TROUBLED YOUTH RESOURCES

ORGANIZATIONS

Department of Health and Human Services

NationalRunawaySwitchboard

National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 
2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 550 Arlington, VA 22201-3052

The National Runaway Hotline
Tel: (800) 231-6946

The National Network of Runaway and Homeless Youth Services

319 F Street NW, Suite 201, Washington, DC20004

; 202-783-79491. The National Network's mission is to "challenge the nation and ourselves to provide positive alternatives to youth in high-risk situations and their families." Their programs include advocacy, public education, information dissemination, technical and training assistance, and an annual symposium. The Network represents over 900 agencies that serve youth and their families.

TypoStation

Based in Australia, Typo Station is an independent non-profit organisation operating an early intervention, life-skills, alternate education and mentoring program for troubled and vulnerable young men aged 14-17, who are experiencing significant difficulties at home, school and in their community.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System - Center for Disease Control
US National data on Tobacco, Alcohol and Drug use, suicidal thinking and behavior, violence-related behavior, sexual behavior and more.


LOCAL US ORGANIZATIONS

CALIFORNIA

Los Angeles Youth Network 

1944 N. Cahuenga Boulevard Los Angeles, CA90068

COLORADO

Dale House 821 N. Cascade Ave. Colorado Springs, CO 80903

CONNECTICUT

The YMCA Crisis Shelter

135 Broad Street Hartford, CT06105

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

American YouthWorkCenter 1751 N Street NW Washington, DC 20036

FLORIDA

Lutheran Ministries of Florida 1576

Airport BoulevardPensacola, FL32504

MASSACHUSETTS

The Bridge Over Troubled Waters 617-423-9575- This organization serves homeless people in the Boston area.

Christian Counseling: Abundant Life Counseling Center 1991 Mass Avenue Cambridge, MA 617-661-8829

Starlight Ministry for Street Kids 617-262-4567

NEW YORK

Covenant House (Under 21) 460 West 41st Street New York City, NY 10036

VERMONT

 

The Fold Lyndon, VT 802-... - This is a faith-based residential treatment center.


ARTICLES

 

Baizerman, M. (1988). "Street kids: Notes for designing a program for youth of and on the streets." Child Care Worker, 6(11), 13-15.

Detwiler, S. (1989, June-August). "Reaching problem kids." Group Magazine, pp. 9-10.

BOOKS

Acosta, F.X., Yamamoto, J., & Evans, L.A. (1982). Effective psychotherapy for low income and minority patients. New York City: Plenum Press. Descriptions of how socioeconomic and other cultural factors affect counseling. Should provide helpful principles for the youth minister.

Ambrose, D. & Mueller, W. (1988). Ministry to families of teenagers. Loveland, CO: Group Books. Describes the "typical, middle-class" family with teenagers and provides help showing that the family can be supported within the context of youth ministry.

Anonymous. (1971). Go ask Alice: A real diary. Avon. Some teenage girls have shared in diaries what we never hear them tell us from the depths of young souls. This is a poignant and disturbing chronicle of teenager pain.

Anson, R.S. (1987). Best intentions: The education and killing of Edmund Perry. New York City: Vintage of Random House. A gripping story of a young black man’s struggle for personal identity and success.

Atkinson, D. (1989). Counseling American minorities: A cross-cultural perspective. (3rd ed.). Dubuque, IA

: Wm. C. Brown. An important text for those counseling across any cultural barriers.

Barbaree, M. & H. (eds.). (1993). The juvenile sex offender. New York City: Guilford Press. Profiles the juvenile sexual offender and discusses the development of sexually assaultive behavior.

Beavers, W.R. & Hampson, R. (1990). Successful families: Assessment and intervention. New York City: W.W. Norton & Co.

Bettelheim, B. Paul and Mary: Two case histories. From the author’s larger work, Truants from life. This book describes the treatment of two "hopeless cases" without drugs, surgery, or restraints. Paul was a suicidal-homicidal institutionalized boy and Mary, a severe childhood schizophrenic.

Billingsley, A. (1974). Black families and the struggle for survival. New York City: Friendship Press. Important principles of socialization and the struggle for identity from the perspective of African-Americans.

Boyd-Franklin, N. (1989). Black families in therapy: A multisystems approach. New York City: Guilford Press.

Butterfield, F. (1995). All God’s children: The Bosket family and the American tradition of violence. New York City: Alfred A. Knopf. An attempt to objectively analyze American violence, racism, and values as a context for a family’s violence traced from slavery to the present.

Campbell, J.M. (1981). Reaching out with love: Encounters with troubled youth. Standard Publishers. Out of print.

Carter, V.T. & Leavenworth, L. (1985). Caught in the middle: Children of divorce. Valley Forge: Judson Press.

Cohen, N.L. (1990). Psychiatry takes to the streets. New York City: Guilford

Press. Describes innovative community-based treatments for serving the most vulnerable clients of the post-deinstitutionalized era.

Dryfoos, J.G. (1990). Adolescents at risk: Prevalence and prevention. Oxford Press. At risk adolescents are defined here as those who "have only limited potential for becoming productive adults" and are numbered at 7 million in the U.S. This book explores research and prevention around four key areas: delinquency, substance abuse, teen pregnancy, and school failure.

Dumount, L. (1991). Surviving adolescence: Helping your child through the struggle to adulthood. New York City

: Villard Books. The director of Fair Oaks Hospital Adolescent Treatment Unit surveys stress producing situations such as transition, loss, family dysfunction, and negative emotional states and behaviors that can result. Parents and leaders are given help in understanding diagnosis and treatment for these behaviors.

Foster, H.L. (1986). Ribbin’, jivin’, and playin’ the dozens: The persistent dilemma of our schools. Cambridge: Ballinger. Dated, yes! And it’s a white man trying to understand and control black street behavior! This may understandably offend some. And yet, no one else has tackled the issue of discipline and control in the classroom (camp or youth group) as realistically and come up with clear, positive guidelines. Decide what you want to adopt, adapt, or reject.

Friedman, E.H. (1985). Generation to generation: Family process in church and synagogue. New York City: Guilford Press.

Fulbright, P.H. (1989). Troubled teens—troubled parents. Broadmans.

Garbarino, J. et al. and Whittaker, J.K. (ed.). (1986). Troubled youth, troubled families. (modern applications of Social Word Series). New York City: Aldine de Gruyter. This is an important study of abuse and runaways in the context of generational abuse and the systems around delinquent youth. The author and associates conducted an extensive, in-depth, two-year study of 64 families in the early 1980s.

Gifford, C., Kaplan, F., & Marsh, S. (1979). Parent aids in child abuse and neglect programs. Washington, D.C.: Department of Health, Education & Welfare.

Glasser, W. (1965). Reality therapy. Harper & Row. An appropriate therapeutic theory and practice for juveniles. See the chapter, "Treatment of Seriously Delinquent Adolescent Girls."

Goldenberg, H. & Goldenberg, I. (1991). Family therapy: An overview. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.

Hechinger, F.M. (1992). Fateful choices: Healthy youth for the 21st century. Carnegie Council of Adolescent Development, Carnegie Corporation of New York. A scholarly review and interpretation of current research on adolescents at risk. Chapters include, "Preventing Damage, Babies Born to Children: Adolescent Sex and Health, Drugs, Alcohol, Cigarettes, Death and Violence, Image and Competition vs. Nutrition and Exercise, Programs for Young People: The Youth Organization as Family Supplement, At the Crossroads."

HEW. (1978). Doing it. A collection of articles on issues, problems and viable solutions concerned with the provision of effective human services in programs serving runaway youth. Office of Youth Development, Division of Runaway Youth Programs, U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare (

200 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, D.C.20201

).

Hirsch, K. (1989, 1998). Songs from the alley. New York: North Point Press. This book is the best description and analysis of female homelessness. It is the story of two street women or bag ladies. It shows how easy it is to become lost in America.

Hirsch, K. (1998). A home in the heart of a city: A woman’s search for community. New York: North Point Press of Farrar, Straus, & Giroux. This is a friendly book beautifully describing two women’s quest for home and community. "A passionate plea for Americans to take a good look at what we have been and what we are." "...a powerful study of the agencies, individuals and emotions involved in the lives of the indigent." "An extraordinary book...For anyone who has ever looked at a homeless woman and wondered, How did she end up here?"

Holinger, P.C. (1987). Violent deaths in the United States: An epidemiologic study of suicide, homicide, and accidents. New York City: The Guilford Press.

Holinger, P.C. et al. (1994). Suicide and homicide among adolescents. New York City: The Guilford Press. Ground-breaking study of the clinical and epidemiologic similarities and differences between youth suicide and homicide that lays a foundation for the development of public health policies and prevention strategies.

Ianni, F.A.J. (1989). The search for structure: A report on American youth today. The Free Press, Macmillan, Inc. Having done significant research on adolescence, this ColumbiaUniversity Professor of Education cites the results of studies and interviews showing the structural problems faced by urban, suburban, and rural youth growing up in America today.

James, M. & Jongeward, D. (1971). Born to win: Transactional analysis with gestalt experiments. Addison-Wesley Pub. Co. Helpful  principles, and exercises that make therapy, emotional health, and maturity available to all.

Janus, M.D. et al. (1987). Adolescent runaways: Causes and consequences. Massachusetts: Lexington Books.

Keller, R. (1987). 12 Steps for kids and 12 Steps for kids leaders’ guide. Minneapolis, MN: Prince of Peace Publishers. This workbook contains tried and successful aids for prevention and treatment of those with addictive tendencies—an important reinforcement for a strong self image and identity.

Klaus, T. (1989). Healing hidden wounds: Ministering to teenagers from alcoholic families. Loveland, CO: Group Books. Coming from an alcoholic family himself, the author has deep sensitivity to COAs (children of alcoholics). This very readable book describes the problem family, uncovers the masks, and moves step by step through the healing possibilities—including the role of the church.

Konopka, G. (1966). The adolescent girl in conflict. Prentice Hall. Regrettably, this was the first and one of the few studies of delinquent girls. Its interviews with girls in reform institutions provide tools for us today even though the book is dated. The girls we meet here are seen as persons rather than problems.

Kotlowitz, A. (1991). There ain’t no children here: The story of two boys growing up in the other America. New York City: Anchor Books. The author writes a diary for two young brothers of Chicago’s Henry Horner housing project (Lafayette and PharoahRivers). A vivid and realistic introduction to life in such a project.

Krause, F.H. & Hendreickson, D.E. (1972). Counseling techniques with youth. Charles E. Merrill. Out of print.

Kunjufu, J. (1984). Developing positive self images & discipline in black children. Chicago: African-American Images. A demonstration of the unique contributions that are needed from the African-American and other ethnic groups in the American scene. Powerful and practical handbook of usable principles.

Larson, B. & Owsterly, W. Gangs in America. NationalCounselingResourceCenter. Available through NCRC at

Box 87, Rochester, MN55903

.

Looff, D.H. (1976). Getting to know the troubled child. University of Tennessee Press. Describes evaluative interviews with disturbed toddlers-adolescents.

Loughmiller, C. (1965, 1976). Wilderness road. The University of Texas: The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. Available at the University of Texas Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, Austin, TX78712. For several decades (1940s to 1966) Campbell Loughmiller directed the treatment of emotionally disturbed boys in the Salesmanship Club Boys’ Camp operated on a continuous, year-round basis. This is an account and description of the principles of that work.

Lyons, A. (1988). Satan wants you: The cult of devil worship in America. New York City: The Mysterious Press.

Mack, J.E. & Hickler, H. (1981). Vivien: The life and suicide of an adolescent girl. The New American Library.

MacLeod, J. (1987). Ain’t no makin’ it. Boulder, CO: Westview Press. A poignant look with powerful observations about life for young people in inner cities. This analysis forces new understanding and cries out for hope.

Martin, H.P. (1979). Treatment of abused & neglected children. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Health, Education & Welfare.

McCall, N. (1994). Makes me want to holler: A young black man in America. New York City: Random House. A "coming of age" book, a stark portrayal of racism and urban violence, a testimony to self-discovery through prison and education by a journalist with "The Washington Post."

McGoldrick, M. et al. (1982). Ethnicity and family therapy. New York City: Guilford Press.

Nock, S.L. (1987). Sociology of the family. Prentice-Hall. Basic text includes chapters on history, definition, mate selection, marital adjustment, divorce and remarriage, parenting, child development, family and economics, and state and religion.

Olson, K.G. (1984). Counseling teenagers: The complete Christian guide to understanding & helping adolescents. Loveland, CO: Group. Gives readers an introduction to adolescence and to counseling along with a description of many emotional issues and treatments from a Christian clinical perspective.

Olson, R.P. & Leonard, J. (1990). Ministry with families in flux. Westminster/John Knox.

Parrott, L., III. (1993). Helping the struggling adolescent: A guide to thirty common problems for parents, counselors, and youth workers. Zondervan. This Christian guide to counseling teenagers is much like Olson’s "Counseling Teenagers". It describes adolescence, counseling and the role of parents before its encyclopedic like chapters on abuse, anger, anxiety, body image, depression, drugs and alcohol...including forgiveness and God’s will...to sleep disturbance, spiritual doubt, stuttering, and suicide.

Parrott, L., III. (1993). A counseling guide. (for Helping the struggling adolescent above). Zondervan. The author has prepared for the paraprofessional brief discussions of "Common Pitfalls in Counseling Adolescents," "Legal and Ethical Issues Related to Counseling," and "Avoiding Counselor Burnout: A Survival Kit." In addition there are instructions for using the forty assessment tests that follow the chapters in his previous text.

Patchett, A. (1992). The patron saint of liars. Houghton and Mifflin. A novel most of whose action takes place in a home for unwed mothers in Habit, Kentucky

. A story of a teenage mother and a child growing up amidst love and lies, the support of nuns and the changes of men and pregnant teenagers—and how she finally breaks out into her own.

Prothrow-Stith, D. (1991). Deadly consequences. Harper-Collins. A very important text, well written, arguing that urban violence must be treated as a public health issue in America.

Rodriquez, L. (1994). Always running: La vida loca, gang days in L.A. New York City: Simon Schuster.

Roelhkepartain, E.C. (1989). Youth ministry in city churches. Loveland, CO: Group Books. Highlights of research, schematic guidelines, practical tools, and useful tips for doing youth work in urban centers. One chapter on meeting critical needs with help for dealing with those who drop out of school, get into gangs or drugs, etc.

Rowley, W.J. (1990). Equipped to care: A youth worker’s guide to counseling. Victor Books of Scripture Press. This fine Christian counselor has produced a very readable and practical guide to lay (or paraprofessional) counseling. It is a book to read and study (not a workbook) for an understanding of the basic principles in getting teenagers to talk, set goals, and deal with depression, suicide, pregnancy, and drug abuse. It reminds youth counselors of the importance of referrals and taking care of oneself. Unfortunately, this book is out of print.

 

Sanday, P.R. (1990). Fraternity gang rape: Sex, brotherhood, and privilege on campus.

New York City: New YorkUniversity Press.  The author is a professor of anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania. This is a chilling, documented study of sexism run wild on college campuses. Confused sexual identities are seen behind casual and more violent sex.

Schoel, J. Islands of healing: A guide to adventure based counseling. Available through Project Adventure,

P.O. Box 100, Hamilton, MA01936

(508-468-7981). Experience counseling on the streets of Harlem and with alienated youth on the north shore of Boston

gave the author experience in what he calls, "counseling on the run."

Scott, S. (1985). Peer pressure reversal. Amherst, MA: Human Resource Development Press.

Sheehan, S. (1993). Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. New York City

: Pantheon Books. Young motherhood amidst drugs and poverty.

Spotts, D. & Veerman, D. (1987). Reaching out to troubled youth: How to touch the lives of young people with critical needs. Victor. This text is a basic manual. It is a fine introduction to various types of troubled youth (shy or urban, minority young people) providing some universal principles of response and resources. It is written by two Youth for Christ staff members. Its wide sweep prevents depth discussions. Helpful for its many cases used as examples, its diagrams, glossary, resource lists, and bibliography.

Steinmertz, S.K. (1977). The cycle of violence: Assertive, aggressive, abusive family interaction. New York: Praeger Publishers.

 

 

 

Taylor, C.S. (1990). Dangerous society. East Lansing, MI: MichiganStateUniversity Press. This study of Detroit gangs observes types of gangs, the neighborhood setting, gang life, and community response—much of it in the words of the people directly involved. An important study.

Thompson, C. & Poppen, W. (1972). For those who care: Ways of relating to youth. Charles E. Merrill. An excellent introduction to relating, listening, and counseling skills. Unfortunately, this early secular text for youth workers is out of print and hard to get.

Van Pelt, R. (1988). Intensive care: Helping teenagers in crisis. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan. Outlines steps in crisis management; discusses suicide, death, family disruptions, eating disorders, sexual problems, and alcohol and drug abuse.

 

Wilkerson, D. & D. (1971). The untapped generation. Zondervan. Teen Challenge leaders explain their perspective on counseling troubled youth.

 

Wood, K.M. & Geismor, L.L. (1989). Families at risk. Plenum.

These resources are available through National Network of Runaway and Youth Services:

Bucy, J.P. & Klotzbach, C.M. (1986). Doing what we do best: A guide to replication of an independent living project. This publication outlines ways to develop a successful independent living program. A project definition, implementation procedures, reports from local projects, bibliography, and resource list are included.

Dietz, P.M. (1990). To whom do they belong? Homeless, runaway and other youth in high-risk situations in the 1990s. This report summarizes a survey of 185 community-based agencies that serve runaway, homeless, and other youth in high-risk situations. It describes the characteristics of runaways, homeless youth, and the agencies that serve them.

Network News. "A quarterly publication that provides updates on youth issues from a national perspective and features a column written by youth, an issues forum, legislative updates and listing of resources."


MOVIES

Clean and Sober (1988)-  Examines the defense mechanisms and manipulation often present among addicts.

Colors - Story of California gangs.

Do the Right Thing - Ethnic struggles in urban centers.

Less than Zero (1987) -  A grim portrait of drug addiction among upper class kids in Los Angeles.

New JackCity (1991) - Adventure, style and melodramatic fall of an urban drug lord.

Ordinary people (1980) - A story of family disintegration after the death of the oldest son, his mother’s favorite. Important struggle of the guilt-ridden, depressed, and almost suicidal younger son. Good counseling scenes.

The Outsiders (1982) - Kids feeling social rejection from a community’s popular, in-group.

Straight out of

Brooklyn

(1991) - Home-produced by teenage writer/director. Struggles of a working class, black family.


Jennifer A. Seery, Dean Borgman, and Kathryn Q. Powers cCYS