Warren Township officials updated the Village of Gurney board on Sept. 29 about youth and family services, counseling activity, the teen center and a shortfall of volunteer mentors for a revived site-based mentoring program.

Supervisor Elmer Fallis introduced the briefing and asked staff to highlight current programs. Adam (last name not stated) described client-survey results for counseling services, reporting nearly 95% of therapy clients would refer the service. Staff said more than 50% of counseling clients pay a reduced fee (often under $10) and that the office charges a nominal $15 fee for services in some cases; about half the clients receive reduced rates.

Officials said the counseling center has five full-time therapists (three bilingual), two part-time staff and two interns; since the start of the fiscal year it has served more than 200 families for roughly 2,400 sessions and maintains a wait list. Common presenting problems include anxiety, depression, ADHD and parent–child relational issues. The township also provides school-based prevention work, QPR suicide-prevention training, mental-health first-aid sessions, parenting groups in English and Spanish, and an anxiety group that recently began.

Jamal (last name not stated) and the teen-center director described the Warren Township Teen Center, a drop-in after-school program open to sixth- through 12th-graders who are Warren Township residents. The center registered about 150 households for summer programming and had roughly 170 participants registered after the school year began; the director said that equals about 64% of last school year’s enrollment early in the year. The center charges a $25 annual fee; a scholarship program has covered about 15 students this year.

Supervisor Fallis asked for assistance locating volunteer mentors to rebuild a site-based mentoring program that previously served teens with Big Brothers Big Sisters; township staff said it has been difficult to recruit mentors and asked the community and partners to help identify candidates.

No formal village action was requested during the update.