Youth Services Bureau

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The Youth Service Bureau is excited for the start of a new school year.

Counseling

We have a new Master’s level Marriage and Family Therapy intern with us this year. We are starting the school year with no wait list. Therapy and counseling services are free to youth and their families who live in Granby.

Programming

WOW (Women on the Way) our ever-popular positive youth development program for those identifying as girls in grades 9-12 is registering now. Check the Town of Granby website for a link to the registration form. This group focuses on breaking down boundaries and building relationships in a fun and caring weekly meeting on Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. The group fills fast so register soon.

OWLs (Our Whole Lives) a comprehensive sexual health class for grades 7 and 8. The class meets three Wednesday evenings a month for 30 weeks (yes, 30). Body image, culture, the media, sexualization, cultural norms, healthy relationships, sexuality and disability, communication, personal and family values are all explored in depth. The class begins in October and is taking registrations now. There is a mandatory parent meeting before the class begins.

The Artistic Vibe is a drop-in for teens looking for a quiet and accepting place to hang out in a small group setting. From art projects to D&D, pool to cards and puzzles, the possibilities are many. Bring a friend and check it out. Every Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Youth Service Bureau.

Community Based Suicide Prevention: Oct. 11, 7 to 8 p.m. Learn about the Columbia Protocol as well as the QPR (Question Persuade and Refer) approaches for friends, families, coaches, and coworkers to use to help identify and help connect a suicidal acquaintance with the help they need. Just 90 minutes of your time can save a life.

SMART Recovery is an evidence based, proven approach to addiction recovery. Based in Rational Behavior Therapy, it can be used in addition to or instead of a traditional 12-step program. The YSB will be offering a Friends and Family support group the first and third Monday of the month, and Youth Addiction Support group on the second and fourth Monday of the month. Both groups will require confidential registration, and will not begin until there are enough participants to start. SMART recovery deals with all kinds of addiction: drugs, shopping, gambling, eating. Run by a licensed professional counselor with training in SMART recovery approaches.

T2T (teen to teen) Community Service program is a public health peer education initiative by the YSB. Teens who register and commit to attending four of ten or more prevention education trainings such as the suicide prevention training listed above, will be eligible to receive community service credit. Youth get most of their prevention information from peers, so educating one youth will help spread the accurate word to many.

Youth Mental Health First Aid: Saturday, Oct. 29, 10 a.m. to about 3:30 p.m. The YSB has partnered with the Farmington Valley Health District to offer this fantastic training for anyone who lives with or works with an adolescent. Participants will complete two hours of online preparation prior to the Saturday class. Registration for this free training will be capped at 30.

All program registration can be completed online at the Town of Granby website’s Youth Service Bureau page or by calling 860-844-5355.