Smoky River Family and Community Support Services – In Focus
Georgia Dubois
Director Smoky River FCSS
Collaboration, one of the abilities for Smoky River Family and Community Support Services to be in the know of the local needs of the Smoky River region.
With the 2015-2016 school year almost seeing the end of the school year, FCSS is very pleased to have partnerships with the many schools in the region in facilitating excellent preventative programming for the youth.
Since September 18, 2015 Colby Robbins, our Youth Program Coordinator, has been delivering the Healthy Youth Relationships program to the students of Georges P. Vanier.
This program has been met with great enthusiasm and participation from the grade 10 CALM class. This year, however, the program is also being offered to the Grade 8 students. Unbeknownst to many, more than 20 per cent of female youth have reported that they have been the victims of sexual, emotional, verbal or physical abuse from a romantic partner. Also, more than 10 per cent of male youth have reported the same. These numbers are alarming which makes Smoky River FCSS very excited to be able to contribute to educating our youth on the skills needed to recognize unhealthy situations and how to deal with them effectively.
The Healthy Youth Relationships program, which is a part of the RespectED: Violence and Abuse Prevention Program, examines healthy and unhealthy peer romantic relationships, focusing on dispelling stereotypes and building both communication and prevention skills. The program is aimed at youth between the ages of 12 and 18.
If you would like further information regarding this program, please feel free to contact Colby Robbins at (780) 837-2220.