To Whom It May Concern: 

I am writing regarding the present condition of Vermont’s substance abuse treatment system of care. 

Vermont’s present model is funded via an “episodic rate,” which often results in short-term stays (14-17 days) at the highest level of care in one of two primary High-Intensity Residentials:  Valley Vista or Serenity House.  While low-intensity residential treatment is available, individuals are often discharged to their communities for treatment in their home geographic area, usually with options that range from living at a Sober Home and outpatient care, recovery supports at the local Turning Point Center, or both. 

This unfortunately places them back with the very people, places and things which fed their addiction to begin with.  Relapse is almost a certainty, and they are eventually sent back for another 14-17 day stay at a High-Intensity Residential. 

This is what is called a Wash-Rinse-Repeat cycle, and we are doing exactly that in Vermont. The system we have in place may have worked somewhat well when we were in a Heroin crisis.  But we are in a Fentanyl/Xylazine crisis, which is very different and requires a different approach. 

As the executive director of Spectrum Youth and Family Services, one of our main programs is the provision of outpatient counseling for those suffering from mental health and/or substance use disorders.  Eighteen months ago, I started meeting with judges, staff from Probation and Parole, and with providers from treatment programs such as Jenna’s Promise.  We were all reporting seeing the sad, same phenomenon.  We did our research and learned that other states, including nearby New Hampshire, have a much longer and more comprehensive system for treating those suffering from substance use disorder.  We learned that we are missing that “middle piece,” that part of treatment that links an individual from a Valley Vista/Serenity House, to at least 30 days of coordinated care, and then refers people to the Sober Homes and Turning Point Centers which are, in fact, an indispensable component of treatment.    

Creating this “middle piece” is supported by the scientific literature which states that the longer an individual is drug-free and has an opportunity to practice sobriety, the more likely he or she will engage in a sustainable, sober lifestyle. 

It also makes financial sense for our taxpayers.  The High-Intensity Residential is the most expensive component of the system of care.  By treating an individual there for 14-17 days, sending them into the community, having them quickly relapse, and end back up at that Residential, this Wash-Rinse-Repeat cycle is costing the taxpayer dearly.  It makes far more sense dollar-wise to continue to keep individuals in the system of care longer where the likelihood of their staying sober increases, and the cost to the taxpayer is less. 

Another factor to consider is that under our present system, some of these individuals are relapsing and then becoming homeless and ending up in hotels and shelters, all of which are expensive.  Some become involved in crime, at the cost of public safety and with a fiscal cost as well.  The fact is that a person who is stable in their recovery is much more likely to obtain and maintain employment and secure permanent housing. 

It took our group over a year, but we convinced the Scott administration to include funding for this “middle piece” in the Governor’s recommended budget.  The administration has done so, proposing $1.5M which will create 15 beds.   

It is now up to the Vermont Legislature to decide whether or not to proceed with this plan, and I am imploring them to do so.  It would be nothing less than tragic to remove this money from the budget for some other purpose.  We cannot wait for another biennium to address this issue.  People are dying from overdoses of Fentanyl and Xylazine now.  We need to catch up to the science and to what other states are doing.  Vermont was not long ago the standard for the nation in terms of the provision of Medically Assisted Treatment, and the Hub-and-Spoke model, for the treatment of heroin addiction.  But this is a different time, with much more dangerous drugs, requiring a different approach.   

I am asking the Vermont Legislature to do the right thing and move ahead with the administration’s proposal.  This has nothing to do with left versus right politics.  It has to do with science, saving money , and, most importantly, saving lives. 

Sincerely 

Mark Redmond 
Executive Director 

The post A Letter to the Legislature: Vermont’s Substance Abuse Treatment System of Care appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Published: Nov. 28, 2023 at 5:57 AM EST

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – As temperatures drop across our region, more people experiencing homelessness are looking for shelter, including Vermont’s youth.

Burlington-based Spectrum Youth and Family Services says they’ve worked with 1,434 youth this year, a 12% increase from 2022. Officials at Spectrum estimate around 50 youth are homeless and say their shelter is at capacity.

“We’re handing out tents and sleeping bags as fast as we get them in, which is something that we never had to do in the past,” said Will Towne with Spectrum.

Towne says the nonprofit is busier than ever. Their 26-bed shelter is full as are most other shelters in the Burlington area. They’re now working on other options to keep people ages 12 to 26 out of the cold.

“We’re working to try to get our winter warming shelter open and this year, hopefully, we will be able to keep that running year-round,” said Towne.

But without staffing, the 10-bed shelter isn’t running yet.

Marc Redmond with Spectrum says not being able to have a home can take a toll on the mental health of homeless young people. They plan on providing more mental health support, going from 4 to 12 licensed mental health counselors in three years. At one point they had 90 people on their wait list for services.

“It’s down to about nine now; we want it to be zero. But I think it shows the extent even though we keep expanding and adding mental health staff, the extent of the mental health difficulty young people are experiencing,” said Redmond.

An increase in homeless young people isn’t only a problem in Vermont’s most populated county.

“We definitely saw an influx of folks in that age range coming in, especially into the hotel program, the GA emergency shelter program,” Kim Anetsberger said.

Kim Anetsberger and Sherry Marcellino of the Lamoille Community House in Hyde Park say they went from a seasonal night shelter to a seasonal 24-hour shelter due to demand around the pandemic. Their shelter of 12 beds is at capacity, too. They say the county has around 70-80 people experiencing homelessness right now with roughly 30% of them being 18 to 24 years old.

“Their needs are different in the fact that they may not have the same history with homelessness just given their age. They may not have a treatment history, so it might be harder for them to get into services,” said Marcellino.

They say they often notice these young people are coming out of the Vermont Department for Children and Families, have developmental disabilities or struggle with mental illness.

“They’re graduating from the children’s world into the adult world and the bridges are just not strong enough to bring them in,” said Marcellino.

The new Lamoille Community House is opening a new 365-day-a-year shelter. It will be in Hyde Park housing 21 people, and is under construction now.

Copyright 2023 WCAX. All rights reserved.

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In response to the growing mental health crisis among teens and young adults, Spectrum doubled the size of its counseling staff in the fall of 2021, thanks to support from our generous donors. This was great news – shrinking our waitlist from 80 to 13.

But these new additions to our staff created a new problem: we were running out of space! In order to house all of these counselors, we rented additional space, making training and clinical support difficult.

So, with the help of donors like you, we were able to purchase an entire floor of an office building on Pine Street in August. Renovations began shortly after and the new Riverstone Counseling offices opened to clients on June 1^st! The space is home to 12 full time counselors and 4 masters-level interns.

Our counselors work with clients facing both mental health and substance use issues.

We work with teenagers, young adults, and their families to empower them to make positive and lasting change in their lives.

This new space allows us to better serve our current clients and there is also room to grow in the future.

Special thanks to many anonymous donors and to Northfield Savings Bank and Northfield Savings Bank Foundation, National Life Group Foundation, the United Way of Northwest Vermont, the Hickok & Boardman Capital Management Charitable Endowment, Champlain Investment Partners, and Vermont Precision Tools for their support of the program and/or the building renovation.

Special thanks also to Vermont Federal Credit Union for selling us the space, and Smith Buckley Architects, Office Environments, Sammel Group and JA Morrissey for their help in making it a beautiful space.

The post Riverstone Counseling Moves to New Location! appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Vermont is facing a mental healthcare crisis for youth. To help, in 2022, Riverstone Counseling doubled in size and had outgrown the counseling space at our 31 Elmwood office.  

After months of searching for a new office location, we found the perfect spot at 84 Pine Street. We are so excited to share that we began construction on January 3, 2023, and plan to move in April 2023. Thank you to all our donors and community partners for helping make this new space a reality.  Here are some photos of the new space for our Riverstone Counseling program. To learn more about our counseling program click here.

The post Construction Begins on New Counseling Space  appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“I can honestly say that I don’t know where I would be now if it weren’t for Spectrum welcoming me with open arms when no one else would.”

Spectrum youth are some of the most resilient people we’ve ever met. Whether they’re transitioning to adulthood after living in foster care, or pushing to get through school in a foreign language, or trying to overcome a childhood of trauma, they are determined to build a life for themselves.

What they need is someone to help them figure out what their goals are, to offer a friendly ear no matter what, and to let them dream big. And all of that was made possible this year because of our incredible community of donors, volunteers, and mentors. Below is an overview of what was accomplished because of your support. Thank you from all of our hearts, to yours. You can find a PDF version of the annual report here.

Basic Needs & Stable Homes

The Drop-In Center and Supported Housing programs were open for teenagers and young adults who needed a hot meal, clean clothes, a shower, or a place to sleep.

What’s new: A steady stream of federal and state funding cuts in recent years means that more and more, we rely on the generosity of people like you to keep our doors open. In 2018, 33% of the funding for our housing programs came from you, our donors. This year, that percentage rose to 48%, and in 2020, we expect it to be 59%. Thanks to you, we know we’ll be here for the next youth who needs help.

From the left: The Winter Warming Shelter. A group meeting at the Landing (short-term housing). A youth room at the Landing.

260 youth served at the Drop-In Center

33 youth served at the Winter Warming Shelter

50 youth served at the Landing (short-term transitional housing)

37 youth served through the Transitional Housing Program

Life & Survival Skills

This year, teenagers and young adults learned how to find and keep a job, get into and pay for school, budget for an apartment, and other critical life skills.

What’s new: Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program set up a Help Desk in the libraries of Burlington and Winooski High Schools to help multicultural youth with anything from tutoring, to driver’s ed, to preparing for life after high school. The Help Desks were staffed with assistance from our partners: the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants and Burlington’s Community Economic Development Office.

From the left: Youth staff at Detail Works, working with head detailer, Jasmine Wood. Yuol Herjok Yuol, Multicultural Youth Program outreach coordinator, speaking with senior Halima Said at Winooski High School’s Help Desk.

160 youth served through the Youth Development Program

112 youth served through Jump on Board for Success

283 youth served through the Multicultural Youth Program

14 youth served through Detail Works

Prevention & Intervention

Every day, teenagers and young adults are working through substance use and mental
health challenges with our therapists, befriending positive adult role models in our mentoring program, and practicing self-care through the health clinic housed in our building.

Spectrum mentors and mentees at ECHO Lake & Aquarium Center’s Community Science Night.

What’s new: In January 2019, the Vermont Department of Children and Families asked us to launch a new program called Compass, which works with youth who are at risk of going into foster care, becoming involved with the justice system, or otherwise facing a crisis. We offer intensive support to both the youth and the family to help them get their lives back on track.

319 youth served through Riverstone Counseling

106 youth served through Mentoring

794 youth served through the Pearl Street Youth Clinic

Thanks to all of the donors, volunteers and mentors that have supported Spectrum youth. It is because of you that they thrive. As one youth recently said,

“I’m so grateful. I’m so grateful for your donation. Thank you so much for giving me an opportunity to have a good life, a better life that I want.”

The post A year of “you-are-not-alone” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Happy Valentine’s Day, from all of us at Spectrum. Today and every day, we are so grateful that people like you open your hearts to our youth, to make sure they have a safe place to be, a supportive community, and the help they need to thrive.

Thank you for keeping our youth in your heart.

With love and gratitude,
The Spectrum Team

The post Thank you for keeping our youth in your heart. appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Kristen, our Riverstone Counseling program manager, shares some tips for addressing the holiday blues:

The holidays are often touted as being a joyful time with family and friends. However, this is not always the case. Between juggling obligations, difficult family dynamics, unhappy memories, or simply changes to our sleep schedule or diet; increased anxiety and a depressed mood are common around the holidays.

However, this doesn’t mean you have to forgo the holidays altogether!

Here are some tips to try if you are feeling the holiday blues:

• Practice gratitude, finding ways to be thankful for what you do have.
• Try to maintain a healthy diet and exercise during the holidays.
• Reach out and spend time with supportive family and friends.
• Don’t play the “should” game. Try to not feel that your holiday “should” be a certain way, because this can just add more pressure during the holidays.
• Don’t overschedule and tire yourself. Remember to try and relax and get enough sleep every night.
• Try to maintain daily routines.
• Make a list of things you enjoy doing that can help you relax, such as listening to music, spending time outside, meditating, or watching your favorite Netflix show!

Family members can also help their loved ones through a difficult holiday season by keeping these ideas in mind. Try to be supportive, patient, and understanding, and offer your loved ones the space and support to practice the self-care they need.

What works for you? Share your ideas for self-care in the comments.

To learn more about Riverstone Counseling, or to request an appointment, click here.

The post Tips for the Holiday Blues appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Kristen, right, is Riverstone Counseling’s program manager.

Here’s the scene: a teenager is using drugs or alcohol. They get caught. They’re sent—by their parents or school, or by a court—to treatment, which can be an outpatient counseling program like Riverstone. Often, parents and schools want to see drug-free kids, but this abstinence-only model isn’t proven to be successful.

“It usually leads to the youth blowing out of our sessions without making change, fighting it, or faking it, without actual change happening,” says Counseling Program Manager Kristen Vogel. “When we hammer away the abstinence message, we’re missing something.”

Another Approach:

“People are often more likely to change when they realize they’ll feel better as a result of that change. Instead of trying to convince youth to stop using, we help them uncover why they’re using, and help them find different ways of coping with those problems.”

At Riverstone Counseling, we’re using a treatment model called the Seven Challenges. Backed by the Vermont Department of Health, this evidence-based practice helps youth look at their substance use in a thoughtful and honest way.

“Instead of trying to convince youth to stop using, we help them uncover why they’re using, and help them find different ways of coping with those problems.”

“A teenager’s job is figuring out who they are in their own identity,” says Kristen. “They’re going to come in with their own awareness of their life, and their own idea of what to talk about.”

When a young person is at the center of their own treatment process, they are learning how to make positive, healthy decisions for themselves.

“At Riverstone, we build a relationship between teenager and counselor to help the young person think thoughtfully about their drug use and how it plays out, and start to make better decisions for their future.”

To work through that process, our counselors use the Seven Challenges model. Plus, all of our staff have been trained on the treatment, so that youth who access other Spectrum programs see the Seven Challenges in those spaces, too.

At the Riverstone offices in downtown Burlington.

The Seven Challenges:

This treatment model comes from an understanding of youth development, especially brain development, that supports youth to develop problem-solving skills, constructive thoughts about their futures, and an understanding of how their substance use choices affect both of these. It is a health decision-making model that challenges youth to consider the health impacts of their substance use choices, and it helps them develop lifelong skills in making health choices.

For our clinicians, the honesty and trust built through using this treatment model are nothing new. As Kristen put it, “we’ve always been client-centered. We’re each forming strong, positive relationships with young people. We are accepting them for who they are at that moment, making room to build trust in a safe and non-judgmental space, and from there, helping them explore the potential changes they may want to make in their lives. Relationships—what we call strong therapeutic alliances—are really the groundwork for successful counseling.”

But is it effective? Our counselors say a resounding “yes.”

“The process isn’t forced,” adds Kristen. “It resonates with teens because they feel empowered in their sessions, they are the ones taking the lead, and we support them in making progress toward a change they’ve chosen for themselves.”

“We build a relationship to help the young person make better decisions for themselves and their future.”

The Seven Challenges complements our counseling practice, which is aligned with our clients and encouraging of family involvement. “The basis of the challenges is honesty,” says Kristen.

And honesty is the basis of our treatment at Riverstone: “we need all of our clients to be honest about what’s going on and to really understand that we want them to feel safe.” In this way, the Seven Challenges framework is helpful for any person who walks through our doors.

To learn more about Riverstone Counseling, or to make an appointment, call (802) 864-7423 x310.

The post Making Healthy Decisions: the Seven Challenges appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

From left, Riverstone counseling staff: Sunnie Lobdell, Kristen Vogel, Leslie Ferrer, and Will Kraman.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Spectrum Expands to Include New Riverstone Youth Counseling Program
Nationally Recognized Leader in Youth and Adult Services Launches New Service

BURLINGTON, VT (August 25th, 2017) – Spectrum Youth & Family Services, a nationally recognized nonprofit providing youth and adult services to the Burlington area, today announces the addition of a new counseling program: Riverstone Counseling. This new branch of Spectrum specializes in working with teenagers, young adults, and their families, to help youth identify and work with their strengths to help achieve their goals.

Since 1970, Spectrum has been an integral part of the Burlington community by supporting thousands of children and families faced with homelessness, mental health issues, violence, substance abuse and countless other critical issues.

Through services like mentoring, skills programs, supportive housing, multicultural youth programs, a health center, and more, Spectrum has helped to make sustainable, positive changes within the community.

The addition of Riverstone adds a youth-focused counseling program to Spectrum’s wide range of services.

Open to the public, Riverstone counselors are trained clinical mental health/social workers and substance abuse counselors who focus on a client-centered approach to help teenagers and young adults work through and overcome mental health and substance use issues.

Riverstone counselors specialize in helping clients with mental health and substance use issues using cognitive behavioral therapy, EMDR for trauma, narrative therapy and other proven treatments.

“The goal of Riverstone Counseling is to be a mental health resource for our entire Chittenden County community, not just clients being served in other Spectrum programs,” said Sarah Woodard, Director of Development and Communications at Spectrum. “The addition of Riverstone adds another level of specialization and focus to Spectrum’s current services and allows us to provide personalized one-on-one counseling support to youth in our community who could benefit from counseling. The team at Riverstone is skilled in working with youth and young adults in crisis, trauma, or those who just would benefit from a therapeutic relationship.”

For more information about Riverstone Counseling, please visit: www.riverstonecounseling.org.

To make an appointment, email hello@riverstonecounseling.org, or call (802) 864-7423 x310.

The post Spectrum Expands to Include New Riverstone Youth Counseling Program appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“I myself feel very guilty and a failure as parent because I knew this could happen to him. I talked to him about it several times…” she wrote. “But talking and a good family weren’t enough.”

You can read Mark’s response in the Washington Post here. And let us know your thoughts.

If you know a young person 12-30 who needs help with their addiction, our counselors can help. Call (802) 864-7423 x310 or click here to make an appointment.

The post The words you never want to hear a parent say appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.