San Diego nonprofit supports former foster youth with mental health services

SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — San Diego nonprofit Simply in Time for Foster Youth (JIT) is reaching out to weak younger adults who lately aged out of the foster care system. The initiative was began following a brand new report that discovered half of all homeless persons are former foster youngsters.

“I entered the foster care system completely once I was 12 years previous,” mentioned Samantha Harmer.

Harmer moved from Utah to San Diego earlier than she aged out of the foster care system at 18.

“A interval of my life the place I used to be struggling quite a bit. Since I used to be from Utah, I wasn’t accepted into lots of the applications that have been for foster youth in California,” mentioned Harmer. “Then I used to be referred to Simply in Time by a case employee I had. It positively modified my life.”

Harmer was accepted to the College of California San Diego that yr. JIT paid for Harmer’s college provides and paired her with a mentor.

“I triple-majored in political science, sociology and communications,” mentioned Harmer. “So having that constant individual in my life to lean on for steering was unimaginable.”

That peace of thoughts helped her graduate and get a full-time job on the nonprofit. Sadly, knowledge reveals success tales like Harmer’s are uncommon.

The Nationwide Foster Youth institute says one out of each 5 former foster children grow to be homeless instantly after leaving the foster care system. It is an issue difficult by elevated dangers for psychological sickness and substance abuse.

“While you come out of foster care, you do not have a help system,” mentioned Don Wells, CEO of Simply in Time for Foster Youth. “And nobody does properly and not using a help system.”

The nonprofit is making an attempt to interrupt that cycle by including a brand new psychological well being staff.

“We employed an individual who’s a scientific psychologist as a supervisor,” mentioned Wells. “And we shaped a partnership with Alliant Worldwide College. They ship us graduate college students, so we’re capable of provide remedy on-site without charge to our members.”

It is a essential step to guard at-risk youth.

“That is as a result of it is all about connections,” mentioned Wells.

Simply in Time for Foster Youth additionally helps aged-out foster youth with housing, job readiness and extra. If you wish to be taught extra, you possibly can go to their web site.