In August 2001, representatives from the three youth councils in Orange County – Orange County, Anaheim, and Santa Ana – began a countywide effort to collect information on the scope and range of services provided to youth ages 14-21, and the levels of participation and opinions of youth receiving those services.  Service categories surveyed included assessment, occupational skills training, instruction leading to high school diploma, English as a Second Language, work experience, life skills training, job development, job club, follow-up, internship, supported employment, alternative high school, child care, stipends, transportation, substance abuse services, mentors, counseling, leadership development, sports and recreation, housing, basic medical, mental health, and basic dental.  Data was collected from 3,000 youth and 84 of the 414 youth-serving organizations in Orange County.

As a result of the data received, the following findings were among those highlighted in a report published in May 2002:

• Both the organizations and youth surveyed identified drug, alcohol and substance abuse as the number one issue facing Orange County youth, yet only 102 youth of the 3,000 surveyed (3.4%) reported receiving substance abuse services.
• Older youth (19-21 years of age) are being served at a much lower rate than younger youth across all service categories.
• Service levels in the categories surveyed indicated that overall 46.6% of the county’s youth were currently receiving services.  This percentage would be lower if adjusted for multiple services provided to an individual.
• Youth surveys identified training, internships, and employment preparation classes/programs as the most important services they would like to receive to help them prepare for the future.

To view the entire report, please link to www.youthsystems.com/resource.htm.  The 2003 Resource Mapping project has outreached to additional youth-serving organizations and youth to increase the quantity of responses received year. 

The Resource Mapping findings to date have led the Orange County Youth Council to focus on infusing the voice of youth in all program design and operations, conducting regional youth forums in the northern, western, coastal and southern regions, and serving more older and out-of-school youth countywide.