Recovering Innocence: Foster Youth Overmedication Documentary by Kids in the Spotlight

The Overmedication Crisis in Foster Care

• ⚠️ Foster youth are prescribed psychotropic medications at two to three times the rate of children not in foster care.
• 🎯 The documentary 'Recovering Innocence' highlights this issue, focusing on the harm caused by overmedication.
• 💡 The film features youth who have experienced foster care, using their personal stories to advocate for change.

Kids in the Spotlight: Healing Through Filmmaking

• 🚀 Kids in the Spotlight is a nonprofit organization that supports foster and underserved youth in healing from trauma.
• 🎬 They utilize a 10-week "script to screen" program, empowering youth to express themselves through storytelling and filmmaking.
• ✨ Participants engage in all aspects of filmmaking, from writing and acting to directing, which fosters creativity and personal healing.
• 🛠️ The organization operates a full-service production studio where youth gain hands-on experience, with the public able to rent the space.

Personal Stories and Validation

• 💬 Filmmaker Kishana Johnson shares her personal experience of being overmedicated in foster care, describing the feelings of immutability and depression it caused.
• 🎤 Johnson flushed her medication because it made her feel disconnected, a sentiment echoed by other youth in the documentary.
• ⚖️ The inclusion of Judge Nash, a prominent LA County judge dealing with foster youth, validates the experiences shared in the film, underscoring that the problem persists.

Impact and Courage of Young Storytellers

• 👏 Raleigh Barber, COO and CFO of Kids in the Spotlight, emphasizes the courage of these young people in sharing their stories.
• 🧠 Voicing their experiences and having their stories validated provides self-esteem, self-worth, and a sense of belonging.
• 😔 Barber found the extent of overmedication disheartening, noting instances where youth were prescribed medications for issues like appetite suppression, leading to a zombie-like state, and even a request for medication for a 2-year-old.

'Recovering Innocence' Screening and Mission

• 🎉 Kishana Johnson found the first screening of 'Recovering Innocence' to be an amazing experience, seeing how the various elements came together to make the story more real.
• 📚 Johnson is also sharing her story through a book, aiming to help more young people feel heard.
• 🤝 The mission of Kids in the Spotlight is to mentor youth, helping them gain skills for real jobs in the film industry.
• 🌐 More information about the organization can be found at kitsinc.org.