2017 Annual Report
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2017 Annual Report MISSION STATEMENT Valley Youth House is the catalyst for youth programs to achieve their desired future through genuine 56 relationships that support families, ensure safe places, and build community connections. VISION STATEMENT BOARD OF DIRECTORS We envision a world in which every young Corning F. Painter, Chair person belongs to a nurturing community. Tracey Smith, Vice Chair John Hayes, Secretary Loretta Tubiello-Harr, Treasurer SaLisa Berrien Adrienne Bonser Kathryn Brown Patrick Cahill William E. Carmody counties Ghan Desai Douglas Downing Lesley Fallon 14 youth & Michael J. Gigler families have Kevin Greene a place to Thomas R. Harrington 638 James M. Higgins call HOME Lori Hulse Philip C. Jackson LACKAWANNA Destiny Jarnagin Eric Luftig James Mack Catherine Maxey Corning F. Painter Thomas R. Harrington Thomas J. Mihok, MBA Chair, Board of Directors President & CEO LUZERNE Dr. Cynthia Mota Air Products Valley Youth House Dr. Constantina Pippis-Nester Stephanie Raymond CARBON Charles Reece Michael Rice, CFSP NORTHAMPTON Brianna Rowles Donald Sachs Wes Schantz BOARD OF GOVERNORS LEHIGH Eric Scheler Thomas J. Mihok, MBA, Chair Brian Cohen Scott A. Gray Molly Russin Paul Smith Catherine Maxey, Vice Chair Catherine Collis Pierre LaCroix Keima Sheriff BUCKS Mark J. Tervalon Patrick Fenningham Lisa Laudien Adam Silverman Maura Topper Rishabh Argawal lives Mary Gamber R. Barrett Marshall Zachary Sivertsen Charles Versaggi Adrienne Bonser MONTGOMERY impacted Marcia Gelbart Cinda Marturano Bill Westhafer June Webre Patrick Cahill DAUPHIN 31,683 Kelly Kutchinsky Gigliotti Ashley Nguyen Dana Zuppo annually Don Wenner PERRY David L. Yale CHESTER PHILADELPHIA LANCASTER PROJECT CHILD COALITION STEERING COMMITTEE DELAWARE Pam Cho Ara Barlieb Benjamin Lego, RN Mary Lou Scarf President Cheryl Bleiler Patricia McGarry, MSW, LSW Julie Schaible YORK Lynne Shampain, MSW Kevin Dolan Mary Ellen O’Connell Charles Smith, MD Vice President Linda Heintzelman, RN, BSW Colleen Zullo Rieger, LSW Andrea Wilson Patricia Himmelwright Valerie Rode ANNUAL REPORT 2017 3 VYH’s responsive, effective programming serves as a Nationality strong foundation for youth and their families, offering ADVOCACY Native American / Alaskan Native .05% Native Hawaiian / far more than a bed to sleep on or a specific type of VYH took its #CouchesDontCount campaign to Pacific Islander .04% Age service. Rather, VYH offers individualized options for the Pennsylvania State Capitol to advocate for Middle Eastern .11% young people and their families that empower them to homeless LGBTQ+ youth with legislators and visitors. Gender build healthy futures. VYH staff goes above and beyond #CouchesDontCount recognizes that couch surfing from to create effective programming offering dedicated house to house is not stable housing for young people, Hispanic / Latino housing, counseling, life skills training, health, Other and that this population needs services and resources. 23.54% 4.28% prevention, and intervention services. No two programs Asian at VYH are identical, and each provides youth and ACCORDING TO A WAY HOME AMERICA, NATIONALLY: .96% families with meaningful support, skills, and strength. of youth Age 20+ Birth to Age 10 THOUGHT LEADERSHIP experiencing 19.80% 24.09% Y Developed cross-sector partnerships to enhance % homelessness VYH’s capacity to make data-driven decisions 50 are youth Not Specified .09% Female Y Presented at four national conferences in of color 47.78% Kansas City, Los Angeles, New York City, are LGBTQ+ Transgender African and Philadelphia. % .22% American 40 20.92% Y Initiated Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy training to enhance service delivery. Y Initiated training to enhance service VYH 31,683 delivery for youth diagnosed on the of youth who Age 18 to 20 lives impacted annually EXPANSIONS 14.21% Autism Spectrum. Dauphin County, age out of Hazleton, % foster care PARTNERSHIPS Lackawanna County, 36 experience Y Perry County, homelessness Male VYH partnered with Bradbury-Sullivan 51.92% Age 11 to 14 LGBT Community Center to implement and York County. 20.02% Project Silk, Allentown’s first young adult Unknown drop in-center focused on LGBTQ+ youth 1.17% of color. YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OR HOUSING Caucasian Y INSTABILITY NEED: 37.83% Established Lehigh Valley Youth Task Force Age 15 to 17 facilitated by Jason Alexander, Capacity for Change, Y Unique combination of services and support that are 21.88% Multiracial LLC, with funding provided by The Rider-Pool less complex, fragmented and easier to navigate Foundation. 11.08% Y Y 53 student internships from 26 colleges Safe spaces and universities. Y Holistic, cross-system approach PROGRAM PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS DEMOGRAPHICS 4 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 5 Valley Youth House is there for all youth and VYH Prevention and Intervention programs and services are school- their families, including those with nowhere based and in the community, provide role modeling, educational else to turn. What distinguishes VYH is its training, mental health counseling and respite, designed to willingness to take on tough cases, impact strengthen the bond between youth and caregiver hard-to-reach individuals, and provide the and increase health and safety. support young people and their families need. of youth served % remained 93 at home In-home services provide intensive interventions blending case management and therapeutic services, educational services, and out-client services to children, youth, and their families. The goal is to reduce out-of-home placement, and keep families together. Photo: Rian McCaffrey My family will be forever grateful for the skills we and our child, Rian, learned from our team at Valley Youth House. We went from Jose Martinez and his wife Mariangeli Cartagena attended the Strengthening Families Program rarely leaving the house due to dangerous at El Shaddai Ministries in Bethlehem. The program, recognized by seven federal agencies as a research-based, tested and effective program, is taught with 10-12 families over seven weeks. safety concerns and upsetting behaviors THIS SCIENTIFICALLY TESTED CURRICULUM HELPS: to enjoying frequently going out in the Y Parents/caregivers learn nurturing skills that support community without worry. We learned how their children to best work with our child in and out of our Y Teach parents/caregivers how to effectively discipline home and our child learned invaluable coping Natacha (Mother), Adila Anwari (VYH Therapist), and guide their youth Photo: skills, increased communication and new safety Sammy (age 17), and Justine McAllister (VYH Counselor) Y Give youth a healthy future orientation and increased appreciation of their parents/caregivers awareness skills. We now have a happy and safe Y family, and as parents we are now confident in Teach youth skills for dealing with stress and peer PROGRAMS & SERVICES PROGRAMS & SERVICES pressure our skills to keep moving forward on our own. PREVENTION Photo: The Martinez Family The McCaffrey Family INTERVENTION 6 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 7 . ia h LIFE SKILLS & AFTERCARE PROGRAMS lp e Life Skills Development and Case Management YOUTH HOMELESSNESS d a il Services for current and former foster care h youth age 14 to 20. These programs support d P IS A GROWING PROBLEM n youth & youth in making permanent connections and , a The Synergy Project of Valley Youth House provides emergency services to homeless youth. y 300 children provide assistance in successfully transitioning 2,200 served to adulthood: counseling, education and career ount exploration, employment, money management, in C h life skills, and medical and sexual health. p will not u a % complete , D y 75 high school HOUSING PROGRAMS ount Semi-supervised small group living and individual of youth report s C of youth k apartments for single or parenting youth between the that a caregiver c reported u ages of 16 and 24 who are homeless or in the foster repeatedly % family % , B n care system. In addition to the above services, 60 52 told them they violence w were no good o participants are also provided support for rent, nt le utilities, food, and other personal care items. l Many young of females n A people run % will become s i m away from home 50 pregnant a r PERMANENCY SERVICES g because they are o r VYH believes that all youth escaping physical, Valley Youth House has taught me that of youth h p experienced deserve the love and support c sexual, and emotional people genuinely care about me and % 5 or more ea of a family connection. r abuse and trauma. t want to see me do well in life. 90 traumatic events Permanency Services support t ou While living on the street and – Natassia in their lives e youth in identifying themselves, e r in the woods, some youth are t understanding where they come forced into prostitution by human from, discovering appropriate will attempt h 4 s trafficking networks and engage g resources, and fostering % suicide ou in illegal activities such as stealing 32 r the important permanent h and drug dealing to obtain money for d t connections which are integral to e v shelter and food. r Photo: Natassia successful adulthood. e Often times, youth served by VYH share (Adolescents Achieving e s r Independence Program) e common feelings of depression, fear, h w sorrow, stress and loss. Valley Youth House t PROGRAMS & SERVICES ou helps young people to heal, transform their PROGRAMS & SERVICES 9 y lives, and grow. INDEPENDENT LIVING & 5 6 EMERGENCY SERVICES , PERMANENCY SERVICES 1 8 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 ANNUAL REPORT 2017 9 Anthony Alvarez SUCCEEDING AGAINST ALL ODDS Anthony Alvarez’s earliest memories include being locked alone in a basement, as well as enduring vicious physical and verbal abuse while bouncing between various relatives’ homes. At age 8, Anthony was further subjected and witness to violence and uncertainty, never knowing who to trust, while endlessly moving between foster and group homes. He remembers countless nights spent on a park bench, sleeping in peril and surrounded by drug dealers and addicts.