Staying Connected with Your Teen is a self-study program designed to give parents the skills they need to help their teen successfully make the transition into adulthood. This program enables parents of teens ages 12-17 to increase the chances their children will grow up healthy and avoid substance abuse, delinquency, and violence. Parents will learn and practice skills for improving communication and building stronger bonds with their teen, thereby helping teens avoid the risks they face. This is a program that families complete at home over a period of 8 to 10 weeks. Participating families receive an instructional guide, worksheets, and a dvd, in addition to 8 weeks of telephone support from a family consultant. Parents should plan on devoting about 60 minutes a week to the activities in the guide. The family consultant will make a weekly call to participating families to check-in and answer any questions parents might have about the material.

Any family living in Knox, Lincoln or Waldo county with a child between the ages of 12-17 is eligible to participate in the Staying Connected with Your Teen program. This program is ongoing and FREE. Interested parents are welcome to start the program at any time by contacting Youthlinks. For more information or to sign up call 594-2221 or visit www.youthlinksonline.org.

Youthlinks is a program of Broadreach Family & Community Services located in Rockland that provides community service, leadership and enrichment opportunities to all youth ages 11-17 from anywhere in mid-coast Maine. These programs help youth learn skills, build self-esteem, cultivate social responsibility, develop leadership abilities and connect to their peers, to adult mentors, and to their communities. Youthlinks is funded primarily by state grants and the generous donations of individuals, businesses, and foundations. All Youthlinks programs are free for participating youth. The Staying Connected with Your Teen program is made possible through a Maine Children’s Trust Parent Education Grant.