Impact
Learn more about how Youth Services impacts our community through the voices of the youth and families we served and stories shared by Youth Services staff.
Learn more about how Youth Services impacts our community through the voices of the youth and families we served and stories shared by Youth Services staff.
The following story was told by Jodi Rushton, MeTime class facilitator:
At the first session of Me Time, we have youth state what they hope to get out of the program. One participant said she had just gotten out of rehab and was hoping to make positive changes and avoid “bad things.” For the first few sessions, she was very hesitant to share and did a lot of eye rolling, but by the end she was talking openly about how she was using the tools from Me Time to feel better. At the last session, we asked if she’d been able to get what she wanted out of the class, and she said that she had stayed clean and felt like the class helped make that possible. It was amazing to see the changes in her demeanor and how much more peaceful she seemed in that last session.
From parents who took Staying Connected with Your Teen:
“I really enjoyed this class, it was great to not feel alone with my struggles with my teen and get some great techniques to use in conversation and in general going forward."
"Exceptional. Can't compliment it & our facilitator enough. Super-great resource: I learned a TON. Will send others to take this: already have started to send them!"
"I appreciate the new techniques I learned and am actively trying to implement them into my home. I know it will take time, but I am looking forward to the positive change it can have on the relationship to my teens. I will recommend this class to other parents who might feel disconnected or struggling with their teen. Diana did a wonderful"
From parents who took Guiding Good Choices:
“It seems to me that what they have taught us is very beneficial, what is necessary to be able to have a united, happy and drug-free family. Thank you very much for taking the time to help us have a better family relationship.”
“The teacher was excellent, entertaining, engaging and provided worthwhile examples from his family experience. I have no suggestions for improvement.”
Stories told by Shelter and Crisis staff:
Recently, a Basic Center Program youth, "Jake", reported substance use on his intake assessments. The Juvenile Receiving Center Case Manager, Savanah Bilanzich, educated him on Narcan and how to use it, particularly as he stated he did not see a problem with his drug use and was not planning on quitting. Jake chose to leave Youth Services before the 8-hours when Youth Services is required to reach out to a guardian. Case Manager Savanah called Jake for the 14-day aftercare call and there was no answer. Savanah then called Jake's father, who broke down crying on the phone. He thanked Savanah for giving his son Narcan. His father reported that Jake had overdosed on fentanyl the night before. Luckily, a friend, who was with him, found and administered the Narcan in Jake's pocket when Jake stopped breathing. Jake's father stated that the hospital caseworker was helping them access substance abuse treatment. He shared that Jake is alive because our team had provided him with Narcan.
"Aden" was brought in by mother or by law enforcement to the Juvenile Receiving Center on several occasions for ungovernable and aggressive behavior at home. The family had immigrated to the US a few years prior as refugees. Mother stayed home with the children and father was working full-time in a job that kept him on the road for long periods of time. Due to father being out of the home to work, Aden's mother often had to parent on her own. Aden pushed against the boundaries that mother set. He was struggling in school, with poor attendance and failing grades. He was hanging out with gang-involved youth and became associated with a local gang. Mother was concerned about drug-use. Aden became aggressive at home and hurt one of his younger siblings.
When Aden came to the Juvenile Receiving Center, he would calm down and process with our case managers, youth workers and therapists. We offered short crisis stays on campus, to allow Aden and his mother to have a break from one another, as well as access to family therapy. Aden participated in life-skills and mental health support groups. As we got to know Aden, we noticed that he acted very differently when father was home or when he spoke with father on the phone. Mother was fearful of Aden and advocated for him to go to residential treatment. We offered to extend his crisis stay, to wait for father to be present for the family therapy and decision about next steps. With mother's permission, we reached out to refugee case manager assigned to the family, to increase coordination for some potential options for Aden and his family. Our team advocated for the least restrictive placement possible, based on our observations of Aden. We reinforced that it would be difficult to work on their relationship if he wasn't in the home. Our team offered to connect them with ongoing therapeutic services and a Youth Services' Family Peer Support Specialist. The FPSS was able to connect with Aden and his family right away to offer in-home services. We also referred Aden to Choose Gang Free, to prevent further gang involvement. The family's FPSS currently reports that Aden is doing much better and they are working on his relationship with his mother. Father has been engaged in supporting this growth. Aden is a resilient youth, but had been at the tipping point when he came to the JRC. With support our team, his FPSS and family are giving him, we hope to see great things from him in the future.
Stories told by Counseling Services staff:
A client was diagnosed with mood disorders (depression, anxiety), came in with a long history of family dysfunction, neglect, even PTSD (her stepfather committed suicide –gun- a few hours after dropping her off at school). She also struggled with her sexual orientation, social anxiety, and (later disclosed) marijuana use. Early in treatment she was not even sure she would complete high school, as there were days when she didn’t even want to leave the house. With time and good effort on her part, she completed high school, and managed to get her first job. Right after high school she enrolled at SLCC (mortuary science). The relationship with her mother never improved, but her personal life did. She was able to sort out her sexual orientation and started dating a man she still is with in Layton. The last we heard she happy, relying less and less on her meds (she had stopped smoking marijuana sometime before enrolling in college classes), scheduled to graduate this May, and saving money to buy a house with her boyfriend.
We started working with this client in 2021; he was a Juvenile Drug Court referral. He completed SOP successfully and chose to continue with treatment so he could maintain abstinence and work on managing his depression. He struggled with self-concept and managing his depression. Since starting treatment, he has graduated high school, gotten his license reinstated, bought a car with his own money, and became confident enough to start a new job. I'm proud of him for learning to value himself and for making healthier choices so he can continue to move forward.
Milestone success stories shared by staff.
One young adult entered our program in fall of 2022 and exited winter of 2024 (they spent all 18 months with the program). She came into the program after couch surfing for the last year of high school. She was successfully employed throughout the program and was able to save over $3000.00. She enrolled in college and completed her first year before leaving the program. She has moved into her own apartment is employed full time.
We have a Male participant that exited the program 2 Months ago. When he moved into milestone 18 months ago he had no family support and was homeless and living with a friend from his soccer team. He completed High school while in the program and was successfully employed. He was able to buy a car while in the program. He is currently renting in the community. While in milestone he desired to become an HVAC tech. He is currently employed with an HVAC company.
Quotes from parents of youth in the Afterschool Programs:
"We have loved the opportunities our child has had because of the Afterschool Program. He has done much better with his educational activities and has given him more activities to be social with other kids. We are very grateful for the program."
"I am very grateful for this program. I am a single mom and it has helped me a lot with my kids. I can work and then come and pick them up at a later time. I also have seen a change in my kids, they are very happy. Thank you very much to everyone who has made this program possible."
"I am very grateful for this program. I am a single mom and it has helped me a lot with my kids. I can work and then come and pick them up at a later time. I also have seen a change in my kids, they are very happy. Thank you very much to everyone who has made this program possible."
Story shared by Family Peer Support Specialist:
Client "Melissa"
I am writing to you today to talk about the successful completion of my case with "Melissa" and her family. I was referred to "Melissa" by the Granite School District who had been trying to get supports for this girl starting back in 1st grade and when I came on board the Special Ed Director let me know of the long history they had with this family in getting them to accept help or comply with basic recommendations. "Melissa" is now 12 and was diagnosed at Level 3, non-verbal on the autism spectrum disorder. Some initial concerns included her hygiene as the family was not bathing her, she had never been potty-trained and she would show up to school with knots in her long hair that needed brushing out, her teeth were infected and her clothes were too small on her growing body and often they were dirty, smelly and stained. "Melissa" was self-harming which caused bruising and swelling on parts of her torso. The family had been declining needed medical check-ups and care due to what they considered to be burdensome financial difficulties if they got her the help she needed.
I really wanted to come in at the districts request to be a part of the team that wrapped around this child and her family hoping to make a difference in this young girl's life. I worked closely with the classroom teacher, the school counselor, and the DCFS case worker involved. It was my chance to also build a trusting relationship with her parents that, on many occasions, appeared very reluctant and shut down to receive support, direction or help. They even told me at one point that they were "at an age when they really shouldn't have the burden of this child because she took up too much time and effort and it was better if they gave her up to the state." My supervisor at Youth Services supported me many times as I was almost ready to give up trying to get through to these parents and it was so difficult for me mentally and emotionally.
With encouragement from my supervisors at YS, I kept at it however, and over the months the parents started to listen. We sat together to fill out forms for social security, DSPD, and various medical, insurance and financial forms that also had to be submitted. I gave them information on doctors and specialized agencies in the community that they might want to get involved with. As this process started to make sense to them --parents eventually opened up more and more to receiving help and guidance. Soon big changes started happening with "Melissa".
At this writing, "Melissa" has received the dental and medical help she desperately needed which alleviated the self-harming she engaged in. Her hygiene issues are minimal now. The family has social security and DSPD case workers helping them which they didn't have before. When I asked mom and dad why they had not been open to support in years past, they let me know that through our work together they can see all the benefits to them now. They also are interested in learning how to potty train her at some point. "Melissa" is no longer being excluded from family activities because they are finding various ways to "communicate" with her thanks to Families First finding creative interventions. Upon my last visit, I sat with parents as they called the ABA therapy staff to enroll her. DCFS has met their goals and now I can close this case thankfully knowing that I helped to bring some comfort to this family who had been struggling and most importantly, "Melissa" now seems to be thriving!!!