What the Granby Youth Service Bureau has to offer
Sometimes it feels as if the YSB is the best kept secret that’s not a secret in town. Most of our offerings are free to residents, and all focus on helping make our community stronger and healthier.
Topping the list is the counseling service provided free of charge to the youth and families of Granby. Prevention begins by addressing issues as they develop, and we are committed to supporting the children, teens, and families in town by providing free professional counseling and marriage and family counseling to residents in need.
Did you know that Connecticut teens have the right to access up to six counseling sessions before parental permission is required? This statute is designed to limit barriers a depressed or suicidal teen might encounter in seeking help.
In addition to counseling services, the YSB has a Certified Prevention Specialist on staff who is also one of our counselors. She is always looking for ways to share up-to-date information with the community on a wide variety of important topics. She can put together presentations tailored to specific groups, from scouts to churches, first responders to members of a local Lions Club. If you reach out, she will find a way to bring the information to you. Some of the presentations she gives are:
• Community Suicide Prevention training
• What youth and teens need to know about drug and alcohol abuse, teen brain development and why the legal age for marijuana and alcohol use is 21.
• Legalization of marijuana—it’s not your grandmother’s THC. What you need to know about modern marijuana products to make healthy decisions.
• What every community needs to know about the opioid crisis.
• Understanding adolescent brain development and how it impacts youth behavior and risk factors.
• Youth exposure to violence—how bullying has changed since the introduction of the internet and social media.
• LGBTQ, plus vocabulary, risk factors and ways to foster community support.
• Vaping: the latest research and cautions.
• Addressing relational abuse by exploring what makes a healthy relationship.
• Why anxiety is one of the most common mental health concerns in our country today, and how we can begin to take control of it.
If any of these topics are something your group would like to learn more about, please contact AnneMarie Cox at the YSB to set up a free presentation or workshop.
In addition to counseling and prevention education, the YSB also offers some small group positive youth development programming. The very popular program for girls in high school called WOW, or Women on the Way, meets weekly to break down social barriers and explore new interests and activities. It is about self-exploration and learning within a trusting group.
OWLs, Our Whole Lives, is a value-based comprehensive sexual health program for seventh and eighth graders. Going far beyond the birds and the bees, the participants explore culture, values and relationships.
tHe vIBe is a Friday evening drop-in social-hang-out for kids in grades 8–10. It is low key and quiet with the kids setting the pace. From cards to pool, creative collaboration on an art or writing project, or simply conversing with friends, it is all about the vibe.
For parents, the YSB offers a free Tuesday evening Zoom group called Parent Tips, Tweaks and new Techniques. It runs in six-week sessions, with specific tips and tools covered each night. Parents who have registered for the program can drop back in any time to hash out an issue that has popped up or share some parenting tips with other participants. Registration links are on the YSB page on the town website.
For more information, please check out the Youth Services page on the Town of Granby website or call 860-844-5355. You can also find us on Face Book.