SR-301-002-01 (3)
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council Meeting: October 13, 1987
CjED:CNS:SD:sh:youthstd
Santa Monica, california
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: city staff
SUBJECT: Approval of study Plan of Youth Needs and services in
Santa Monica.
INTRODUCTION
This report transmits information related to the convening of a
working group for the purpose of studying the needs of youth and
youth services in the City of Santa Monica. The report
summarizes the planning efforts to-date, describes the population
to be studied, outlines the purpose of the working group and the
study methodology and requests the City Council to authorize the
City Manager to convene a community working group to carry out
the study.
BACKGROUND
In June of 1987, the City Council approved the 1987-88 Community
Development Plan and Performance Objectives which called for a
study of youth needs and youth services delivery in Santa Monica.
The inclusion of the Youth Study in this year's workplan was the
culmination of several diverse and targeted efforts in recent
years to consider specific youth issues in the City:
(1) In 1981, in its report, Santa Monica Needs Assessment, to
the Western Region united Way Board of Directors, a committee of
Santa Monica community leaders described youth needs.
They
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focused on delinquency prevention, child day care, drug abuse
programs, foster home care and adoption.
(2) A city conducted study in 1983, A Conversation with the
citizens of Santa Monica, showed that out of a total of 10 social
problems which residents noticed most often in their
neighborhoods, 3 were related to youth. These areas were
unemployment, drug usage and school truancy.
(3) The city has addressed several youth related issues through
the Community Development Plan process. In 1983, the City's
role in youth employment programs was developed. The 1985-86
Funding Rationale identified youth and family services as
targeted services for agency proposals, noting the need for
creative programs to offer support to Santa Monica families,
particularly Latino families and youth. Attention was given to
the on-site school counseling programs in 1986-87. Increased
coordination with the school district and identification of
mutual issues in providing services to youth were explored.
(4) In addition, City staff began exploratory activities
preparatory to a major study effort. cities throughout the
United States were contacted regarding youth programs and
services in their area. Numerous key informants in the City of
Santa Monica were also interviewed to determine the level of
interest in looking at youth services and to identify a baseline
of needs and issues.
All of the above efforts lent strong support to the conclusion
that youth needs have not been addressed in a comprehensive way.
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It is acknowleged by all major funders that youth services are
the most fragmented services in most communities and the Santa
Monica experience is no exception. While city funding for other
services is usually a part of a package of coordinated resources
available to the residents, the funding of youth services has
been usually more reactive and uncoordinated with other funding
plans. Therefore, it is an appropriate time to take an extensive
look at the needs of youth in our community and how services
directed toward youth are currently being delivered and should be
delivered in the City of Santa Monica.
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DISCUSSION
I. Description of the Youth population
Children and adolescents are an important part of the resources
of Santa Monica. While only 39% of the families living in Santa
Monica in 1980 had children under the age of 18 years of age,
they are still a significant segment of the population in terms
of numbers. There were nearly 16,000 children. This means that
there were more children in the city than there were adults who
were of retirement age or older. Children 0-19 years of age
accounted for some 18% of the city's population, while older
residents represented 16%. Boys and girls were almost evenly
divided in the population.
It is estimated that about 75% of the school-age children are in
the public school system. While minorities represent about 27%
of the city's population, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School
District identified 42% of the registered students in the fall of
1986 as minority children.
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other data show that approximately 30% of the children ages 5-17
speak a language other than English in their homes; a little less
than one-third of Santa Monica families with children are headed
by females; and that 7% of the children in public schools in 1986
received AFDC.
Santa Monica's youth population represents a diverse group. They
are represented in every census tract in the city. Their
involvement in services and activities depends on many factors,
including awareness, location, accessibility and appropriateness.
II. Description of Services
There is no single comprehensive list of agencies serving youth
populations. The number of agencies identified who may serve
Santa Monica youth ranges from 50 - 100. Agencies may be located
in the city or in adjacent communities. Their clients may be
largely Santa Monica residents or they may serve a small
percentage of Santa Monica youth. A preliminary survey by City
staff showed that counseling/mental health, health and recreation
services are the most prevalent.
There does not seem to be any network that links all the
different types of agencies and organizations serving youth.
Rather, the linkages and networking appear to be more related to
what type of youth client is being served, i.e., youth with
identified social problems, youth interested in growth and
recreational activities, etc.
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Of the estimated 50 - 100 agencies and organizations serving
youth, only 16 are City-run or city-funded. The City's
involvement with the other agencies has been limited.
III. Purpose of the Working Group
A. composition
To undertake an overall assessment of what the needs of the youth
are in the Santa Monica community and how those needs can best be
met, it is important to have a broad-based group from the
community involved in this activity. The city Manager would
convene a working group of not more than 15 members from the
following categories:
1. Youth serving agencies, organizations and groups:
Representatives would be drawn from both prOblem-oriented groups
and character building/preventative programs and agency staff and
community volunteers.
2. Schools: Committee membership would come from the School
Board, principals, teachers and the PTA's.
3. youth: Members would be drawn from students, youth groups
and representative populations.
4. Parents: This would include parents involved with community
activities and with special need children.
5. Delinquency related programs: This could include the police
and probation.
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6. Community service organizations: Individual(s) would come
from groups involved in developing and promoting youth
opportunities and activities.
7. Funders: Representatives would be from community
foundations, corporations, United Way and government agencies.
8. City Council liaison: A council member would be liaison to
the working group.
9. Other: A liaison from the Social Services Commission would
be involved and other representatives could come from child
development and public assistance programs.
In addition, sub-groups would be convened through the use of
forums for specialized information as described later in the
report.
B. Mandate
The mandate for the working group would include:
o to identify the populations of youth in Santa Monica who are
most in need of services.
o to determine the extent to which services are presently
available.
o to assess the important "unmet" needs and recommend the
strategies and resources necessary to meet those needs.
o to identify the appropriate organizational roles and
responsibilities in addressing youth needs, with a special
emphasis on the Cityls role.
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o to take a leadership role in ensuring advocacy for youth and
the development and coordination of youth services.
IV. study Methodology
The working group will gather the appropriate information through
two types of information mechanisms.
a. Limited needs assessment surveys. Simplified surveys will be
developed, utilizing successful forms used by other cities in
youth needs assessment activities. The surveys will be given to
youth serving agencies and groups, parents (through the PTA's)
and students (through the school systems). Special emphasis will
be given to the youth'S observations on how the city can be
responsive to their needs.
b. Special information gathering forums. Four different types
of forums are projected to be held:
1. youth Forum: Agencies, organizations and groups will be
asked to send youth representatives to a one-day forum
to discuss needs and suggestions for meeting those
needs that can be addressed with community
resources.
2. School Forum: Administrators, principals and represent-
ative teachers (including special education) and counse-
lors will engage in a dialogue with the working group and
City staff on perceived needs and solutions and the role
the school systems can play in working with the community
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to address the concerns and problems of Santa Monica
youth.
3. Funders Forum: Representatives from community founda-
tions, corporate foundations, United Way, government and
community service organizations will focus on funding
trends, available resources and cooperative community
ventures.
4. City Departments: A discussion will be held with
representatives from all City Departments to consider
in what ways the city can be more responsive to the
needs of youth.
In addition, City staff will work with neighborhood association
assemblies to include all youth related issues in the
neighborhoods as part of the overall information gathering
activities.
v. Time Line
The working group will convene in October, 1987 and its
activities will cover an 18 month period. The activities will be
divided into two phases: (a) the study phase and (b) the
implementation and advocacy phase. The first phase will be
completed in about one year's time, so that the working group's
recommendations can be considered for major funding cycles during
the last part of 1988 and the beginning of 1989. The
implementation phase will carry through to June, 1989.
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BUDGETARY/FISCAL IMPACT
The activities will be conducted within the current budget.
There will not be any additional budgetary needs.
RECO:ID1ENDATIONS
City staff recommend that the City Council:
(1) authorize the
City Manager to convene a community-based working group to study
the needs of youth and the youth services delivery system in
Santa Monica: (2) direct staff to meet with the Superintendent
and the School Board to solict major support from the School
District in a joint assessment effort; (3) designate a council
liaison to the working group.
Prepared by: Sandy DuVander, Grants Administrator
Department of Community and Economic Development
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