New Kent nonprofit opens to help youth, families

For the Reporter

A new, family support nonprofit has opened in Kent to help address the challenges of King County families and youth struggling with emotional, behavioral, mental health and substance abuse.

Guided Pathways – Support for Youth and Families (GPS) is focused on empowering parents and caregivers across the county to parent and advocate for youth with serious emotional disturbance or behavioral health-related issues, according to owners.

GPS will hire and train peer counselors to assist and support family members to navigate multiple, often complex agencies and human services systems (i.e., basic needs, health, behavioral health, education, social services, etc.).

The organization’s program priorities include peer-to-peer parent support, family social events, parent classes and youth-peer support.

Its first family social event is admission free and scheduled for Saturday at the organization’s Kent office at West Valley Business Park, 6625 S. 190th S., Suite B108.

Kent resident and GPS founding Board member Sharon Dysert Ittner knows the anguish of families who struggle with the fallout of a child’s substance abuse and behavioral challenges. Dysert Ittner has more than 24 years of experience as a business analyst and project manager but, none of the challenges she met in the financial industry compare to the struggles she and her husband face raising three adopted grandchildren. She has advocated for her grandchildren in multiple systems including the mental health system.

“The struggles that families face are overwhelming, and any support group or program is beneficial,” she said. “All families need a voice and the additional support when faced with challenges they have on their plate.”

Her family is just one of many who need support. Severe mental illness that causes functional impairment affects 1 in 10 children and teens in the U.S. Eighty percent of people with multiple mental health and substance abuse disorders report the onset before age 20.

Although mental illness and substance abuse affect so many children and teens age 6 to 17, 79 percent of them do not receive mental health care, according to statistics from the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health. According to the 2012 Healthy Youth Survey conducted by the Washington State Department of Health, many youth need support for depressive feelings.

In King County, the survey found between 12-18 percent of students in grades 6, 8, 10 and 12 seriously considered attempting suicide in 2012.

With primary funding from King County Department of Community & Human Services –Mental Health, Chemical Abuse and Dependency Services Division (MHCADSD), GPS aims to provide the help parents and their children need.

“Our focus is on supporting King County youth and families in navigating their journey through care systems,” said Susan Millender, GPS Executive Director. “We are committed to providing services for families, with families, and by families. People with common life experiences have a unique capacity to help each other. They share a deep understanding that might not exist in other relationships.”

For more information, visit www.guidedpathways.org.