Rainbow Resource Directory Newsletter

Charlene M. Ashendorf has worked with nonprofits for over 15 years as a grant writer, consultant, program manager, and most recently as the executive director of Laurel House. For our first agency spotlight we asked her to describe her experience at Laurel House, an Orange County home for teens in crisis.

RRD: For those who are unfamiliar, tell us a bit about Laurel House.

Ashendorf: Laurel House was founded in 1985 by two women who were distraught at the sight of teenagers living on the streets of Orange County, California. What began as an emergency crisis shelter for teenage runaways has evolved over the years into a unique, proactive, preventive program for teens at risk of becoming homeless due to tense family situations at home. Before a teenage girl reaches that crisis point where she feels she has no other alternative but to run away, she can come live at Laurel House for six months to one year for a safe and structured “cooling off” period from her parents. Our goals are to provide a temporary, safe home for the teens, properly diagnose and treat any existing disorders, keep them in school, achieve academic success, and ultimately family reunification whenever possible.

RRD: What makes the Laurel House program so unique?

Ashendorf: Laurel House is unique for several reasons. First of all it is a home that just happens to provide shelter. Our teens reside at Laurel House from six to nine months. We have the flexibility to allow the girls to work the program in a way that suits their healing, not simply having to leave after a short stay. Secondly, we employ full time houseparents, rather than staff support in shifts. The continuity offers stability and in-depth growth and development. Finally, we contract with therapists who are trained, licensed and fully supportive of the Laurel House program model.

To read the rest of this interview, please visit our blog.

• Settlement orders better mental health care for foster kids - Settlement would create standards, training, and monitoring for mental health services as dictated by federal law. (California Watch)

• Cancer's most isolated patients - Many say that adolescent and young adult cancer patients (ages 15-39) have been slighted on relevant support services. (L.A. Times)

• Fighting the Internet's "pro-Ana" forces - National Eating DIsorders Association launches new website for teens that promotes healthy eating and body image. (L.A. Times)

• What makes AA work? - New study suggests social contact is crucial for sobriety. (Harvard Science)

• County seeks First 5 L.A. takeover - After an independent audit raised concerns over funding, L.A. County will consider placing the program under government control. (Daily Breeze)

• O.C. kids report reflects tough economic times - The number of O.C. kids receiving government welfare assistance has increased 34% in the last two years. (O.C. Register)

• A veteran's blueprint for college - Iraq wartime veteran, who recently finished his Master's degree, blogs about how veterans can access the higher education system. (VA.gov)

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