The Indiana Youth Services Association is celebrating a special milestone: their 50th anniversary! For 50 years, the organization has supported youth, youth workers, and other non-profit agencies. IYSA strives to connect families with needed supportive services. By the end of 2022, the organization provided support to 240,000 youth and families!

David Westenberger, CEO of IYSA, and Kendee Kolp, CEO of Reach for Youth (a IYSA member organization), joined Life.Style.Live! to share more about the positive work they are doing in local communities.

The organization has 26 Youth Services Bureaus member organizations and agencies that serve 65 Hoosier counties. In their local communities, the member organizations offer a variety or programs like counseling and case management, academic skills enhancement, emergency youth shelters, school based programming, mentoring, and more.

The programs are all centered around these four core roles:

• Delinquency Prevention
  Programs aimed at preventing delinquent behavior by providing positive alternatives for keeping youth out of the justice system
• Advocacy
  Activities that support, represent and protect the children and youth, such as CASA (court appointed special advocates) and work with state and local legislators on policies affecting youth and families
• Community Education
  Services that educate and raise communities’ awareness about issues central to healthy youth development
• Information and Referral
  The sharing of information on and referral to a variety of youth serving agencies, including the Safe Place program.

For more information about the Indiana Youth Services Association, visit their website.

For more information about Reach for Youth, visit their website.