2009 Strategic Plan

Steve LevySuffolk County Executive

Louis A. Medina, MSWExecutive Director

H. Lee Dennison Building, Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, New York 11788(631) 853-8270 • Fax (631) 853-8271

Table of ContentsTable of Contents

Summary

Youth Bureau Executive Director, Louis A. Medina, MSW

Directory of Staff

Organization History and Profile

Mission, Vision & Values

Goals and Objectives

2

3

4

5

6

11

15

SummaryThe overall purpose of the 2009 Suffolk

County Youth Bureau Strategic Plan is to provide a guide of what the future holds for our youth serving contract agencies. Our agencies serve over 400,000 youth in Suffolk County and provide funding for 184 agencies and through contingency funds supports 300 plus organizations. Suffolk County has the largest youth population in New York State, outside of New York City. The Suffolk County Youth Bureau conducts monitoring and evaluation of youth programs, research, planning information, referral, and technical assistance for community based organizations.

A Letter from the Executive Director

Dear Agency Director:

After reflecting for much of 2008, we at the Suffolk County Youth Bureau have put together a strategic plan for 2009. The relevance of our plan to the contract agencies is to look at the overall needs of our most valued resource, our youth.

“Now More Than Ever”, we need to provide resources, training, and guidance so that our agencies and organizations are equipped and focused

on youth development and skills for our youth populations which continues

to grow.It is my hope that this document will be a guide to you all and

that all agencies will utilize it to impact on how you will provide and expand your services to meet the needs of our children in the 21st Century.

“Together we can achieve more”.Sincerely,

Louis A. Medina, MSW

Directory of Staff

Leonard Bianco

Kathleen Compitello

Matthew Kinsella

Rosa Montella

Patrick Policastro

Pamela Ward

Organization History and Profile

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau was established as a distinct entity within the Office of the County Executive over a quarter century ago under the provisions of Local Law 28-1974. Since 1979, the Youth Bureau has operated in accordance with the State of New York Office of Children and Family Services Comprehensive Planning Agreement. This agreement significantly expands local participation in planning and augmenting youth services.

Essentially, the Youth Bureau staff conducts monitoring and evaluation of youth programs, research and planning, information and referral, and training and technical assistance for community based youth organizations. More than 180 youth programs are funded through the Suffolk County Youth Bureau’s regular budget stream, as well as over 200 programs on a contingency funded basis. These programs serve Suffolk County’s youth under the age of 21. Currently there are 4,943,648 youth under the age of 21 living in New York State.

Maintaining this service delivery system is a mammoth undertaking given the fact that Suffolk County has the largest youth population in New York State outside of New York City. Approximately 400,000 persons under the age of 21 reside in Suffolk County. It should be noted that this number amounts to nearly 30% of the County’s total population.

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau, in coordination with other County departments, strives to protect the rights and welfare of the youth in Suffolk County. It also acts to ensure their physical, social and educational well being. It is the belief of the Youth Bureau that every child and family residing in Suffolk County is entitled to a system of services which provides support, nurturance, and an overall positive outlook on life.

The contract agencies of the Suffolk County Youth Bureau typically provide the following services: Crisis Intervention, Informal and Formal Counseling, Temporary Shelter, Recreational/Cultural Programs, Employment Programs, Information and Referral, Advocacy, Educational Programs, Youth Hotlines, and Runaway and Homeless Youth Services.

Mission, Vision & Values

Mission

The mission of the Suffolk County Youth Bureau is to successfully meet the needs of Suffolk County Youth under the age of 21 by ensuring effective countywide planning, thoughtful development, and efficiency in the management of resources necessary to sustain the County’s youth service system.

Mission, Vision & Values

Vision

The Youth Bureau is a leader with an active voice and the cornerstone for youth development in Suffolk County.

Our goals are:

• To be an active network of Youth Agencies• To be dedicated to the principles of positive and

effective youth development• To provide training and resources to ensure quality and

core competencies for youth development.

Mission, Vision & ValuesValues

• All youth 21 years old or younger, will grow up in a healthy, substance abuse-free environment. Youth will be productive members of society and crime-free. They will achieve high academic status and be physically/mentally fit. Youth will be culturally sound.

• Every youth should be educated and able to meet the skills required to be a member in the 21st Century workforce.

• Services must be provided for all youth and must be based upon assessment of particular youth needs.

• Decisions made based on the assessment of particular youth needs shall be decided and designed by Suffolk County. This is to avoid cookie

cutter prescriptions mandated by the date.

• Equity in funding ensures equal representation due to population-based funding. All agencies with diverse populations should receive equal funding.

• Full community participation as well as youth participation helps to ensure quality programming.

• The safety of youth is the utmost concern of the Suffolk County Youth Bureau. Youth should have safe, supervised places in which they can go in times of need.

• Agencies should be diverse and be able to provide a vast amount of services to youth.

Goals & ObjectivesGoal 1: To ensure the safety and well-being of the youth

population in Suffolk County.

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau will work collaboratively to:

• Ensure that youth have programs and/or places available to them that provide a safe environment

• Ensure that youth are encountering a positive experience as a result of attending these programs/places

• Monitor staff at agencies to make certain that positive role models are responsible for the youth

• Ensure that youth are leaving these programs better off than they were before they attended them

• Ensure that all youth are receiving services, based upon an assessment of personal needs.

Goals & ObjectivesGoal 2: To research and plan accordingly to better the

services offered to the youth of Suffolk County.

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau will work collaboratively to:

• Collect and analyze statistical data from agencies to ensure that programs are running efficiently and effectively

• Ensure all agencies are in compliance with their contracts

• Monitor and evaluate agencies that can benefit the youth of Suffolk County

• Prepare County contracts• Research grants for certain programs/services.

Goals & ObjectivesGoal 3: To provide both information and referral for youth or

general public in Suffolk County.

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau will work collaboratively to:

• Provide programs/services that can be utilized by the youth of Suffolk County

• Refer youth to places in which to go to receive guidance in a safe environment

• Provide information about agencies that appeals to the youth of Suffolk County

• Provide a Suffolk County Youth Bureau Newsletter which informs the community of upcoming youth-related events

• Provide a Suffolk County Youth Bureau website which informs the community in various areas (i.e. upcoming youth-related events, grant opportunities for agencies, a speaker’s bureau, links to community based organizations).

Goals & ObjectivesGoal 4: To provide training and technical assistance for Suffolk

County Youth Bureau funded agencies/organizations.

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau will work collaboratively to:

• Offer training seminars to representatives of Suffolk County youth organizations to better the program/services rendered

• Offer workshops to educate cooperating agencies on certain skills (i.e. grant writing, conflict resolution, crisis intervention, etc.)

• Provide technical training to cooperating agencies (i.e. computer technical skills)

• Provide agencies with the promise that the Suffolk County Youth Bureau is available when agencies need assistance or further education in certain areas.

Goals & ObjectivesGoal 5: To fund youth programs in Suffolk County.

The Suffolk County Youth Bureau will work collaboratively to:

• Assist agencies in accessing funding, as available • Ensure that funding is allotted to eligible agencies in

Suffolk County• Ensure that funding is aiding in the production of

better services for the youth of Suffolk County• Ensure agencies are in compliance with contracts

made with the Youth Bureau.