Southborough Youth and Family Services

Southborough Youth & Family Services is supported by the Town of Southborough along with the expertise of the volunteers who so capably serve on the Southborough Youth Commission Board. We are able to carry out additional good deeds through generous contributions to the Friends of the SouthboroughYouth Commission.
Southborough Youth & Family Services provides:
• Counseling
• Youth Programs
Summer Camp
Teen Centers
Annual Halloween Party
• Education and Information
• Preventative and Community Programs
for the youth and families of Southborough. Although we are often in the schools, our offices are in Southborough. Programs are open to all residents, regardless of their ability to pay. To make an appointment, call 508-481-5676, extension 3 for Laurie Sugarman-Whittier or extension 2 for Elizabeth Boyajian.

Our staff members are:
Laurie Sugarman-Whittier, L.I.C.S.W. Director
To email Laurie, click here
Elizabeth Boyajian, M.E.D., L.M.H.C. Assistant Director
To email Elizabeth, click here
Antoneta Linnosto – Administrative Assistant
To email Antoneta click here

Please be aware that any email correspondence to Southborough Youth & Family Services is considered Public Record by the Secretary of State. Should you wish to contact Southborough Youth & Family services regarding counselling services, or any other personal matter, please contact us directly by phone at 508-481-5676.

Phone:
(508) 481-5676
24 hour answering service

Mailing Address:
Town House
17 Common Street
Southborough, MA 01772
Fax: 508-229-4469

General Comments or Questions?
Please email us by Clicking here

What We Do
We are a community resource, designed to offer guidance when families are in need or in crisis. We offer a variety of programs both in and out of the schools. Our goal is to provide prevention through:
• Early intervention
• Positive self esteem
• Good decision making
• Social skills
• Support
• Treatment
• Promoting volunteerism

We also provide counseling and crisis intervention as needed:
• Conflict resolution
• Crisis management
• Traumatic Incident Response

SERVICES
Counseling – CALL US when you have a problem or question about the normal stresses of everyday life, or if you are struggling with a problem or crisis.
• Professional
• Confidential
• Individual, family, couple and group therapy
• Marriage counseling
• Short and long-term help
• Telephone consultation
• Children’s issues
• Sibling issues
• Adolescent struggles
• Students can be seen at school or in our town offices
• 24 Hour Answering Service (508) 481-5676
• Free of Charge
• Online Mental Health Screening

Helping Families Experiencing Difficult Times
• Thanksgiving - food baskets
• Holiday Giving Program - necessities, clothing, and toys
• Camperships – providing camperships to day and overnight camps

Education
Periodically we participate with the schools in presenting programs on hot topics such as:
• Eating disorders
• Self esteem
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Sexual harassment
• Dealing with bullies

Information
We are your resource for information about personal concerns and your resource for community services available to youth and families including:
• Support groups
• Rehabilitation programs
• Hotlines and health agencies
• Legal and social advocacy

PROGRAMS
Holiday Giving Program
Southborough Youth & Family Services carries out a program where families in need are given necessities and toys through the generosity of area philanthropic organizations.

Community Action Programs (CAP)
A combined effort of Southborough Youth & Family Services, Northborough Family and Youth Services, and Algonquin Regional High School, has provided an opportunity for high school students to receive high school credit (3 credits per year) for their community service. The students all receive training, supervision, volunteer experience in a potential career and discover the importance of community service. Students select one of several available programs.

In-School Discussion Groups
• Age-appropriate general discussion and social skills groups
• Children of divorce
• Middle School groups discuss issues of importance to this age group

Trauma-Response Network
Our office has developed and now coordinates a network to provide Traumatic Incident Stress Management (TISM) intervention following traumatic events including suicides, fatal accidents, etc., in our community. While our focus is largely on school-based incidents in the regional school district, and incidents involving youths, our services are available in the event of any traumatic incident affecting our community.

Summer Camp - Sizzlin' Summer Scene
Open to students going into 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th grades
This program is low cost with scholarships available
Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays 9:30-12:30
Tuesdays and Thursdays (field trip days) 9:30-4:30
Craft projects, cooking, non-competitive outdoor games, miniature golf, water parks, whale watches, beaches adventure courses and more.

Click here for Summer 2008 flyer

Click here for registration form for regular mail

EVENTS
Middle School Teen Centers
Teen Centers are held from 7:00pm-9:30pm on several Friday nights
throughout the school year. For a nominal cost, Middle School students enjoy a safe environment for:
• Informal Sports
• Dancing to the DJ’s latest hits
• Games
• Refreshments (available at additional charge)
A time to enjoy the good company of friends with supervision from Southborough Youth & Services staff, trained high school Chaperones and adult volunteers. Sign-up forms will be distributed to students at the middle school and are also available at the Middle School office.
To volunteer, click here or call Elizabeth at 508-481-5676.

For the 2007/2008 school year they are scheduled to be held:
• Friday, November 16th, 2007 from 7:00-9:30pm for 7th and 8th graders
• Friday, December 7th, 2007 from 7:00-9:30pm for 7th and 8th graders
• Friday, January 25th, 2008 from 7:00-9:30pm for 6th, 7th and 8th graders
• Friday, February 8th, 2008 from 7:00-9:30pm for 6th, 7th and 8th graders
• Friday, April 11th, 2008 from 7:00-9:30pm for 6th, 7th and 8th graders

Annual Halloween Party
Friday, October 26, 2007 from 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
At Mary Finn School, 60 Richards Road, Southborough.
For children under 12 and their families. Admission $5, $15 max per family.
Games, face painting, crafts, and treats.
Costumes Encouraged! Click here for event flier

Southborough Youth and Family Services is lucky to have a "friend" in "Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission".

The purpose of Friends of the Southborough Youth Commission is to increase community awareness of the services and the needs of Southborough Youth and Family Services, to support them and to promote assistance through volunteer help and fundraising, to enable SYFS to expand services according to the needs of children and their famiies, beyond what the town funding would be able to provide.