Why Atlas?
It had to have been during one of the numerous times we sat in one or the other’s office looking for additional services or help for one of our teenage clients that one of us said, “Someone should do something to bring more of these services into Jefferson County.” The other, most likely Annie, as she’s the brains of the operation, replied, “Why don’t we be those people?”
Let us give a brief introduction to who “we” are - Annie Caputa is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Jeff Elden is a Licensed Professional Counselor. Between us we have been working with young people in the Jefferson County area for 20+ years. In that time, we have consistently been hitting the same roadblock when it comes to seeking supplementary services to the individual and family counseling we are providing. That roadblock is that additional mental health care, like support groups or psycho-educational groups, are often too hard to connect with for the youth and families that we are working with. Often groups could be too far to drive (up to 30 miles in some cases), cost more than the family could reasonably afford (insurances often do not cover group therapies or indirect services), or had special circumstances for entry that not everyone could meet.
And so, from that “why not us” statement during one of our many discussions about mental health for teenagers grew the idea to form Atlas Youth Outreach. We have set a goal to broaden the services in Jefferson County for youth between the ages of 13 and 18. Initially Atlas Youth Outreach would like to bring more therapeutic groups and support groups, that do exist in other counties, into Jefferson County so young people will have resources closer to home to learn about subjects like trauma, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, we would like to be able to offer support groups on a variety of social and emotional needs for adolescents including youth in foster care, grief, and support for the LGBTQ+ community. Long term, we would like to be able to open a drop-in center for teenagers to provide care for any need they may have. Whether it be homework assistance, applying for college, health concerns, or connecting with mental health services.
Jefferson County, Missouri is a quickly growing community. With that growth will come an increasing need for mental health support for the youth living in the community. In a 2018 survey conducted by the Department of Mental Health, between 55.1% and 74.8% of teenagers polled reported symptoms that could be linked to mental health including poor sleep, feeling sad, and difficulty concentrating in school. 20.5% of those teens admitted to some degree of self-harm. These symptoms could also be linked to a larger issue for the youth in the foster care system. As reported in the Fostering Court Improvement report statistics show that 323 children in Jefferson County entered the foster care system between September of 2017 and September of 2018. Fifty-two percent of those children were reported to have experienced a traumatic event. One goal of Atlas is to reduce the number of referrals to the Juvenile Courts and Division of Youth Services by providing earlier interventions for mental health. In the 2017 the Missouri Juvenile and Family Division annual report, there was 2,069 referrals to juvenile services in Jefferson County. Only fifty percent of youth committed to Division of Youth Services were reported to have previous mental health services according to their 2017 annual report. We believe that earlier and proactive intervention can reduce the number of referrals to these programs. By increasing access to mental health services in Jefferson County, significant change can be made in the lives of the young people in the area. A growing community requires innovative responses to challenges, both new and old, and Atlas plans to be adaptable to the needs of the community, developing and providing services for young people when needs arise.
We believe in the youth of Jefferson County. We also believe that the community wants the best for their young people. Atlas Youth Outreach wants to join with the community in providing every possible opportunity for teenagers in Jefferson County to succeed. Together we can make a difference. Together we can lift up the community by lifting up the young people who are the future families, business owners, employees and employers, and leaders of the Jefferson County community.
We appreciate the time you have taken to read our story. If you are interested in learning how you can support Atlas Youth Outreach in our goal, visit our website at www.atlasyouthoutreach.org where you can find more information on our mission and an opportunity to donate. Please follow us on social media or email us at info@atlasyouthoutreach.org.
Thank you for your time,
