City Council Study Session Agenda and Packet 2011 02 08

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Attention Homes RHY program 1 Boulder City Council 01.04.2011 Louisville Council Meeting February 8, 2011 Attention Homes Presentation Additional Information Presentation Purpose: The purpose of Attention Homes' presentation is to share information about our new Runway & Homeless Youth program for connecting with possible collaborative services in the City of Louisville and helping homeless /runaway teens from the City with our services. Located in the City of Boulder, Attention Homes serves teens from throughout Boulder County and beyond. About Attention Homes: Attention Homes' mission is to provide residential treatment, counseling and shelter to at -risk youth. Our goal is to help teens in crisis develop into healthy, productive members of our community. Our objective is to serve 90 —120 unduplicated youth with more than 4,000 days of care and shelter in an average year. Youth find safety, shelter and stability at Attention Homes. When they leave our programs they move to safe and appropriate Tong -term housing and demonstrate behavioral, educational and /or life skills improvement. Attention Homes was founded in 1966 by Judge Horace Holmes, probation officer John Hargadine, a First United Methodist Church bible study and concerned community members who saw the need to provide "attention, not detention" to troubled youth. They believed there needed to be an alternative to institutionalization or detention so that children would have a safety net and a chance to thrive rather than being placed in a locked facility or with others requiring more intensive services. Attention Homes was one of the first nonprofits of its kind in the United States. The innovation of the program drew groups from over 25 localities to travel to Boulder to visit the homes. In fact, more than 200 homes were started across the U.S. and internationally based on the Attention Homes model. For 45 years Attention Homes has helped teens with serious issues in licensed home facilities. The agency addresses problems caused by substance use, mental health illness, family dysfunction, abuse, homelessness, runaway behaviors, educational deficiencies and related issues which have visited negative effects on children, families and our community. In the past 45 years, Attention Homes has provided approximately 6,000 boys and girls with life changing shelter, counseling and life skills education. In 2007 Attention Homes completed an extensive renovation to its Chase Court home in which we opened our sober living program for teenage boys. In the face of the recession in early 2010 Attention Homes combined the sober living program with its residential program. Teens needing sober living help are still provided those services through our Adolescent Residential Care program. Historically, referrals to our programs were made almost entirely through county social services agencies. Boulder County Department Housing & Human Services provided 65% of our referrals and covered approximately 40% of our $1 million agency budget. As a result of the 24 -month economic slowdown and resultant funding shortages, agency referrals have decreased by over fifty percent, but family and youth self - referrals have risen. County fees for service also dropped by $300,000. These changes necessitated our researching the greatest unmet needs amongst at -risk teens in our locale and another service model to care for them. By connecting with state and local organizations and experts, it became clear the high number of runaway and homeless teens falling through the local safety net and the dearth of services available to support them. In September 2010, Attention Homes' board of directors approved a plan to offer a new program and increased services to homeless teens out of our Broadway Avenue home. In November our street outreach and day drop -in services opened; overnight shelter services commenced in December. In our first 12 months we expect to make thousands of street and drop -in contacts with youth and provide shelter to 50 -75 unduplicated teens. Our services are provided to youth at no cost. Current Programs: Attention Homes has two programs for at -risk youth: Runaway and Homeless Youth (RHY) and Adolescent Residential Care (ARC). Our RHY program is the only teen shelter in Boulder and Broomfield Counties. It provides street outreach, day drop -in and overnight emergency shelter services to homeless teens under the age of 18. The 3