By Michael R. Ebert
michael.ebert@newsday.com
Karen Haber of the Huntington Sanctuary Project has met hundreds of troubled teens who have run away – or are at risk of running away – from home.
“I’ve seen all types of cases,” said Haber, the agency’s youth project director. “Some kids have slept in their car following a family fight, while others need a permanent place to live. In the worse cases, kids might be suffering from abuse or drug addiction.”
Since the 1970s, Sanctuary has dealt with all of the above. As part of the Huntington Youth Bureau, the agency assists youth between the ages of 12 and 21 by providing individual and family counseling, crisis intervention and short-term emergency housing.
Last month, the Town Board approved a $100,000 contract extension for Sanctuary, meaning troubled teens will still have a place to escape besides the streets for another year.
“The most common thing we work on is improving communication in families,” said Haber, noting that local schools often refer teens to Sanctuary’s Runaway Program. “The youth and parents just need to improve their ability to listen, and we can help them. Very often, all it takes is an objective individual to step in and help mediate the situation.”
In addition, Sanctuary’s Runaway Program also offers temporary housing for youth through its network of host families, which provide room and board while the town agency works with the adolescent and his or her parents to facilitate a safe and speedy return home. The average stay lasts one or two nights with a maximum stay of two weeks in special cases.
But Sanctuary’s work goes beyond runaway counseling, Haber says. There’s also a Parenting Education program for those that need help with topics such as limit setting and discipline techniques. And there’s an Independent Living program for older teens that find themselves looking for a new place to sleep every night and need some guidance.
Still, the most unique service is the Street Outreach program, which sends a team to speak to teens wherever they congregate – local parks, street corners, beaches, etc.
“The goal is to establish trusting relationships between outreach staff and youth,” said Haber. “But we’re just one cog in a big wheel for these kids to build a better life.”
Funding for Sanctuary is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the New York State Office of Children and Family Services, Suffolk County Youth Bureau and the Town of Huntington. Services are confidential and free-of-charge.
For more information on the Huntington Sanctuary Project, visit www.hybydri.org.