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Will brainstorming breakfast help youth?

JANESVILLE — Rock County groups aren't communicating to help teens. That's one of the biggest complaints raised by a recent survey of youth-services providers.

So some community leaders are setting aside a morning to talk.

The Rock Communities Youth Network and the Exchange Family Resource Center, part of the Children's Service Society, will host a breakfast for that talk on June 5.

Attendees will learn about the groups' work and hear the results of the survey that focused on services for teens in Rock County.

After breakfast, attendees will break into small groups to dig into issues uncovered by the survey. One complaint made frequently by respondents was a lack of communication between public and private service providers in Rock County.

During discussion, group members will have the opportunity to fill out commitment cards stating how they will work to fill service gaps in the future.

Forms of commitment could include promises to refer youth for services, cash donations or program participation.

"We're looking to see if there's an interest in the community to proceed with the plans (pointed out by the survey)," said Kathy Soehnlein of the Rock Communities Youth Network.

The survey

Two hundred forty professionals completed the survey in January and February.

The results were released this month.

The survey asked people who work or volunteer with teens to describe public and private services for teens, how groups work together and where gaps are in services.

Respondents shared what they see as the biggest issues facing teens in Rock County. Nancy Brooks of the resource center noted the similarities and differences the survey pointed out between respondents from Janesville and Beloit.

In Janesville, respondents listed drug and alcohol issues and limited parent involvement as the top two concerns. A breakdown of the family structure and poverty tied for third place in Janesville.

In Beloit, respondents listed limited parent involvement, poverty and gang activity, in that order, as the top three concerns.

The survey responses from smaller, less urban communities were limited, Brooks said.

The survey follows one conducted four years ago, Soehnlein said.

The network

In response to the 2005 survey, the network was founded in 2007, Soehnlein said.

Now, two years into the job, the board of directors wants to make sure the nonprofit is on the right track to provide services to Rock County's teens, she said.

The network provides free assessments and referrals for teens and their families, said Soehnlein, who works part time as the network's only employee.

Teachers, neighbors, clergy members or court officials can refer teens to Soehnlein for an assessment, she said. After a free, two-session assessment, Soehnlein might suggest the teen participate in counseling, write a letter, volunteer locally or take a class.

The network is starting up two small-group classes for teens who need support with anger or drug and alcohol issues, Soehnlein said.

The Exchange Family Resource Center partnered with the youth network to conduct the survey, Brooks said.

The center provides services to a younger group of children, but preventing unhealthy or unlawful lives for children is the goal of both groups, Brooks said.

In the case of the resource center, professionals provide assessments and referrals for families that are at risk for child maltreatment, she said.

The needs

A couple of gaps the survey identified:

-- A lack of effective communication among youth-serving service providers.

When a few people get a good idea, the idea could die due to lack of support because others simply aren't aware of it, Brooks said.

"You get these little pockets of leaders who talk about issues and it all sounds wonderful," Brooks said. "But then it goes nowhere. There definitely needs to be a better system of communication and better integration of services."

That lack of communication leads to a lack of shared resources.

For example, it's a common sight to see one family seeking services from many providers, Brooks said.

The problem arises when providers aren't aware that others are working with this family or what they're working on. Each provider has its own set of goals for the family.

"And we wonder why families are confused," Soehnlein said.

If agencies talked to each other about what they were doing, it would save a lot of time, she said.

"We could serve more people," Soehnlein said.

-- Volunteer opportunities are limited for teens.

"Economically disadvantaged families have less time and resources to give to volunteering," Soehnlein said.

Kids see their parents each working non-stop to provide the basics for the household. Parents might not have time for volunteering.

That means kids don't learn how volunteering benefits the individual as well as the community.

"There are a lot of kids who don't have that as a model to improve their lives," Soehnlein said.