Our Messages

Each month, we send emails to adults in our community detailing activities, behaviors, and skills they can use to become caring adults. These emails were designed by youth-workers for youth-workers, and feature the voices of local youth. You will also find helpful data and actionable steps towards developing stronger relationships to the youth in your lives, whether you’re new the field or a veteran.

Youth Voice

Our emails feature multimedia elements that bring in youth experience. Hear directly from MetroWest youth about what makes a caring adult, and how impactful that type of relationship can be on their development.

actionable skills

Receive practical advise for how to develop more meaningful relationships with youth. We encourage folks to participate in our monthly challenges, like “Identify a young person’s Spark” or “Include a young person in an organizational decision”.

Data

Youth who do not have a connection to a caring adult outside of school are more likely to engage in risky behaviors. Learn more specific data trends which reflect how daily conversations with youth can have a huge affect on their health!

Research and Frameworks

Data from the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey in 2016 revealed that many students, especially those who are non-white or LGBTQ, don’t have an adult outside of school whom they feel they could talk to about a problem in their life. When compared to their connected peers, students without these “Caring Adults” in their lives are more likely to engage in a variety of risk behaviors, including underage substance use.

We use the Search Institute’s Developmental Relationships Framework as a model for our trainings and resources. This Framework lays out 5 key elements that are essential to building strong relationships with young people in your life.

10%

of Youth Who are from an adult outside of school

Approximately 10% of youth in our communities feel they do not have an adult outside of school they could talk to about a problem in their life.

30%

of Disconnected youth who seriously considered suicide.

Youth who are not connected to a caring adult outside of school are more likely to report more troubling mental health indicators.

3x

More likely to Misuse Prescription Opioids

In light of the countries opioid epidemic, it is important we identify risk factors for future use. Youth who are disconnected are significantly more likely to use prescription opioids in the past 30 days.

Join the Caring Adults Network!

Interested in receiving our monthly email, complete with skills you can practice, action steps you can take, and trainings you can attend to improve your relationship-building strengths? Sign up for our newsletter using the area below: