HCRS and the Southern Windsor County Youth in Transition (YIT) Steering Committee are pleased to announce the start of a new program for transition-age youth in southern Windsor County called the Youth in Transition Project. Numerous stakeholders in southern Windsor County worked diligently to come up with a plan to address the needs of underserved transition-age youth through the SAMHSA Youth in Transition grant. In order to assist youth as they transition into adulthood, the Southern Windsor County YIT Project will address the unmet educational, mental health, substance abuse, and vocational needs of youth age 16-21 in our region.
HCRS hired Bob Lauro to help address the needs of these at-risk youth who are experiencing severe emotional disturbances. As Project Coordinator, Mr. Lauro will identify underserved youth in southern Windsor County, connect the youth to existing services, and will provide intensive case management whenever necessary.
Since starting on March 1, Mr. Lauro has focused on engaging local stakeholders, collaborating with potential referral sources, and designing a strategic plan for implementation of the project. Over the next six months, the project will form a Youth Advisory Board to provide a “youth voice” to the YIT Steering Committee. One of the main goals of the Youth Advisory Board will be to develop local work projects that will provide needed local services and build valuable skills and experiences for participating youth.
HCRS is excited to be part of such a challenging and rewarding endeavor. “It is our hope that through our work we can not only provide immediately needed services, but that we will also create a long lasting collaboration between youth and area stakeholders that will be here for years to come,” says Bob Lauro.
