By jane waterhouse
Staff Writer
FARRAH MAFFAI Risa Cullinane, director of The Source, a nonprofit, school-based, youth services program that helps teens in trouble or conflict at Red Bank Regional High School, recently spoke to Sens. Jon Corzine and Hillary Clinton about the program. The senators are interested in implementing some of Cullinane’s methods in the development of an office for the protection of children.
Red Bank — U.S. Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Jon S. Corzine are interested in what Risa Cullinane has to say about children in crisis.
As director of The Source, a nonprofit, school-based youth services program located at Red Bank Regional High School, Little Silver, Cullinane offers a unique, in-the-trenches perspective on how teens react — and what they need — when the going gets tough.
"During the days and weeks following 9/11, we counseled over 170 kids," she said, adding that small-group debriefings were the most nonthreatening way to lend an aura of stability to the most unstable of times.
"A lot of kids came to us. Some had been directly affected by the World Trade Center attack, and some were just trying to come to terms with what happened. Many of them stayed on with the program because of other services we offer," said Cullinane.
The Source Foundation, now in its third year at Red Bank Regional, provides free counseling and links within the community for pre-preventative health care, employment opportunities and social activities. In order to serve the needs of the whole child, it partners with local organizations such as the YMCA, the Parker Clinic, the Women’s Center, and Planned Parenthood.
Cullinane has been at the heart of the Source from its inception. "I worked for Red Bank Regional as a counselor for 10 years," she said, "Then three years ago, a Department of Human Services grant became available for this program. I’m a really creative person, and I wanted to be able to tailor it to meet the individual needs of the kids. Luckily, the administration here at RBR is incredibly supportive. It’s been a team effort all the way — the school, the kids and the parents all played a vital role in helping to make this program effective."
At the present time over 640 young people are enrolled at The Source. "The process is simple," said Cullinane. "They sign up and bring back a consent form signed by their parents, and then they’re eligible for all the services we offer."
Those services run the gamut from weekend ski trips, museum outings and professional ballgames, to crisis intervention. "We have a drop-in center with computers and Internet access," Cullinane said. "Kids can play chess, or just hang out and sit around and talk. This allows them to get to know us, so that by the time they have a problem, we’re already familiar to them."
According to Cullinane there is no typical Source kid. "In terms of the students we see, the demographics are wide open. There’s a common misconception that only lower socioeconomic groups need outreach counseling, but in my experience all teens have problems. Sometimes the kids who have the means are the last to seek help."
Cullinane’s work is supported by the efforts of four full-time counselors and several consultants.
"We’re ready to step in whenever the need arises," she said. "We did the same sort of debriefing [as during 9/11] last spring when dealing with the problem of racial slurs at the high school."
She explained that The Source had been involved in a town meeting on racial issues, and works in conjunction with the Diversity Program at RBR. "Communication is extremely critical, but you have to have people who know how to talk with kids," she explained.
Cullinane’s ability to talk with kids, as well as her experience with the Monmouth County Traumatic Loss Coalition, brought her to the attention of Sens. Clinton and Corzine. "They’re interested in creating a new Office for the Protection of Children as a component of the president’s Department of Homeland Security. I was to come to New York to give testimony about how The Source program has been helping teens in our area," she said.
Testifying along with Cullinane were the chief of the New York firefighters and a principal of a school in lower Manhattan. "It was very exciting," she said. "The senators were particularly interested to learn how a school-based program such as The Source works. I told them that a lot of schools could benefit from a program such as ours."
Sen. Corzine responded to Cullinane’s testimony by stating, "We need to take the programs that are working like the one at Red Bank Regional to help shape our federal policy."
Cullinane said she urged the senators to put money into existing services, and pointed out the extent to which the services offered by The Source were being accessed by kids in need. "I explained that when you have a good program in place, you want to be able to add services as you need them. The last thing you want is having kids come in, and then not having the resources to properly serve their needs," she said.
Cullinane observed that The Source begins serving the needs of children even before they get to the high school. "We have a summer program for eighth-graders who are going to be freshmen in the fall," she said "They’re coming from different areas, and we help them to interact with each other — both academically and within the context of various recreational activities."
Cullinane believes that diversity is what makes Red Bank Regional so special. "I live in Tinton Falls and my kids are now 12 and 8, but I’m definitely going to be sending them to school here."
One of Cullinane’s immediate goals is to get a school-based nurse practitioner on board with the program this year.
The Source Foundation is trying to raise funds by inviting the public to take a special jazz cruise on the River Belle Aug. 22. The riverboat sets sail from Broadway, Point Pleasant Beach at 7:30 p.m. The $85 cost per person includes a fabulous array of hot and cold appetizers, dessert, and an open bar. Tickets can be purchased at K-B Toys in Shrewsbury Plaza (732) 542-2703, and the New Outlook Hair Salon at 160 Newman Springs Road in Shrewsbury (732) 212-8822.