2011 north carolina fall

8/4/2019 2011 North Carolina Fall

1/8

Draygonexcels

Through MST,youth improves

at home andat school

Also inside:

Back to school tips

Holiday Heroes ramps up

amily Victories from Youth Villages, North Carolina Fall 2011

Sisters of Mercy Foundationsupports Youth Villages ... 4

Congratulationsto our recent graduates ... 5

Day Foundation invests$42 million in YV ... 5


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A message fromOur director

A commitmentto serving the statesmost vulnerable youth

Its no doubt that uncertain times lie ahead as state and local governments,

corporations, oundations and individuals strive to do more with less.

As a provider that produces outcomes nearly twice the national average

while operating at a reduced cost, Youth Villages continues to successully

serve youth and amilies no matter what the economic outlook. In act, our

strongest partnerships are oten ormed when the demand or proven, cost-

eective services increases.

This growing desire or impactul, ecient services is evidenced by the suc-

cess o our transitional living program, a service unded primarily through

private dollars.

We recently received a generous git rom the Sisters o Mercy o NC Foun-

dation (page 4) and will serve more than 80 youth across the state this year

(read the inspiring story o Gem, a TL participant, on page 4). In addition,

Youth Villages was awarded a grant o $42 million rom The Day Foundation

o Memphis, Tenn. A large portion o this git, which requires matching unds,

will support the TL program.

As a Critical Access Behavioral Health Agency, Youth Villages continues to

grow our evidence-based intensive in-home model, Intercept. Ater maintain-

ing a ull team in our Raleigh-Durham area, we are expanding this service to

our Greensboro oce in the coming months, with plans to eventually deliver

Intercept throughout North Carolina.

While the months ahead may seem ever changing, what remains constant

is Youth Villages commitment to serving our states most vulnerable youth

and amilies through cost-eective programs while helping them nd long-

term success. Thank you or taking time to learn how Youth Villages is trans-

orming the lives o youth and amilies across North Carolina.

NORTH CAROLINALEADERSHIP COUNCIL

YOUTH VILLAGESNORTH CAROLINA OFFICES

Asheville38 Rosscraggon Road, Suite 38C

Asheville, NC 28803phone: 828-654-7700

ax: 828-654-7701

Charlotte2815 Coliseum Centre Dr., Suite 230

Charlotte, NC 28217phone: 704-357-7920

ax: 704-357-7921

Concord363 Church St. North, Suite 200

Concord, NC 28025phone: 704-262-1320

ax: 704-262-1322

Raleigh-Durham100 Capitola Dr., Suite 310

Durham, NC 27713phone: 919-474-6400

ax: 919-474-6401

Fayetteville2944 Breezewood Ave., Suite 203

Fayetteville, NC 28305phone: 910-486-2200

ax: 910-486-2201

Greensboro7900 Triad Center, Suite 350

Greensboro, NC 27409phone: 336-931-1800

ax: 336-931-1801

Greenville2428 Charles Blvd.

Greenville, NC 27858phone: 252-215-5700

ax: 252-215-5701

Hickory101 Government Ave. SW

Hickory, NC 28602phone: 828-315-7700ax: 828-315-7701

Pinehurst5228 North Carolina Highway 211

P.O. Box 1138West End, NC 27376phone: 910-673-8520

ax: 910-673-8521

Wilmington5041 New Centre Dr., Suite 209

Wilmington, NC 28403phone: 910-392-8990

ax: 910-392-8991

Doug Cruitt Winston-Salem

Lee Prevost Cary

Elizabeth Skvarla Pinehurst

Kristin Wade Charlotte

John White Durham

Carole Wilson Raleigh

Leigh Young Asheville

Annie Smith

State Director

[email protected]

910-673-8501


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Draygon was pushing his luck, over and over. Ater one

too many arguments at home, suspensions rom school

and run-ins with the authorities, his mom was ready to

turn anywhere or help. The amily was reerred to Youth

Villages Multisystemic Therapy program, a program that

delivers counseling where amilies need help most: in their

own homes, neighborhoods and their childrens schools.

The amily had worked with counselors beore. They

were leery o another counselor coming into their home.

I was scared o where Draygon was headed, his mom,

Tawnya, said. I wanted to see a uture or my son and a

change or our entire amily.

But when the amily met Chantal Stepney, their Youth

Villages counselor, their worries aded away.

We loved her rom the start, Tawnya said. She wasnt

judgmental. She was here to help our amily, no matter

what.

Thats the moment the amily embarked on a challeng-

ing, oten grueling six-month journey toward change. They

started by reducing riction and arguments at home.

We agreed not to yell at each other, Tawnya said. Weagreed to pull Draygon aside and talk to him calmly as

soon as wed notice him getting upset.

Chantal helped the amily develop a behavior chart

with a set o rewards and consequences. Draygon signed

a behavior contract, agreeing to abide by the rules and to

accept the consequences i he didnt.

The relationship between Draygon and his stepdad,

Chuck, also improved. Part o Draygons reward was

spending time with Chuck and doing things they both

DRAYGON PUSHED FAMILY;NOW PUSHES FOR CHANGE

Draygon, center, with his stepfather, Chuck, and his mother, Tawnya

Why did you choose to work for Youth

Villages?

I really liked their values and enjoy

working to help others. Youth Villages

was very well organized and I observed

that the sta working there were very dedicated to the

amilies that they serve.

Where are you from originally?

I am originally rom Plymouth, N.C.

What do you like best about your job?

I like when I have worked with a amily and things begin

to turn around or them in a positive way. I enjoy working

with the parent or guardian to decrease the rustrations

and behaviors in the home. It brings me great joy to see the

amily complete treatment successully.

Whats something most people dont know about you?

When I was 6 months old, I had spinal meningitis with a

temperature that reached 105. I was in the hospital or sev-

eral months and was lucky not to have hearing problems or

other health problems.

NORTH CAROLINAPROGRAM SUCCESS

Figures represent youth served at least 60 days in the Multisystemic

Therapy program. Response rate is 53 percent.

Outcomes- -

0

20

40

60

80

100

2%

74

6

Athomewithfamily

Noinvolvement

withthelaw

Inschoolorgraduated

As a national leader in the eld o behavioral health,

Youth Villages has measured outcomes o children and

amilies participating in its programs since 1994.

Marla AveryFamily Counselor Wilmington, N.C.

North Carolina Topps Coordinator

Meet the YV family

continued on page 7


4/8

Youth Villages received a generous

$43,400 grant rom the Sisters o Mercy

o North Carolina Foundation to sup-

port the transitional living program in

the Greensboro area.

The TL program provides young

adults leaving oster care, juvenile

justice and mental health systems the

intensive in-home support and guid-

ance they need to make a successul

transition to adulthood. Created in

1999 to address the growing concern

o unprepared youth aging out o

oster care or state custody, Youth

Villages TL program has served 4,082

nationally and 200 youth in North

Carolina since the program expand-

ed to the state in 2008. Since its incep-

tion, the program has maintained an

average success rate o 80 percent

o youth living at home or indepen-

dently; reporting no involvement with

the law; and in school, graduated or

working.

The Sisters of Mercy North Carolina

Foundation supports the work of select-

ed tax-exempt healthcare, educational

and social service organizations.

The Foundation seeks to assist proj-

ects that are designed to improve the

quality of life for women, children, the

elderly and those who are poor.

Growing up in a poor Raleigh neigh-

borhood lled with drug and gang vio-

lence shaped Gems lie orever. The

rst time she entered a courtroom,

she knew it was where she wanted to

be as an attorney or judge on the

other side o the room.

Where I lived, I saw a lot o crimi-

nals and people getting arrested or

drugs, Gem said. I want to help

change the amount o drugs being put

on the streets, and I also want to help

make the justice system air.

Gem has a tough road ahead

tougher than most.

But she has help. Sarah, Gems

transitional living specialist, is there to

talk, go with her to appointments and

work with her on budgeting money.

We can talk about anything and ev-

erything, Gem said about Sarah. She

is there when I need her and helps me

get inormation I cannot nd.

Gem nished high school. Shes

working at her rst job and has a

stable roo over her head she elected

to stay in oster care past the age o

18, until she is enrolled in college and

ready to live on her own.

Youth Villages ounded its transition-

al living program in 1999 to help ormer

oster youth who lack amily or other

support make a successul transition

into independent adulthood. Program

participation is voluntary. Current and

ormer oster youth may enter the pro-

gram anywhere between the ages o 17

and 22, and are assigned a transitional

living specialist with whom they meet

once or several times a week based

on need. Together, they gure out the

young adults lie goals and work out a

strategy or getting there.

Gem doesnt have to make that

dicult plunge into independent

adulthood on her own. Unlike so many

other ormer oster youth, Gem has

Sarah to help her make tough deci-

sions, to support her when the go-

ing gets tough, to push her to strive

urther and reach or her dreams. She

has someone who will help her get her

rst apartment and enroll in college.

When Sarah rst met Gem, she was

living in a oster home but wasnt at-

tending high school any longer.

I was sleeping late every day, Gem

said. I wanted to go back to school, but

I wasnt really motivated because I had

no clue where to start. And I also didnt

really think Sarah could help me.

Ater taking some time to talk and

get to know each other, Gem decided

to give Sarah a try. They made a plan

to enroll Gem in GED classes, have

her take the GED test in February and

apply or college by March.

GEM JUSTIFIESJOURNEY TO SUCCESS

4

SISTERS OF MERCY FOUNDATION SUPPORTS YOUTH VILLAGES

Gem, right, with TL Specialist Sarah

continued on page 6


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5

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR RECENT GRADUATES!

Greensboro

Antonio

Kahlil

Paradise

Hickory

Heather

Raleigh-Durham

Gem

Imani

Keith

Latashia

Monica

Porsha

Shatora

Latashia, left

Heather Antonio Gem, left, and TL Specialist Sarah

The Day Foundation re-

cently awarded a matching

grant o $42 million to Youth

Villages to help expand the

organizations transitional

living program that helps

older oster children be-

come successul adults.

It is the largest single

grant ever awarded to

Youth Villages and one o

the largest ever to a so-

cial services organization.

Philanthropist Clarence

Day, who began the ounda-

tion, was a longtime Youth

Villages supporter, donating

more than $14 million to

the organization beore his

death in 2009. His approach

to philanthropy and sup-

port o Youth Villages were

highlighted recently in the

book Give Smart: Philan-

thropy That Gets Results

by Thomas J. Tierney and

Joel L. Fleishman.

Because the transitional

living program is unded

mostly through private do-

nations, the grant is crucial

in helping Youth Villages

maintain and expand the TL

program. While Youth Vil-

lages is helping 1,452 young

adults this year through

the TL program in North

Carolina and seven other

states, there are thousands

more in need. Each year,

as many as 30,000 children

will turn 18 and age out o

state custody, being let on

their own to make their way

in lie as an adult.

Prior unding rom The

Day Foundation allowed

Youth Villages to begin

oering transitional living

services to young people in

North Carolina in 2008, and

since then, the program has

helped almost 200 young

people in the state. A pri-

vate nonprot organization,

Youth Villages is a certied

Critical Access Behavioral

Health Agency and oers a

wide variety o services to

help children and amilies

live successully in North

Carolina.

We are so grateul to the

Day Foundation or help-

ing strengthen and grow

this important program in

North Carolina, said Annie

Smith, director o Youth Vil-

lages North Carolina. With

matching support rom

local or state governments

or private individuals and

oundations, we can expand

transitional living services

to more young people here

who desperately need it.

THE DAY FOUNDATION INVESTS $42 MILLION IN YOUTH VILLAGES

Many youth in the transitional living program

recently celebrated their high school graduations.

Graduates include:


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YV CELEBRATES CHILDRENS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS WEEK

Concord staff release green balloons for Childrens Mental Health Aware-

ness Week.

Durham, N.C., Mayor Bill Bell, center, recently toured the Youth Villages Raleigh-Dur-

ham location, met with staff and had the opportunity to hear from Mariah, right-center,

a Youth Villages transitional living client and current sophomore at North Carolina

A&T University in Greensboro, N.C.

MAYOR BELL VISITS DURHAM OFFICEAs soon as Gem was enrolled in GED

classes, Sarah helped her nd her rst job as

a hostess at a ast-ood restaurant.

I wouldnt have my job i it wasnt or Sar-

ah, Gem said. I was scared. Sarah picked

me up to take me to the interview. I was going

to wear jeans, but she told me to change and

put on some slacks to look nice. On the way

there, we practiced interview skills. Then she

tricked me to get out o the car, or I wouldnt

have gotten out because I was so scared. But

they hired me on the spot.

Gem and Sarah are now working together

to help Gem nd balance between school and

work, especially when schedules confict.

Gem received her GED and graduated.

Now, she and Sarah will work to apply or

college.

GEMfrom page 4

Charlotte: Employees recently met with community

members at the MeckCARES Resilience Festival, held

earlier this year. Agencies throughout Charlotte joined

to celebrate the diversity and resilience o amilies, while

helping raise awareness or Childrens Mental Health

Awareness Week.

Concord: To honor children and amilies who have strug-

gled with mental health, green balloons were released by

Youth Villages sta members. The color green was used

during the 1800s to label individuals with mental health dis-

abilities. The childrens mental health community decided

to use the color green to symbolize a new beginning in lie,

growth and health.

Raleigh-Durham:Sta paid tribute to Childrens Men-

tal Health Awareness Week by wearing green ribbons

throughout the week. Megan Castle, Youth Villages CAB-

HA clinical director, also presented on Multisystemic Ther-

apy, a key service being delivered to youth battling mental

illness, at a special night meeting o the Wake County Col-

laborative, a group comprising community members and

mental health leaders who address the needs or services

in their area.

George Edmonds, Youth Villages western regional manager, represents

Youth Villages at the MeckCARES Resilience Festival in Charlotte, N.C.


7/8

7

Stay in touch online

www.facebook.com/youthvillages

www.twitter.com/youthvillages

www.youthvillages.wordpress.com

www.youthvillages.org

This year, Youth Villages will help

more than 300 children and amilies in

North Carolina who desperately need

someone to be their Holiday Hero. You,

your company or organization can be-

come a Holiday Hero by partnering with

Youth Villages to give children and their

amilies a holiday theyll never orget.

Heres how it works:

n Each child lls out a wish list.

n Heroes receive the wish list, purchase gits and

arrange to have them dropped o or picked up.

n Each git should be unwrapped and bagged together

with the childs name attached.

n Heroes may also send a donation to sponsor a child

and Youth Villages will do the shopping and wrapping.

n We ask that Heroes spend a maximum o $75 per child.

To sponsor a child or for more information, contact:

Stephanie Hoyle

704-357-7943

[email protected]

support.youthvillages.org/holidayheroes_NC

Be a Holiday Hero this season

From homework to athletics, going back to school can be

a demanding time or many amilies.

Youth Villages Multisystemic Therapy consultants oer

the ollowing tips to help amilies have a positive and pro-

ductive school year:

1. Set up an afternoon routine that includes homework

or quiet time where distracting activities (TV, video games,

phone) are not allowed until assignments are completed.

You might nd less I dont have any homework excuses

i mandatory quiet time is enorced regardless o assign-

ments.

2. Bed times should give your teen enough time to un-

wind and get about nine hours o sleep. Remove TVs or

other distractions rom their room i they have a hard time

alling asleep.

3. Build a relationship with school staffat the beginning

o the year. Get to know the teachers expectations, let

them know how oten you would like to be communicated

with, and check in oten on your childs progress.

4. Modeling always provides the best example or your

teen. I your behavior shows you value education, your teen

is likely to ollow suit. Try reading while your teen com-

pletes homework or checking their homework when it is

completed. Providing praise or a job well done or restric-

tions when school expectations are broken models a posi-

tive attitude about their school success.

5. Find out what after-school activities like clubs or sports

are oered. Positive activities can help provide supervi-

sion, build social skills, provide connections with more

positive peers and promote other healthy behaviors.

YV COMMUNITY TIPS:

BACK TO SCHOOL

DRAYGON

from page 3

enjoyed together.

We started to really talk, Chuck said. And we noticed

how much o a dierence it made or Draygon to know that

we would be consistent as parents.

Chantal and Tawnya shared behavior plans with Dray-

gons teachers and school ocials, and the teachers agreed

to update mom every time Draygon was having a bad day.

She taught me a lot, Draygon said about Chantal. She

taught me how to think beore I act and to consider the con-

sequences. I dont get into trouble as much. She made my

lie better.

Draygon recently got called to the principals oce at

school. But this call was not about another suspension. Im-

pressed by Draygons good behavior in school, his principal

invited him to his oce to chat over a cup o hot chocolate

and Oreos.

Their Youth Villages counselor is no longer there, but the

amily sometimes revisits the work they did with Chantal.

We slipped once and then had a amily meeting and got

our workbook back out, Tawnya said. We have to keep

working at it.


8/8

YOUTH VILLAGES

2815 Coliseum Centre Dr., Suite 230

Charlotte, NC 28217

(Address Service Requested)

NONPROFIT ORG

U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

YOUTH VILLAGES

A private nonprot organization, Youth Villages will serve more than

18,000 children and their families this year from ofces in the following cities:

Alabama: Anniston, Birmingham, Dothan, Huntsville, MobileArkansas: Jonesboro, Little RockFlorida: Lakeland, Miami, TampaGeorgia: Atlanta, DouglasvilleMassachusetts: Lawrence, Plymouth, Springeld, Woburn, WorcesterMississippi: Biloxi, Hattiesburg, Hernando, Jackson, TupeloNew Hampshire: ManchesterNorth Carolina: Asheville, Charlotte, Concord, Fayetteville, Greensboro, Greenville, Hickory, Pinehurst, Raleigh-Durham, WilmingtonOregon: PortlandTennessee: Chattanooga, Clarksville, Columbia, Cookeville, Dickson, Dyersburg, Jackson, Johnson City,Knoxville, Linden, Memphis, Morristown, Nashville, Paris

Texas: DallasWashington, D.C.

Please e-mail [email protected] or call 704-357-7943

to have your name removed from our mailing list

New Heights North Carolina is published by Youth Villages

Managing Editor: Stephanie Hoyle

Associate Editor: Chris Pennington

Founded in Memphis, Tenn., in 1986, Youth Villages has built a national reputation for offering the most effective pro-

grams and services to help emotionally troubled children and their families. The private nonprot organization provides

a fully integrated continuum of services, including residential treatment, in-home services, foster care and adoption,

mentoring and a transitional living program for young adults aging out of foster care.

2011 north carolina fall

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