History of Seacoast Youth Services

Seacoast Youth Services was created in December 2001 as a local not-for-profit juvenile diversion program. In direct response to an expressed community need for a local prevention and intervention resource, SYS began providing quality substance abuse related services for youth and families in the lower Seacoast area of New Hampshire in collaboration with schools, courts, mental health, social service and other community agencies. SYS quickly developed a reputation for utilizing highly skilled individuals, including licensed counselors, social workers and other professionals with years of hands-on experience helping youth and families. Substance abuse services have included school- and community based programs and activities, including student assistance and prevention programming in Seabrook and Hampton middle schools and Winnacunnet High School, as well as assessment, prevention education, intervention and support groups for youth and their family members at SYS.

SYS programs and services were initially targeted to youth who had exhibited substance abuse behavior, or activities that presented a high-risk for substance abuse (e.g., truancy, school discipline, delinquency, etc.), and this continues to be a major focus of SYS’s prevention and intervention programming.  However, as SYS came to better understand the ‘ecological’ nature of substance abuse within the family and the community, the agency also recognized the need to expand support activities for family members and to establish positive youth development activities for young people during out-of-school time.  Particular family focused activities have included parent support groups, a young mothers group, family night activities and increased case management and service coordination on behalf of families.  Positive youth development programming have included a variety of leadership, nutrition, fitness, technology in partnership with other organizations, including UNH Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development and the SEA-ARTS 21st Century Learning Center.

Seacoast Youth Services is also a founding organization of the Lower Seacoast Youth and Family Coalition, a coalition of various youth –oriented agencies in the area. The coalition is engaged with the Strategic Prevention Framework State Incentive Grant.  Seacoast Youth Services has been very involved in this grant, assessing the needs and resources around the substance abuse problems in our region.

While still true to our roots, Seacoast Youth Services continues to grow and expand in order to best meet the needs of youth and families in the Seacoast region.