WHAT DOES NYEP DO?

Nevada Youth Empowerment Project 2011

A friend mentioned to me the other day that when he reads our newsletter it makes him feel warm and fuzzy inside, but he really doesn't have a clear idea of what NYEP does. It occurred to me that some of you may feel the same way. In a nutshell, NYEP facilitates housing-based programming for older, willing youth.  

 

The young women who come to NYEP are not regular kids. They area girls, ages 17-21, who are unsupported in many ways and sometimes altogether parentsless. Some could even call them homeless. Some are referred by social workers or probation officers, while others are brought to NYEP by a concerned adult who sees potential, but doesn't know where to take them. Most arrive on or just before their 18th birthdays with nowhere else to go. Most are suffering from PTSD, Depression, anxiety and mood disorders, and reactive attachment disorder.  There is little trust for adults, fear of the world, and little hope for happiness and peace. Many have poor coping mechanisms, defensive social skills and a sense of entitlement. What is certain is that they are alone and have little or no knowledge of available resources outside school or their social worker. 

 

In Nevada, there are no places to go if you are over 18 and homeless except the homeless shelter downtown.  Young people need a trusting relationship with a positive adult who personally cares for them to facilitate the personal changes that needs to occur for them to reach self sufficiency. NYEP is able to build the trust necessary to engage them in learning and changing by interacting daily, spending time talking about programming as well as the youth's feelings, thoughts and beliefs. NYEP strives to create respectful relationships between staff and clients, rather than friendships. 

 

 

NYEP's housing program, the Community Living Program (CLP), currently provides safe housing, food and independent living training to young adult females between the ages of 17 and 21.  Our CLP is based out of a 5 bedroom home with all the amenities. The CLP staff are professional adults who provide daily interaction and work in the home daily to teach these young ladies life skills including meal planning, shopping, cooking, how to keep a home (inside and out), budgeting, typing, calendar/organization skills, and problem solving and emotional management skills.

 

CLP staff, more importantly, provides daily monitoring and accountability to its residents.  Once a skill is taught, it is crucial that daily monitoring, redirection and/or positive reinforcement occurs in order to support the new behavior until it replaces the old behavior and becomes the habit. CLP staff tracks all information for each area in which skills are taught, using the Independent Living Token Economy system created by Dr. Bob Quilitch and NYEP for evaluation and reporting purposes.

 

NYEP's purpose is to serve these unprepared, parentless youth.  We recognize that youth do not always know what's best for them. Left to their own devices or with limited positive adult interaction, their situation would likely not change much. NYEP understands that to truly assist a youth to self sufficiency, it must empower the youth to have the knowledge, skill and ability to perform the necessary functions required to successfully maneuver through life.  A youth must also be able to make decisions and take appropriate risks.  Our unique housing program, driven by our Independent Living Token Economy, operates under a give-and-take culture.  Privileges are earned, tasks and responsibilities are rewarded, and undesirable behavior is fined.  Residents perform the same responsibilities that anyone living in a shared home would.  Naturally, young people tire of responsibilities and long for the day when they are rich, get to lay around and not have to listen to anyone.  Because of this, we keep a slight push on each girl as she moves through her program.  It's crucial that other adults or programs do not provide easy solutions at this point. Youth will be searching for that easy way out when things get difficult. Finding things wrong with everything but themselves; "It's everyone else's fault". Most people are looking for an easier way, youth included.  At NYEP, we understand that the best solution is a long term one and that's what we aim for. Sure, it's not too difficult to assist a youth with entering community college or helping them get a part time job. At NYEP we want to develop a plan with the youth that will guide them to finishing college and keeping a job or having the skills to find another one if the current one doesn't work out. We see the importance in teaching the youth the "how" of things, as well as the "why". We want them to become empowered to make decisions and act on them instead of being reliant on other individuals their whole lives.

EVENTS 

 

We will volunteer at Project Solution on 9/10/2011 categorizing books for their library.  

 

We will team up with the Theta Alumni for a second time to volunteer as a group. This time will be volunteering at the Food Bank of Northern Nevada on 9/15/2011.

 

We will be at "Homeless Prevention & Awareness Day" at Paradise Park on 9/17/2011 from 9am-4pm. This event is being hosted by Faces of Grace Ministries. Make sure to mark you calendar and come down and see us!!! We look forward to seeing you all there!!! 

 

ACCOMPLISHMENTS 

 

NYEP resident, Miesha got a job that she will start this month. 

 

NYEP resident, Nina has started her second year at TMCC 

 

NYEP graduate, Patty has started her first year at UVA and is doing well. 

 

NYEP knows it is make a huge difference in the lives of the young women it serves.  We provide safe housing, food and programming intended to move older youth from dependency to self sufficiency.  We require residents to volunteer as part of their program.  It builds connections, self esteem, and job skills.  Now that we've found our niche, our outcomes have never been better.  In the 2010-2011 year, of the 8 youth served, 1 dropped out.  Of the 7, 6 graduated from high school, the other is due to take their GED test this month and passed the GED pretest with a 91%.  Of the 7, 1 received a full ride to UVA and 1 attends TMCC.  Of the 7, 4 were employed.  Of the 7, 100% did not become pregnant or involved with the criminal justice system.

Christmas is right around the corner and like any family we are doing are very best to plan ahead! If you or your business or organization is looking for an opportunity to play Santa during the holiday this year, then we are glad that we found you!!! 

We are looking for generous people to sponsor Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for current and NYEP residents and graduates that will be coming home for the holidays. We will also be releasing our Annual Christmas Wish List in our next Newsletter, for those that would like to donate gifts or sponsor an individual residents Christmas. If you would like more information about our holiday needs, please contact Monica at (775) 240-2195 or monica.nyep@gmail.com. 

FRESH ADVICE: WHAT COLLEGE BROCHURES WONT TELL YOU.

If you could sit down with someone who was about to go off to college, what advice would you give them? That's the question put to four of our writers, and here are their responses. Then again, what do we know? Most of us majored in journalism.

Ask yourself, "Is college necessary?" The recession seems to have reduced the value of a college degree. In one year, people saying a college degree is a good investment dropped 16 percentage points in Wall Street Journal surveys-from 80.9 to 63.5 percent. The piece of paper still likely guarantees higher earnings, but some are asking the question Time magazine asked: "But does that mean that we should help more kids go to college-or that we should make it easier for people who didn't go to college to make a living?" The magazine reports that most people in their 20s with college degrees end up in jobs that don't require them.-D.M. 

 

Continue reading here. 

 

 

 

 For more article about Back to School from this months Reno News & Review, click here. 

Reno Clothing Collaborative Launched in 2008, the Reno Youth Clothing Collaborative makes available, for free clothing to male and female youth, ages 14-21. The young people served by this project are at risk youth who are being served by County, State, and community based placement programs within Washoe County. The Collaborative was created to address a need that many youth have when returning to the community from institutions, detention centers and other placement types-CLOTHES! Within 24 hours of calling the Clothing Collaborative, a youth can get a good amount of clothing. The closet is open from 12-5. PLEASE CALL AHEAD. 

 

The clothing is supplied by Plato's Closet,a unique retail store specializing in clothes for teens and young adults. Plato's Closet provides clothing and accessories from the hottest brand name designers for girls and guys.

 

For more information concerning referring youth to access clothes or to donate items, please call Monica DuPea at (775) 240-2195 or email her at monica.nyep@gmail.com.