THE SEEDS WE SOW – THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION FOR AT-RISK YOUTH IN OKLAHOMA
They say that children are the future, but here at New Day Recovery Family and Youth Service, we believe they are so much more than that. They are the seeds of promise, potential, and possibility that can grow into the flowers that will shape and color our collective tomorrow.
When given the nourishment, support, and care they need to thrive, these youth can reach unimaginable heights and create positive change in their communities. Yet far too often, the seeds of our most vulnerable youth go unattended—and their precious potential goes untapped.
This is especially true for at-risk youth growing up in underprivileged circumstances rife with trauma, adversity, and lack of opportunity. Without intervention, these youth can often spiral into self-destructive behaviors, mental health struggles, substance abuse issues, involvement with the juvenile justice system, and cycles of intergenerational poverty.
The youth of Oklahoma are no exception. With one of the highest rates of childhood trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACES) in the nation, far too many young people in our communities are currently on negative trajectories that will shape their futures for the worse instead of for the better.
At New Day Recovery Family and Youth Service, we are committed to sowing the seeds of positive change for Oklahoma’s at-risk youth. As a comprehensive nonprofit service provider, we emphasize early intervention strategies and services to help get struggling youth back on track to realizing their full potential.
In this blog, we will explore:
- The importance of focusing services on early intervention
- The issues facing at-risk youth in Oklahoma
- The impact of early intervention on life trajectories
- The types of early intervention services we provide
- How you can get involved in nourishing the potential of our community’s youth
The Sooner the Better: Why Early Intervention Matters
Extensive research shows that the brain is at its most neuroplastic and malleable early in life. The architects of neural pathways laying the foundation for cognitive abilities, emotional regulation, and behavior are built in childhood and adolescence.
Positive early intervention can foster the healthy development of these pathways. On the other hand, adverse environments and lack of care in those critical early years can negatively impact the structural foundation upon which the rest of life’s experiences will be built.
In other words: early experiences shape the trajectory for the future. And while humans have the capacity to learn and grow at any age, it is far easier to help youth who are struggling get on the right track early rather than try to reroute engrained pathways later in life.
Early intervention programs for at-risk youth that provide support with education, counseling, skill development, mentorship opportunities, or addressing immediate needs cost on average $15,000 per youth served. Compare that to the average cost per youth of $150,000 for incarceration in the juvenile justice system or $250,000 for a lifetime of relying on public assistance.
Clearly, both the ethical imperative to help our youth thrive as well as the long-term economic argument favor investing more in preventative and early intervention programs rather than paying more down the road for remediation and rehabilitation.
The Sooner State of Crisis: Challenges Facing Oklahoma Youth
The youth of Oklahoma face a complex web of interconnected obstacles on their path to gaining the skills, stability, and social support structures that allow young people to successfully transition into independent adulthood.
Adverse Childhood Experiences:
Oklahoma ranks among states with the highest scores for Adverse Childhood Experiences leading to trauma and toxic stress responses. Adverse experiences in childhood like abuse, neglect, family dysfunction, and household challenges can negatively impact development, leading to the adoption of high-risk behaviors, difficulties in school, entanglement with law enforcement, and physical and mental health struggles that create barriers to success.
Poverty:
22% percent of Oklahoma youth under 18 live below the federal poverty line. Poverty often goes hand-in-hand with trauma, lack of opportunity, substandard education, involvement in criminal activities to meet basic needs, homelessness, and housing insecurity.
Health Challenges:
Oklahoma ranks 43rd among states for overall child well-being. Food insecurity, lack of access to medical care, disabilities, and mental health struggles often go unaddressed in low-income communities. Suicide deaths are on the rise among OK youth.
Educational Attainment:
Only 80% of students graduate high school in 4 years in Oklahoma, often due to chronic absenteeism, lack of resources and support, needing to work, involvement with the juvenile justice system, teen pregnancy/parenting responsibilities, or health issues. Without a diploma, prospects for gainful future employment leading out of generational poverty drastically decline.
Juvenile Justice System Entanglement:
In 2020, over 5,600 youth in Oklahoma were referred for offenses to the Department of Juvenile Justice, further derailing their future prospects for education completion, gainful employment, financial stability, and overall well-being.
As you can see, the interconnected web of challenges facing disadvantaged youth in Oklahoma creates a perfect storm making it difficult for struggling young people to transform their trajectories from risk to resilience.
The Ripple Effects of Early Intervention
While the reality for many youth in Oklahoma may seem bleak, it doesn’t have to stay that way. With coordinated, comprehensive, compassionate intervention and support early in life, we can get struggling youth back on track to tap into their promise and potential even in the face of adversity.
We know early intervention works thanks to extensive research on youth development, which shows that high-quality prevention and intervention programs provide both immediate and long-lasting positive impacts in the formative years that ripple into adulthood and benefit society at large.
Some of the positive effects of early intervention programs include:
- Improved school readiness & academic performance
- Increased high school graduation rates
- Decreased risky behaviors
- Lower rates of teen pregnancy
- Reduced likelihood of entanglement with the juvenile justice system
- Higher rates of college attendance
- Increased employability and future earnings
- Decreased reliance on public assistance
- Improved physical and mental health outcomes
- Increased civic participation and leadership
- Higher overall well-being and life satisfaction
Additionally, the cost-benefit analysis clearly favors early intervention as an investment that pays off manifold for youth, families, communities, and society down the road.
One study found an ROI between $1.80-$3.90 per dollar invested in early intervention youth programs. Others demonstrate that every $1 invested in quality early childhood programs for disadvantaged youth saves taxpayers $7 down the road.
When we nourish the potential of our most vulnerable youth early on, we make our whole community ecosystem healthier and wealthier for generations to come.
Planting Seeds of Promise at New Day Recovery
At New Day Recovery Family and Youth Service, cultivating the full potential of struggling youth inspires everything we do. Our comprehensive prevention, early intervention, and treatment programs and services offered year-round aim to address at-risk youth’s needs holistically.
We emphasize building trust, establishing stability, strengthening life skills, expanding social connections, addressing any behavioral or substance abuse issues, supporting mental wellness, completing education, imparting workforce readiness, and opening doors of opportunity. Areas of support include:
Counseling & Therapy: Our licensed staff provides individual, family, and group counseling incorporating various evidence-based modalities such as CBT and DBT. A trauma-informed care approach underlies all services.
Case Management: We assist youth and families in designing and implementing customized case plans to set goals, coordinate needed services, and monitor progress on an ongoing basis.
Mentorship Programs: Caring adult role models provide guidance to help youth make wise choices and discover strengths and interests leading to promising paths.
Education & Workforce Development: From earning a GED to job skills training, we empower youth to complete education and gain marketable workforce abilities.
Recreational Opportunities: Sports, arts, adventure outings, games & hobby groups foster joy, relationship-building skills, stress relief, and the pursuit of passion.
Immediate Needs Assistance: We help youth leaving unstable housing situations or aging out of foster care find safe housing, food, transportation, healthcare, and other fundamentals required for taking the next step.
At New Day Recovery, early intervention is not about quick fixes, but rather about walking side-by-side with young people and their support networks on their journey toward healing and unlocking their full potential, however long it takes.
Our programs have up to an 87% success rate of getting struggling youth back on track to earning a high school equivalency, pursuing higher education, finding meaningful employment, avoiding substance dependence and staying out of the juvenile justice system.
Come Grow with Us!
At New Day Recovery Family and Youth Service, we plant seeds of promise in Oklahoma youth every day. Our commitment is to nourish their full potential through comprehensive early intervention care, empower each young person to blossom into their best self and cultivate thriving communities for harvests to come.
Will you join us in growing a brighter tomorrow?
Here are a few ways you can get involved:
- Refer youth & families who may benefit from services
- Volunteer to mentor youth
- Offer internships or entry-level jobs
- Donate funds or resources
- Sponsor a specific program
Contact New Day Recovery today at +1 ((405)-525-0452 or visit https://www.newdayok.org/ to learn more about our programs, get involved, or make a life-changing donation.