Skylyn’s Journey of Healing at East Mountain School

Have you ever felt like you didn’t belong? That was daily life for Skylyn.

Stability, self-worth and gratitude were words that didn’t feel real to her. Before finding her way to the East Mountain School (EMS), her view of the world was skewed. She believed chaos, drugs and rebellion were “normal.”

After being kicked out of school her sophomore year for drug use and serious behavioral issues, her life felt like a constant battle. 

“Life was extremely chaotic,” Skylyn’s mother, Jessica, remembers. “Every day it was something – a suicide attempt, self-harm, getting so high she would be incoherent. The police were at our house weekly. It was a constant nightmare, every day.”

With multiple suicide attempts by age 16, something had to change. With the support of her mom and an EMS school psychologist, Amanda Bichoa, Skylyn enrolled her junior year at the East Mountain School. 

"She was thinking, 'I’m going to be locked up,' but I remember driving her, pointing out the horses and the beautiful grounds," Jessica says. "I told her, 'Today is the first day of the rest of your life.'"

A New Environment, A New Beginning

Operated by Carrier Clinic, the East Mountain School offers a place of healing for students in grades 7-12 dealing with significant behavioral or psychiatric disorders.

“The first thing we do is work to get our students emotionally regulated and work on mental stability,” notes Lawrence Booth, teacher and coordinator at EMS. “That’s the first main goal, get the kids in more emotional control of themselves, and then secondly, we work toward their academics.”

For Skylyn, this approach was life-changing. EMS provided the structure, discipline and consistency she needed. The school’s focus on both emotional healing and academic growth helped her to thrive. She learned independence and real-life skills, like cooking and cleaning, and for the first time, she had a stable routine.

“I used to mourn what could’ve been ‘normal’ high school years. I don’t anymore,” Skylyn shares. “East Mountain School has lifted me back on my feet with encouragement, structure and discipline.”

Learning to Trust Again

For Skylyn, the initial transition was met with distrust, born from years of feeling abandoned by both the school and healthcare systems.

"She felt discarded by the adults and psychiatrists in her life," Jessica says. "We did so many intakes where they said, 'No, you're too much for us.' Every time she was honest about how she was feeling, she would get locked up. She started not trusting any adult, because she felt like they would just throw her away instead of helping her."

At East Mountain School, the staff understood that rebuilding that trust was the first and most critical step. “The supportive, caring, close-knit community that we have built here is really what allows our students to grow and shine,” says Amanda. “For Skylyn, her success really comes down to how self-motivated she is.”

This constructive environment allowed Skylyn to finally lower her guard. As her mother witnessed, the change was profound.

"She has such a bond with everybody there," Jessica says. "She loves that she's praised and spoken to like a person, even when she messes up. The support has been amazing."

Slowly but surely, Skylyn began to heal. She started to accept and love herself, a journey she says is "still a work in progress.”

A Future Rewritten

Today, Skylyn is a graduating senior who was selected to deliver a speech at the ceremony in June. With Amanda's guidance, she navigated the college application process and was accepted to Montclair University with a $6,500 scholarship.

Inspired by her teachers, Skylyn plans to become an educator. She wants to be the teacher who goes beyond academics and supports the whole student.

Her dream for the future is a world away from the darkness she once knew. “I want the American dream. To be a teacher, have a family and the white picket fence. My future before looked totally different,” Skylyn shared.

Skylyn’s story is a powerful reminder that with the right support, change is possible. As she puts it, “Hope is a mindset shift. You can rewrite your story.” 

“I want people to open their eyes; the world is more than darkness," she says. "Life really is beautiful. You just have to keep going every single day to get the life you want.”

Expanding Hope to More Children

Skylyn’s success is a testament to the caring and effective environment at East Mountain School. Her transformation is a powerful reminder of what is possible with the right support.

Now, thanks to a major expansion at Carrier Clinic, even more children will have the opportunity to rewrite their stories, just like Skylyn. The clinic is expanding its inpatient services for children as young as 7 and increasing the number of pediatric and adolescent beds from 36 to 52. This will create the largest pediatric behavioral health unit affiliated with a children's hospital in New Jersey.

This expansion means more children in crisis will have access to the same life-changing care that helped Skylyn find her path to a brighter future. 

Next Steps & Resources

• Make an appointment online with a doctor near you, or call 800-822-8905.
• Learn more about behavioral health services at Hackensack Meridian Health.
• Learn more about the East Mountain School.