Mary, do you have a trusted friend, clergyman, mental health advocate or someone the 3 of you could sit down and talk with? Someone that could help him plan for his future. Does he even have any plans, or is he just 'existing'? So many people have dreams and goals but have no idea how to reach them. The 'disinterested' party can be a few different things if involved, safety for you, someone with ideas for him, another person to help hold the young man accountable to do what he says he wants to do. I would recommend clergy or a counselor - someone who has had experience with this type of situation. Of course, if the young man says, 'I wanna be a 'spongebob' all my life.' - you can say...'hey, you're outa here!' Good luck. Let us know how it's working out. Chatty took the words out of my mouth - - I don't want you to be a statistic!! People are just so unpredictable these days!