Youth Services
9 Elm Street
Vernon
Phone 860-870-3555
Fax 860-870-3556
Email: mhill@vernon-ct.gov
Youth Service Bureau Staff
Michelle Hill, Director
Kim McTighe, Prevention Specialist
Lauren Meares, Youth Program and Prevention Coordinator
Mission Statement: The Vernon Youth Services Bureau is a Town of Vernon Department dedicated to providing:
- Program Coordination
- Information and Referral
- Prevention Services
- Early Intervention Services
- Resource Development
- Community Involvement
- Youth Advocacy
Building Success Through Community Collaboration
Youth Services Goals
I. Coordination of Services
Through coordination with local, regional and state services, Vernon Youth Services Bureau will guide youth and their families to needed services such as:
- Mental Health Counseling
- Early Childhood Education Services
- Nutrition Programs
- Truancy and Family with Service Need Referrals
- Education on Youth Issues
- Prevention Programs
- Substance Abuse Counseling
- Juvenile Court Process
- Other Services as Requested
II. Community Networking
The Youth Services Bureau takes a leadership role in creating a coordinated network of community services. This goal is accomplished through the YSB involvement and membership on a variety of boards and commissions. Examples include membership on:
- Vernon School Readiness Collaborative
- Vernon ROCKS Coalition
- Vernon Community Network
- CT Youth Services Association
III. Youth Services Programs
The Vernon YSB advocates for the healthy development of children, youth and families through providing a variety of programs that focus on preventing problem behaviors. Examples of these programs include:
The Peer Advocate Program, which provides training for Rockville High School students to become role model helpers for their peer group. Peer Advocates work with elementary, middle and high school students in both group and one to one settings. Peer Advocates are trained in an intensive course to provide the following services:
- Crisis Intervention
- Mentoring
- One to One Helping
- Tutoring
- New Student Tours
- Intergenerational Community Programs
The Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program strives to help youth gain employment skills and prepare for their future career through a six week Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program (SYELP). The progam connects qualified Vernon youth, ages 16-24, with career exploration opportunities and paid work experiences during the summer. Participants engage in a week-long session of employment skills training and are then placed at a worksite within the community that matches their career interest.
The After-School Program helps children with healthy development through after-school programming and is an important goal for the Vernon Youth Services Bureau. Through this program, the YSB offers elementary aged youth the opportunity to learn and have fun in a setting that is well-supervised and well-structured. The YSB after-school program is offered at our 9 Elm Street office. Children attending our after-school program will:
- Learn social skills
- Enjoy recreational activities
- Benefit from homework support
- Participate in field trips
- Assist in community service projects
- And much more!
Early Childhood Education
The Youth Services Bureau co-chairs the Vernon School Readiness Collaborative. The Collaborative is responsible for helping the community understand the need to achieve and continuously improve high quality pre-school education programming and smooth transition from pre-school to kindergarten. This is accomplished through coordinating professional development for pre-school teachers. Through its public awareness activities, the Collaborative informs Vernon residents about the importance of high quality pre-school education. Contact our School Readiness Project Manager for more information.