Pubdate: Tue, 24 May 2005
Source: Daily Herald-Tribune, The (CN AB)
Copyright: 2005 The Daily Herald-Tribune
Contact:  http://www.dailyheraldtribune.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/804
Author: Fiona Isaacson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/rehab.htm (Treatment)

GROWING NEEDS OF TROUBLED YOUTH A CHALLENGE FOR SHELTER

As the number of youth using the emergency youth shelter continues to grow, 
there needs to be more services to deal with their needs, says Sunrise 
House general manager Kim Fenton.

Since opening in October 2003, the emergency shelter has accommodated 165 
youth between the ages of 12 and 17 for a total of 1,090 bed nights.

The shelter will take kids who are high or stoned, but they're closely 
monitored and the hospital or AADAC resources will be accessed, if needed.

About 40 per cent of the kids they take in do return home, but there are 20 
per cent that Fenton says they don't know what happens to them.

Fenton says since January the number of bed nights has been steadily 
climbing. Last month there were 73 bed nights.

As well, younger and younger kids have started showing up at the shelter. 
They are mainly dealing with their parents' violence and addictions issues, 
while the older kids, the 16- and 17- year-olds, tend to have violence and 
addiction issues of their own.

"That's two really different sets of needs that those kids come with," she 
says.

One of the challenges youth face when trying to deal with their addiction 
issues is removing themselves from their "peer circle." Plus there are no 
services for youth in the city, she says. Fenton says they've been writing 
to the government asking for youth detox and treatment beds.

As well, there also needs to be Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics 
Anonymous meetings for youth, she says.

"Their needs are different, they detox differently, they find their drugs 
differently, they use drugs for different reasons," Fenton says.

The drugs of choice are mostly crack and pot but there is a rise in crystal 
meth usage, she says.

There is also the issue of where the shelter fits in the overall picture of 
housing in the city and funding is an issue because children are a 
provincial responsibly. The city is very supportive but "they don't quite 
know where to put us," she says.

"It's a challenge for them. We need to find a place that we fit because the 
need for our services is only going to grow and who knows, we already see 
the need for some sort of transitional housing for youth."

The shelter has a unique situation because it's dealing with children who 
don't have family to fall back on, she says.

"It's very difficult for us to do preventative work, because the family 
unit is already broken down."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom