First things first: the entire YouthZone team wants to give a huge shoutout to everyone who made our second annual Spring Gala such a success. We raised almost $120,000 through business sponsorships, ticket sales, silent and live auction item sales, and our paddle-raise. We packed the Hotel Colorado’s elegant Devereux Ballroom with more than 220 people and supported our services while having a blast.

Speaking of services: last year, we worked with almost 500 court-involved and at-risk kids in Colorado’s 9th Judicial District, providing comprehensive assessment and delivering a variety of services to support them through their challenges. Every assessment that we provide is two-generational, which means youth and parents work together to identify their strengths and risks, discuss the incident that led them to YouthZone, and develop a comprehensive contract to address the issue. The children, with the support of a Youth Advocate, spend the next three to six months working to complete their contracts, which can include substance use education, restorative justice, life skills, counseling and more.

In most circumstances, parents can take a step back and let their children grow independently during their time at YouthZone. Many of our services are administered in group and individual settings with the oversight of a Youth Advocate, and some are even self-guided. This allows youth to take the reins and accept responsibility for their own choices. It also lets parents rest assured that their children are making growth alongside our trained experts.

However, it’s not always peaches and cream for parents, especially this time of year when summer break results in decreased access to school-based resources. If you’re struggling to balance work, family, and other commitments this time of year, you’re not alone. Just over 5% of our clients are adults who receive services via our Parent Support Program. These services start with a one-time parent consultation, in which our staff can learn more about the family’s dynamics and suggest community resources that may make their parenting journey easier. If they need ongoing support, they can receive three to six months of parent education while their children are working with a Youth Advocate. In these sessions, they can learn and practice effective strategies that will help them succeed as parents.

In addition to these services, we rolled out our new Community Reinforcement and Family Training groups in April. CRAFT is a free peer support program for parents whose youth are dealing with substance use. The groups are facilitated by our four CRAFT-trained staff members and give parents an opportunity to develop positive coping mechanisms, practice clear communication strategies, and share their lived experiences with one another. Research shows that 70% of people who participate in CRAFT are successful in reducing harmful substance use in the family and encouraging youth to seek some sort of treatment.

Since beginning the program, we’ve made several changes to make it even more accessible. CRAFT sessions are still held at our Rifle YouthZone office every Thursday from 6-7 p.m., but we also offer a new hybrid option, perfect for people who live in the farthest reaches of our jurisdiction such as Rangely and Aspen. We even have participants logging in via video conference from as far away as Georgia! Previously, CRAFT participants were required to commit to a full 12-week cycle of sessions. We’re now making the shift towards “open” groups, meaning you can drop in and participate at any point in time. No need to worry about vacations, emergencies, or simply needing a night off. To sign up, please contact our Parent Education Coordinator Sarai Quintana at squintana@youthzone.com or 970-212-1968.

If you’re passionate about the work we do in our community, but don’t think CRAFT is the right fit for you or your family, we encourage you to learn more about our services by visiting http://www.YouthZone.com/services. If you’d like to support our work by making a financial contribution, we have a few options available. You can make a general operations donation by visiting http://www.YouthZone.com/give, just like the more than 200 community members who did so last year. Whether you’re a client, donor, or community partner, we’re proud to have you on our team, and look forward to fostering Hopeful Youth, Strong Families, and Safe Communities alongside you.

YouthZone Deputy Development Director Ali Naaseh-Shahry is a Colorado native who holds degrees in international public policy from the University of Colorado (BA) and University College London (MSc). He moved to western Colorado in 2015 to teach six-and-under ski school at the Aspen Skiing Company. Ali has taught a wide variety of academic and experiential subjects to people of all ages. Most recently, he worked as a special education teacher with the Roaring Fork School District, where he used data-driven decision making to improve his delivery of specialized instruction. Ali enjoys lift-access powder skiing, raft-access fly fishing, and spending time with his cats.