Manchester youth services requests six counselors to fill coverage gaps in schools and community

Mike Quigley, director of the Office of Youth Services (OYS), presented a strategic staffing initiative to the Manchester Board of Mayor & Aldermen at the board meeting, outlining gaps in school coverage and a proposal to add six youth service counselors to expand services in schools and the community.

Quigley told the board the office served about 350 young people last year and is seeing referrals rise. "We're up about 26% this year, with the same amount of staffing," he said, and said the proposed hires would allow OYS to serve an estimated 220 additional youth. He described persistent coverage gaps at West High School, Hillside Middle School, Southside, and the MST site and said more than 70% of OYS clients lack transportation to get to after-school or evening programs.

The proposal would add six full-time youth service counselors to provide one staff member per middle and high school now lacking dedicated coverage, start a pilot position for elementary schools, and assign a staff member to…