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Advocacy Statement & Core Areas

The 2025 Legislative Session convenes on January 8th.  

Advocacy Statement and Core Areas

Advocacy Statement:

Advocate for substantial, supportive, and sustainable investment in each of the core areas which provide meaningful and transformative services to youth through Connecticut’s network of Youth Service Bureaus.

Core Areas:

• Community Based Treatment and Prevention: As statewide youth referrals become more complex due to the growing prevalence of mental health, social-emotional, and behavioral issues, organizations across Connecticut have the persistent and increasing challenge of meeting the service needs of the youth in their communities.
• Fiscal Stability: Meaningful and ongoing funding and fiscal structural support for Connecticut’s Youth Service Bureaus.
• Diversion/Youth Justice: Advocate for youth to be served in the most appropriate way in their community whenever possible, support the use of a restorative approach and provide for sustainable funding to address the changes in the system statewide
• Resources and Support: Support staffing to ensure the realization of the Community-Based Diversion System which enables Youth Service Bureaus to provide delivery of the services detailed in the State Statute.

State Statute 10-19M mandates that “youth service bureaus shall be the coordinating unit of community-based services to provide comprehensive delivery of prevention, intervention, treatment and follow-up services”. A YSB may provide, but not be limited to the delivery of the following services: ((1) Individual and group counseling; (2) parent training and family therapy; (3) work placement and employment counseling; (4) alternative and special educational opportunities; (5) recreational and youth enrichment programs; (6) outreach programs to insure participation and planning by the entire community for the development of regional and community-based youth services; (7) preventive programs, including youth pregnancy, youth suicide, violence, alcohol and drug prevention; and (8) programs that develop positive youth involvement.)