YOUTHZONE NEWS
April 2017
In This Issue
Find the 'Why' of Troubling Behavior
by Courtney Dunn, MSW
Youth Advocate & Therapist

Psychological trauma - words that no one likes to hear, especially when these words coincide with some of our community's most vulnerable, children and teenagers. There is no doubt that psychological trauma is hard topic of discussion, but it is an important one because it drastically affects a large number of our youth. Trauma is when a person has experienced an event that threatens their life, or their physical or emotional wellbeing. Trauma can also occur when witnessing an event happen to another person. According to the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, more than 60% of United States youth under the age of 17 have been exposed to crime, violence, or abuse, either directly or indirectly.

It's important to remember that the array of traumatic experiences affecting our youth can be wide-ranging, and every person reacts to trauma differently. What might seem like a trivial event may have an enormous impact on one individual's sense of self-worth, emotional stability, and behaviors. While another adolescent might experience the same event and may not show any signs of stress. 

EMDR Training for YouthZone Staff

In February, YouthZone staff members Kerri Cheney and Courtney Dunn started a four-weekend training that spans over the course of four months in Denver that will result in each of them being certified EMDR Therapists.  YouthZone's clients continually screen out as having complex trauma and PTSD symptoms.  
 
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing  (EMDR) is a formof psychotherapy developed by Francine Shapiro that emphasizes the role of distressing memories in some mental health disorders, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It is an evidence-based therapy used to help with the symptoms of PTSD.
 
It is thought that when a traumatic or distressing experience occurs, it may overwhelm normal coping mechanisms. The memory and associated stimuli are inadequately processed and stored in an isolated memory network.  The goal of EMDR is to reduce the long-lasting effects of distressing memories by engaging the brain's natural adaptive information processing mechanisms, thereby relieving present symptoms. The therapy uses an eight-phase approach that includes having the patient recall distressing images while receiving one of several types of bilateral sensory input, such as side to side eye movements. EMDR was originally developed to treat adults with PTSD; however, it is also used to treat trauma and PTSD in children and adolescents.
 
In 2013 the World Health Organization practice guidelines stated that trauma-focused CBT and EMDR therapy are the only psychotherapies recommended for children, adolescents, and adults with PTSD.  In 2004, EMDR was recommended as an effective treatment for trauma in the Practice Guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association, ]  the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense, SAMHSA, the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [26]  and the World Health Organization.
So far we are seeing great success with EMDR in the clients we are working with.  It has been encouraging to see the progression of growth with the teens YouthZone works with.
Glenwood Springs Mock DUI Film

Longtime YouthZone supporters AnneMarie and Hollis Kelley, and their daughter Savannah, recently participated in a mock DUI video - a project with the Glenwood Springs Fire Department. While the project was emotionally difficult for the Kelleys, the end result is a compelling piece that all parents should take the time to watch with their teens.


Save the Date! - YouthZone Day at Ironbridge

Attention Golfers!  Please save the date of Friday, June 23 for a golf outing at Ironbridge Golf Club. On June 23, Ironbridge will donate  $50 per each golfer paying the regular-priced green fee (of $129).  If you're a golfer and you're thinking of golfing at Ironbridge this year, we hope that you'll do it on the 23rd of June - the more golfers, the more donations for YouthZone!

For questions about the event, email:   info@ironbridgeclub.com

To make your tee time - call
970.384.0630
A New Website for YouthZone

We are currently in the process of creating a new website and we're looking for valuable input!  If you would like to participate in the focus group for the new website, please contact Stephanie Keister at stephanie@keistercommunications.com
Recent Donors and Supporters

Thank you to Pitkin County, the Town of Snowmass, First Bank, the Bernklau Charitable Trust, and RA Nelson for their continued financial support of YouthZone!

We would also like to share with you our 2016 Donors List - included
here.