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Dever\nis based out of Youth Services\u2019 Brattleboro office and provides direct support\nand referral services aimed at securing safe, stable housing and family\nreunification. This position is designed to become the local expert on youth\nhomelessness resources and services in Brattleboro, explained Christine Linn,\nYouth Development Director.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According\nto Linn, Youth Services engages with young people through the age of 23 as they\ntransition to independence and self-sufficiency. Using an intensive,\ntherapeutic case-management model, the program focuses on building awareness\nand life skills in core areas of housing, education, employment, increasing\npermanent connections, health and well-being. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLana\nbalances general case management with her role overseeing the Brattleboro Youth\nShelter where she coordinates admission and discharge planning, organizes\nweekly house meetings, coordinates with landlords about maintenance issues,\nmonitors payment of program fees and\/or rent, and tracks data,\u201d explained Linn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOur\nnewest hire is already using a wide range of skills to support young people\nwith job searches and work readiness, budgeting and money management, and how\nto find and keep an apartment,\u201d said Linn. \u201cAll of our case managers are\nexpected to explore educational options for our clients, utilize motivational\ninterviewing, employ youth-centered support practices that are harm reducing\nand trauma-informed within a social justice-oriented framework,\u201d stated Linn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cA core component of our work is helping youth\nto understand and be critical of the innate systems of oppression that exist\nwithin our society. Placing the weight of responsibility on inadequate systems\nof care and support, rather than on the youth and families who face\noppression–and doing so within a relational model–is incredibly healing for\nmany youth,\u201d Linn explained<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dever,\nwho was herself homeless for a time as a teen, is passionate about being the\nadvocate for homeless youth that she didn\u2019t have during her own adolescence.\n\u201cI\u2019ve never forgotten what it feels like to be without a place to call home,\u201d\nDever explained. \u201cI\u2019m really excited to now be working in a model program to end\nyouth homelessness in Windham County,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\naddition to her case management role with youth, Dever is attending\nhousing-related community meetings at the local and state level and is tasked\nwith \u201crelentlessly pursuing knowledge and systems-change to best serve youth\nexperiencing homelessness and housing instability,\u201d according to Linn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prior\nto joining Youth Services, Dever was an activist and freelance writer who\nco-curated an exposition of indigenous Australian art at the University of\nMaryland. She has a BA in African American Studies from the University of\nMassachusetts in Amherst and a minor in Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With\ndeep local ties, having co-founded the Southern Vermont Chapter of Black Lives\nMatter, Dever served on the board for The Root Social Justice Center in 2016.\nVolunteering first as a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, she joined its\nboard in 2009. Additionally, she was a driver for Meals on Wheels Brattleboro,\nserved on the Allocations Committee of United Way Brattleboro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dever was employed as a dental technician and\npractice manager at a local practice from 2003-2009 as well as a volunteer\ndental technician at the Brattleboro Walk-in Clinic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\nsee the amazing resiliency of our youth on a daily basis even when faced with\nuncertainty,\u201d Linn stated, noting that this special population faces\nchallenges, from difficulty finding and maintain housing to navigating local\nand state resources that are geared towards children or adult populations \u2014\noften times not accounting for the specific needs of transition-aged youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLana\nis a wonderful addition to the Youth Development team and her expertise in\nworking with similar populations and her first-hand experiences are key as we\nsee an increase in caseloads,\u201d Linn explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n