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HRC shifts gears
Receives a $190,287 federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice
By GARY HENRY
Staff Writer
After taking big financial hits in August and September from state government, the Human Resources Center for Edgar and Clark Counties finally received some good news.
Ken Polky, HRC executive director, confirmed HRC is the recipient of a $190,287 federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice within the Department of Justice. The balance of the $238,000 project will come from other sources.
“The plus for HRC is this is not state money,” said Polky. “It makes us more diversified.”
The prior state funding cuts resulted in the need to eliminate seven HRC staff members and reduce service hours.
Polky said it will be necessary to hire four people to serve the federal grant but unfortunately those who have already lost their job don’t meet the academic and clinical training requirements of the Enhanced Youth Services (EYS) program. The new therapists must have master degrees and Polky said one position may be filled by someone with a doctorate degree.
HRC sought the grant because youth in this area are under-served by counseling services even though the evidence indicates the youth population is one that has an increasing need for such treatment.
“Edgar and Clark Counties have a disproportionate amount of youth problems,” said Polky.
The report outlining the need for additional money contains sobering numbers.
According to the statistics Polky gleaned from a variety of sources, eight schools in Edgar and Clark Counties have higher poverty levels than the state average; and of the 35 counties in East Central Illinois, Edgar County has the fourth highest percentage of children living below the poverty level. Depending on how the numbers are interpreted, cases of child abuse, child neglect, and child sexual abuse are either holding steady or increasing. Those crimes are not declining.
“The unfavorable socioeconomic and environmental factors put Edgar and Clark County children and adolescents at a much higher risk for emotional problems, behavioral difficulties and delinquency,” said Polky. “A review of regional and local data shows they have a significantly higher risk of poor school performance, delinquency, substance abuse, binge drinking, exposure to domestic violence and sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy compared to the state and national average.”
According to the most recent I Sing the Body Electric Survey, Edgar County Youth have the highest percentage of students with alcohol abuse onset prior to age 15, the highest percentage of students with prescription and over-the-counter medication abuse, highest percentage of earliest onset of smoking before age 15, highest percentage of male use of performance-enhancing drugs, highest percentage of female onset of sexual intercourse before age 15 and the largest percentage of females engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse.
“All of these numbers present a very compelling story about youth who are at risk or already delinquent,” said Polky. “The grant helps us focus on what is our greatest need.”
He added decreasing the number of youths that are having problems now will reduce the service demands by the adult community in the coming years.
The federal money permits HRC to change how it operates in providing services to youth.
Polky explained the usual approach was one of reacting to a situation when a youth was referred by the courts or school or brought in by parents. HRC did an assessment of the the youth and recommended an appropriate course of counseling.
With the grant funds, HRC will take a more proactive approach in working with law enforcement and educators in order to better identify at risk youth. Another use of the funding will be to assist with transportation needs.
Polky said past experience has shown it is difficult to get some youths to attend counseling session. They encounter barriers such as a lack of transportation to get to the HRC, parents who may not have the money to afford gas to bring children for counseling and some youth are determined to defy authority.
Therapists in the EYS program will actively seek out youth in school and at home. They will also work closely with parents to remove the stigma attached to counseling.
“We must get parents to understand that because a child needs help, it is not a reflection on them,” said Polky.
Some of the new money will be used to buy gas cards to help parents bring their children to counseling and to provide incentives in the forms of coupons for entertainment venues that appeal to teens.
“It holds juveniles and their families accountable and takes away their excuses,” said Polky.
When Polky was preparing for the grant, he noted there is a disconnect in the communication between counselors, the probation department and the schools. He plans to end that.
“Delinquents and at-risk youth are gifted at exploiting the lack of communications,” said Polky. “Our staff will own the responsibility of collaborating with probation, the courts and the schools.”
He added the staff will make every effort to keep the juvenile clients compliant with sentences so as not to incur more problems within the legal system.
“We are often dealing with young people who are determined to act out and defy authority,” said Polky. “They have given up on school and getting a job.”
Part of the new counseling program will be to foster an attitude change so the juveniles realize there is hope in their lives.
Polky is working toward getting the program operational by December and anticipates the final result will be a shift in how HRC delivers its services to clients, even after the federal money expires.
“We will continue it to the maximum possibility,” said Polky.
Ken Polky, HRC executive director, confirmed HRC is the recipient of a $190,287 federal grant from the Office of Juvenile Justice within the Department of Justice. The balance of the $238,000 project will come from other sources.
“The plus for HRC is this is not state money,” said Polky. “It makes us more diversified.”
The prior state funding cuts resulted in the need to eliminate seven HRC staff members and reduce service hours.
Polky said it will be necessary to hire four people to serve the federal grant but unfortunately those who have already lost their job don’t meet the academic and clinical training requirements of the Enhanced Youth Services (EYS) program. The new therapists must have master degrees and Polky said one position may be filled by someone with a doctorate degree.
HRC sought the grant because youth in this area are under-served by counseling services even though the evidence indicates the youth population is one that has an increasing need for such treatment.
“Edgar and Clark Counties have a disproportionate amount of youth problems,” said Polky.
The report outlining the need for additional money contains sobering numbers.
According to the statistics Polky gleaned from a variety of sources, eight schools in Edgar and Clark Counties have higher poverty levels than the state average; and of the 35 counties in East Central Illinois, Edgar County has the fourth highest percentage of children living below the poverty level. Depending on how the numbers are interpreted, cases of child abuse, child neglect, and child sexual abuse are either holding steady or increasing. Those crimes are not declining.
“The unfavorable socioeconomic and environmental factors put Edgar and Clark County children and adolescents at a much higher risk for emotional problems, behavioral difficulties and delinquency,” said Polky. “A review of regional and local data shows they have a significantly higher risk of poor school performance, delinquency, substance abuse, binge drinking, exposure to domestic violence and sexual abuse, and teenage pregnancy compared to the state and national average.”
According to the most recent I Sing the Body Electric Survey, Edgar County Youth have the highest percentage of students with alcohol abuse onset prior to age 15, the highest percentage of students with prescription and over-the-counter medication abuse, highest percentage of earliest onset of smoking before age 15, highest percentage of male use of performance-enhancing drugs, highest percentage of female onset of sexual intercourse before age 15 and the largest percentage of females engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse.
“All of these numbers present a very compelling story about youth who are at risk or already delinquent,” said Polky. “The grant helps us focus on what is our greatest need.”
He added decreasing the number of youths that are having problems now will reduce the service demands by the adult community in the coming years.
The federal money permits HRC to change how it operates in providing services to youth.
Polky explained the usual approach was one of reacting to a situation when a youth was referred by the courts or school or brought in by parents. HRC did an assessment of the the youth and recommended an appropriate course of counseling.
With the grant funds, HRC will take a more proactive approach in working with law enforcement and educators in order to better identify at risk youth. Another use of the funding will be to assist with transportation needs.
Polky said past experience has shown it is difficult to get some youths to attend counseling session. They encounter barriers such as a lack of transportation to get to the HRC, parents who may not have the money to afford gas to bring children for counseling and some youth are determined to defy authority.
Therapists in the EYS program will actively seek out youth in school and at home. They will also work closely with parents to remove the stigma attached to counseling.
“We must get parents to understand that because a child needs help, it is not a reflection on them,” said Polky.
Some of the new money will be used to buy gas cards to help parents bring their children to counseling and to provide incentives in the forms of coupons for entertainment venues that appeal to teens.
“It holds juveniles and their families accountable and takes away their excuses,” said Polky.
When Polky was preparing for the grant, he noted there is a disconnect in the communication between counselors, the probation department and the schools. He plans to end that.
“Delinquents and at-risk youth are gifted at exploiting the lack of communications,” said Polky. “Our staff will own the responsibility of collaborating with probation, the courts and the schools.”
He added the staff will make every effort to keep the juvenile clients compliant with sentences so as not to incur more problems within the legal system.
“We are often dealing with young people who are determined to act out and defy authority,” said Polky. “They have given up on school and getting a job.”
Part of the new counseling program will be to foster an attitude change so the juveniles realize there is hope in their lives.
Polky is working toward getting the program operational by December and anticipates the final result will be a shift in how HRC delivers its services to clients, even after the federal money expires.
“We will continue it to the maximum possibility,” said Polky.
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