| Youth Eastside Services Lifeline Online |
August 2011 |
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 YES Adds Parent Educator
Expanded resources for Eastside parents
In response to community demand, Youth Eastside Services (YES) has added a parenting specialist, Jennifer Watanabe, to its team of youth counselors and chemical dependency professionals. A telephone survey conducted in 2009 found that parents were in need of support and education and wanted YES to provide this service. As the YES parenting specialist, Jennifer will offer parent education classes and individual support via parent coaching. To reach Jennifer to teach a class at your workplace, school or church, click here.
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In The News
Important information you want to know
Binge Drinking Increasing in Teens and College Kids--
A recent article in Parade Magazine highlighted the tendency for teens to binge drink and the dangers involved. Alcohol infused energy drinks are fueling this trend. For the full article which includes some important information for parents, click here .
Drinking early leads to addiction later--1 in 4 Americans who began using an addictive substance before age 18 develop an addiction, compared to 1 in 25 Americans who started using at age 21 or older, according to a comprehensive study of adolescent substance abuse released by Columbia University. For more information on the study, click here .
Gay Teens Take More Risks--It's a well-known and tragic fact that gay teens are more likely to consider suicide. But new research indicates that gay and bisexual teens are also more likely to engage in a wide range of risky behavior--such as using drugs, alcohol and tobacco; having unprotected sex; and trying to lose weight through diet pills or vomiting. For more information on the study, click here . |
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 Teen Dating Violence
More common than most people know
One in four teenagers is in a violent dating relationship. And 40 percent of teenage girls say they know someone their age who has been physically abused by a boyfriend. Lasting effects can be poor self-esteem, drug abuse, teen pregnancy, eating disorders, permanent injury and even death.
Violence takes many forms. It can be jealousy, possessiveness, threats, name calling and demanding behavior as well as slapping, pushing and shoving. Frequently it starts as non-violent controlling behaviors and escalates. While most commonly the boy is the agressor, girls can be as well, and it can happen in same sex relationships. To help your teen evaluate their situation, ask these questions:
- Are you frightened by your boy/girlfriend's temper and moods or afraid to disagree?
- Are you always apologizing for the way they act?
- Do you have to give a reason for every place you go and every person you see?
- Have you stopped seeing friends or family because of your friend's jealousy?
- Does your boy/girlfriend put you down?
- Have you ever been hit, kicked, shoved or had things thrown at you?
- Have you been forced to have sex when you didn't want to?
- Are you afraid to break-off a relationship because the person has threatened to hurt you or him/herself?
If you suspect dating abuse, the first thing to do is talk to your teen about their relationship. Although some young teens might think this is a normal part of dating you can help them understand it is not. For additional information, click here . |
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Did You Know...
While YES accepts insurance and medical coupons, we treat all kids and families regardless of ability to pay. This means kids suffering with depression, violence, addiction and more are able to get the help they need from the experts at YES. This is made possible by your generous donations to the YES Lifeline Fund which covers uncompensated care and underfunded programs. Last year, YES saw a 27% increase in uncompensated care due to the impacts of the economy and so far this year, it's up another 6.6%. To make a donation to help kids and families who can't afford to pay for lifesaving counseling and substance abuse treatment, click here .
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I hope you are enjoying your summer. At YES we are busily preparing for a new school year. Come fall, YES counselors and Chemical Dependency Professionals will be in approximately 40 schools, teen centers and community centers throughout the Eastside. We find it's better to reach kids where they are at as much as possible. The stories of kids being helped by walking into one of our counselor's offices at a school are too many to number. And this year we hope to extend even more resources and education to parents with our parent educator. If you'd like us to talk to your group, office or school, please click here.
Patti Skelton-McGougan
Executive Director |
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