Salida Regional Library: Kid's Connection

Addiction and Recovery for Teens

This past weekend, staff and eight students and graduates of Youth@Crossroads (Y@C) traveled to Glenwood Springs to visit a friend in "rehab" - the Youth Recovery Center (YRC) in Valley View Hospital. We took a tour of the YRC and learned that it is the only residential recovery center for teens in the state of Colorado. It offers a six-week program that fully addresses alcohol and drug addictions and explores the root causes on why teens use.

A number of the young adults that participate in Youth@Crossroads struggle with 'self-medicating" (using drugs and/or alcohol to "relax, calm down, or mellow out" in stressful situations) which leads them to incidents with law enforcement and place them the juvenile justice system. Using the "Project Towards No Drug Abuse" curriculum, Y@C students are encouraged to discuss the issues behind addictions, such as family issues, low self-esteem, depression, anger and the physical and emotional needs that aren't being met in their lives.

For teens that have made a "habit" of smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol on a regular basis, an addiction may creep up on them. Suddenly it is no longer a "recreational use" situation, the substance becomes the focus of their existence - one that they become physically and emotionally dependent on. That is when treatment is vital - teens should be able to seek help and recovery rather than being sent off to jail because they "can't stop" smoking or drinking.

After the educational tour of YRC, we went out to lunch with our friend - one of the residents - and current student of the Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) group (Level 2 Y@C) - back in Chaffee County. Then we visited the Hot Springs, where the teens were able to soak and play in the warm water. We headed home in the van provided by Neighbor to Neighbor - enlightened and refreshed.

--Patty LaTaille
Program Manager
Youth@Crossroads

25 school days left until summer

Glorious summer. Days of sun and freedom and play. As kids stream into the Boys & Girls Club this spring, you can feel the excited energy of summer increasing, as the days get longer and warmer. Yesterday, I think I could literally feel all the molecules in the Club facility vibrating at a higher frequency – the kids were wild.

But why shouldn’t they be just a little “wild”? I was recently reading some articles on play and play therapy, and was struck by the following passage: “The adult preference for more organized and purposeful activity has always been at odds with children’s greater tolerance for chaos and flexibility and their need to exercise their own decision-making powers. The rise of institutionalized, adult-dominated after-school programs, the over-scheduling of children’s free time and the increasing pressure on children to adopt the work ethic as (or even before) they begin elementary school have emerged as major social problems.” (Mark Powell, The Hidden Curriculum of Recess, Children, Youth and Environments 17(4), 2007).

While it is certainly our goal at the Boys & Girls Club to provide a structured, safe environment with intentional activities, targeting positive youth development outcomes, I think it is important we don’t lose sight of the power of free play and the importance of pure, unfettered FUN. We must leave space for children’s imaginative play, creative expression and laughter. Our Education Coordinator, Martha Asaph, recently shared the following story from a day-long session with a group of lower-grade children: “We had several large boxes which they turned into homes. We used props for food and money and created yards using wooden blocks. We created horses and people out of Hexabits and the youngest of the group became the much-cosseted pet rabbit, who hopped all day. Towards the end of the day, the story line - solely invented by the children - took on a fairy tale quality. The pet bunny’s tears gained a magical quality. The tears revivified the others when slain by the evil (and never seen) hunter.”

Free play is so valuable. As you can tell from the above snippet, Martha has an amazing gift for facilitating intentional and imaginative play with our children; I have been swept off of my feet by the magical worlds created by the children in her room on numerous occasions. They are constructed of cardboard boxes, wooden blocks, crayon drawings, puppets, and the ephemeral stuff of imagination and creative expression.

We adults like to talk about the “benefits” of play – how it aids in the development of language, abstract concepts, sensorimotor functions, problem-solving skills, and pro-social behavior. More importantly, we could talk about how free play allows children to construct an emotionally-safe place, with a protective distance, in which they can explore the issues of their lives and unburden themselves of the sometimes heavy loads they have been given to carry. Through play, children find their voice and tell their stories. But I will refrain from this adult blah-blah. It’s about fun. It’s about being a little bit “wild.” It’s about imagination and freedom. And I think that’s something all kids – and especially us adults – could use a little more of. So I am going outside to play – I’ll see you out there!

--Karen Weinsheimer
Program Director
Salida Boys & Girls Club.

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Although every day we should be aware and conscious of how alcohol affects our lives and the lives around us, April is a time that is dedicated to alcohol education. The negative effects of alcohol impact us all either directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is for our benefit that we become knowledgeable.

Over the decades, the average age when kids begin drinking gets younger and younger. Today, the average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. According to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21. Research shows that about 80 percent of adults receiving alcohol treatment said that they began to drink before the age of 18.

This is an alarming number that needs to be addressed. What does this mean to you? Prevention education must start in Middle School or even Elementary School. Parents need to teach their children resistance skills earlier than we ever thought necessary. Adults can role model by drinking more responsibly or with abstinence from alcohol. It is very important that parents do not give their children mixed messages by providing them with alcohol with the idea that they’ll have more control over their children’s drinking.

One in four children under the age of 18 is exposed to parental substance abuse. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholics themselves. This means adults have a greater impact on kids’ decisions than they may believe. Everything that a parent does the child learns from, positive and unfortunately negative.

Many people cannot make lifestyle changes on their own. Support groups provide positive role models, new friends who are learning to enjoy life free from substance use, people celebrating sober living, and a place to learn how to cope with stress and other relapse triggers.

Educational resources… Youth@Crossroads, Now You Know Campaign, Rocky Mountain Behavioral Health, Shavano Counseling Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Above the Influence, Free Vibe and much more.

--Pat Fiore
Program Coordinator
Youth@Crossroads

Finding the Joy in Small Things

There’s nothing quite like a group of pre-school kids getting ready for their swim lessons. All the parents show up with child in tow and big bags of swimming gear: swimsuit, towel, goggles, inflatable toys, animal robes, etc. The kids are a mixture of excited, happy, scared, and shy. My office has a window that opens out to the Salida Hot Springs Pool lobby and I get to watch the whole event unfold.

Parents ready their child, but not only in swimming attire; they also have to put them at ease. You can see that frantic look in the child’s eyes of being separated from mom or dad and going into the pool with someone new. The swim instructors stand by smiling and talking to the less shy ones, trying to help. The lobby is in a sort of loose chaos.

Then, finally, everyone is ready and off they go. Each instructor is followed by a small troop of tiny kids in bright bathing suits, a few last glances shot back at waving parents. Once the kids are in the water, you’d never know that they were nervous. Smiles, giggles, bubble-blowing, kicking, and splashing ensue for the next forty-five minutes.

The parents sit in the lobby and watch, visiting with friends. It’s a little tough to see all the way to the small, warm pool from where they are but you can tell they each know exactly where their child is at all times. It makes one wonder who was more nervous, the parent or child; however the laughter that you can hear is calming and the time flies.

The kids come back, this time trying not to run from excitement (No running on deck!), to their families to tell about all the fun things they just did. Now the lobby really is in chaos! Everyone is talking and trying to catch their child, dry them off, and get them dressed. The kids want to play, hug their instructors, hug their parents, and get back in the water! It’s quite a change, but the whole event brings smiles to everyone’s face.

I feel lucky to be able to witness this event as it just makes the rest of the day brighter. It makes me realize that there are so many little things kids do that bring joy to anyone who will take the time to notice. Kids can be such a bright spot in our day and I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate that. I hope you will do the same.

	Kid's Connection:
Addiction and Recovery for Teens This past weekend, staff and eight students and graduates of Youth@Crossroads (Y@C) traveled to Glenwood Springs to visit a friend in "rehab" - the Youth Recovery Center (YRC) in Valley View Hospital. We took a tour of the YRC and learned that it is the only residential recovery center for teens in the state of Colorado. It offers a six-week program that fully addresses alcohol and drug addictions and explores the root causes on why teens use. A number of the young adults that participate in Youth@Crossroads struggle with 'self-medicating" (using drugs and/or alcohol to "relax, calm down, or mellow out" in stressful situations) which leads them to incidents with law enforcement and place them the juvenile justice system. Using the "Project Towards No Drug Abuse" curriculum, Y@C students are encouraged to discuss the issues behind addictions, such as family issues, low self-esteem, depression, anger and the physical and emotional needs that aren't being met in their lives. For teens that have made a "habit" of smoking marijuana or drinking alcohol on a regular basis, an addiction may creep up on them. Suddenly it is no longer a "recreational use" situation, the substance becomes the focus of their existence - one that they become physically and emotionally dependent on. That is when treatment is vital - teens should be able to seek help and recovery rather than being sent off to jail because they "can't stop" smoking or drinking. After the educational tour of YRC, we went out to lunch with our friend - one of the residents - and current student of the Moral Reconation Therapy (MRT) group (Level 2 Y@C) - back in Chaffee County. Then we visited the Hot Springs, where the teens were able to soak and play in the warm water. We headed home in the van provided by Neighbor to Neighbor - enlightened and refreshed. --Patty LaTaille Program Manager Youth@Crossroads 25 school days left until summer Glorious summer. Days of sun and freedom and play. As kids stream into the Boys & Girls Club this spring, you can feel the excited energy of summer increasing, as the days get longer and warmer. Yesterday, I think I could literally feel all the molecules in the Club facility vibrating at a higher frequency – the kids were wild. But why shouldn’t they be just a little “wild”? I was recently reading some articles on play and play therapy, and was struck by the following passage: “The adult preference for more organized and purposeful activity has always been at odds with children’s greater tolerance for chaos and flexibility and their need to exercise their own decision-making powers. The rise of institutionalized, adult-dominated after-school programs, the over-scheduling of children’s free time and the increasing pressure on children to adopt the work ethic as (or even before) they begin elementary school have emerged as major social problems.” (Mark Powell, The Hidden Curriculum of Recess, Children, Youth and Environments 17(4), 2007). While it is certainly our goal at the Boys & Girls Club to provide a structured, safe environment with intentional activities, targeting positive youth development outcomes, I think it is important we don’t lose sight of the power of free play and the importance of pure, unfettered FUN. We must leave space for children’s imaginative play, creative expression and laughter. Our Education Coordinator, Martha Asaph, recently shared the following story from a day-long session with a group of lower-grade children: “We had several large boxes which they turned into homes. We used props for food and money and created yards using wooden blocks. We created horses and people out of Hexabits and the youngest of the group became the much-cosseted pet rabbit, who hopped all day. Towards the end of the day, the story line - solely invented by the children - took on a fairy tale quality. The pet bunny’s tears gained a magical quality. The tears revivified the others when slain by the evil (and never seen) hunter.” Free play is so valuable. As you can tell from the above snippet, Martha has an amazing gift for facilitating intentional and imaginative play with our children; I have been swept off of my feet by the magical worlds created by the children in her room on numerous occasions. They are constructed of cardboard boxes, wooden blocks, crayon drawings, puppets, and the ephemeral stuff of imagination and creative expression. We adults like to talk about the “benefits” of play – how it aids in the development of language, abstract concepts, sensorimotor functions, problem-solving skills, and pro-social behavior. More importantly, we could talk about how free play allows children to construct an emotionally-safe place, with a protective distance, in which they can explore the issues of their lives and unburden themselves of the sometimes heavy loads they have been given to carry. Through play, children find their voice and tell their stories. But I will refrain from this adult blah-blah. It’s about fun. It’s about being a little bit “wild.” It’s about imagination and freedom. And I think that’s something all kids – and especially us adults – could use a little more of. So I am going outside to play – I’ll see you out there! --Karen Weinsheimer Program Director Salida Boys & Girls Club. April is Alcohol Awareness Month Although every day we should be aware and conscious of how alcohol affects our lives and the lives around us, April is a time that is dedicated to alcohol education. The negative effects of alcohol impact us all either directly or indirectly. Therefore, it is for our benefit that we become knowledgeable. Over the decades, the average age when kids begin drinking gets younger and younger. Today, the average age when youth first try alcohol is 11 years for boys and 13 years for girls. According to research by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, adolescents who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to develop alcohol dependence than those who begin drinking at age 21. Research shows that about 80 percent of adults receiving alcohol treatment said that they began to drink before the age of 18. This is an alarming number that needs to be addressed. What does this mean to you? Prevention education must start in Middle School or even Elementary School. Parents need to teach their children resistance skills earlier than we ever thought necessary. Adults can role model by drinking more responsibly or with abstinence from alcohol. It is very important that parents do not give their children mixed messages by providing them with alcohol with the idea that they’ll have more control over their children’s drinking. One in four children under the age of 18 is exposed to parental substance abuse. Children of alcoholics are four times more likely to become alcoholics themselves. This means adults have a greater impact on kids’ decisions than they may believe. Everything that a parent does the child learns from, positive and unfortunately negative. Many people cannot make lifestyle changes on their own. Support groups provide positive role models, new friends who are learning to enjoy life free from substance use, people celebrating sober living, and a place to learn how to cope with stress and other relapse triggers. Educational resources… Youth@Crossroads, Now You Know Campaign, Rocky Mountain Behavioral Health, Shavano Counseling Services, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), Above the Influence, Free Vibe and much more. --Pat Fiore Program Coordinator Youth@Crossroads Finding the Joy in Small Things There’s nothing quite like a group of pre-school kids getting ready for their swim lessons. All the parents show up with child in tow and big bags of swimming gear: swimsuit, towel, goggles, inflatable toys, animal robes, etc. The kids are a mixture of excited, happy, scared, and shy. My office has a window that opens out to the Salida Hot Springs Pool lobby and I get to watch the whole event unfold. Parents ready their child, but not only in swimming attire; they also have to put them at ease. You can see that frantic look in the child’s eyes of being separated from mom or dad and going into the pool with someone new. The swim instructors stand by smiling and talking to the less shy ones, trying to help. The lobby is in a sort of loose chaos. Then, finally, everyone is ready and off they go. Each instructor is followed by a small troop of tiny kids in bright bathing suits, a few last glances shot back at waving parents. Once the kids are in the water, you’d never know that they were nervous. Smiles, giggles, bubble-blowing, kicking, and splashing ensue for the next forty-five minutes. The parents sit in the lobby and watch, visiting with friends. It’s a little tough to see all the way to the small, warm pool from where they are but you can tell they each know exactly where their child is at all times. It makes one wonder who was more nervous, the parent or child; however the laughter that you can hear is calming and the time flies. The kids come back, this time trying not to run from excitement (No running on deck!), to their families to tell about all the fun things they just did. Now the lobby really is in chaos! Everyone is talking and trying to catch their child, dry them off, and get them dressed. The kids want to play, hug their instructors, hug their parents, and get back in the water! It’s quite a change, but the whole event brings smiles to everyone’s face. I feel lucky to be able to witness this event as it just makes the rest of the day brighter. It makes me realize that there are so many little things kids do that bring joy to anyone who will take the time to notice. Kids can be such a bright spot in our day and I just wanted to take a moment to appreciate that. I hope you will do the same.

Kid's Connection:

Addiction and Recovery for Teens

25 school days left until summer

April is Alcohol Awareness Month

Finding the Joy in Small Things