Chemical Health Spotlight:

Did you know that District 833 and the Youth Service Bureau have partnered to provide two Chemical Health Specialists to deliver services in the high schools?

‘YSB’ is a non-profit located in Washington County and offers a range of services for youth and their families.  How we help:

Gina Johnson, Prevention Specialist 

Colleen O’Neil, LADC, Clinical Specialist

Gina is the Chemical Health Prevention Specialist for District 833 and the surrounding community. Her role is to help educate students, staff, and parents on the dangers of substance use and to positively influence youth to make healthier choices. She has been doing this in the district by:

• Classroom, staff and parent presentations on chemical health issues such as vaping, brain development, prevention tools for parents, peer pressure and refusal skills, and more.
• Newsletters to parents/staff on chemical health issues (current trends, prevention, education, and resources.)
• Sustain and support student clubs/ groups promoting health and wellness. Such as the Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).
• Prevention Campaigns within the district as well as in the community.
• School policy and procedure development.

If you are interested in bringing Gina into your classroom for a presentation or have other prevention needs, please contact her at GJohnson1@sowashco.org

Stay tuned for next week’s Chemical Health Spotlight on the Chemical Health Clinical Specialist, Colleen O’Neil, LADC.

Learn more about all YSB’s Chemical Health Services.

YSB Welcomes TJ Maxx/Home Store to Cottage Grove – and receives $10,000 for our “awesome community service!”

Many thanks to Jon Rose, Store Manager, and Myron Bailey, Mayor of Cottage Grove and YSB Board Member, for their efforts that brought 120 jobs (and counting!) to the community!

A cold and rainy day did not deter the shoppers and supporters – thanks again to TJ Maxx/Home Store for supporting YSB – we are able to do the work we do because of funding like this!

Photo includes Myron Bailey- Cottage Grove Mayor and YSB Board Member, Andree Aronson – YSB Development Director and Jon Rose, Store Manager

Welcome to Cottage Grove, TJ Maxx and Home Goods!

YSB was one of three local non-profits that received funding from WOW
(Will of Women) this year. 

WOW was founded by Community member Brenda Farrell, with the mission of empowering members to begin to think of how “I” could become “we” and “we” could become hundreds of women pooling their financial resources to make a significant difference collectively.

Please visit their website for more information and see the many non-profits that they have supported over the years.

Love to support YSB? Learn more about How You Can Help!

Our second Diversion Conference was a great success!

Many thanks to our partners and presenters. We had a great group of people from around the seven county metro area, including County Attorneys and Judges, Community Corrections, County Probation and Police Departments.

The Honorable Joy D. Bartscher, a Judge from Ramsey County talked about the importance of the human connection with the youth that are served;

Kate Richtman, Ramsey County Attorney, talked about the roots and history of Diversion and how the program has changed over time;

Dr. David Walsh shared the research about brain development and how that is impacted by digital addiction and social media use.

The afternoon was filled with 50 minute information sessions led by the sponsoring organizations. Attendees left informed, energized, and excited about continuing the conference in the future:

The $50,000 grant funding from Andeavor is up and running! Through their support to YSB:

• Each district served by this grant (622 and 833) decided how they wanted to use the funds to provide mental health support to students, staff, and parents.
• Each district will have a YSB therapist for student and staff support, and our Youth and Family Educator for parent education.

In District 833 we will provide services in Oltman Middle School, serving students in group, presentation, and assembly formats. We will be working with training for all the staff in the district – and parent education that aligns with what the students and staff are learning.

In District 622 we will be in each middle school every Thursday on a rotating basis. John Glenn is requesting presentations in 6th grade health classes; Skyview is requesting classroom presentations on conflict resolution presented in every science class throughout the entire year (by the end of the year all kids should have seen the presentation); Maplewood Middle would like to focus on groups for students and providing education on grant related topics in 8th grade health classes.

YSB is grateful for the support of the Andeavor Foundation, and the participating school districts! Together we are doing great work in the communities we live and work in!

Any questions, or if you would like to find a way to get involved – please contact Andree Aronson, Development Director, at 651.439.8800 x 105 or andree.aronson@ysb.net

The conference will be Friday, October 26th. We will gather to collaborate on current best practices, share what we are doing well in Diversion and discuss how we can continue to improve!

Who is invited?
All Juvenile Diversion Providers in the seven county metro area including: Non-Profits, County Attorneys, Community Corrections, County Probation, and Police Departments.

Keynote: Dr. David Walsh, Author and International Speaker will be presenting on digital addiction:

Digital Addiction has an incredible impact on today’s youth. Learn what we can do about it from a Diversion standpoint –to promote youth having a presence online while being safe, healthy and doing activities that do not require wifi.

YSB is hosting this event in partnership with Lakes Center for Youth and Families, Northeast Youth and Family Services, and St Paul Youth Services. Visit this link to learn more or register!

YSB welcomes Colleen O’Neil, LADC to our team of staff! 

We’re excited to announce that Colleen will be our Chemical Health Clinical Specialist working with students in the high-schools in ISD 833 starting this fall!

Colleen brings valuable skills and talents from her wide array of previous related experience working with chemical health, schools, and adolescents and families.  She also brings a passion and vision that is a wonderful fit for YSB and the services we provide.  Colleen is very excited to get started and to work directly in the schools with our partners in 833.  She can be contacted at Park High school, Woodbury High school, East Ridge High school or the South Washington Alternative High School this fall.

Colleen joins YSB with a Bachelor of Science degree in Alcohol and Drug Counseling and as a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC). Before coming to YSB, she worked as an Adolescent Chemical Health Counselor in an intensive outpatient chemical health treatment program, working with young adults between the ages of 13-18. Her experience also includes working in the residential treatment setting as well as working directly with parents and guardians.

“I believe it is a privilege working with both teens and their family, and am honored that I can help them navigate the challenges that substance use often creates within the family unit.

For the past 20+ years I have worked, off and on, with adolescents in a school setting – and am beyond excited to be back in the schools!

I love that I am able to use my knowledge, experience and passion daily while being surrounded by dedicated educators and YSB staff who hold the same beliefs and passions as I do!”  – Colleen O’Neil, LADC

Please join us in welcoming Colleen to our team!

Learn more about our School-Based Chemical Health programs

By: Katie Nelson,
Community Reporter, South Washington County Bulletin 

Read Article Here

By: Cindy Parsons, Executive Director 
St. Croix Family Resource Center

Generous funding from a Rotary International grant as well as grants from several local Rotary clubs made it possible for St. Croix Family Resource Center (FRC) to complete a Runaway and Homeless Youth Study/Action Plan.  The results from the study was shared with the public on June 11^th.  The study is now available at www.stcroixfrc.org. 

Youth homelessness is definitely a problem in Washington County.  It’s a community issue and needs a community solution. 

We do not need to re-invent the wheel when it comes to serving our youth with unstable housing.  We need to commit to collaboration and sharing what we learn along the way.  There are many ways to help and many different roles.  Youth voices were heard in the study and will continue to be vital as steps to move forward as the recommended action plan unfolds.  Joan Countryman, former program director of Bridge for Youth completed the study for the FRC and is now employed by FRC as the Youth Connections Coordinator.  Joan will work to coordinate existing and new services for youth with unstable housing. 

Youth Connections Drop-In Center is the most recent new service that will be offered for youth with unstable housing.  St. Croix Family Resource Center is partnering with St. Paul Lutheran Church in Stillwater to open a drop-in center this September!  Other faith communities and non-profit agencies including Youth Service Bureau will collaborate with the FRC to provide needed services for our youth at the center.  An Open House is scheduled for September 6^th at 2:30 with a tour at 3 p.m. 

The location is St. Paul Lutheran Church, 609 5^th Street S., Stillwater.  The drop-in center will open for youth the following Thursday on September 13^th.  Training for volunteers interested in working with youth at the drop-in center will be offered the first and last weeks in August.  The six-hour training sessions will be August 6^th and 8^th from 6-9 p.m. and August 27^th and 29^th from 6-9 p.m. 

Please call Joan at 612-475-4055 to register and for more information about the Youth Connections Program.