thurccby, trptcxba' 10, 1973
third dimcnc'cn
7
Cindy Lery, the groc? to
YES.
director fcr
Decisions about the program are made
by a board of directors made tip of 40
members from the coinmunity , including
ten high school students.
"Since it's a program for and about
them,'" Amot sail, Te like to have youth
participation."
When a client comes to YSS he or she
is assigned a case manner, who visits the
home of the youth at least once and helps
link the chili and his family to the needed
community service. The case manager
later follows up to make sure they
obtained the necessary services.
Tms is our way of making sure the
agencies provide what they are supposed
to," Amot said. Te also try to connect
the family unit with the necessary counsel
ing or other services. Te try to hold the
primary social unit (the family) together."
The courts, too, have been cooperative.
'The courts have not developed a pater
nalistic attitude to service agencies this
is healthy", Amot said.
Judge Nuernbcrger (separate juvenile
court of Lancaster County) said the YSS
program provided one answer to the
diH-prency prclfsm, as sltersa&s to the
state training schools. Programs lie
Freeway serve as aa escsps 2!?e-a .
fscH2y where real hzlp can be applied
toward solving pr oblems without stigma,"
he said.
Amot sdi that of the other youth
sondes, some "haven't provided what
they say they do, and some are open
during business hours only, which should
be charged. Ve also need to get more
services out to the rural areas-the needs
are just as great outside the cities, but
many of the Lancaster County agencies
don't cover them very well.
The Freeway Station is basically a
shelter for runaway children. It is open and
staffed 24 hours a day. The station has
some requirements of its temporary
live-ins: he or she must agree to a check for
drugs when entering, to a call to parents
and police so he stays off the missing
persons list, and to allow the staff to try
to help with the problem. Y"h2e there,
residents may continue to go to school or
go through another educational process.
Kids awaiting placement in foster homes or
group homes may six spend time at the
. Freeway Station. Usually resHents are
there no more than a week. The goal is
to get the children lack home. . ', , ';. ;
The two group homes, one each for
boys and girls, take in youth at court
recommendation or by referral from
the welfare department. They handle kids
from 13 to 17 for six to eisht months at
a time, after which the chiUren may go
home or be placed in a fester home.
If they are 17 when they leave, they may
live on their own, with supervision. Each
house has two houscparents and an
assistant houseparent.
Cindy Leisy, the group home director
for YSS, said the homes "are sometimes
the only alternative to Geneva (girl's
reformatory) or Kearney (boy's
reformatory) or the Regional Center for
kids coming through the courts. But the
kids have to want to be in the homes
they have to agree to try with our system."
According to Leisy, the houseparent s
have access to the complete social history
of each resident, allowing them to get a
better picture of the problem. Reality
therapy is used in counseling the kids,
9
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Union Recreation .pioEms,
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which mpahsizes the posive aspects of
their behavior rather than the negative
aspects."
The boys and gcis in the homes go to
school, have jobs, and can earn points that
count for privileges, such as having visitors,
going on dates, or "going home for a
weekend.
The whole point of the homes," Leisy
said, Is to keep the child in his
community, where he can learn to deal
effectively with his problems, rather than
shutting them in with him."
There are no locks on doors to prevent
the residents from leaving. Te do Have a
fairly constant runaway problem," said
Leisy, "but most of the people who corns
to the houses are serious about trying to .
straighten out." ,
The homes are nicely furnished with all
the comforts of middle America-color
television, stereos, and air conditioning.
The kids in the homes have to do some of
the dairy chores, and they have specific
days to cook or clean. They lounge around
the homes, doing whatever is normal for
young people everywhere hanging oat and
draping themselves on the furniture i'J the
odd, boneless postures that only an
adolescent can maintain, smoking, throw
ing friendly insults, laughing, pouting.
Doug, the assistant houseparent at the
boy's group horned said, You have to be
very consistent with the rules. The guys
will push you clear over the edge if you
waiver."
Sheri, assistant houseparent at the girls'
group home and a UNL student, said:
There is a highly emotional and tense
atmosphere here-the girls put pressure on
us to bend and the only recourse is to
stick to the rules. living here has also
changed my personality some, since I have
to think carefully about what I say before
Isayit."
When asked about what they thought of
the group home system, the boys
complained about being able to work but
having to save most of the money, and
about the "hard-ass" attitude of the staff.
The girls were mostly non-committal, but
one said, Vve been to Geneva and the
Regional Center, and I'd MUCH rather be
here."
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