Youth In Crisis: Providing Hope and Promise

Imagine growing up in an abusive home environment, in a violent neighborhood, or with unmet physical or mental health needs. Or aging out of the foster care system with nowhere to go. Then imagine trying to make good grades, form positive social relationships and plan for college. It’s not a pretty picture.

Thousands of young people in Central Texas face daunting obstacles to becoming healthy, productive adults. Many tap into resources and coping skills that enable them to overcome nearly insurmountable challenges and move forward. But daily life takes on crisis proportions for our most vulnerable youth. High risk situations like teen pregnancy, homelessness and juvenile crime become a stark reality; many youth give up and drop out of school and society.

Youth advocates agree that we must do more to offer hope and opportunity to youth in crisis through building strong relationships with caring adults and providing the tools to achieve a better life.

Answering the Cry for Help

Central Texas has many compassionate and effective nonprofits dedicated to helping youth in crisis build the knowledge, skills and confidence necessary to navigate the path to adulthood. LifeWorks transitions youth and families from crisis to safety and success by providing a comprehensive network of counseling, education and housing programs. Through 17 services to our community, LifeWorks addresses the critical issues of
youth homelessness, mental health, foster care transitioning, literacy and education for youth and adults, teen parenting, work force development, pregnancy prevention,     self-esteem building, substance abuse and violence prevention. Its Youth Resource Center helps young adults aging out of the foster care system.

LifeWorks operates three multi-service centers in Austin, a Street Outreach drop-in center for homeless youth, three shelter programs for homeless, runaway, abused and abandoned youth and young moms and babies, a supportive housing program and an education center located in East Austin. Programs are delivered in area elementary and middle schools, as well as in City of Austin subsidized housing complexes. Every year, the organization offers a safety net of support to more than 10,000 youth and families.

Youth who have been involved youth in the school disciplinary system for incidents such as aggression, abuse, bullying, property destruction and carrying a weapon on campus are the focus of the Council on At-Risk Youth (CARY). Through its12-month “PeaceRox” program emphasizing violence prevention and positive social skills, students learn appropriate social behaviors and demonstrate fewer anti-social behaviors. Many students show significant increases in problem-solving, anger management and conflict resolution skills.

Shelter, structure and spiritual love are offered by Hungry for God Home for Young Men, a small residential program that aims to redirect the lives of fatherless young men. With up to 26 residents, the Hungry for God Home emphasizes personal relationships and individual support to heal the mistrust felt by many abandoned youth.

One Special Adult Makes All the Difference

Every youth deserves at least one adult who is fiercely devoted to his or her success. Sadly, that’s not the case for thousands of teens who are neglected, abandoned, abused or ignored. Providing mentors for children and youth is the mission of several Central Texas agencies, who agree that helping kids make attachments and build trust with caring adults is critical to their healthy development.

The one-to-one mentoring relationships provided by Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas (BBBS) have proven in studies to significantly increase the quality of life for participating children while significantly decreasing their chances of truancy, violence, and drug or alcohol use. Academic performance improves as well: A recent study found adults mentored as children in the BBBS program are better educated, wealthier and more fulfilled than their peers. While many participants live in single-parent households, backgrounds and socio-economic groups vary.

One in four Travis County children live in single-parent homes, and the poverty rate for single female-head-of-households is four times higher than the rate of two-parent households. Children raised in single parent families are seven times more likely to drop out of school. The positive, quality relationships between an adult mentor and child created and supported by BBBS improve children’s odds for success and helps break these negative cycles.

With a focus on middle school students, United Way Capital Area recently launched the 1 Hour For Kids initiative, bringing together eight nonprofits that specialize in providing mentors and tutors to vulnerable middle school students. Volunteers meet with students for one hour a week to help with academics or just be a positive role model. Communities in Schools of Central Texas (CIS) creates a network of volunteers, social services, businesses, and community resources that work together to break down education barriers and helps students succeed. CIS mentors meet the specific needs of students struggling to learn, with 85 percent of CIS participants showing improvement.

Aging Out of Foster Care

Leaving the foster care system at age 18 with no support system is a perilous transition. Nearly 20 percent of children who have aged out of foster care experience homelessness, 30 to 60 percent had given birth or fathered a child, and one in five has been convicted of a crime. Court Appointed Special Advocates of Travis County (CASA) addresses the needs of these teens through the Transitioning Youth Project, which focuses on educational needs, life preparation and connecting youth with caring adults.

Services for older teens and foster homes for teenagers are critical needs in our community. The Settlement Home for Children, a residential treatment facility for girls, allows girls to stay longer than age 18 if needed. The Settlement Home strives to move girls from the center to therapeutic group homes and into a foster family, and is planning to build apartments on its grounds to provide that crucial next step to independence.

Preventing Crisis

Many nonprofits focus on strengthening children and families to help youth weather the turbulent teen years. Boys and Girls Clubs nurture young people’s self-esteem by instilling in them a sense of belonging, usefulness and competence. Clubs throughout Austin encourage one-on-one relationships with caring adult professionals and fun, age-appropriate and well-rounded programs. The Cipher-Austin Hip Hop Project offers youth a positive voice through hip hop and connects hard to reach older teens to youth services throughout the city.

AVANCE focuses on the Hispanic population, with a Parent-Child Education program targeting at-risk families with children from infants to 3 years old. Girl Scouts of Central Texas has developed an innovative program, Enterprising Girl Scout Beyond Bars, to help girls whose mothers are incarcerated.  The program seeks to break the cycle of incarceration by giving girls the opportunity to increase their self-confidence and build character through troop meetings, therapy, mentoring and monthly visits with their mothers.

Several organizations strive to help for children suffering from abuse, before they become troubled teens. The Center for Child Protection provides caring advocates for children to reduce trauma during the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. Partnerships for Children supports Child Protective Services caseworkers who must remove children from their homes, providing essentials such as toiletries, diapers and clothing.

New Youth Services Mapping Tool

The Ready By 21 Coalition of Austin and Travis County and Austin ISD have launched a new web-based Youth Services Mapping system to coordinate services offered by Central Texas youth organizations, www.ysm-austin.org. The system will make program readily available to school personnel, service providers and policy makers.

Clearly, helping our youth in crisis is a top priority in our community. Find out how you can contribute to nonprofits working on this important effort by visiting www.ilivehereigivehere.org.

Education is a wise investment:  Austin ISD spends $7,882 per year to educate a student while the State of Texas spends $17,684 per year to maintain a state prisoner.

Youth in Crisis Wish Lists

CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocate
$50 could be used for extra-curricular activities like band uniforms or club dues.
$500 could pay for graduation gowns, class rings, or clothing for job interviews.
$5,000 could pay for 5 volunteers to be trained and supervised by CASA staff for one year.

Hungry for God Home for Young Men
$50 Provides Help:  3 bus passes, school supplies; or one Survival Living Kit (sheets, hygiene, towel, backpack)
$500 Provides Healing:  covers 1 month rent, food, life skills coaching; or 1 week of substance addiction, or sexual abuse therapeutic counseling for 17-24 year old.
$5,000 Provides Hope: for 5 young men with 1 month of healthy sustainable housing, clothing, schooling or job training and placement.

LifeWorks
$50 Buys an adult back pack filled with a blanket, hygiene supplies, canned goods and first aide kit for a youth living on the streets.
$500 Provides one week of safe shelter and nutritious food for a runaway, abused, or abandoned youth at our Emergency shelter
$5,000 Provides 3 months of supportive housing for a young mother or youth in need.

Samaritan Center for Counseling
$50 Pays for 1 hour of counseling.
$500-$5,000 Any amount would be used toward scholarships for children’s counseling services.

Mobile Film School
$50 Pays for 8 to 10 meals for disenfranchised youth.
$500 Pays for 2 camera package rentals for training youth in film.
$5,000 Pays for 100 hours of instruction for more than 3 youths.