“In early March, Vermont began to shut down due to the spread of the Coronavirus. The end of the school year was traumatic for our youth,” says Marelyn Segura of Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program. “Their families were stressed out and afraid…. and it was up to the children who speak some English to explain to their parents what was going on.”

“Many New Americans are coming from war zones and other dangerous situations and when they arrived here, they were hit with a pandemic in a language that they don’t know.” Marelyn says, “It has been very complicated and difficult for them—they had to stay inside all the time and they have no idea why.”

As Vermont began to shut down, Alison Segar, a social worker in Spectrum/Howard Center’s JOBS program, quickly realized many people in non-English speaking communities would need access to COVID-19 information in their native language. She partnered with Mohamed Jafar, who speaks Somali, to create the first in a series of over 400 videos about the pandemic.

Since that initial video, Alison and Mohamed have collaborated with 7 local organizations to create and disperse informational videos of trusted community leaders speaking about the pandemic in different languages: Spectrum’s Multicultural Youth Program staff, Howard Center, Association of Africans Living in Vermont (AALV), U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants Vermont (USCRI), the University of Vermont Medical Center, the Vermont Health Department and the Community Economic Development Office (CEDO) in Burlington.

The group is now known as the Vermont Multilingual Coronavirus Communication Task Force and the videos have covered many topics including specifics about the virus, staying safe, face mask protocols, testing and now vaccination information. Initially each video was released in more than a dozen language and now the ten core languages spoken in Chittenden County including Spanish, Swahili, Somali, Nepali and Vietnamese are produced. The videos have been released on YouTube with over 22,500 views and 166 channel subscribers, and the videos are shared via the member organizations and case managers. Sound files of the videos made are sent out to the Burlington and Winooski schools as well as BHA and are shared through their robo-call system.

Marelyn says that one youth told her that “her mother does not speak English and was completely confused why everyone was using masks. This young person was able to explain what the pandemic was through the videos—including the procedural videos about how and why to wear a mask when going outside.”

Not only have the videos been helpful to our youth and their families, but the Task Force learned how to communicate quickly with non-English speaking communities during crisis. As Alison points out, “Before this pandemic, there was an ongoing communication gap when it came to community or statewide issues between English-speaking and non-English speaking communities in Vermont. It is an issue of equity and now we’ve learned a lot about how to reach out effectively—I hope the work that we have done and the connections that were made will continue.”

The post Translating in a Crisis appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

The Winooski Restorative Justice for Multicultural Youth Project, launched in 2020, is a collaboration between the Winooski School District, Spectrum Youth and Family Services, UP for Learning, and the City of Winooski with funding from the Vermont Department of Children and Families and an anonymous donor. Tis monthly column will highlight the Restorative Justice work happening across the district among different groups. For more information please visit our website by clicking here.

A fundamental part of professional learning for restorative justice is providing staff members opportunities to experience and become comfortable with restorative justice circles. We’ve been offering voluntary district-wide weekly restorative justice circles for staff. Trough this approach, staff are able to become more familiar with how circles operate before they’re faced with facilitating one for students. Staff are given the option of being a participant or circle keeper. A circle keeper facilitates and poses questions for everyone in the circle to respond to. They’re responsible for maintaining the space and ensuring the mutually agreed upon circle agreements are adhered to. A circle keeper plays multiple roles, not only do they hold the role of facilitator, but they’re also a participant too. Circle keepers meet with the Restorative Justice Coordinator to review the circle script and discuss their experiences.

The WSD Wellness Coordinator Jaycie Puttlitz, described her experience as a circle keeper: “Our circle topics often tackle issues that can be hard for people to discuss. Sometimes the topic is deeply thought-provoking, sometimes it evokes an emotional response. What I have found, is that the structure and respect at the foundation of the circle gives everyone in it an equal voice. Participants can safely voice their thoughts without the fear of a negative response from others. I wanted to lead circles for our staff because I was curious if restorative practices could have a positive impact on staff wellness. These restorative practices have been particularly helpful for staff this year as they bear the stress and anxiety of working in a pandemic. Having a time and space to open up and connect with colleagues has been incredibly important to staff wellbeing. And, I believe that the more we practice these circles as a staff the better we will be able to support our students in becoming circle keepers in our classrooms and community.”

Behavior Interventionist Mohamed Diop said: “Circle keeping has been a great experience holding space for our WSD staff and administrators to come together, listen to each other, share their authentic perspectives and learn from one another in trusted bubbles through prompts, or topics of discussion that are designed to connect us as employees, foster Restorative Justice, or practice approaches to treat and serve our students better in our school district.”

ELL Teacher Jean Plasse said: “I’m really glad my coworkers encouraged me to be a circle keeper. It’s really been a powerful way for me to connect with other people. I enjoy helping and this makes me feel like I’m helping in a powerful way. It’s not just something else that I do; it’s an important part of my Wednesdays. It makes me feel empowered, heard and helpful. I like making space for others and listening to what they have to say. It feels right. I also really appreciate the structure.”

High School Math Teacher Luke Dorfman said: “Participating in the staff circles this year as a circle keeper has been a source of joy for me, especially in the midst of so much turbulence and stress that comes with teaching during a pandemic. Having a consistent time and space to connect with my colleagues — to hear about their experiences and emotions and to share my own — has helped me remain balanced and centered. I have valued the opportunity to facilitate these spaces as well, giving others a chance to find
connection and community too. My skills as a facilitator have strengthened over time, and I have a growing understanding of and appreciation for the indigenous practices at the heart of circles. I look forward to continuing to learn and grow moving forward.”

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Read below to learn more about the plan, process and timeline of the renovation over the next year and thank you for being part of our village of believers!

Creating Seamless Services for Spectrum Youth

The Drop-In Center provides hot meals, fresh clothes, showers, laundry, and one-on-one support to teens and young adults who are facing homelessness and other challenges.

Many of the youth we serve have a history of trauma and don’t trust adults. Our staff work hard to build trusting relationships with the youth who come into Drop-In. Often these youth don’t feel comfortable accessing our other programs with unfamiliar adults.

As Leslie Ferrer, Spectrum’s clinical director, recently said, “Many youth at Drop-In have been through a lot—they may have been abused, went through foster care, lived with dysfunctional families, etc. Drop-In is often the only place where they truly feel safe. Walking to another building for other services can be really hard for them. Having youth meet counselors in a space where they already feel safe is the best way to begin to address issues of trauma, depression, anxiety, and substance use.”

The Vault

The vault is a large, unused, windowless room (the size of a racquetball court) behind the Drop-In Center. Before Spectrum, it was used to store furs.

We would like to turn the empty vault into usable space for counselors, case managers, tutors and mentors to meet with youth that come to the Drop-In Center. The vault will yield two floors of usable space, totaling 1,500 square feet.

The Renovation

The renovation will take about four months and be completed in two stages, so that the disruption to youth and staff is minimal. Renovating the Drop-In Center and vault will:

• Convert the Vault into two floors and 1500 square feet of useable space for counselors, mentors, case managers, and tutors to meet one-on-one with youth.
• Expand and relocate the kitchen to make it easier to serve meals for 20-35 people. (Right now, our kitchen is like one you’d find in a small apartment and cooking for so many is a challenge).
• Add a computer library separate from the main room so youth can focus while they work.
• Give youth a bigger range of options for how to use the space based on how they are feeling that day, such as sitting in a window with a friend, chatting in a group, playing a game at a table, or even cozying up in the quiet nook.
• Make sure the Drop-In Center’s doors are open for youth who need help this year.

Renovating the Drop-In space will create more room for youth, along with a larger kitchen, an additional shower, a library, a quiet nook, and a meeting room. The vault renovation will create meeting spaces for our mental health counselors, life skills coaches, and tutors to meet with youth.

How YOU Can Give

You can make the Drop-In Center more welcoming and warm for youth when they walk through that door—all while making sure our kids get all of the help they need where they feel safest. Will you help make the path a little easier for our youth by making a gift today?

You can give online here AND if you give before December 31st, 2019, your gift will be doubled by a group of generous donors that have pledged to match donations.

Questions?

Contact Sarah Woodard, Director of Development, at  swoodard@spectrumvt.org or (802) 864-7423 x350

The post Renovation of the Drop-In Center and Vault 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.

Here is a recent letter from Mark Redmond, our executive director, on his experience visiting Detail Works, our social enterprise that teaches youth the soft skills they need to be successful in the workplace.

Last summer I ran into a young woman in our counseling waiting room who works for Detail Works, our social enterprise that teaches youth the soft skills they need to be successful.

Her name was Ariel. I asked how things were going and she said enthusiastically, “I just got promoted! I’ve never been promoted in my whole life!” She was beaming.

A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by the shop to check in with the youth staff there. These are just a few of the things they told me:

“Without this program I’d be pretty broke. Because I would go to another fast food
restaurant and work there and it would suck.”

“It’s really helping me be able to manage people better. I’m learning different ways to approach people and asking them to do stuff, but in ways that help them meet their needs too.”

And when I asked why customers should bring their cars to us:

“Because we actually try. We care about the car and try to make sure it actually looks nice. I mean we take care of it and we actually make it look a billion times nicer.”

“We put our heart into it. We try our best and we all work together to push out a great product. There’s a lot of love around here.”

If you’d like to give our youth—and your car—a fresh start, you can book an appointment online here. In the meantime, Ariel said it best:

“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 It’s All in the Details 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.

Recently, Jack Thurston of NECN visited Detail Works, our new social enterprise. Detail Works is a deluxe car detailing shop that gives job skills and life skills to our youth and empowers them to practice having a job in a supportive environment.

Jack spoke with Charles, one young person who was homeless before he came to live in our supportive housing. Without Spectrum, Charles said, “I don’t think I’d be anywhere at this point.”

It’s thanks to the generous support of community members like you that Charles and other young people find supportive employment at Detail Works.

The post Cleaning Cars, Transforming Lives appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

Emma Michalowski has been working as an intern in our supported housing programs since August 2016. She’s a senior at Champlain College working toward her BS in psychology with a minor in global studies. She’s interested in both mental health counseling and global mental health.

Emma researched and created an ongoing life-skills training program for youth in our emergency shelter, The Landing, and our transitional housing. Here are her reflections:

As part of my senior capstone project, I developed a life skills training program for the youth in Spectrum’s supported housing.

The Game of Life helped youth practice their money management skills. Individuals were given a set income from which they created a monthly budget that included everything they needed or wanted. These costs included housing and utilities, Internet access, insurance and transportation, and clothing, as well as non-necessity items such as a new television, a pet, and any entertainment costs.

Each youth had to spin the Wheel of Fortune/Doom to see what surprise financial event they had to incorporate in their planning. The results were either beneficial, like a birthday present, which added $10/month, or detrimental, such as having one’s hours cut, which subtracted $250/month. Some of these events could’ve been avoided by purchasing various insurance policies, just like in real life!

After the completing their budget sheet, each youth sat with a credit counselor to discuss how their budgeting went. For individuals who went over budget, they discussed the difference between what they need and what they want, and what motivated them to make their decisions. Then, they returned to the game and adjusted their budgets. Once a participant completed their monthly worksheet without going over budget, they discussed options for utilizing their remaining money to achieve their financial goals.

Many youth reflected that it helped them to think about their money in a different way. One young woman said she didn’t realize how hard it was to live independently and that the Game of Life really opened her eyes to what this entailed. Another participant said he realized his lifestyle would be really affordable if only he didn’t buy fast food and video games as often. These anecdotes are just a few of the success stories from the Game of Life. It was a fun, interactive event that gave youth at Spectrum new ideas about using their money wisely.

Another part of the program was a cooking segment, which I created to teach not only cooking skills and safety, but also for youth to practice creativity and working in teams using cooperation and effective communication.

It was also designed to show the youth they can cook healthy, fresh meals for a lower cost than buying pre-prepared food. The event was set up somewhat like the television show, “Chopped,” in that the participants were given two required ingredients, chicken and a vegetable, as well as a ‘pantry’ of items that contained various food ingredients like pasta, rice, onions, and garlic.

Youth said they had fun during the event and most of them stated they learned something new, especially in The Landing. At one house, youth learned about eating kosher from one of the other residents, and at another house, youth made four different meals so that everyone’s food restrictions (vegetarian, gluten intolerance, and a low-cholesterol diet) were addressed, so all youth could eat together.

Thank you, Emma, for working with our youth over the past year! Congratulations on your upcoming graduation.

The post The Game of Life appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

With your help, Kayla—once without a home of her own—builds her future.

When she was 8, Kayla went to the police and asked them to put her in foster care.

Her mom had made a habit of leaving her alone for days at a time, with no food and no one to look after her. And when she was home, she regularly beat little Kayla.

“It was almost like a hobby for her,” says Kayla. “I was so scared in that house alone, and when she came home, she was super abusive. It was just awful.”

And, her father was in and out of prison. “My dad is the most kindhearted man in the world. He’s got such a good soul. But he has been an alcoholic since he was a kid.”

She thought that putting herself in state custody would give her parents a wake-up call. “They wouldn’t want me to be in a foster home, so what else would they do besides get it together? You know, stop drinking, stop using drugs, stop leaving me. I just thought it would get better.”

Instead, Kayla bounced from home to home to home—at one, the parents treated her so badly that Kayla’s case manager intervened and they lost their license. Once a star student, she fell behind after switching schools again and again.

Finally, when Kayla was in 8th grade, a room opened up in her aunt’s house, and she became a certified foster parent to take Kayla in—the mother that Kayla had never had. “If I didn’t move in with her, I don’t know what I’d be doing right now. It’s a really scary thought.”

Support to build on, thanks to you.

In high school, Kayla’s case manager referred her to Amanda at our Youth Development Program, which helps youth aging out of state custody transition to adulthood. “I remember the initial meeting, when she told me all the things she could help me with.”

“That was the first time anybody had talked to me about college.”

“I thought, ‘This is my opportunity to branch out and even lead myself.’ My whole time in care had proven that I couldn’t rely on my parents to bounce back and give me a solid life or at least a fair chance at being successful.”

Thanks to your support, Kayla began to plan for college. But in her senior year, her boyfriend of three years suddenly died. In her grief, her grades slipped, she struggled to stay in school, and college seemed like a far-off dream.

She wasn’t sure what to do until Amanda suggested our independent living program, which helps foster kids learn to live on their own. We do many of the things a parent might—like coaching, and helping to pay for books, a computer, or rent.

With your support, a home of her own.

Kayla moved out of her aunt’s house and slowly began to build a life—a home—for herself. She got a job, and eventually started taking classes at Community College of Vermont. Thanks to you, Amanda was always by her side, helping her when her laptop failed in the middle of exams, or covering part of her rent when her hours at work fell through.

“I wasn’t used to that, but it really showed how she saw my priorities as her own. I’ve never really had anywhere else to go. She would do anything she could help me to live independently.”

Next, Kayla transferred to the University of Vermont and got an undergraduate degree in social work. Today, she works for one of the family courts, often witnessing cases that are so similar to her own.

Her dream, if she can find a way to pay for it? To go back to school for public policy, focusing on child welfare. “I can’t see myself doing anything else.”

She also tries to give back to the organizations that helped her. “It’s hard to explain how that extra help pushed me through whatever I was going through. It’s helped me be successful with my goals.”

“You guys were with me for a very long time.”

This article first appeared in the Spring 2017 edition of the Spectrum Sun, a print newsletter. Read the full newsletter here.

The post Finding Home appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.

“I’m always confident when I team with Danni that her young adults will not only be served well—but served with the utmost respect and dignity. She’s an all-star.” – Amanda Moore, Social Worker, South Burlington High School

Danni Pratt, one of our JOBS Clinicians, received the Promising Professional award at the KidSafe Outstanding Service Awards on April 28th, 2016.

Danni has been working in the JOBS program for over three years. With your support, Danni utilizes her skills, instinct, and caring practice to help young adults successfully transition to adulthood. Danni builds solid, trusting relationships that make her clients feel empowered and capable.

At the KidSafe luncheon, Danni’s supervisor, Gina D’Ambrosio, Coordinator of the JOBS program, offered these kind words:

“I’m so thrilled and honored to have this opportunity to recognize the amazing work of Danni Pratt. Her commitment, hard work, professionalism, and amazing skills have made an impact on many young lives. She gets the complexities of navigating the world for the adolescents she serves, who are remarkable despite the challenges and obstacles they face. In trying to capture how much of an impact she had made, I fell short of finding the right words to articulate her work. So I decided to ask her clients.”

With your support, these clients are getting help from Danni to turn their lives around:

“Danni has been very fun to work with. She is always flexible to meet, whether it is in person or over the phone. She has helped me with anything from finding a job to just having an open ear when I need to talk. She has also helped me find some other supports through Spectrum counseling. If it was not for Danni, I would probably not have the current job that I have and also some of the other supports that I have. I always look forward to meeting with Danni every week and she helps to keep me on track with my goals.”
– JOBS client

“Danni was super, super kind to me. We went out for coffee which was awesome. She helped me do a job shadow at Petra Cliffs, and with her help that turned into my first job. She was awesome.”
– former JOBS client

Congratulations, Danni!

“Danni really was a big help for me . . . I could actually count on her.” – former JOBS client

The JOBS program is a collaboration with the Howard Center, Spectrum Youth & Family Services, and VocRehab Vermont. JOBS helps youth, ages 14-26, with multiple barriers, to find and keep employment, to understand and utilize resources, and to learn and build skills needed for successful independence.

The post “I could actually count on her.” appeared first on Spectrum Youth & Family Services.