Helping Youth and Families Build a Healthy
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Helping youth and families build a healthy COMMUNITY • • • 2016 • • • ANNUAL REPORT & DONOR RECOGNITION Ten reasons to celebrate Reasons to celebrate Reasons to celebrate #1: Helping children succeed #2: One agency, three amazing programs From the Board Chair “It takes a village to raise a child,” according to an African Many in the Duluth community know of our Woodland Woodland Hills provides a Our comprehensive Cambia Neighborhood Youth Services is a proverb; the entire community must ensure that children Hills program, a residential juvenile justice treatment therapeutic, structured, non-secure Hills mental health programs are free and voluntary drop-in center 2016 AND CURRENT residential juvenile justice program individualized to treat youth ages where school-aged youth have grow up to be responsible adults who can contribute to program operating for more than 30 years and dedicated BOARD OF DIRECTORS for youth ages 12-18. Youth with 6 -17 who are experiencing patterns access to daily snacks, meals, and their communities. to empowering, healing and teaching responsibility an Extended Juvenile Jurisdiction of behavior that may interrupt their a range of pro-social activities. NYS Ann Glumac, Chair Dean Casperson, Vice Chair Woodland Hills, Cambia Hills, and Neighborhood Youth to adjudicated youth from throughout the state. Our may remain in treatment through daily functioning at home, school, or activities are developed around four transitions program works with partners in these age 20. A combination of positive in the community. Clinical staff are core objectives: Academics, Healthy Mark Schober, Treasurer Services, which operate together under the umbrella peer interactions, trust, safety, and trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Lifestyles, Social Competency, and children’s communities to ensure that young people have Kristen Braun* of The Hills Youth and Family Services, help create and clear expectations allow youth to Behavioral Therapy and offer a JET (Jobs, Education, and Training). Karen Anderson a support system in place when they return home. strengthen that village—ensuring that the children in our work through behavioral and mental range of individual, group, and family Xavier Bell health issues. Our Woodland Hills skills and therapy. Our Cambia Hills NYS intervention and prevention care and with whom we work have the opportunity to Cambia Hills offers individualized residential, day, and Laura Budd sub-programs include: programs include: programs are available at Duluth’s thrive, despite obstacles in their path or poor choices community-based mental health services—healing Washington Recreation Center after Fred Friedman they have made. children and families in the manner and location most Chisholm 30 is a short-term The Residential Treatment school, during school breaks and Chelsea Grandmaison residential program that focuses Program is for youth ages 12-17 during the summer. NYS is designed Steve Hennessey Because many of the youth in our care experience appropriate for them. on accountability and emotional in need of intensive treatment and to be a place for school-aged youth Dr. Bill Himango troubled backgrounds, our work is grounded in trauma- Neighborhood Youth Services creates a sense of management. The long term 24-hour care. to learn, explore, build friendships, Sanford Hoff informed care. This treatment philosophy is practiced by belonging and hope for the more than 700 children residential program addresses and be safe. The sense of behavioral, emotional, chemical, and The Day Treatment Program is belonging and hope provided in the Peg Johnson all staff and allows us to help children and families heal who attend the drop-in center annually. Located in mental health needs and empowers also designed for youth ages 12-17 environment created through NYS Leanne Joynes from their trauma while still fostering accountability and Duluth’s Central Hillside, NYS programming strengthens youth to invest in the process of and keeps youth in their home and helps strengthen families, reduce Dave Kohlhaas responsibility for their emotions, behaviors, and actions. families, reduces risky behavior, and opens up a world of change. The Community Transition community while providing a highly risky behavior, and opens up a world Douglas Lewis MISSION structured school setting integrated . In addition, we work continually to be more inclusive, opportunity for young people. program offers a healthy living of opportunity for young people. Honorable Judge Gerald Martin environment specifically for young with therapeutic services. The Hills Youth and Family Services diversifying our workforce and pursuing training to ensure Peter Pichetti We do not do this work alone. Our programs collaborate men that facilitates their transition provides unwavering hope and Community-Based Mental Health Laura Sieger opportunity for youth, families and we best serve all children and families in our community with many local and regional organizations. We are all back into the community. services include after-care for day Chana Stocke* communities and work effectively with our program partners. part of the village—working together to nurture our most treatment clients and outpatient Phil Strom precious resource, our children. services for youth ages 6-17. Zach Walters Flexible appointment times and 1 Claudie Washington locations are available at our office, your home, or another suitable Natalie Zeleznikar location. * joined the Board in 2017 Ann Glumac -Board Chair Reasons to Reasons to celebrate celebrate #3: #4: A life back A big heart on track for kids Jonathan Paul – Neighborhood Youth Services Alum Aaron Gelineau – Youth Worker Youth Perspective “I’m not privileged, everything I have I In 2014, Paul learned about NYS. He After graduation, Jon Paul plans to Staff Perspective “You have to walk in another’s shoes there’s so much they can do through “We’re a direct link to the families had to work for,” NYS alum Jonathan was attending high school in Duluth, enlist in the military and then go on to understand where they’re coming NYS—fishing, hiking, camping, in this community,” Gelineau said Paul, 18, said. Paul’s community playing on the football team, and had to college. He expects that leaving from,” Aaron Gelineau said when college tours—that can really open when explaining how NYS is part of centers around his family, “They’re started boxing at a local gym. But he his family and community in Duluth asked about his 20 years working their eyes to the greater community a community of service providers, all what holds me together.” Along with struggled with his grades and knew will be difficult, but he plans to at Neighborhood Youth Services. around them.” Gelineau also credits working to support families in need. his family, Paul credits his boxing gym he needed help. At NYS, Paul said he bring with him the motivation and From an early age, Gelineau credits the “hidden communities” in Duluth— and NYS for giving him a place to found staff and volunteers who could encouragement each has instilled in his mother with teaching him how many smaller, lesser known groups belong. “NYS feels like home to me,” help him with every one of his school him over the years. to respect and honor everyone, no working to improve social justice he said. “The staff are caring and subjects; he got caught up in school matter their age, gender, race, or and equity for those who’ve been loving, like parents would be.” and proudly graduated high school in religion. traditionally underrepresented. June 2017. As the oldest of four siblings, Paul For 25 years, NYS has supported “These micro communities really spent his early years bouncing “My life without NYS would be a lot youth in the local community, mainly offer growth, knowledge, life skills, from place to place with his mom. different…my grades wouldn’t be as those living in the Central Hillside strength, and resilience to our kids,” 2 They’ve lived in at least six states. good. The staff are the motivation 3 of Duluth. “Hundreds of positive he said, noting the importance of Slept on people’s couches. Stayed you need to work hard. I can get possibilities come out of NYS, it’s a adult role models and elders in our in homeless shelters. “We’ve been pretty much everything here—food, ripple effect of endless potential for youths’ lives, many of whom make through everything together,” Paul help with homework, play basketball, said of his relationship with his mom. there are so many resources all in these kids,” Gelineau explained. “Kids up the more than 70 volunteers who one place.” flock to where they feel safe, and support NYS programs each year. Reasons to celebrate #6: Trauma healed Reasons to Trauma-Informed Care celebrate #5: A family Our trauma-informed approach to working with youth teaches us to focus not solely on united what a client has done to require our services, but also on what has been done to them. Many youth come to us with tumultuous, challenging, and painful experiences. They’re in need of supportive adults to help them work through and heal from those experiences. Trauma-informed care has become By incorporating all of our staff in a lead treatment philosophy at The our trauma-informed care journey, Hills Youth and Family Services. we’re building a common language Cambia Hills Day Treatment – Supporting the Entire Family On average, youth in our treatment for how to talk about treatment for programs—Cambia Hills and our clients and how each of us plays Woodland Hills—identify with 4 a role in creating a holistic healing Families come in all shapes and run-in with the juvenile justice system, and her family—bringing together Hills, Carter was also admitted to to 5 of the 10 adverse childhood environment for the youth in our care. sizes. Biological families, blended the family knew ShyAnn needed ShyAnn, Sarah, and ShyAnn’s the program—the step-siblings even experiences or ACES.