Partners Readies h-IVoubled
Before They Reach Adu*"1:
By Karen Parker
Post Staff Writer
William Hoey was once
the supervisor of the
court’s pretrial release
program. Not long after
that he supervised the
Seventh Street Detoxifica
tion Center.
“I saw so many troubled
adults with no specific
goals for life,” Hoey spoke
with sincerity. He con
tinued, “Now I’m director
of a program called ‘Part
ners’ which will reach in
troubled youth before they
reach adulthood, and be
come unable to take charge
of their lives.”
Hie concept of Partners
is much like the United
Way’s Big Brother-Big
Sister program. Adult vo
• lunteers from Mecklenburg
County devote their time to
a young person. They
serve as a role model and
advocate for their partner.
The biggest difference, ac
cording to Hoey, is, “We
don’t just serve as the
youth’s friend. The adult
volunteers, referred to as
Senior Partners, make
sure the Junior Partners
begin early In setting spe
cific goals for themselves.”
me major oojecuves oi
the program are to Im
prove the Junior Partner’s
coping skills in various
roles of life; to reduce
delinquent behavior; to
make Senior Partners
more aware of Juvenile
delinquency problems in
society; and to encourage
Senior Partners to develop
an advocacy role on behalf
of the Junior Partner.
The Partners program
was founded in 1968 in
Colorado. Organizers be
lieved a partnership be
William “Bill’ Hoey
...Partners director
tween an adult volunteer
and a youth in trouble with
the law would have bene
ficial effects on the youth
and the community. The
program was initiated in
Charlotte last month.
Hie Charlotte-Mecklen
burg School System, the
Department of Social Ser
vices and the juvenile
courts make many of the
referrals to the Partners
staff. When Junior and
Senior Partners are
matched they spend a mi
nimum average of three
hours a week together.
Hoey emphasized the vo
lunteers do not strive to
replace the parent’s role
but rather act as an addi
tional supportive person in
the youth's life.
Most of the Junior Par
ners have been in mine
trouble with the law, hav
had educational problem
problems at home or wit
peers. Senior Partners tr
to provide for them a sens
of self-worth. This i
achieved through activitie
designed to quickly build
relationship such as cam|
ing, mountain trailing,
cultural trips, etc., Hoe
pointed out.
An adult can’t just dedd
he or she will be an ii
troubled youth’s guide.
Senior Partners must ui
dergo two intensive oriex
tation sessions. “The
learn what will be expec
See PARTNERS Page U
Marsha Dixon Doesn’t Want Children To Be Forgotten!
By Karen Parker
Post Staff Writer
Even though 1982 was
declared “The Year of the
Child," people like Marsha
Dixon don’t want children
to be forgotten in 1983 or in
years to come.
That’s particularly true
of children who for various
reasons may no longer
have the care of their na
tural parents. Marsha is
the director of Lutheran
Family Services, an agen
cy that oversees foster
care programs and serves
as a group home for youths
who have violated a law.
“Lutheran Family Ser
vices is contracted with
Mental Health Services,"
Marsha revealed. Pre
sently she and her staff are
putting an emphasis on
locating people with an
Interest in becoming faster
parents to children who
have emotional problems.
The degree of the emo
tional problem varies ac
cording to Marsha. Some of
the children may be mildly
retarded with a behavioral
problem or the case may be
worse.
“Every child has a case
r manager who is a member
e of the Lutheran Family
Services staff. The case
manager makes plans for
y the child such as therapy
e and seeking an appropriate
s school program,” Marsha
g stated. The primary re
a sponsibility of the foster
h parents is to assist the
agency with needs of the
child such as food, cloth
ing, transportation and, of
E course, sincere parental
h love from the heart.
The staff at Lutheran
r Family Services dedicates
i- four sessions to foster pa
ir rents teaching them the
■ generals and specifics of
caring for their foster
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child. Most of the children
available to foster parents
are between the ages of six
and 17.
“We let the parents tell
us the type of child they
want and then we match
them to the child nearest
their specifications,"
Marsha noted. The proce
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child is not as lengthy as
the one for adopting a
child. “It usually takes less
than two months for the
case managers to license
foster parents," stated
Marsha. She added, “Hie
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the parents take a medical
examination; prove they
are able to meet the needs
of their foster child without
interfering with the re
sponsibilities already
established for a family; be
21-65 years of age; and
have a Are and health in
spection in their home. It is
possible for a single person
to become a foster parent
as long as the same re
quirements are fulfilled.
If the foster child is in a
group home or a foster care
center, he or she may not
be able to live with the
parents as soon as the li
cense is issued. However,
visits are not restricted and
it’s usually hot long before
child and parents become
an inseparable unit.
The Lutheran Family
Services agency is located
at 1900 The Plaza. Office __
Hours are Monday-Friday,
8:30 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Marsha encourages all in
terested persons to contact
her at 332-7601.
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