Late one night in Utah, at your youth shelter facility for troubled teens, she showed up scared, homeless and pregnant. She had nowhere to go and asked if you would help her. As the director of the facility and with open arms you hugged her, brought her in and logged her name, age and expected delivery date into your HMIS system. You found her a bed and said, “You are in a safe place now. Go ahead and get some rest and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
The next morning both of you grabbed a bite to eat and sat quietly to listen to her story. She began sobbing. You put your hand on her shoulder to comfort her. The boy didn’t want anything to do with her or the baby, and she got expelled from school. When she told her parents, she begged them for help, but they kicked her out instead.
She mentioned how much she loves helping people. Her heart was set on becoming a nurse or youth counselor. But her scholarship to college was taken away. As you listened, calmly you replied, “Do not worry, our youth facility helps young expecting mothers get on their feet again, and you will have access to our virtual classroom. You can continue your education here.” The director’s words were the first time, this young expecting mother was given hope for a brighter future and was able to smile again.
Your IP cameras recorded something most didn’t know and not mentioned in his documents.
It wasn’t the first time he’d been in trouble, but instead of sending him away, he just arrived, by court order to your residential youth treatment facility in Utah for help. His records showed a trail of delinquency and bad behavior. Maybe traces of mental health issues.
But when the boy was alone, on the monitor, he could be seen crying and talking to someone who visibly wasn’t there. At times, it looked like he was pleading with them and then went into bursts of anger.
As your counselor watched the playback, she had seen this type of behavior before and had questions.
- Did this distraught boy experience a traumatic event in his young life?
- Is he lashing out and suffering from depression or anxiety?
- Could this young man have ADD or ADHD?
- Did he have mental health issues?
What your technology recorded and stored, revealed there was a deep struggle this young man was going through and hiding. But if asked, he may have been too cautious to explain what was going on inside, when questioned by a stranger.
So, when the counselor stepped out of the office and went over to meet with the boy for the first time, she repeated those words spoken to her long ago, “You are in a safe place now. Go ahead and get some rest and we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Your IT Technology Protects You But Also Pays It Forward To Our Youth
From your point of view, your technology monitors the activities of your facilities system. You focus on the administration office needing up to date information on those in the facility, confidentiality, access to data and the security of that data. IT Companies like SymTec are usually called in to assist with keeping your system up to date and protected.
But there are two sides of the technology coin to consider. By your IT Solutions company keeping your technology in tip-top shape, it’s also helping you pay it forward with the youth at your facility in Utah and giving them a brighter future.
Let’s say; as the administrator of a youth halfway house facility. Your data shows illiteracy among the local youth is high. To give them a fighting chance to make it out there on their own, in the real world, you provide easy access to education on handheld devices, such as a tablet or a laptop.
Making that technology and education available:
- A young pregnant girl can still graduate high school, teach a class or study to become a youth facility counselor, even though she lives at a youth shelter facility for troubled teens in Utah.
- A distraught boy can start a business online, take college courses or study to become a doctor to help low-income patients while sitting in the classroom, of the youth treatment facility, where he currently lives.
Technology Services at your Utah Youth Facility Brings Hope and Gives Kids a Second Chance.
But note. There are dangers and influences on the internet. Social media sites and online videos that promote bad behavior or hate.
To protect the youth under your care, check with your IT Security provider like SymTec so that they will monitor the devices assigned to your residence.
Thanks to Technology type services at Utah youth facilities, young adults have hope, a bright future ahead of them and are not left behind.