Topic: Your Stories (18 posts)

Since TXT 4 HELP launched almost a year ago, it has become an asset to youth service providers, parents, and youth that are looking for a Safe Place to go in a time of need. With nearly 4,400 people accessing the service since last October, TXT 4 Help is connecting youth to help in a variety of ways.

The Relatives agency in Charlotte, NC recently shared a success story with the National Safe Place office in which TXT 4 HELP played a vital role in directing a youth in a crisis situation to a Safe Place:

A young lady called our shelter scared, spoke quietly and had stated that she had been beaten by her father. She was kicked out of her home so she ran to a house of a person who was sitting on their steps outside. She used their phone to contact our agency. She did not know how to get to the agency nor did she know how to use the bus system. I had asked her the address and proceeded to use my blackberry to text SAFE to 69866, put in her address and within a minute a reply with the name of the Park and Recreation site which we just acquired in May. Needless to say she was guided to that spot where we picked her up and took her to the shelter where she is receiving adequate care and help that is needed.

- Curtis Joe, The Relatives Safe Place Coordinator

Whether it's a youth utilizing TXT 4 HELP, a Safe Place Coordinator, or a member of the community, youth in crisis are getting connected to the services they need. Advancing technology has made cell phones and text messaging available to virtually everyone, and TXT 4 HELP can provide almost instant access to a Safe Place site or emergency youth shelter. When neither a Safe Place location or a youth shelter is within a 50 mile radius, the youth is provided the National Runaway Switchboard hotline number: 1-800-Runaway where they are connected to a live person instantly.

In the future, parents and youth can try out the TXT 4 HELP program to find out where the closest Safe Place site is to their home or school. Just type the word SAFE and your home or school address (street address, city, state) to 69866 and within seconds a text message will be sent back with the closest Safe Place site or Youth Shelter. Knowing these locations in advance can help youth get access to help quicker in a time of need.

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month!

In recognition, National Safe Place would like to thank all of their amazing volunteers across the country! Across the US Safe Place Agency's utilize many types of volunteers including: community members, AARP, AmeriCorps VISTA, High School Sevice Outreach Clubs, Students on Alternative Spring Breaks, and College Service Clubs.

National Safe Place has had the honor of utlizing all of these types of volunteers. Most recently, 13 students from Northwestern University for an Alternative Spring Break. During their week of service they learned about the Safe Place program, created their own PSA for Safe Place and TXT 4 Help, analyzed and discussed Safe Place procedures, outreach materials, social media, website, Safe Place trainings, and Public Service Announcements (to name a few...) and participated in checking Safe Place sites across Louisville, KY to make sure they were up to date on procedures and had all necessary materials.

At the close of their week they presented a presentation to staff with their suggestions for improvement and expansion as well as what they learned while working with us. Below we share a few of their reflections from their week of service to National Safe Place.

To be honest, I was a little uncertain as to whether or not I wanted to spend my last spring break in college volunteering. I've been on other ASB trips where sites were disorganized or simply gave us busy work ? this was not the case with NSP and I am blown away by the attention we were given throughout the week. I felt that the organization extended a truly caring attitude and truly wanted us to learn. I am so impressed by everything Safe Place does and so appreciative to have participated in this great organization's mission for the week. I also had a lot of fun (thanks to Chrissy and Jill for everything and especially the scavenger hunt!) and greatly enjoyed the chance to see Louisville beyond the basic tourist experience. I learned so much about the area and most importantly about non-profit work, which is a field I plan to enter when I graduate. It was only a week, but the experience was invaluable and I cannot think of a better way to have spent my break. I can't wait to hear of Safe Place's growth and success in the future and I know every time I see the sign I'll remember what I've learned here. Thanks so much for everything!

Sincerely,
Melissa Riepe

This week has been extremely rewarding! It is an understatement to say Safe Place has really made an impact on the way I view homeless issues. I always knew that being homeless was "sad or bad", but Safe Place really emphasized that teen homelessness can be "dangerous".

First, we can't thank you all enough for being so organized. I have worked at 5 different sites and Safe Place was by far the most prepared and enthusiastic. It made my week as a leader, extremely more enjoyable and less stressful. Everyone at Safe Place was very kind to us and patient ? since we are a large group of 13!

The educational aspect of the trip was on point. I appreciated the diverse approach between listening, discussion, action, and reflections. This is key! It was so beneficial to change it up. The entire week was engaging and appealing to each student with a different interest. I'm glad that we were able to provide help, but this is a case where we got out of it a lot more than what we gave.

It was simply amazing!

Thanks Again,
Miles Drummond

Thank you so much for everything you've done this week! I can't begin to describe all the things I've learned, whether about how a national non-profit organization works or even just about Louisville itself. Your organization has taken on such a huge undertaking and it amazes me to no end the amount of enthusiasm and optimism with which you go about your work. Coming here, I didn't have a great idea of what I'd be doing and I had some reservations about how much we'd be able to help, but the staff here has been incredibly professional and helpful and has taught us so much about the organization. I think we all felt extremely lucky to be working with a group that value our opinions so highly and are so willing to hear our criticisms. I loved that we were able to see and participate in so many aspects of Safe Place ? whether more conceptual things like looking at PR or more hands on things like site-checking. Your hard work and dedication is really inspiring, and I wish Safe Place much good luck in the future!

-Jenn Kau

I had a fantastic time this week! I especially enjoyed site-checking. Although it was sometimes demoralizing when some sites didn't have their materials, I felt like I was making a difference so that if a kid needed a Safe Place, he/she could go to McDonald's and the employees would know what to do. Thanks for giving us an inside look into how a non-profit runs!

-Elisha Redish

First off, thanks so much for having us. I learned about non-profits in general, from running one to executing various procedures. Also, I learned more about teen homelessness. I'm glad we actually got to go out and actually helped out with something tangible like site checking and experience it firsthand.

-Katherine Wang

Overall I really enjoyed this experience. It was eye-opening for me to see the day-to-day operations of a non-profit organization. I didn't really know what it takes to run such an organization. Safe Place is doing some wonderful things. However, I feel there is still a lot of room for improvement. I feel like Safe Place needs to have more closer contact with its sites. Many "sites" no longer existed, did not have materials or were simply unaware of standard procedures in case a child comes in for refuge. I feel like this defeats the purpose of Safe Place. Also, the website definitely needs a face-lift. However, Safe Place definitely has a huge scope and has made some real positive changes to suffering teens. Keep up the good work!

-Daniel Omondi

Thank you so much for a great week. I really enjoyed working at and learning about Safe Place both from the national and local perspectives. I was very excited to arrive and learn more about what Safe Place was. After understanding all that you do, I'm really impressed and amazed at the scope of your organization. The idea of providing a local place for children to go to when they are in danger/afraid, is so important and I think generally overlooked so I'm glad to be able to help. I hope Safe Place can spread throughout the nation and I definitely will spread the word in Chicago when the signs start appearing. Good luck with all your endeavors. I hope we were able to help you with our comments, ideas, and site checking. I'm so glad I got to meet all of you at NSP, it has definitely been an unforgettable experience!

-Lisha Tomas

This week has been a very interesting experience for me. It was really exciting to work directly with the people who run a big organization and have the chance to influence and help improve the way it's run. I especially enjoyed doing site checks because we got to directly work with others and accomplish a lot. I feel that I learned a lot about how large non-profits work this week.

-Dara Shapiro

National Safe Place Week is next week! March 14-20! Our next success story comes from Fort Worth, TX:

ACH Child & Family Services

A 17-year-old girl was transported to a Safe Place site from a local hospital. When a counselor met with her, she reported that she actually lived four hours away from the area, and was here visiting her boyfriend. She said that she met her boyfriend online and had been communicating with him via chat and phone for the past six months.

He picked her up at her house last week and she immediately found out that he was not who he said he was. He told her that he was 18, but she found out that he was actually 22. He would not let her out of his house or allow her to use a phone unsupervised. He became violent with her when she questioned these things, so the girl was afraid she would not be able to get out.

One day he began to use several drugs and became extremely violent; she knew she had to get out. When she attempted to leave, he beat her up severely: punching her and kicking her all over, dragging her by her feet and choking her. She was finally able to get away to a neighbor's house, where 911 was called.

While she was at the hospital, it was determined that she could not return home because her father had no means of transportation and no money for a bus ticket. She was then referred to Safe Place. While the counselor was meeting with her, she stated that she never filed a police report on her boyfriend and wanted to do so. The counselor was able to assist her in this. The counselor was also able to connect with Traveler's Aid DFW, a Safe Place site, and they agreed to give the girl a reduced bus ticket home the following day. She was able to stay at our shelter for the night, then return home to her dad the next afternoon.

Today's success story comes from Family Connections, Inc., Franklin, IN

A male youth at the local school had always been an A/B student, was on the basketball team, and well liked by his peers. The youth had always gotten along with his father as well until this last year. He had begun to struggle in school and had just quit the soccer team after getting into a fight with another player.

Teachers had begun to complain about his behavior in class over the last couple weeks. The school counselor had called the youth into his office to find out what was going on. It was then that the counselor learned that he was no longer living at home. The youth had ran away from home and had been staying with various friends ever since. This had been going on for two weeks.

Fortunately, the counselor was well aware of the Safe Place program at Family Connection and placed a call to Family Connection for help. After talking with the male youth about the program, he agreed to come to Family Connection for a safe place to stay rather than staying with friends. Also, the counselor contacted his father to help make arrangements for them to come to Family Connection together that afternoon.

At first, the youth refused to talk about his story. All he would say was that he got into an argument with his father and left. After a few days, he started to trust the staff and decided to share his side of the story. It turned out that he had run away from home after having an argument with his father. In the past year, the arguments with his father had increased due to his declining grades. The youth also said that his father had stopped trusting him after he found out that he would skip soccer practice to hang out with his girlfriend of whom the father strongly disapproved.

As his grades continued to slide and as he continued to find ways to see his girlfriend, his father became increasingly stricter and would not allow him to do what he wanted. Soon, he found his grades declining, soccer gone, and his relationship with his father destroyed.

Then, one weekend, the youth and his father had a huge argument in which both of them started yelling, and the young man made the claim that he hated his dad and he no longer wanted his father to be his father. At that, his father said, "Fine, then leave; this is no longer your home."

While the youth was working with the staff at Family Connection, the staff was also working with his father who also regretted the words he said. The father just wanted help and thought his son would eventually come home and regret those words. However, his father desperately wanted him back at home and wanted to get some help for their relationship.

One of the counselor's at Family Connection met with the father and son on a regular basis to try to help them work through some of the issues they had as a family. While it took a couple weeks, both of them were able to apologize for their words and were able to begin to talk about the real issues that were going on in each of their lives.

After spending three weeks at Family Connection, the youth and his father were ready to return home and resume their lives together. While there were still some issues, the father and son continued in counseling together to work through some of those issues.

However, both of them were equipped with the skills to try to better deal with conflict and their anger. The youth was also able to see why his father was so hard on him about his grades. He was able to improve his grades by the end of the year and show his previous commitment to school. He also decided to sign up for basketball this coming year, as it was one of his passions in life.

National Safe Place Week is March 14-20, 2010, today's success story comes from Omaha, NE

Youth Emergency Services, Omaha, NE,

A male youth called the Safe Place hotline on December 30, 2008. His mother and step-father had not been able to accept his lifestyle and had forbidden him to return home. He couch surfed from relatives to friends for several weeks. The day he called the SP hotline, he said he had decided he had had enough and wanted to change his life. He was tired of not having a "home".

Staff picked him up and talked to him about the Emergency Shelter and Transitional Living programs that Y.E.S. offered. He was thrilled to have the possibility of somewhere he could call home. He was brought to the YES Shelter and was provided with a safe place to stay and begin his new life.

He found out he was eligible for a scholarship and was able to begin college, learning the skills to become a beautician. He has since, moved into the YES Transitional Living Program, where he continues to go to school, and work part-time. He tells the staff often how grateful he is that he decided to make the phone call that day.

In honor of National Safe Place Week, March 14-20, 2010, here is our next success story from Noblesville, IN:

Promising Futures of Central Indiana, Noblesville, IN

On Jan 5th, a call was received at Hamilton Centers Youth Service Bureau (a Safe Place site) stating that a 17 year old male child was going to be homeless. He would be homeless because his mother was in a Nursing Home/Rehab Facility due to an illness that resulted in a medically necessary surgery and extensive recovery. Because she was in a nursing home, her 3 children had no place to go.

Of the 3 children, (17, 16, & 10) 1 was placed with family & another with a social service agency; however, the 17 year old child was having difficulties being placed. This is where HCYSB Safe Place & Host Home Coordinator began action and made several calls to volunteers and was able to find a placement for him. During his placement with the volunteer family, it was imperative that permanent placement for the client be found because it was uncertain if or when his mother would recover and leave the nursing home/rehab facility rendering him homeless after the brief stay with the volunteer family.

There was only one possibility for this youth to get his life on track and a stable living arrangement. So a call was made to the only possibility, a Transitional Living Program in Indianapolis, IN, and an appointment was scheduled to complete the client in-person interview. Both the client and coordinator went over both personal and professional interview-like questions of things that may be difficult for him to articulate. With this preparation, the client interviewed well and was accepted into the program.

We were both excited because this is giving him the chance to become the teacher he wants to become and a self-esteem boost. He has taken the SAT Exam, secured a job, and appears to be on the right path. He has been very gracious for the services that were extended to him through HCYSB Safe Place & Host Home Coordinator.

National Safe Place Week is March 14-20, 2010. To show our appreciation to all of our amazing agencies and Safe Place sites acorss the United States we would like share their success stories to provide a reminder of why we do what we do everyday.

ACH Child & Family Services, Ft. Worth, TX

A high school counselor brought two teenage sisters to a QuikTrip before the end of the school day. They reported that their parents were severely beating them. These girls, ages 16 and 15, had bruises and welts covering their bodies. They stated that they had been hit with belts, boxing gloves, extension cords and blind switches the night before. Their parents accused them of stealing a camera and did not believe them when they denied it.

The girls both said that they and their siblings had been hurt by their parents several times in the past, but were afraid to tell anyone. They said that, in the past, asking for help with what was going on at home only made things worse for them later. A counselor transported the girls to the shelter and made a report to Child Protective Services. A CPS worker came out the next day and decided to take custody of the two girls and their five sisters.

At the last report given, all the siblings were going to two different foster homes for a short time, with the goal that they can all be in the same foster home in the very near future. They are in homes very close to each other, so they are all able to be together daily.

In honor of National Safe Place Week coming up, National Safe Place would like to highlight great success stories from our agencies across the United States.

Today's Success Story:

The Salvation Army Glendale, Glendale, CA

A young man called in one evening after reading a Safe Place poster in the local mall. He said, "Thank you so much for answering, I really need help." He had been homeless for weeks since he discovered that his mother was stealing from him to feed her alcoholism.

He told us his mother provided nothing for him in her house, no food, nothing but a string of boyfriends. The last one had indicated that the young man was no longer welcome.

By the time the young man called Safe Place, he hadn't slept or eaten in three days. He was suicidal, certain that if he died no one would even notice. He was anxious to accept shelter and any benefits available to him. All he wanted to do was join the National Guard and get off the streets until he could enlist.

He called back to Safe Place to check in everyday for the next two weeks; we were the only ones he felt cared that he was alive.

I first met Nancy Fastenau and was introduced to the work of Western States Youth Services Network (WSYSN) over 20 year ago. The loss of that great institution saddens me greatly and it should sadden all of us.

In this age of funding diversification which too often leads to mission drift, WSYSN was an organization that was crystal clear about their goals. WSYSN existed to enhance services for homeless, runaway and street-involved youth in federal region IX and to insure that young people were full and equal partners in all decisions made about them.

WSYSN believed in the power of relationships - that working with a program meant truly getting to know that program, its community, its culture, its staff, its young people. ndividualized services for unique agencies.

In all the years I have known WSYSN and the work they did, I could always count on the purity of their vision. And I knew I could always call Nancy Fastenau for assistance and guidance and I further knew that she would assist in a way that never demeaned nor judged, she simply offered her years of experience.

Programs in the old region IX especially programs in Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa will fell the loss most acutely, but every program will feel the impact of the loss of this long time advocate for runaway and homeless youth and the programs that served them.

As we move towards a more "cost effective" homogenized approach to training and technical assistance, I hope we can each carry with us a piece of WSYSN and their vision of what services for young people can and should be and to continue to "Inspire promising practices and enhancing youth services..." throughout the nation and the world.

Thank you to WSYSN, Nancy and Vicky for all your years of selfless service on behalf of our nation's most vulnerable population.

Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president, used her introduction to a national audience at the party's convention to discuss her journey from a committed PTA mother to city councilwoman, mayor and Alaska governor. Citing her experience, she said, "a small-town mayor is sort of like a 'community organizer,' except that you have actual responsibilities." Let's look at notable examples that represent community organizing:

• Colonials organize town meetings and draft protests against the Stamp Act and future British taxation.
• Labor leaders support tenant associations to fight evictions and veterans' committees to call for bonus payments to American servicemen in the 1920s and 30s.
• Civil rights leaders nonviolently protest Jim Crow segregation and register Southern blacks to vote, spurring the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
• Farm-worker advocates conduct consumer boycotts and community marches to bring attention to some of the nation's lowest-paid workers.
• The Christian Coalition provides voting guides to churches and to millions of conservative Christians interested in politics.

Samuel Adams. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dolores Huerta. Pat Robertson. Each could rightly be described as a community organizer. For Palin to insinuate that these Americans have not been "responsible" for real impact on our nation is naive at best and is at worst a divisive tactic to score cheap political points.

Community organizing is more deeply ingrained in our culture than just these notable examples. Gov. Palin's PTA involvement is an example of community organizing. To follow in just the area of education, researchers from the Anneberg Institute for School Reform at Brown University released results in March from a six-year study showing that community organizing in seven city school districts contributed to higher student test scores and attendance rates, increased parental involvement and additional support for underserved schools.

Republican presidential tickets have not always shown such disdain for these grassroots efforts. As George H.W. Bush accepted his nomination in 1988 he spoke these words:

This is America: the Knights of Columbus, the Grange, Hadassah, the Disabled American Veterans, the Order of Ahepa, the Business and Professional Women of America, the union hall, the Bible study group, LULAC, "Holy Name" -- a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.

He echoed the phrase that would help shape his presidency in his inaugural address:

"I have spoken of a thousand points of light, of all the community organizations that are spread like stars throughout the Nation, doing good. We will work hand in hand, encouraging, sometimes leading, sometimes being led, rewarding."

President Bush recognized Safe Place program volunteers in Louisville as a Point of Light on June 17, 1991. Safe Place volunteers in Raleigh, N.C. were also recognized at a later date. Community organizing is at the core of Safe Place programs as youth-serving organizations across the country partner with all facets of their communities - businesses, local and state governments, police and fire departments, transit agencies, YMCAs, health services etc. - to provide young people safe outlets when they're in need of help. Since the program began 25 years ago, more than 109,000 youth have asked for help at the more than 17,000 available Safe Place locations and accessed support services.

As someone who has worked on the ground as a community organizer and now works for an organization whose mission is so impacted by its practice I hope our political leaders will support the efforts of the countless thousands of individuals who are actually responsible for the change we need.

"It's been a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come"

Sam Cooke sang those words over 40 years ago. Yet, these words speak for today.

No matter what your political beliefs are, there is no denying that the events of this past week have been historic. On the anniversary of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream Speech" Barack Obama was nominated for the highest office in the land. One day later, Sarah Palin was chosen as the presumptive nominee for the second highest office in the land, just three days past the anniversary of the ratification of the 19^th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, the amendment which gave women the right to vote, August 26, 1920.

Whether the Democrats or the Republicans win in November, this country will have made a giant step towards equality at least symbolically. It is up to us to insure that the change is not merely symbolic.

One step we all need to take is to make sure that eligible young people are registered and informed. The National Network for Youth is asking its member agencies to find creative ways to engage young people in the election and to share those ideas. We are used to sharing ideas and learning from each other this is no exception.

Even those not eligible to vote, due to age, alienage, incarceration, or any other reason, should be encouraged to get behind this historic election. We have before us a classic "teachable moment" - the power in this nation was designed to belong to The People we have voluntarily handed over that power to the politicians and small interests groups because we have long had low voter turn out and an uninformed, disconnected populous. The greater the turnout, the more involved we are, the better informed we are - the more responsive the elected officials will have to be.

Let's show the world that young people are a force to be reckoned with. Yes, CHANGE IS GONNA COME lets make sure it is the change we want.

Angie Zapata was just 18 when she was brutally murdered because of her gender identity. According to the New York Times ("Death of Transgender Woman is Called a Hate Crime", Saturday, August 28, 2008) there has been a 24 percent increase in the number of violent incidents against gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender people. Angie's story is all too familiar to anyone working with homeless or disenfranchised youth.

While it is impossible to know the percentage of transgender people in the general population, many believe it to be less than 1. A survey of homeless youth in New York City found that nearly 6 of youth interviewed self-identified as transgender (an additional 17 declined to answer that question). Our runaway and homeless youth programs, and maybe especially our street-outreach programs, must be the first line of defense for young people whose gender identity results in their being harassed, bullied and beaten out of their homes, schools and communities and find themselves homeless and on the streets.

We are beginning to make progress in civil equality for gay and lesbian persons. California's statute allowing same sex couples to marry is a great victory. New York State now recognizes same sex marriages of couples wed in the only two states that allow it. And Massachusetts has not self-destructed, as predicted, when it became the first state in the nation to recognize that same sex couples have the same right to marry as their heterosexual counterparts.

Strides made in accepting sexual orientation have not translated into the acceptance of transgender people. Of course we are far from full equality for gay, lesbian and bisexual people, there are only two states that allow same-sex marriage and the courts have not yet overturned DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), the insulting and dangerous policy of "don't ask - don't tell" is still the military's rule, and getting fired for being gay or lesbian is not uncommon. Transgender youth face all that and more.

Our own runaway and homeless youth programs are often uncomfortable with transgender young people. Sleeping accommodations, bathroom facilities and clothing distribution are some of the topics discussed by programs struggling to find ways to make young people who are transgender feel comfortable and safe. Even when programs get it right, they are then faced with government regulations that do not comport with well considered program policies.

Angie's death is a clarion call to all youth programs across the nation. The time to end the stigma against transgender youth is now. All young people have the right to grow up safe, healthy and prepared for the future. All young people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity. All young people, which should have including 18 year old Angie.

This week is spring break here in Louisville and we have been lucky enough to be able to expose our kids to some opportunities they otherwise may not be able to enjoy.. Probably the most significant of these being the Ali Center here in Louisville.? In preparation for the trip we have been talking to the kids about topics such as resilience, hope, determination, individuality, tolerance, & success.? Just wanted to share a poem many of you have probably read before that we use a lot with the kids.? For those who have been to the Ali Center you know it was important to Ali also.? It is a poem that became a mantra for him in his life.? I hope that it will have the same inspiration for our youth also.....

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!" If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling

Last night while you were home in your bed over 3,800 young people were homeless in New York City. Over 1,600 of those young people spent the night outside, in an abandoned building, at a transportation site or in a car, bus, train or some other vehicle and 150 of our children spent the night with a sex work client. We know because we asked.

Do you know how many homeless young people there are in your community?

I work on behalf of homeless youth in New York and even I am stunned by our failure to recognize the number of young people who are homeless each and every day. In July of 2007 Empire State Coalition surveyed over 1,000 youth who were either homeless or at-risk for homelessness. The surveys were done at youth programs, at runaway shelters and transitional living programs, at adult homeless programs, on the street, and at other miscellaneous sites.What we found was that there are some populations of youth that are grossly overrepresented in the homeless youth populations. These groups include: gay, lesbian and bisexual youth; youth who are transgender; minority youth; youth with some history of foster care; and youth who have been through either the juvenile justice or criminal justice systems.

The vast majority of the youth we interviewed were undereducated and unprepared for self sufficiency. A full 50% did not have a High School diploma or an equivalency. And while an additional 23% stated they were in school or a GED program, it is unknown how many of those will be able to complete even that minimal education. Youth who are connected to a program specifically designed for homeless youth are much better able to access needed supports and services, sadly, less than one-quarter of the youth surveyed utilized these services.The average age of the youth we interviewed was 20.

The average age of when these youth first left home was 16. Almost all of the youth we met struggled in and out of homelessness for that entire four years. We learned that we do a really poor job of identifying the younger population before they become street-involved. Some of that is because the younger population are still able to "couch surf" and therefore hard to find - but no one is asking 14, 15, 16 or 17 year olds where they are spending their nights.

The lessons learned from this project must not be ignored. We need to do a much better job locating and working with youth when they first become homeless. We need to examine why certain populations are overrepresented in the population and develop responses. For examples, churches, schools and communities must work together to insure that youth who are gay, lesbian or bi-sexual are not been forced to flee from abuse and harassment and that these youth have safe and supportive places to socialize. The same is true for youth who are transgender. We need to support families in their communities so that a crisis does not lead to a young person becoming homeless. We need to educate and support employers so that they will be able to hire homeless youth and work with them through their period of transition. Finally, we need permanent housing that is appropriate for adolescents and that includes supportive services that include education, employment and social skills that will help them succeed in the future.

Is you community doing a better job at identifying and serving homeless youth? Please share your experience so we may all learn.

I would like to start by stating that I am more excited than I can articulate to be a part of this effort. There is no issue that I am more passionate about than the plight of homeless, runaway, & other disconnected youth. When I started in this field I had some personal knowledge of this issue, but I know now that I had know inkling of the scale and complexity of this issue.

I firmly believe that there are several contributing variables that make the youth we work with one of the most misunderstood and marginalized segments of American society. For starters it has been my experience that the term runaway carries several negative connotations with older Americans. Whether it be a simple misperception that by running away youth are refusing to deal with their problems, to a much more serious connotation that street youth are thugs or criminals. Those who work with this population understand that in many instances the only means that many youth have for insuring their personal safety is to leave the abusive environments systems force them to call home. More importantly, without agencies to assist these youth once on the street there are no legal means for a 14 year old to meet their needs while homeless. To a greater extent most disconnected youth are also discounted because they do not vote and therefore are of little political consequence from a politicians perspective.

In the last 7 years I have had the good fortune to work with youth from almost every state in the union and have been from coast to coast to work with youth. If these travels have taught me anything , it would be that kids are kids wherever you go. Homeless youth and wealthy youth have the same basic need and are merely divided by the amount of resources available to them to meet these basic needs. It is due to this basic belief and observation that our agency uses the "Reclaiming Youth at Risk" model made famous by Larry Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, & Steve VanBrocken. This model uses a strength based approach in helping youth develop in four basic areas: Belonging, Mastery, Independence, & Generosity. For our agency the day we abandoned token economies and decided to move solely to a restorative approach (with learning new skills as the intent of our consequences) being the day our program shifted in a much more productive direction.

On a more personal level I struggled with drug and alcohol abuse at a very early age. Growing up in a rural are of Kentucky there were almost no resources available to youth in my situation within an hour of my home. If it had not been for the generosity of family members and my friend's families I would have spent a lot more time as a child in institutions. It is for this reason that I am conscious of my responsibility as a case manager to the youth I serve, to at minimum, show them the love and respect they deserve.

To each of you in the trenches, administration, fund raising, or just concerned about youth that fall the cracks far too often, I say a heartfelt thank you. Please use this forum as an opportunity to share ideas and to have questions answered. This work is taxing and troubling at times, but is as necessary as any field I can think of. I look forward to learning from all of you.

When I think of youth work I always think of a quotation by Stephen King. I believe it sums up a lot about working with the youth in each of our agencies.

The most important things are the hardest things to say. They are the things you get ashamed of because words diminish your feelings - words shrink things that seem timeless when they are in your head to no more than living size when they are brought out.

And maybe that's the worst I think,

When things stay locked inside.

Not for want of a teller,

but for want of an understanding ear

;

Stephen King

My name is Jayna Cardetti, and I am the Safe Place Coordinator at Youth In Need in St. Louis, Missouri. When asked to participate in the Safety Net For Youth Blog, I had a mixture of excitement and anxiety... because frankly, I am the most electronically challenged 20-something on the planet. But, I'm glad to participate, and with the patience of Josh Abner and National Safe Place, I'm quickly working on my computer savvy-ness.

My past is not what institutes my involvement with youth services, but simply a passion and emotional attachment to kids. After graduating from college, I was a substitute teacher for 6 months prior to finding my niche at Youth In Need. Previous to that experience, I had never considered working with kids, but after a few days I realized that what I was doing, even to the small extent of being in a classroom for a single day, was making a difference. I loved to see the smiles on kids' faces when they saw me in the hallway... I was always greeted with a huge hug, and a "Hi Miss "Getty!!!" So, when I found out about the Safe Place Coordinator position at Youth In Need, there was no better fit... a position where I could use my degree AND potentially help kids and teens when they need it most.

One thing that really drew me to my organization was the strengths-based philosophy from which we work. It's amazing the difference you can make in a young person when you focus on what he or she is doing right, and look toward the future instead of the past. After all, there is no way to change the past, but you have total control of your future.

I attended a Youth Summit last weekend created by the Mayor of St. Louis regarding diminishing the high school dropout rate in St. Louis, and several formerly disconnected teens spoke about their experiences and why they returned to school. A teen boy, when discussing his experience, declared that in order for something to "drop," there has to be a weakness in its foundation. My challenge to you, and the reason that we go to work everyday, is to strengthen the foundation that is holding up our children and teens. As this teen so bravely stated, kids need a strong foundation in order to achieve success. I know that the Safety Net For Youth site can assist in building that foundation, and am proud to be a part of it.

This is a great way to "bridge the gap" across the U.S. and I encourage discussion from professionals in the field, as well as teens looking to help their peers through these important years of development. Feel free to contact me, introduce yourself, and take advantage of this Web site.

Warmly,

Jayna

I'm thrilled to be blogging here for youth. I've blogged before but nothing this big and nothing long-lasting. However, this particular blog site is related to a topic very close to me - youth development.

Okay, so I expect both adults, professionals (in both youth services and all other fields), as well as youth to read this so I'll be down to earth and easy to understand. After all, youth are not easy to understand, so why should I make it more difficult with over-bearing litany. Instead I'll write from the soul.

Josh Abner from National Safe Place services (NSP) did a nice job on this site by the way, and I'm happy to be working with him and NSP as I have for many years now. I love the program and its concept giving kids somewhere to go if they are in trouble no matter how bad things get or how bad they are doing. Business and public locations all over the country put up a sign, kids in trouble recognize or search it and go there, the local shelter picks them up and lets them stay while they work out their problems. Free, easy, and effective, right? Well it's a bit more complex in that it requires awareness, constant marketing and reminders, and oversight for willing businesses whose support and responsibilities sometimes fall by the way-side inadvertently. Moreover, I wouldn't support or blog about it if I didn't believe in it. Why the strong connection you ask? I'll give you the story...

At age 17, I lived in a dangerous, crime-ridden and gang-infested neighborhood in a single mother household with two older brothers with a knack for violence and drug use. It wasn't always this way - from the day I was born until the day I turned 10 years old, I lived with both parents, in a nice home, in a friendly neighborhood and my brothers and I spent time together sledding, helping grandma clean house, and learning to ride bikes. So what went wrong you ask? The answer: Infidelity, separation, and ultimately divorce. Times were hard and child support faded quickly, so my mother, battling emotional scars - took on financial hardships and sought refuge in a low-income, high crime town. My brothers fell into the trap and my mother's gauntlets built up and I soon became the target. I suffered from physical and verbal abuse, and my father's presence diminished at a steady rate. My expected teenage experiences and challenges were amplified, and alcohol and mild delinquent behavior became a viable option for me to survive.

After a hard beating one day, I left, out the bathroom window, and after the national runaway switchboard told me where to find a safe place site - I did. The public library's staff had limited knowledge about the program. They needed a refresher course maybe, but at that time this was irrelevant. I was scared, crying and embarrassed. The library staff figured out what to do and the program ultimately worked and my time at the local emergency shelter reshaped my last year of high school by giving me freedom from the dysfunctional and dangerous house I lived in, as well as a constant stream of support surrounded by a different and much more positive environment it's exactly what I needed and it came in the knick of time.

That local shelter, by the way is the Alternative House. This 52-bed short-term emergency shelter for boys and girls ages 6-17 is one of 7 programs at the Crisis Center of Northwest Indiana. Nearly 10 years after entering the program as a client, I returned to work as a residential counselor with a college degree. It was because of the this experience with Safe Place and the Crisis Center that I was able to finish high school and acquire that degree a B.A in political science from Indiana University Bloomington. The story spread and I was called a success story. I keynoted at the national Safe Place conference in 2002 and now serve as the program assist for safe place at the Crisis Center. The center, for which I am also the webmaster, is a beacon of support in the northwest Indiana area and even reaches a nationwide clientele with its toll-free crisis hotline. You'll have to give me your opinion of the website by the way. It's http://www.crisiscenterysb.org/. Yes, shameless plug, lol. The Crisis Center and my bosses in particular, have become a family-of-sorts.

I have no communication with my siblings or father, and my mother and I are in the throes of a fallout that began in 2005, however this is nothing new. It's never been "right" with her. It's a tough situation to be in, but I hold no hard feelings. My grandmother of 88 years is my closest relative, along with a sister who I discovered in 2002 turns out my father had three families No wonder he couldn't afford the financial or emotional support after leaving us when I was 10 years old.

Okay, so wrapping up my first post here, I have to note that one would not likely expect someone in my position to return to work in social services, nor was it the calling others may have thought it was. It was an interesting, yet risky experiment with the job market after college. I was lucky however, because it quickly became evident that I found my voice and my talent in this field. I'm a firm believer that social services ought to be plentiful, well-funded, and designed to address everyone's needs. I'm a liberal something instilled in me during freshman year of college and upon hearing of a movement to elect Governor Bill Clinton. I think social services and liberalism are a good mix, yet there are three additives that cannot be ignored if one were to study or work in this field - multi-tasking, empathy, oh yeah, and if applicable - the ability to relate personally to a clients story, which is what I do each day I go to work.