An Urgent Message from our Board Chair
Dear Friend,
I am writing to you on behalf of over 200 young people, many of them runaway and homeless adolescents, who depend on the services of Los Angeles Youth Supportive Services, Inc. (LAYSS).
LAYSS provides on-the-spot intensive counseling, social and support services to high-risk adolescents, and it is the only organization in Los Angeles using masters level, mental health professionals to provide these services. In the last 2½ years, LAYSS has successfully moved over 100 youth -- most of whom had resorted to selling their bodies on the streets to survive -- off the streets and on to productive and responsible lifestyles. These have included foster families, group homes, substance abuse treatment programs, apartments of their own and full-time jobs.
I am asking for your support at this critical time for LAYSS. With no on-going governmental or foundation support at this time, your contribution will help insure that this vital and unique program will survive and grow to its full potential.
What is LA Youth Supportive Services (LAYSS)?
In March 1995, due to federal funding cutbacks, a social service agency in Hollywood, CA, had to terminate a highly successful counseling program for high-risk adolescents. The director of that program, Jason Wittman, M.P.S., created LAYSS to take its place. For the next 29 months, this remarkable man continued that program, actually increasing its mission, without the three social workers of his previous staff. He did that without benefit of government funding, working 16-hour days, 7-day weeks, and without pay!
Fortunately, we now have a vehicle donation program that has provided the funds for basic staff salaries, an office and vehicles.
LAYSS currently provides services in the Hollywood, West Hollywood and West LA areas to high risk and potentially high risk youth including street prostitutes, immigrant youth, gay and lesbian youth and homeless and runaway youth.
They use a system, developed by Jason, of providing counseling services called Counseling On Demand. Counseling On Demand calls for masters level, mental health professionals to be in almost constant contact with their young clients. They hang out with the kids in the kid's own environment (on the street, in coffee houses, etc.) establishing all the trust and rapport necessary to do counseling and then waiting patiently for the clients's life experiences to cause them to seek advice. Counseling can then be initiated by the youth, in the non-threatening form of casual conversation, at the very moment the youth need it.
Since most problems that young people on their own encounter, occur after normal business hours and on weekends, we have a staff member available for crisis counseling either in person or by phone, 24 hours a day and seven days a week. Counseling On Demand works because the counselors can quickly capitalize on those narrow windows of opportunity that occur during and just after traumatic experiences. Timing is absolutely critical in helping move these youth off the streets and onto productive lives.
I originally met Jason Wittman when I was the commander of the West Hollywood Sheriff’s station. I was impressed with the work he was doing, his concern for the welfare of the youth and his high level of success. I joined the board of directors because I believe in the mission of LAYSS and I want to make sure that it continues and grows.
Frankly, I don't know how Jason is able to do it. He has been keeping LAYSS going since April 1995, with minimal staffing and the modest help of a small circle of benefactors. He has had no days off, works 16 hour days and regularly takes crisis calls in the middle of the night! His results are impressive. He has assisted over 100 youth to leave the streets, 41 youth have saved over $53,000 using a saving program he created, and many other high-risk kids have stayed at home and in school due to his counseling. But not even Jason can do this alone. Although he now has an administrative assistant and minimal counseling staff, he needs more full time counseling staff to assist with the ever increasing client load. Because we hire only experienced, masters level mental health professionals, the expense of hiring additional staff is steep. Thanks to the assistance of community-minded people like yourself, who care for the well being of our youth, we have made it this far. Your continued assistance is critical.
There is no contribution you will make this year that will have as huge and immediate impact on providing services that will directly effect the lives of over 200 youth in need than one to LAYSS! Although there are other agencies that touch some parts of their lives, LAYSS is the only one that provides them with 24 hour a day, 7 days a week access to a counselor that they already know and trust!
Without your assistance, these young people will be forced to fend for themselves on the streets. They are counting on you. Please mail your tax-deductible (IRS #95-4534972) contribution to L.A. Youth Supportive Services, Inc. at 8111 Beverly Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90049. If you wish to contribute by credit card, please click on the contribute icon below. It will take you to a very secure donation site.
Sincerely,
Bill Mangan
Bill R. Mangan
Chairperson, LAYSS Board of Directors
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