No Saints Here

“No Saints Here is really two books—a poignant portrayal of the effects of trauma, mental illness and addiction on affected individuals and families and a manual of guidance drawn from scientific studies, cumulative clinical experience, and the voices of lived experience. It offers dire warnings of the risks of harm in the name of help proffered by exploitive and abuse institutions as well as effective alternatives.” —William White, Author, Slaying the Dragon: The History of Addiction Treatment and Recovery in America “Heartfelt, honest, and creative. A must-read book for families dealing with mental illness and for the professionals and systems aiming to help. As a gifted poet and writer, Aaron describes the ups and downs of living with learning and emotional challenges in a world lacking the medical, educational, and family resources needed to help him thrive. As a young teen mother, Claudette describes the unending strategies used to provide a loving home and manage Aaron’s complex emotional, sensory, and behavioral challenges without early intervention and family supports.” — Susan Bazyk, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, Director, Every Moment Counts

Claudette Fette was a teenage mom struggling to support her son, Aaron, who started life with many adverse childhood experiences and would go on to develop serious mental illness. After years of school failure, ineffective therapies, and an abusive treatment center, Aaron, at age fifteen, landed on the streets.

Claudette became an occupational therapist, seeking to better support youth, families, and people living with mental illness in her community. Her search led her to communities of family advocates and other professionals who were developing best practices in mental health.

When Aaron died of an overdose in 2017, Claudette began transcribing his writing, combining her experience as his mom with evidence-based alternatives. No Saint’s Here: A Cautionary Tale of Mental Illness, Health, and the Cost of Ignorance in the Lone Star State pulls together their experiences and walks through evidence-based mental health practices in early childhood, school mental health, trauma, wraparound, mental health and substance use recovery, and restorative justice.

Claudette has worked in mental health for nearly three decades across many settings including acute psychiatric hospital, homeless shelters, schools and community practice. She teaches about mental health at Texas Woman’s University School of Occupational Therapy. She has served on multiple advisory boards, including the Federation of Families — Texas, National Wraparound Initiative, and the National Community of Practice on School Behavioral Health. She currently serves on advisories for the National Family Support Technical Assistance Center and the Advancing School Mental Health conference.