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The River Reporter Wayne County: how does it care for its young people in need? By TOM RUE
Large or medium-sized cities offer short-term crisis care and shelter to homeless youth. Places like Covenant House in New York City or Anchor House in Trenton, NJ provide desperate minors with legal sanctuary and immediate refuge from an abusive home or the realities of the street. The goal of these shelters is to help a child return home (provided there is not an abusive situation), and then to provide family and other types of counseling. Many of the children who appear at urban runaway centers are from rural, and often, quite distant homes. This region has its own share of troubled youngsters. Early Friday morning, a 12-year-old Honesdale boy allegedly shot and killed his stepfather in the midst of a domestic quarrel. An extremes example of a teenager who was reached too late, this youth is presently in the custody of Wayne County Children and Youth Services. Precisely how many other Wayne County families are in desperate need of crisis and other counseling is not known. Donald Thompson, ACSW, executive director of Wayne County Children & Youth Services in Honesdale, admits that social programs administered either by government do not always achieve their objectives. "I guess this county [Wayne] has a number of programs for young people and their families," said Thompson, "but not too many are effective." An ever increasing amount of local youth agency time is being spent in providing protection for abused children, Thompson said. Yet direct-care counseling is not available to children as often as it is needed. Thompson attributes this to staff time spent completing reports required to satisfy the various levels of government. "We're so involved with paperwork that we give 20% to 25% less in-home family-based counseling among voluntary clients," said Thompson. It is a source of great frustration to parents, teachers, and the professional community to see youngsters who are in emotional pain and have not been reached, while "the system" spins its wheels in reporting and paperwork. Thompson points to the breakdown of the nuclear family as being responsible for many of the ills of modern society. "Families need to solve their own problems in their own homes. Maybe they need a facilitator or an outside counselor." That's what Children & Youth Services is there for. With all its limitations, the local human service delivery system provides a number of valuable resources for young people and their families. Examples are Wallenpaupack Area School, which recently hired John Toby, Jr. as a crisis-intervention specialist. Or, on the New York side of the Delaware, Marian Runge, the substance abuse counselor serving Narrowsburg and Eldred Central Schools. Nearly every school district or community has a team of counselors, psychologists, social workers, and others who genuinely care and are there to listen, to counsel, and to serve the welfare of children. But at the same time, we hear numerous complaints of heavy caseloads, under-staffing, and perceptions of uncooperative administrators who are concerned about politics and funding sources. According to Thompson, "The counties are mandated to provide services, but where is the money?" "The bottom line (and I'm sure you know this) is that kids don't vote." Thompson asserts that it is incumbent on the professional community and social service network to meet the needs of individual clients, not argue about which agency's job it is to provide service. Another agency in Wayne County which works with troubled youth is Northeast Tri-County Mental Health and Mental Retardation (MH/MR) office. Jointly with the Northeast Educational Intermediate Unit (NEIU), among other things, MH/MR administers the JJ Koehler School in Honesdale. The school's instructional advisor, Clarence Lamanna, explained that it provides an alternative academic learning environment combined with group, individual, and family counseling. JJ Koehler's enrollment is limited to just 12 youngsters. The Wayne County Group Home, located in Berlin Township near Route 652, is another local resources. Situated on the former site of the county poor farm, the group home has a capacity to house 10 juveniles. John Bea, MSW, the on-site supervisor, explained that the facility is primarily open to "status offending children", who are defined by Bea as juveniles charged with, or who have committed offenses which would not be criminal if committed by an adult. Such offenses include running away from home, truancy, and general incorrigibility. Also accepted are a limited number of adolescents who have been adjudicated as delinquent by the local courts. The group home is administered by the Wayne County Commissioners, under the auspices of Children & Youth Services. For the older adolescent whose primary goal is emancipation, or who needs a less structured placement than the group home, is the Northern Tier Youth Services' community-based apartment living program. Don Thompson described these apartments as "an environment which may assist [clients] in making a successful transition back into their own home, school, and community." Others have visited the group home to make ice-cream with the residents, to lead aerobic exercises, and simply to "be there" for the youngsters. Interested people are invited to call John Bea at 717/253-xxxx. Photo caption: Christmas dinner "family style" at Wayne County Group Home. Pictured at head of table, Donald Thompson, executive director. Left: Bob Stahr, night supervisor, and Kay Stephens, youth activities worker. |
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© 1985-2006, Tom Rue. All rights reserved.
