County Forum to provide resources to organizations working with youth

Wildwood, NJ – For the first time, Cape Assist and the Children’s Inter Agency Coordinating Council of Cape May County (CIACC) will come together to host a Youth Resource Forum designed to equip community members who work with children with tools and resources to better support young people and their needs in the county.

The January 14 event being held at Atlantic Cape Community College in Cape May Court House is geared toward school administration, law enforcement, faith community representatives, community partners, social workers, counselors, therapists, case managers and anyone else who works directly with local youth. The programming is a comprehensive approach to supporting Cape May County children by looking at the full scope of the county’s needs rather than just certain segments. The goal is to help local youth foster the tools to overcome the adversity they may face in their life so that they can grow up in a happy and healthy environment.

“The more positive resources and protective opportunities that kids are exposed to, the less likely they are to engage in risky behaviors, such as substance misuse,” said Cape Assist’s Executive Director and CEO Katie Faldetta. “This event serves as a collaborative effort with other community agencies with a joint mission, to educate the community on these tools as well as Children’s System of Care and how to access its resources.”

Cape Assist works regularly with a variety of dedicated community partners to help foster resiliency in local youth and other at-risk populations. This specific partnership with CIACC will aid in the efforts.

CIACC members work together to review how county services function for children facing mental health, developmental, or substance misuse challenges. The group includes service providers, service recipients, and coordinators who facilitate these efforts. CIACC values the voices of families and youth and collaborates with a range of partners across mental health, developmental, and substance misuse services, including crisis response teams, care managers, support organizations, and juvenile justice representatives. The organization continually looks to strengthen connections with youth and families who have used community services to improve responsiveness and flexibility.

Cape Assist and CIACC hope to host the Youth Resource Forum annually.

For more information or to register for the event, go to CapeAssist.com/Events. Continental breakfast will be provided.