A conference at the University of Virginia is recognizing a group building a support system for gay teens in central Virginia.
The non-profit ROSMY is just one piece in a community-wide puzzle to prevent teens from falling victim to bullies, drugs, and risky behavior that can end their lives.
The university hosted its seventh Teen Culture Conference Monday, to address the challenges teens are facing in today's fast-paced world, and to help them beat destructive behavior.
Monday, the spotlight is shining on one group of volunteers working to make a difference. ROSMY's reach to central Virginia teens has come a long way in just 3 years.
"It's been a wonderful journey for us," said ROSMY Executive Director Beth Panilaitis.
The UVA Teen Health Center presented Panilaitis with its second community adolescent advocate award. The non-profit hosts weekly support groups for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender teens in Charlottesville.
Panilaitis explained, "These are youth who are at a much higher risk for suicide, for bullying, and for ending up on the streets."
ROSMY's Institute for Equality is training teachers at places like Jack Jouett Middle School, to recognize when those teens are in trouble.
Panilaitis said, "There are 3 main places a young person should feel safe - and that is at home, at school, and in their faith community."
That's where these doctors, teachers, counselors and parents come in. Dyan Aretakis, of the UVA Teen Health Center said, "If you want to work well with teens and help them, you have to know what their world is about."
From preventing teen suicide to blocking cyber bullies, the seventh statewide Teen Culture Conference brings together more than 120 people who work with teens to develop ideas that help them build healthier lives.
Aretakis added, "We need to help them become confident, competent. We need to help them find ways to build character to become contributing members of our community."
Panilaitis says ROSMY's volunteers and counselors are seeing successes when a community gets involved to give its teens a voice.
"The young adults we see who are 25-30 who have gone through programs and come back and say ‘this was a life-changing, sometimes a life-saving experience,'" said Panilaitis.
The UVA Teen Health Center organized this conference. The director hopes the people who attended the conference Monday, will take the lessons back to their communities to help teens.
