I believe we can all agree we want safe, healthy and life-fulfilling communities across Alaska. And we especially want our youths to be curious, trusting and courageous. These behaviors come from youths being safe, healthy and fulfilled, which draws them into meeting and achieving their highest potential.
Yet, more of our Alaskan youths have a sense of fear and despair.
The 2017 Youth Behavior Risk Survey included a number of youths reporting feelings of sadness and hopelessness, suicidal thoughts and days absent from school. These behaviors have all increased since 2007 and are driven by fear of violence, sexual assault or being bullied. Some youths have dropped out of different social activities due to these feelings. This is especially true for our LGBTQ youth. They have really been hit hard.
As adults, I believe it is our responsibility to provide young people with safe, healthy and fulfilling environments, that being their families, schools and communities. The question becomes, how do we achieve that outcome?
It starts with prevention. Prevention has two components. First, it delays the onset of maladjusted behaviors. Second, it intervenes with high-risk groups to change behaviors by supporting and teaching healthier coping skills.
U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams stated, “Better health comes through better partnerships.” This statement puts the responsibility directly on the shoulders of each of us to reach and engage with many sectors, including law enforcement, state agencies, nonprofit groups, service providers and neighborhood churches, councils and watches. I believe to achieve the outcome of better health, we will have to work together by collaborating and creating a system or network of care for youth.
This full network of care would have stated goals, objectives and strategies to address early care, crisis intervention, longer-term services and aftercare strategies. And, most importantly, evaluation tools to measure the success of each strategy or service.
Prevention strategies would focus on prenatal care, early intervention, quality day care and Early Head Start preschool programs. In addition, the network would ensure medical care with doctors appointments, regular check-ups and mental health care for emotional wellness. It would include ongoing family support, with a focus on healthy, long-term relationships. Finally, school-based programs with student support, continuing education and/or vocational training would complete a full continuum of care.
Jim Carroll is the acting Director of White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. He stated at the Wellness Summit 2.0, sponsored by Sen. Dan Sullivan, that “even as a fiscal conservative, I believe money spent for prevention is money well spent.”
We know every dollar spent in prevention saves $4, $6 or even $10 downstream because of the savings from avoiding dropouts, homelessness and substance abuse. But we have to have an evaluation tool and more than one to compare measurements of success. And there will have to be follow-ups with periodic contact with families, youths, schools, workforce/job training agencies and post-secondary education to determine progress and success.
Young people need to know we care about their safety, health and well-being. We can demonstrate that with action by getting involved in the community and giving our voices to seeking solutions.
The process of achieving this important outcome may very well be as important as the outcome itself. Our young people are and will be watching how adults solve complex and multi-leveled problems.This process to come to a consensus outcome would have to guarantee all voices are respected and heard. This will be messy and even uncomfortable at times. I believe first and foremost, everyone will have to understand to achieve such an outcome, it will not be a straight line. It is going to have bumps along the way. Hence, we will have to be patient with each other.
We are going to be coming from all angles, backgrounds and experiences. Yet, we will have to truly listen to each other as each person speaks their truth. Also, it will be public and not without deep, deep personal feelings. But we have to do this for our youths. Again, we need to provide safe, healthy and fulfilling environments for our youth to be curious, trusting and courageous to become productive and successful adults.
There are many different positive youth development, youth-centered, family- and faith-based programs across Alaska. This includes trauma-informed mental health first aid, along with religious and cultural awareness training. Please consider being part of this good fight in your community. Also, there are nonprofit organizations with specific visions and missions of ending youth homelessness, poverty and trafficking. There are youth social, sport clubs, Y.M.C.A. and mentoring opportunities. The faith-based community can provide support for youths seeking peer fellowship, too.
We are all stakeholders when it comes to our youths. But prevention is a tough sell, because we do not see results immediately. Yet, we have to think in terms of the long haul and the future. And, what kind of Alaska do we want for our children and grandchildren? They will be our next and future leaders to continue the legacy of building safe, healthy and life-fulfilling communities for their children living across all Alaska.
Michael P. Carson serves as vice president and Recovery Specialist at youth homelessness center MyHouse in Wasilla.
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