NEW ARTICLE ABOUT JANUS YOUTH'S GROUNDBREAKING SHELTER FOR MINOR VICTIMS OF SEX TRAFFICKING!

As many of you are aware, Janus Youth Programs opened Oregon's very first shelter for children victims of sexual exploitation in December 2011. Please take a moment to read this thoughtful feature about our newest shelter for youth published TODAY in one of our city's weekly tabloids, The Portland Mercury.

YBR of WASHINGTON is NOW ACCEPTING VOLUNTEERS!

Yellow Brick Road of Washington and The Perch Drop-In Center are now accepting applications for volunteers! We have opportunities to assist our staff engaging with homeless youth in Vancouver, Washington between the hours of 9am-4pm. No experience is necessary but applicants must be over 18 and off the streets for at least one year. For more information and an application, please contact Dennis Lundberg at: dlundberg@janusyouth.org

NO SEVERE WEATHER

At this time the City of Portland does NOT anticipate a continuation of severe weather conditions for the remainder of the week. Local weather is not forecast to meet the criteria warranting opening of the Red Cross Emergency Warming Center at Imago Dei Church so the Imago Dei Church space will NOT be open tonight.

YBR outreach workers will be on the streets this evening to assist in directing unsheltered people to shelters. We will be stationed outside Imago Dei Church tonight from 8pm-9pm to redirect people to appropriate facilities and provide some emergency cold weather gear such as hats, gloves and hand-warmers.

If you have any questions please call 2-1-1 for more information. Bundle up out there!

SEVERE WEATHER ALERT: JANUARY 16th & 17th!

Severe Weather Notice is in effect in Portland, Oregon: The National Weather Service forecasts temperatures of 32 degrees and a high likelihood of snow starting at 4am on Tuesday (1/17) and these conditions are expected to persist through Wednesday (1/18) at 10am. Sleeping outdoors in this weather can be dangerous! Anyone seeking shelter information can dial 2-1-1 to receive direction. During this severe weather episode, 211info will be open for phone inquiries daily between 8:00am and midnight. Additionally, shelter information is available 24/7 at www.211info.org. In addition to existing year-round and winter shelter facilities, the following warming center facilities are available:

Severe Weather Emergency Warming Center (only open when a Severe Weather Notice is issued):

Red Cross Severe Weather Emergency Warming Center at the Imago Dei Church

1302 Ankeny Street, (near 13th Avenue in Inner SE)

This is a walk-in facility. Pets allowed, some space for carts, accessible location

Dates: Monday, January 16th - Tuesday, January 17th

Hours: 9:00 PM - 7:00 AM

Serves: Families, single adults, and youths

Family Winter Shelter (formerly Family Warming Center):

12505 NE Halsey Street, Portland Oregon (on Halsey near 126th Avenue)

This is a walk-in facility.

Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season

Hours: 7:00 PM - 7:00 AM

Serves: Families with children under 18 and women in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy

Women’s Winter Shelter:

Check in at Transition Projects, 650 NW Irving,

Mon-Fri 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, Sat/Sun 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM or call 503-280-4700 to check availability.

Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season

Hours: 7:30 PM - 7:00 AM

Serves: Single women

Men’s Winter Shelter:

Located at Salvation Army Harbor Light, SW 2nd and Ankeny,

This is a walk-in facility. Call 503-239-1259 for information.

Dates: Seven nights a week throughout winter season

Hours: 8:00 PM - 8:00 AM

Serves: Single men

Union Gospel Mission

15 NW 3rd Avenue, 503-228-0319

This is a walk-in facility.

Dates: Monday, January 16th - Tuesday, January 17th

Hours: 9:30 PM - 6:00 AM

Serves: Families, single adults, and youths

The following expanded day center services are available during the Severe Weather Notice:

Downtown Chapel Roman Catholic Parish

601 W Burnside Street, 503-228-0746

Provides hot beverages, some snacks and movies

Dates: As of 11am on 1/16/12 confirmation has NOT been made that this facility will be available during this weather event.

Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Serves: Adults

Union Gospel Mission

15 NW 3rd Avenue, 503-228-0319

Provides hot beverages, some snacks and television

Dates: As of 11am on 1/16/12 the Mission Director indicates that they do not have the volunteer capacity to open the day center on 1/16/12. They are working to get volunteers to open up on 1/17/12 and will confirm one way or another later today.

Hours: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM. Depending on severity of weather may be open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Serves: Adults

Please call 211info with questions regarding other shelter and transportation resources.

BRIDGE HOUSE CELEBRATES 25 YEARS!

A Quarter Century of Positive Youth Development… Sort Of.

by JT (Jerry) Fest

Twenty-five years ago yesterday, January 12th, 1987, the first four of hundreds of future residents moved into Bridge House; at the time one of only seven demonstration projects for federal Transitional Living Programs for older homeless youth. The success of the program contributed to funding for future TLP’s around the nation, and today Bridge House is the only one of the original seven TLP’s still in operation, making it the oldest continuously funded federal TLP in the country.

Bridge House is considered one of the earliest programs to be based on the principles of Positive Youth Development (PYD), but here’s an interesting fact. In 1987, PYD as a codified best practice did not exist. As the principles and practices of PYD were articulated, it became clear that the design of Bridge House incorporated PYD principles and implemented PYD practices. But if PYD was not known at the time that Bridge House was established, then while it may be accurate to say that the program was designed along lines that were compatible with PYD, it cannot be said that Bridge House was based on PYD. That being the case, it may be interesting to some to learn what the program was based on. As I was director of the program at that time, I am able to answer that question for you.

The original grant that we received here in Portland was a demonstration grant and, as such, I wanted to try something new. After all, it’s not as though housing programs didn’t exist for homeless youth in the ‘80’s … but they weren’t demonstrating much success. While I have long since lost the studies from that time, I remember that the success rate for homeless youth going through housing programs was about 30% back then. Equally concerning was that the success rate for youth exiting street life without any program involvement at all was also about 30%, which was leading some to question whether or not programs were really helping. When the Bridge House demonstration showed a 70% successful rate of transition, people began to take notice, and our success contributed to a focus on PYD. But, again, the program preceded what is now known as PYD, so on what was it based?

In looking for a model to demonstrate I exhausted all existing approaches to housing and transitional living for homeless youth. Replicating the 30% success rate was not our goal; we wanted to find the most effective way to work with this population. When I couldn’t find anything new or promising within the existing approaches to homeless youth, I began to explore other fields. It was in the field of education that I found an approach to emulate when I came across a book called “Summerhill: A Radical Approach to Child Rearing” by Alexander Sutherland (A.S.) Neill (originally published in 1960, an expanded and revised version is now available as “ Summerhill School: A New View of Childhood.”).

Summerhill was a radical new concept in education. Instead of teachers as authoritarians and students as passive recipients of knowledge, Summerhill envisioned adults and young people as co-participants in an educational environment, each with responsibilities to that environment. The basic principles were defined in the forward to the book by sociologist and psychoanalyst Erich Fromm: nourish the whole child’s potential to love life intellectually, as well as emotionally; have him educated commensurate with his capacity, sans dogmatic disciplining; allow him to be free, but without encroaching on anyone; have the teachers maintain a transparency; encourage security in the pupil without resorting to submission and domination tactics, or utilizing guilt in one’s methods; and advocate a theology of human freedom, not sinful suppression. Sounds a lot like Positive Youth Development, doesn’t it? But, pre-dating Positive Youth Development, these principles were referred to as “self-government,” which is why Bridge House was not defined as a PYD model based on development, but as a self-government model based on freedom.

Say the word “freedom” in reference to youth programs and watch the blood drain from many adult’s faces as they envision young people running wild in the streets and terrorizing program staff. Freedom, however, is not license; as Neill himself points out in a later work titled, appropriately enough, Freedom -- Not License, which you can read HERE in its entirety (be aware that this was written in the mid 1960's; some of his commentary on social issues makes for an interesting time capsule). Neill describes it this way:

“It is this distinction between freedom and license that many parents cannot grasp. In the disciplined home, the children have no rights. In the spoiled home, they have all the rights. The proper home is one in which children and adults have equal rights.”

What many fail to understand is that there are no rights without responsibilities. A right without a responsibility is not a right at all; it is an entitlement … and people do not grow, learn, and develop from entitlements. In application to a program for homeless youth, I would paraphrase Neill’s statement and say that it is the distinction between freedom and license that many youth programs cannot grasp. In a structured program, young people have responsibilities with few rights. In an enabling program, young people have rights with few responsibilities. The proper program is one in which young people and adults each have rights and responsibilities, and are held accountable to their actions.

At Bridge House the accountability piece is accomplished through an evaluation system, but that is way beyond the scope of this article. Suffice it to say that Bridge House is a living example that freedom, when properly understood and applied, works … and on this occasion I would like to publically thank each and every staff and resident who has helped to prove that over this past quarter century.

So, with appreciation to A.S. Neill for his inspiration, The Youth Networker wishes Bridge House a happy birthday. While it is my hope that someday programs like you are no longer needed, may you remain open until that day.

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This article expresses the opinion of the author and does not necessarily represent the position or view of the InterNetwork for Youth. For more information about the InterNetwork for Youth, contact author and consultant JT Fest HERE.

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MEET YBR PORTLAND!

Here's a photo of Yellow Brick Road Outreach Specialists Neal Sand and Heather Penzel conducting outreach at a camp under a bridge in SE Portland this week. Heather is our most recent addition to the Janus outreach team, joining us about 5 months ago and quickly building solid relationships with young people surviving outdoors. If you are interested in volunteering at either our Portland, Oregon or Vancouver, Washington YBR programs just drop a line to Dennis Lundberg at dlundberg@janusyouth.org for more information. We're ALWAYS looking for dedicated folks over the age of 18 to join our mission to improve the lives of vulnerable young people.

CROSSROADS CHURCH SUPPORTS JANUS YOUTH!

Pastor Tom Burgess and Janus Youth Associate Director of Homeless Programs Dennis Lundberg

Portland's Crossroads Church has partnered with Janus Youth Programs to support our ongoing mission to improve the lives of young people! Over the past several weeks the congregation has collected a huge inventory of safety and hygiene essentials for kids surviving outdoors such as shampoo, razors, deodorant, journals, tooth brushes and nutrition bars. The photo above only provides a mere glimpse. In total we collected no less than 140 boxes full of supplies and literally hundreds of pre-packed hygiene kits that are already being distributed to young people in need at our homeless youth shelters, newly opened CSEC shelter (for young survivors of commercial sexual exploitation) and on the streets via Yellow Brick Road Street Outreach teams. This is an amazing statement of the Church's passionate commitment to kids in our community who don’t have a safe home tonight. THANK YOU, Crossroads Church!

FREE YBR TRAINING EVENT NOVEMBER 27!

Yellow Brick Road offers quarterly trainings to all outreach volunteers and program participants. These trainings are FREE and available to anyone over 18 in the community who may wish to learn more about issues related to youth homelessness, street outreach and our program philosophy and methodology. Our training events are also a great opportunity to meet the current volunteer teams, staff and supervisor, learn about important updates regarding our program and homeless youth services, and ask questions. Applications will be on hand for anyone who wishes to join the team! Our next training will take place in downtown Portland on Sunday NOVEMBER 27 from 2pm until 5pm. We hope to see you there!Please R.S.V.P. for location at the email address listed below.

dlundberg@janusyouth.org

RHYTTAC 2011

This week more than 650 professional social workers and passionate youth advocates descended upon Portland, Oregon for the annual Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Support Conference (RHYTTAC 2011). It was great to meet so many of you from all over the country who share Janus Youth's mission to improve the lives of young people. We greeted many of you personally as you toured through the downtown Janus Youth facility (more than two hundred people visited us over the course of three days!) and met still more colleagues during the various workshops and training events. It was a real pleasure to share skills, wisdom and laughs with such a diverse group, especially our fantastic youth panel speakers. Yellow Brick Road was also very excited to escort a few enthusiastic out-of-town outreach workers from StreetWorks (Twin Cities, MN) and Synergy Project (Warminster, PA) out on the streets for a glimpse at how we do things here in "Portlandia". Here's Shane Burroughs of Synergy Project becoming acquainted with the interactive pod sculpture on 11th & Burnside. Hope you had a good time, Shane! Get home safely, friends. See you all next year and...keep up the GREAT WORK for young people in your corner of the world.

Photo by YBR volunteer Stella Butler.

National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth

Wow! This is the first time we've ever blogged about a blog that blogged about our blog. Got that? Yellow Brick Road is honored to have received mention on the National Clearinghouse On Families & Youth website for our innovative use of online resources for outreach. Read the full article here!

MAKE A DIFFERENCE DAY IN VANCOUVER

Outreach Specialist Robin Alley with the Clark County Altrusa International Foundation

Saturday October 22 was Make a Difference Day and the Clark County Altrusa International Foundation chose to support Yellow Brick Road of Washington's mission to “make a difference” in the lives of homeless youth in Vancouver, Washington! Altrusa International is dedicated to improving economic well-being and quality of life through a commitment to community services and literacy. Our local chapter contacted YBR–Washington to get a "wish list" of items needed for the homeless youth we serve throughout the community and at our daytime drop-in center, The Perch. The project was assisted with generous donations from several Vancouver Fred Meyer stores as well as students and instructors at the Vancouver Jazzercise Fitness Center. Last week Altrusa members delivered 30 handmade and individually packed gift bags, each containing Skull Candy earphones, an aluminum water bottle, socks, playing cards, a crossword or sudoku book, a flashlight and a variety of snacks. Staff at The Perch began distributing the bags almost immediately and they have been a big hit among our youth! The supply drive also generated much needed essentials for our drop-in center such as new dishes and cookware. Thank you to Altrusa, Fred Meyer and the Vancouver Jazzercise Fitness Center. You all have truly made a difference in the lives of homeless youth in Vancouver!

GIRLS ARE NOT FOR SALE!

A federal judge sentenced 23 year old Portland pimp Jefferson B. Davis to 20 years in prison this week for his role in forcing a 13 year old runaway from Salem, Oregon into commercial sexual exploitation. Hopefully this is just the first step towards protecting Oregon children from sex trafficking. The sentence sends a clear message to predators, both sellers and consumers, that GIRLS ARE NOT FOR SALE! Read more here.

CITY BIBLE CHURCH

Today we would like to send a simple heartfelt THANK YOU to our supporters at CITY BIBLE CHURCH who kindly prepared hundreds of hygiene kits to be distributed by Yellow Brick Road to young people in need on the streets of Portland. Here's Outreach Specialists Neal and Tiffany delivering the goods to "Bricks" and "Bobby". Thank you for supporting Janus Youth Programs and Yellow Brick Road!

Students on the Streets

YBR volunteers Sal and Sara with intern Dean, outreaching at R2D2.

GIRLS ARE NOT FOR SALE!

Three young girls who were being advertised for sex on Backpage.com, have been rescued by police. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, along with six other Washington mayors, Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna, and fifty other attorney's general have joined forces to combat the advertising that the Seattle Police Department has identified as an accelerant for the sexual exploitation of children. After Backpage indicated to the attorney's general on Sept. 27 that it would not be changing existing policies, McGinn released information on three women recently recovered from SeaTac.

"In light of Backpage.com's response to the 51 attorneys general, I'd like to update you on our efforts to rescue children from being sexually exploited on Backpage.com," said Mayor Mike McGinn. "On Thursday September 22, while Backpage.com was drafting its lengthy rationalization of their practices, our High Risk Victims Unit participated in a task force operation in SeaTac. We recovered three female children who were being advertised for sex on Backpage.com." McGinn says protecting exploited children is a top priority for the Seattle Police Department, but continues, "we can never get ahead of this crime while a company like Backpage.com profits from the sexual exploitation of children and uses their newsrooms to minimize the extent of the issue."

The company has said it would work with police to crack down on predators, but claims shutting down the site would be a violation of the First Amendment.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, REED COLLEGE!

Happy Birthday, Reed! Yellow Brick Road has enjoyed a wonderful community partnership with Reed College over the years. It is our pleasure to celebrate their first 100 years of excellence in education and community service. Here's to the next 100 years!

Free YBR Training Event!

September 25, 2011

Sunday

2pm-5pm

Janus Youth Programs and Yellow Brick Road invite YOU to our upcoming community training on Sunday, September 25. This training is free and open to the public but seating is limited so please R.S.V.P. for location. YBR trainings are a great way to meet our entire team of volunteers, outreach specialists and program supervisor to learn more about issues of youth homelessness and the many ways you can get involved and make a difference with Janus Youth Programs. There is absolutely no obligation to volunteer to attend. Our September 25th training will focus on critical funding updates, team safety on the streets and best practices methodology. Vegetarian lunch and coffee will be provided. Hope to see you there!

Please R.S.V.P. for location at

dlundberg@janusyouth.org

The Standard's 2011 Volunteer Expo Fair

It was a pleasure meeting so many prospective volunteers at The Standard's 2011 Volunteer Expo at Pioneer Square in Portland, Oregon today! Special thanks to Megan at The Standard for her coordination of this fun and important community organizing event and all the folks who provided media coverage and support: KGW, OPB, KINK Radio Stations, Willamette Week, Portland Family and the Portland Business Journal. Thanks to Neal Sand and Heather Penzel, our very own Outreach Specialists, for representing Yellow Brick Road!

NOW HIRING YOUTH!

Project Metamorphosis is now accepting applications for the Recovery Transition Advocate (RTA) position. We are looking to hire dedicated people who have the demonstrated ability to act as clean & sober peers among 15-24 year old street-dependent youth, providing advocacy, referral, and support. This is a part-time entry-level position. No experience is necessary! Our mission is to engage and encourage youth to exit street life with innovative outreach and customized youth-friendly services integrating treatment for alcohol and other drug abuse as well as mental health support. We encourage diversity!

Qualifications:

1 year clean and sober time (required)

High school diploma or GED

Experience and/or knowledge of the issues of homelessness and drug and alcohol addiction.

A pre-employment drug screening (required)

For an application and more information please visit DePaul Treatment Centers and click 'Metamorphosis Application'.

Applications and resume are due by 5pm Tuesday September 13, 2011.

Janus Youth Access Center

The Access Center is the entry point to Janus Youth's homeless services and Portland’s nationally recognized inter-agency partnership known as the Homeless Youth Continuum. The program name is a bit of a misnomer as it implies a centralized location or “center”. In fact, the Access Center is a mobile team that serves as the primary gateway to downtown resources. We are also a crisis hotline, a data hub and a county-wide referral resource that aims to meet vulnerable young people “where they are at” just as readily as our Yellow Brick Road Street Outreach teams. The program motto is “no wrong door” to care and our staff makes it their daily business to respond as quickly and compassionately to the needs of young people experiencing crisis. They specialize in listening to young people’s stories- reading between the lines, asking the difficult questions, and verifying accuracy- in an effort to determine the most appropriate interventions. Every day they hear painful stories of frayed families and young lives that have unraveled and every day they provide hope to young people struggling to survive outdoors. When I recently asked our team what the most difficult part of the job is, they unanimously agreed that it was the daunting emotional burden of bearing witness day after day to unthinkable human tragedy. It’s tough work. And they are a remarkably resilient, intimate and devoted bunch. They also unanimously agreed that one of the most rewarding aspects of the job is working together as a tight-knit team that values each other’s individual skills and styles. In many ways, the Access Center beautifully illustrates that unspoken bond that characterizes what some of us have come to refer to as the “Janus Family” values. One of the most inspiring aspects of the Access Center is that, despite being comprised of only three staff and one program supervisor, this modest program boasts more than 30 years of combined experience at Janus Youth Programs! That’s a whole lot of dedication and wisdom for a program that consists of two small downtown offices and one cellular phone. Let’s meet the folks that make it happen every day:

Pete Lewis

This month marks Pete’s 10th year with Janus Youth Programs! Pete began working with homeless youth as an overnight Porchlight Shelter staff in 2001, shortly after immigrating to the US from his homeland of Wales where he taught basic literacy skills to at-risk youth. He is a gifted writer and a passionate advocate for social justice who can also hold his own on both a skateboard and a surfboard. I recently asked Pete what he loves most about his job and he had this to say, “Knowing that we are helping to provide solutions to desperate social problems. Helping a wide variety of young people begin the process of picking their lives up after they think they've reached the end of the road…Sometimes, being the first adult who has treated a young person with the respect and attention they deserve.” What keeps Pete on the frontline day after day? “I like working for an organization that is respected in the community and I like working in a program that has a clear mission statement. My co-workers have decades of experience and it is invaluable knowing you can count on your co-workers when working with such challenging situations. I think that as an agency we have found the balance between offering genuine compassion and concern while maintaining professional boundaries.” Well said! I also asked Pete what song best describes his personality and he replied, “'Disorder' by Joy Division. Check out my approach to paperwork…” All jokes aside, thank you for 10 years of outstanding youth advocacy work, Pete!

Sylvia Spears-Spencer

Sylvia will celebrate her 10th year with Janus in just a few months! Anyone who has the pleasure of meeting Sylvia even once will never forget her direct no-nonsense approach, her unshakable faith, her impeccable appearance and her disarming sense of humor even in the face of despair. Did I mention her nails? “The best part of my job,” she explains, “is meeting people from all walks of life and hearing their stories… Most people look away from the homeless. I do not. I want to make a difference.” Those stories Sylvia mentions are at the crux of the screening function at the Access Center. Our staff is responsible for determining eligibility for services and this frequently puts us in the challenging role of determining levels of vulnerability and making decisions with dwindling community resources that are often outweighed by need. “The most difficult part of my job is hearing why people are on the streets and the people who have caused the situation.” So what keeps her coming back year after year? “I enjoy working with the youth and my co-workers. My supervisor also!” Aw, shucks. No, I did not approve additional PTO for that last remark. What song best describes her personality? ‘Superfly’ by Curtis Mayfield. Don’t forget it. Thank you for nearly 10 years of selfless service to Portland’s most vulnerable youth, Sylvia!

Andy Hallgren

Andy is the most recent addition to the Access Center team but his story is no less inspiring. Andy initially entered the field as an RTA with Project Metamorphosis after completing an internship with Outside In. As an RTA he served as a peer advocate and mentor, gaining practical frontline skills with Yellow Brick Road and quickly demonstrating a natural gift for working with the most street-affected youth. “I've chosen to help homeless youth because I've seen my own struggles in life,” Andy openly reasons, “I see hope in this population and want to do what I can to be a positive part of their lives…The best part of my job is spending time with the youth I've seen grow into competent, happy adults.” That’s no coincidence. The relationships that Andy forges with young people are precisely the kind of caring connections to adults that federal grants increasingly reference and require of grantees. It is certainly no coincidence that many of our “success story” youth who have transitioned off the streets continue to visit Andy at the Access Center for ongoing encouragement, camaraderie and after-care support. “The most difficult part of my job is balancing the bad with the good.” Not every youth will make it and we experience our share of heartache downtown. So what keeps Andy coming back every week with a smile on his face? “I continue to work with Janus because I really enjoy my co-workers and my supervisor. I also feel like I can be myself and that fosters a very comfortable environment for the difficult work we do.” If you think it’s odd that Andy enjoys the company of his supervisor, consider the song that he selected to describe his personality: ‘Born With a Tail’ by the Supersuckers. Thanks for all you do, Andy!

To learn more about the Access Center or if you are a youth under 25 in need of assistance in Portland, Oregon please call us between 8am-6pm every day of the year: (503) 432-3986