2018.07.16 CC Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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0 Stores 7hat mofter... YOUTH AND FAMILY COUNSELING delivers diagnostic assessments, individualized treatment plans, and therapy services for individuals, families and in a group setting. Counseling ser- vices diagnose and address a wide range of mental health issues including anxiety, depres- sion, trauma, and attention deficit disorder. School -based mental health services offered though our counseling programs provide in -school individual therapy and psychotherapy groups which allow students to gain support and self-confidence while they learn and imple- ment healthy coping strategies. Counseling programs include REACH, an anger management program for youth ages 13 —15, Reasoning Skills Program (RSP) for ages 10 —17, and a weekly drop in Parent Support Group. Counseling Makes a Difference... Depression and anxiety were all too familiar to Jessica. Jessica experienced crippling anxiety; something such as a band concert or an upcoming test would haunt her for weeks. She would frequently engage in self injurious behavior as it provided her a sense of relief. Jessica described it as an out of control feeling; the inability to control anything in her life, because everything was already dictated by the darkness she felt on the inside. Jessica isolated herself from family and friends, and her outlook on life was very bleak. She struggled to connect with her peers, and just had an overall feeling of emptiness. Through counseling with one of our Youth & Family Counselors, Jessica was able to learn a framework of skills which she began to incorporate into her life. Jessica worked on distress, tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness. Jessica would learn skills and then practice them each week. Gradually, Jessica's overwhelming anxiety became something she found more ease in managing. Jessica made a promise to her counselor that she absolutely would not harm herself and Jessica took this promise very seriously. It has been amazing to watch Jessica take her life back; she is currently pushing herself to create new friendships, find healthy hobbies, and continues to work on both her mental and physical health. Jessica describes herself as "more quick to laugh, more positive, curious, adventurous, and myself than ever before, and it is a joy"." It's been a joy for us, too. Tried and True Small Engines is a social enterprise program that allows youth to gain real world experience in a trade. Tried and True gives youth an idea of what it takes to run a small business, teach them employment skills and offers hands-on experience repairing small engines under the supervision of a professional mechanic. Putting Things Back Together A little more than a year ago, Brandon* was headed in no particular direction, except perhaps toward trouble. He lacked motivation, was not doing particularly well in high school, and his scrapes with authorities worried his mother and teachers. Then his mom found Tried & True. One year later, 19-year-old Brandon* is putting things back together, literally and figuratively. In Fall 2017 he headed to Technical College with the added bonus of a $1,000 scholarship from the local Forest Lake Community Scholarship Foundation. Brandon* himself says: "Tried and True taught me a lot about what it takes to work in a shop on a day to day basis. I'm glad I had that opportunity to see if it was something I'd like to do for a career or not. I learned that I wanted to work on equipment that was clean and in pretty good shape. I also knew that aviation mechanics made good money and that there was a high demand for that kind of work! Brandon's* story provides important lessons in how non -profits, businesses and educators can address the statewide workforce mismatch; particularly in Greater Minnesota.