Youth Attention Center Director --

Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Room 134
400 Elm Street, Big Rapids, Michigan 49307

(231) 592-0128
Reflections Program (231) 592-0129
Emergency Services 1-231-416-0818 or 1-800-292-4517
Email yac@co.mecosta.mi.us

• Goals

  Our goals are to reunite the youth and family; to provide information and referral services to the youth and family; and , to divert youth out of the formal court system.

• Services

  We provide intensive, out-reach counseling, temporary shelter, and after care services.

• What is the Youth Attention Center?

  The Youth Attention Center was established in 1977, due to the need in the two counties for short term placement and counseling for at-risk court and state ward youth ages 12 - 16 years. Shelter care is made available to youth, serving as an alternative to jail, detention, or out-of-county placement.

  The caseworker provides out-reach counseling services to court and state ward youth and their families, making recommendations to the court.

  In addition, the agency has a second component called "Reflections", for runaway & homeless youth, and youth in other crisis situations. Youth and/or families participating in this program are on a voluntary basis.

• What does the Reflections program provide?

  The Reflections program provides free-of-charge, out-reach crisis intervention, temporary shelter care, referral and after care services to youth ages 13 - 17 years. It also includes individual and family counseling services for a period of three months.

• What areas do the counselors focus on while working with my youth?

  The counselors help youth identify basic life management skills of which they are currently having difficulty dealing with and, these could include some of the following: Communication skills, peer and family relationships, delinquency issues, anger management skills, teen pregnancy issues, academic/truancy problems, divorce and grieving issues.

• Are services confidential?

  All services provided through the Reflections program to youth and/or their families are confidential. There is the exception in cases that involve the possibility of physical and emotional abuse and neglect issues (according to the law, all caseworkers are mandated to report such possible cases).

  All court and/or state ward youth who are receiving services provided through the Youth Attention Center (component one) caseworker, are subject to the acknowledgement of the court and state.