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Youth Eastside Services Lifeline Online
December 2010

Setting Holiday Boundaries With Your Kids
And avoiding potential pitfalls

The holidays are here and with them come the upset of family routines.  School is out, parties abound and there are new gifts to play with.  No wonder kids ask for leniency on family rules.  So how do you know where to draw your boundaries?  "First, there's no hard rule that you can't be flexible when it makes sense," says Debbi Halela, Director of General Counseling at Youth Eastside Services.  "What's important is that your child, no matter the age, understands that you're making an exception."  

 

Click Here for some other guidelines to help you.

 

Sad teenTorn Apart By Parental Strife

A teen learns to cope with domestic violence

 

Michelle was 16 when she first recognized that her complicated family dynamics were more than she could manage.  For months she had been cutting herself as a means to release anxiety, but it wasn't helping.  Neither were the drugs she was trying.  And the abuse she witnessed her mother getting from her stepdad was growing worse.  Desperate, she turned to a YES counselor she had met at a teen center.

 

YES teen center counselors are made possible by support from area cities-specifically Bellevue, Redmond & Kirkland.  At teen centers, counselors can talk with high-risk teens and help them find healthy ways to deal with life's struggles.  In Michelle's case, the YES counselor facilitated a move to Michelle's dad's house.  Unfortunately, before she could move, Michelle became a victim of her stepdad's temper.  And it turned out her stepmom wasn't very happy to have a teenager join the household, so it wasn't long before Michelle experienced verbal abuse and neglect.

 

Even though YES couldn't improve Michelle's living arrangement, we could give her someone to talk with and teach her coping skills other than drugs and cutting.  And thanks to the YES Lifeline Fund which provides for uncompensated care, she didn't have to worry about having a parent's support to pay for the help she got at YES.  Today, Michelle is back with her mom in their own apartment and is taking classes at a local college.  She has a bright future ahead of her, thanks in no small part to generous donors who enable YES to help all kids regardless of ability to pay.

 

To make a donation and help kids like Michelle, Click Here.

 
YES Workshop Sheds Light on Teen Drug Trends
Parents get valuable tips on prevention

nobleOn Saturday, November 20, some 45 people gathered at YES for a workshop on Drug Awareness and Prevention.  "The best prevention is being involved with your kid and educated about what drugs they may come across," said Noble Erickson, a substance abuse counselor at YES and the workshop leader.  "It's equally important to let your kids know you won't tolerate alcohol or substance abuse of any kind and set clear consequences," she added.

 

Following are some drug trends Noble shared at the class:

·  Heroin is being used among area teens more and is often being smoked.

·  Cocaine is making a big comeback and now viewed as a "soft" drug.

·  Ecstasy/MDMA has been primarily a club drug, but is becoming more popular to use when

   just "hanging out."

·  Psilocybin or Mushrooms are considered "natural" and therefore "safe" though it can be

   toxic to the liver.   

·  Prescription medications can be abused in many ways and can be addictive & dangerous. 

·  Marijuana is still very popular among teens and is often a gateway to other drug use.  And

   the marijuana available today is much more potent than that of 20 or 30 years ago.

·  Alcohol is widely used by teens, poses huge risks, and has high rates of addiction among

   early users.

·  Synthetic Marijuana (Spice or Herbal Insense) has a more potent high with serious and

   unpredictable side effects.

 

Click Here for a copy of the workshop handout and slide presentation.

 

Your Year End Gift Can Help Twice as Much!

Thanks to generous donors who are matching your gift, dollar-for-dollar

 

As we come to the end of what has been a challenging year for so many, please remember YES in your year-end giving with a tax-deductible donation to our Lifeline Fund which ensures no one is turned away for inability to pay.

 

Like the kids & families we serve, it has been a difficult year for YES.  At the very same time that support from government and other major funders has been reduced, the need for our services, due to increased family stress, violence and substance abuse has risen.  In fact, YES has seen double digit increases over 2009 in both the number of kids and families needing help and those unable to pay.

 

Now, thanks to other generous YES donors, your year-end gift will be matched dollar-for-dollar, so it can help twice as much!

 

Click Here to double your gift to YES. 

But hurry, your donation must be received by the end of the year.

 

I hope the holidays find you and your family happy, safe and warm.  Look for the YES year-end giving appeal in your mailbox or email and please remember us in your giving this year.  YES works but the needs are great and resources are tight.  How wonderful that your gift will be matched!

  
Sincerely,

  
Patti Skelton-McGougan
Executive Director