; Neither was his First Nations community, which was supposed to be involved in decisions about his care, and neither were police when he was reported missing again in October.
The day before he disappeared the final time, Devon and another youth, who he had a previous conflict with, got into an altercation. The youth taunted Devon about his mother, something Thibeau agreed would be triggering for him. He disappeared the next afternoon.
She said she was shocked" when she later learned of his death.
The inquest continues Thursday.
FOR HELP
Kids Help Line: 1-800-668-6868 or kidshelpphone.ca
COAST: 905-972-8338
Barrett Centre: 1-844-777-3571
Native Women's Centre: 1-888-308-6559
Good2Talk: 1-866-925-5454
Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255
Nicole O'Reilly is a crime and justice reporter at The Spectator. noreilly@thespec.com