During the FY 1999-2000 San Mateo County budget hearings, your Board determined the need to develop a strategic plan to support youth in San Mateo County. Your Board used data and information from various sources, including the San Mateo County Community Needs Assessment, which suggested that teenage sexual behavior, alcohol and other drug use, and violence were serious and worsening public health concerns. In addition, your Board concluded that strategies intending to reduce these risk factors had not been adequately explored or implemented at the community level. The 2001 San Mateo County Adolescent Report was the first comprehensive look at the status of youth in our County, and was intended to be used by stakeholders across the County to develop plans for action.
Your Board accepted the San Mateo County Adolescent Report 2007 and the Youth Commission’s Policy Recommendations in February 2007. This report presented an overview on the status of our County’s youth and for the first time included policy recommendations developed by the Youth Commission. The San Mateo County Adolescent Report 2007 is intended to be used by providers, grant makers, policymakers, young people, and their allies to identify areas where improvement can be made as well as developing plans for action. In addition the Youth Commission actively participates in providing input to the County’s Vision 2025.
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Since 2001 significant progress has been made in improving asset development for young people in San Mateo County. Progress includes enhancement of the Youth Commission and its interaction with other community bodies and organizations, strengthening of school-based programs using the asset development model, consolidation of community efforts in supporting youth, and the incorporation of youth asset development principles into County initiatives.
The 2005-06 San Mateo County Youth Commission developed and administered a countywide survey which assessed young people’s experiences. Based on the survey results, the group developed hypotheses about the interrelationships among risk behaviors, assets, and life conditions. The Youth Commission identified five areas of need improvement: Youth-Police Relationships, Gang Violence Prevention, Self-Harm/Suicidal Ideation, Sex Education, and Substance Abuse Education and Services. Over the past year, the Youth Commission focused their work on two of these recommendations. They conducted additional research and developed implementation outlines. In the area of Gang Violence Prevention, the Youth Commission explored jobs for youth who are not planning on going to college as a key prevention strategy. In the area of Sex Education, the Youth Commission explored curricula on prevention information and integration into the schools. Both of these areas of exploration are emblematic of the Youth Commission’s progress in addressing the needs of young people in San Mateo County, and additional progress will be reported on next year.
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