Program for troubled youth opens in Havre

Havre-area parents of children with behavior issues now have another place to turn.

Youth Dynamics, a program based in Billings that has been helping kids across Montana since 1981, opened its Havre office at 403 3rd Ave. earlier this month. Michelle Tomaskie, the Havre office's manager, said that she has spent the weeks since the office started on Nov. 8 doing community outreach and that everyone "has been very receptive."

"What we will be providing is in-home services for children with emotional or behavioral difficulties," Tomaskie said.

Many types of services will be available to the children and their families.

Tomaskie is working to treat issues with family support teams. These support teams work on group family therapy to improve communication between family members.

Youth Dynamics is also looking for applicants to fill positions as family support assistants. These assistants would act as mentors to the children, similar to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Due to the added difficulty of the cases requiring an assistant to help the children meet therapeutic goals, the family support assistant is a part-time, paying position, for about 6-10 hours a week.

The program also wants to aid families in searching for support beyond Youth Dynamics.

Karla Wohlwend, director of special education for the Havre Public School District, heard about Youth Dynamics when Tomaskie announced the program's expansion into Havre at November's Hill County Health Consortium meeting, and she said she's glad it's here.

"It gives us another way to help kids," Wohlwend said. "Any time we have access to something like that in our community, it's a good thing."

The program has already shown its benefit to other communities across the state. In the 29 years they've been offering family services, the program has expanded its programming and locations, now serving more than a dozen communities in Montana.

Along with the new Havre office the main office, Youth Dynamics has a branch in Shelby. All offices offer services to anyone within 60 miles.

Michelle Tomaskie can be reached at 265-3226.

Havre-area parents of children with behavior issues now have another place to turn.

Youth Dynamics, a program based in Billings that has been helping kids across Montana since 1981, opened its Havre office at 403 3rd Ave. earlier this month. Michelle Tomaskie, the Havre office's manager, said that she has spent the weeks since the office started on Nov. 8 doing community outreach and that everyone "has been very receptive."

"What we will be providing is in-home services for children with emotional or behavioral difficulties," Tomaskie said.

Many types of services will be available to the children and their families.

Tomaskie is working to treat issues with family support teams. These support teams work on group family therapy to improve communication between family members.

Youth Dynamics is also looking for applicants to fill positions as family support assistants. These assistants would act as mentors to the children, similar to the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Due to the added difficulty of the cases requiring an assistant to help the children meet therapeutic goals, the family support assistant is a part-time, paying position, for about 6-10 hours a week.

The program also wants to aid families in searching for support beyond Youth Dynamics.

Karla Wohlwend, director of special education for the Havre Public School District, heard about Youth Dynamics when Tomaskie announced the program's expansion into Havre at November's Hill County Health Consortium meeting, and she said she's glad it's here.

"It gives us another way to help kids," Wohlwend said. "Any time we have access to something like that in our community, it's a good thing."

The program has already shown its benefit to other communities across the state. In the 29 years they've been offering family services, the program has expanded its programming and locations, now serving more than a dozen communities in Montana.

Along with the new Havre office the main office, Youth Dynamics has a branch in Shelby. All offices offer services to anyone within 60 miles.

Michelle Tomaskie can be reached at 265-3226.