10-14-2002 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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I S.‘ I I ( N 6 t N S August 16,2002 F A M I I I E S T 0 6 E T N E I Ron MoorM CityofOrono P.O. Box 66 Crystal Bay, MN 55323-0066 RECEIVED il'O 1 9 TO CITY OF ORONO Dear Ron, Teens Alone just completed its third year serving youth (ages 10-18) and families living in the communities of the Orono School District, including Orono. Almost three years ago, representatives from your local Healthy Communities/Healthy Youth Collaborative committed to providing a crisis and counseling service for youth and parents and invited Teens Alone to fill that need. Collaborative and school district personnel had heard of our successful eleven- year history serving nu>re than 3000 youth and 1000 parents living in the Eden Prairie, Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Wayzata school districts and ask^ to become part of our organization. As we request from all the conununities we serve, we are asking the municipalities served by the Orono School District to contribute to Teens Alone. Need for the Teens Alone Service In 2001, police departments in the Teens Alone service area reported 393 runaways, almost one-third fewer than 2000. Teens Alone is committed to helping youth who have run away and strives to help prevent a run from happening in the first place. One reason there may be a decrease in rtmaways is that Teens Alone is committed to be a more preventative service—addressing family problems before a young person leaves home. Although we know runaway numbers have decreased, we also know the actual number of runaways is really much higher because many parents don't report their child as a runaway to the police. A common occurrence and most often unreported to police, is a child either doesn't come home from school, or they have gone out in the evening and didn't come home. Although no one knows the exact number of unreported runaways, this is the content of frequent phone calls to Teens Alone from parents. 2001 Minnesota Student Survey runaway numbers reflect that more than 23% of ninth graders in our service area have nm away at least one time. Although police-reported nmaways have decreased, Student Survey respondents show an 8% increase from the 1998 Survey. The costs of running away are great for young people and their families. Runaways, particularly suburban youth who run into the urban areas, are at high risk of sexual exploitation, chemical abuse, hunger, and criminal victimization. The frmily, too, is at-risk for permanent breakdown because once a teen has left home—and the longer they are out on their own—the more difficult family reunification becomes. For some youth, running away has almost become a rite of passage. Seemingly mirior differences with parents can result in a youth running away. Some parents have adopted this mentality, thinking the only solution is to kick the teen out of the house. The most significant way in which Teens Alone has evolved in its eleven-year history is that our primary focus is no longer just working with runaway and homeless youth. Schools and other users of Teens Alone services refer families in crisis or conflict in order to prevent the dissolution of a fanuly. Teens Alone youth tell us: • 56% are experiencing failing grades • 42% have trouble communicating with their parents • 35% admit to using chemicals (and 15% are cotKemed about their parent's use) • 33% mention some kind of family violence, abuse, or neglect • 30% are truant III aiiaififir aoriias ■■ siiii saaia «st tii mu ceiatiiiac tsi «ii ma mi tsi tii nsi