Troubled Teens Resources

“The Arts Council of Snohomish County has been funding the Denney Juvenile Justice Center Youth at Risk art program through grants since 1993. With blunted scissors, primary colors and pencils, inmates take art classes each week.

In a building that was largely devoid of public art, their art stands as bright beacons in the halls, offices and lobbies. But it does something more: It offers mastery, discipline, structure, healthy adult-to-youth bonding — and a way into young people who have been locked in unexpressed pain, pain that led to offenses.”
(Sources)

This is another example of innovation in intervention. If you “read” across the country, there is article after article about this troubled teen county program or that state program,all offering unique therapy programs that work to inspire a teen to take control of their lives. Combined with privately endowed programs they all serve to create opportunities for teens to experience life differently, to see through a different lens.

In this instance they use art,and through a medium that these troubled teens never experimented with before, they were able to see their own power to create, they were able to experience learning why they are worth more than they believe.

Troubled Teens Need Proof

You can tell a troubled teen that they are valuable, that their life is priceless, but a teen needs proof and most often times their lives are in such upheaval, they have made so many mistakes that they can not and will not believe anything good about themselves.

And then they see a picture they drew on display. They see clay they sculpted admired by others. They write poetry and find out for the first time that words flow right from their heart to the paper and they understand the joy of expression.

The bottom line is they find experiences that get them “high” without the drug. In fact, drugs now must compete with art or music or writing for the teens attention.

Choices

Choices. Bottom line, the teen who can consistently make enough right choices - paint instead of light up, write a poem instead of drink a beer - that troubled teen is on their way to health.

Programs such as these, privately run or state funded, are providing troubled teens another choice.Some will choose a different life as a result. Look for similar programs in your area.