Youth Services

709 Mission Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
241 E. Lake, Watsonville, CA 95076
tel 831.429.8350/ 831.728.2227
fax 831.425.1526/ 831.728.3629
http://www.scccc.org/ys/index.html

YOUTH SERVICES is an adolescent and family counseling agency helping Santa Cruz County youth and families find positive solutions to the wide range of challenges that sometimes arise in adolescence. Our staff provides support and guidance for young people and families faced with difficulties related to school, family conflicts, substance use, homelessness, emotional turmoil, as well as Juvenile Justice involvement. It is our experience that problems are resolved most quickly and to the best satisfaction of both parents and youth when the whole family participates in the solutions. Our services reflect the culture, gender, age and level of risk of the youth at issue. Counseling strategies are personalized according to the individual needs of youth and families and are designed to enhance the strengths and assets inherent in every family.

Sliding scale fees. Medi-Cal, Healthy Families and Healthy Kids insurance accepted in many of our programs.

24-Hour Help Line
Experienced counselors are available by phone to provide personalized support, guidance and referral for teens and parents in immediate crisis.

General Counseling Services
We offer regular counseling appointments to teens and parents facing the natural challenges that often occur as adolescents make the transition from childhood to maturity. Counselors use a family systems approach in supporting youth and parents in meeting the academic, social, emotional and family challenges that often arise during adolescence.

Crisis appointments also available.

Temporary Shelter
Runaway and homeless youth are provided up to 14 days of temporary shelter with a host home family. Respite for parents and teens is also available. Reunification and additional counseling support are provided as needed. Overnight fee for respites.

Parent Support Groups
Facilitated by experienced counselors, weekly drop-in support groups are held in Santa Cruz and Watsonville to support parents struggling with social, emotional, acculturation and parenting challenges. El Comite promotes family communication and drug and gang awareness for Spanish speaking parents in Watsonville. This program provides education and support to families coping with the unique challenges of acculturation.

Substance Abuse Education/Assessment Services
Substance abuse education and support programs help youth explore the thinking and behavior that contribute to substance abuse. An eight-week group provides education and intervention strategies with individual and family counseling services. All youth with a substance use issue, ages 12-17 qualify, free of charge.

Comprehensive mental health, substance abuse assessments are also available to help develop appropriate education, intervention and treatment strategies. Sliding-scale fee.

Clean & Sober Schools
Our combined junior high/high schools, Youth Experiencing Success (YES) in Santa Cruz and Escuela Quetzal in Watsonville, provide sobriety-seeking teens with the information, skills and support necessary for establishing and maintaining a clean and sober lifestyle. Operated in collaboration with the County Office of Education (COE) and Children’s Mental Health, both fully accredited schools provide academic course work geared toward high school graduation. Students are expected to actively participate in all classroom activities and attend counseling groups as a core part of the school day. Afternoon classrooms at both sites are available for teens still struggling with the challenges of making a long-term commitment to sobriety.

Tyler House is a co-educational therapeutic residential program that provides substance abuse treatment for adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17. We provide teens and families’ support and guidance to intervene in the cycle of addiction and create a foundation for on-going sobriety. Residents attend Escuela Quetzal clean and sober school Los Puentes counselors provide aftercare support to former residents of Tyler House to help them in their transition from residential treatment back to their communities.

Collaborative Programs Supporting Probation Youth
Referrals from Juvenile Probation and Children’s Mental Health allow our Vision Program counselors to provide field-based prevention, counseling and intervention services for probation youth and their families. These services allow youth to make positive, healthy choices and to complete their probation. Our OASIS Program staff provide supportive services for youth on home supervision or an electronic ankle monitor.

Prevention Activities
Education and outreach support services are provided at the Watsonville Youth Center and other Watsonville locations to youth 8-17 years old. Our Pajaritos Program uses a curriculum organized around substance abuse and gang involvement prevention.

Supporting Homeless Youth
Families In Transition Inc. (FIT) is a non-profit agency providing housing assistance and case management services to homeless families with children. Our Families In Transition counselors collaborate with FIT to provide supportive counseling to the children on FIT's caseload. These services support children's success and family stability. An additional Youth Services counselor provides supportive services to youth who are homeless or at risk of being homeless at COE’s Students In Transition Program based at the Vista School in Santa Cruz.

Supporting Foster Youth
Our Crossroads Group Home is a crisis/shelter for Child Protective Services (CPS) involved youth who are in crisis or between placements. This enhanced placement option for youth 12-17, provides 90 days for stabilization, assessment and mental health services while CPS locates a long-term foster family placement.

School-Based Counseling
Youth Services Counselors are on-site at five San Lorenzo Valley schools, Scotts Valley High, Harbor High, Coastanoa Community School, Watsonville Community School, Luna Park Academy and New School. Counselors provide support to students referred by teachers who are struggling with a variety of issues. These services are supported by collaborations with the Unified School Districts of the San Lorenzo Valley, Scotts Valley, Santa Cruz City and the Pajaro Valley plus the County Office of Education.

STRANGE
is a youth driven program for Transgender, Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay, Intersex, Queer and Questioning youth (TBLGIQQ) ages 14-23 and their allies. They provide supportive, educational and social activities. Their events are self-esteem building, clean and sober and help develop leadership skills involving educational events, support to high school Gay Straight Alliances, safe and fun social venues, peer counseling training and coordination for mass actions.