Empowering Shomron adolescents to cope with life's challenges

Life in the Shomron is always challenging and even more so for our youth. Day-to-day living is in itself difficult during the difficult period of adolescence, and growing up in an environment of ever-present terror attacks only the teenagers' anxieties. During these times, adolescents often grapple with such questions as: “Should I remain religious?” “Should I drop out of school?” “Who am I” “How am I, or why am I, different from my family and friends?”

Some teenagers need to be empowered to better cope with these anxieties and questions. In order to empower teenagers to know themselves and to direct their energies to more productive means, the Department of Social Services of the Shomron Regional Council is committed to opening the first regional teenage center in the Shomron.

The Shomron Regional Council along with several other prominent local municipalities in the area have agreed to cooperate in this venture. The Tel Aviv and Central Regional Office of Department of Social Services and its Department of Youth Services, as well as the Department of Education, have also agreed to recognize and assist the project. We believe that working together guarantees greater success, and regional cooperation should translate into more appropriate utilization of donor and government funding.

Mission statement and Philosophy:
The mission of the Teenage Village is to increase the teenagers' self-esteem and sense of self security, using a holistic approach which includes: individual and group therapy, vocational rehabilitation counseling, and supplementary educational instruction.

During the past several years, as the population of the Shomron has aged, the number of families and even teenagers turning to their municipalities' social services for assistance has increased significantly. They have required more mental and emotional help, assistance in finding and keeping jobs and help in achieving their educational goals.

Whether adolescents are religiously observant or not, without a doubt they face many challenges living and growing up in the Shomron. Having relatives or friends severely injured during terrorist attacks or witnessing shootings on the roads complicates the already difficult period of trying to be a teenager and dealing with normal questions of life and identity.

We believe that a supportive, professional and experienced team of professionals will be able to provide the necessary environment assist teenagers (and their parents/families) in dealing with the relevant issues that brought the teenagers to the Village.

Description of client population:
There are 300 teenagers currently at high risk in the Shomron Regional Council alone. They are singled out by social workers, youth workers and community police as being in significant danger of dropping out of school, using drugs, physically or sexually abusing others or being abused. They are more likely to be affected by terrorism or violent crime (because, for example, they are prone to hitch-hiking at all hours and to a myriad of places). Many of these teenagers have learning difficulties and also come from homes on the low end of the socio-economic scale. Out of our 300, 50 have already either dropped out of school, are using drugs, or have left home. The other municipalities together have 70 adolescents in this same category bringing the total number of adolescents that need to be served immediately by the “Village” to 120 individuals. It is important to point out that the Department of Social Services' social workers and youth workers, in addition to the Department of Educations' school truant officers have contact with these adolescents.

Facility:
The facility will be able to serve a maximum of 12 resident adolescents (on a short-term basis) and will be available to provide educational, psychological and social work services to 25 adolescents a day in the day program.

All adolescents will have to sign a contract stipulating their agreement to abide by the rules and regulations of the “Village,” including agreeing to attend counseling, vocational rehabilitation, instruction hours of teacher, and to be in contact with their parents.

Here's How You Can Help:

The Shomron Regional Council and its Departments of Social Services, Education, and Culture in conjunction with the above-mentioned municipalities, will fund the professional staff of the Village.

We turn to you to assist us with purchasing the below list of essential equipment and supplies as well as the rent of the house for a minimum of 5 years ($5,000 year x 5 years = $25,000).

The Shomron Regional Council's Departments of Social Services, Education, and Culture in conjunction with the above mentioned municipalities agree to work together and make a firm commitment to maintain the Teenage Village. The Shomron Regional Council's Department of Social Services will take primary leadership and responsibility in administering and developing the program.