“My dad has been a social worker for as long as I can remember,” Brittney said. “I’ve been in and around his work for a long time, which made me passionate about entering the field.”

Brittney pursued a bachelor’s degree in social work from Harding University and her MSW from the University of Memphis.

“Growing up in Memphis, I heard a lot about Youth Villages,” Brittney said.

“When I graduated with my master’s degree, I knew it would be a good fit for me.”

In 2014, Brittney became a family intervention specialist with Youth Villages’ Anaya Partnership, where Youth Villages collaborates with community agencies to provide services to families in need.

She remembers one family who was struggling due to the grandmother’s deteriorating health and age. Youth Villages partnered with a local organization to provide the family with long-term stability.

“Witnessing families work hard and succeed is a truly rewarding experience,” Brittney said. “My time as a family intervention specialist has meant a lot to me.”

Last summer, Brittney stepped into the role of clinical supervisor. She provides clinical and administrative support to fellow counselors.

“I’m thankful to be a member of the Youth Villages family,” Brittney said. “I hope to help our family intervention specialists have as positive of an experience as I did.”

Justice Rutherford (far right) speaks about her experience as a participant in the YVLifeSet program at a forum on Capitol Hill.

Every year about 26,000 young people in the United States turn 18 and age out of foster care without ever being united with their biological families or finding a new one through adoption. They are one of the country’s most vulnerable populations, more likely to be homeless, never reach education milestones, to face unemployment and incarceration.

Last week, the American Youth Policy Forum hosted a Capitol Hill briefing highlighting the need to expand effective programs capable of helping transition-age youth overcome challenges and go on to be successful, independent adults. The forum was co-sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and the Senate Caucus on Foster Youth.

Moderated by David Sanders, Ph.D, executive vice president of systems improvement for Casey Family Programs, the briefing examined the Youth Villages YVLifeSet program and ways to improve federal and state systems to better meet the needs of transition-age youth.

“This is about a system that fails to provide the kind of services and support that young people need to be able to become contributing adults,” Sanders said. “Twenty-eight percent of all children in out-of-home care are teenagers. Nearly half have been in care for two years or longer and don’t have a case plan goal that supports permanency. How do we support permanency so youth are not leaving care without families? Right now the pipeline is not very encouraging.”

On the panel were Mark Courtney, Ph.D, professor in social services administration at the University of Chicago; Mike Leach, director of independent living for Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services; Jeff Rainey, senior executive for strategic advancement at the YMCA of Greater Seattle; and Justice Rutherford, a 20-year-old YVLifeSet participant from Memphis, Tennessee.

Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler described the development of the program. By 2015, YVLifeSet had helped more than 8,000 former foster and disconnected youth in seven states and had shown significant impact in the country’s largest randomized controlled study. The organization began to study how to scale the program to reach every young person who ages out of care each year.

“It seemed like too big a hill for us to climb ourselves,” Lawler said. “And the numbers fluctuate. We know that there are young people who are 19, 20, 21 and 22 who still need help now.

“As an organization, we decided to change direction, to partner with others for the first time, to work with organizations across the country with the goal of providing effective, comprehensive services to this very vulnerable population, to every young person who needs help.”

Courtney reviewed the evidence on interventions for transition-age youth. He is the principal investigator of the Midwest Study, the largest study of outcomes for former foster youth, and conducted multisite evaluations of foster youth programs under the Chafee Act. He also worked with MDRC for the five-year randomized evaluation of the Youth Villages program, which involved nearly 1,300 young people receiving services in Tennessee.

Most evaluations of programs showed no impact, or the studies were very small.

“The Youth Villages study dwarfs in size other evaluations,” Courtney said. “There were a number of significant impacts and the range of impacts is striking: increased earnings, reduced housing instability, a one-fifth reduction in homelessness, reduction in economic hardship, improvement in health and safety outcomes.”

The program should be tried in other settings to see what its impacts would be in different contexts, he said.

“One of the things that this study suggests to me is that we need to rethink what kind of adult support we provide to young people,” he said. “What are the implications of an intensive case management program for basic delivery of transition-age services in the country.”

The YMCA of Greater Seattle will be the first partnership using the YVLifeSet model. The YMCA chose the model after an extensive two-year study of community needs, Rainey said.

“We’re bringing a model in that has been tested, evaluated and is something we need,” he said. After failing to get a federal grant, the expansion is being funded through private philanthropy and the United Way of King County. Outcome evaluation will be done by the University of Washington.

The Seattle expansion will provide a test for the YVLifeSet model in a different environment. The YMCA already has housing, mental health services and employment assistance for this group of youth and layering YVLifeSet on top of these other programs is going to be exciting for the community, Rainey said.

Leach gave insight into what Seattle could expect. By offering comprehensive services to transition-age young people – including extension of foster care and YVLifeSet – Tennessee has achieved dramatic system improvements and is expecting to exit federal court oversight next year.

Traditional case management with a social worker seeing a young person once a month was usually not enough for this population, Leach said. YVLifeSet provides consistent intensive help for young people and is flexible and timely, he said.

“They collaborate with partners in the community; they know employers; they know the educational community,” Leach said. “YVLifeSet specialists make sure that the young people are connected to housing, education and employment.”

Because it is a public-private partnership, YVLifeSet can help young people who don’t meet traditional governmental requirements for help.

“There are a lot of young people who fall through the cracks every day in every state,” Leach said. “I see it all the time. Because of YVLifeSet, I don’t say ‘no’ to young people; I don’t have to.”

Justice Rutherford is one of the young people receiving help in Tennessee; she was a participant in the MDRC study and randomly assigned to receive help through the YVLifeSet program. Rutherford was in the foster care program for many years and then reunited with her mother.

“I went to six different schools and was homeless at one time,” she said. At 16, she became pregnant and signed herself back into foster care to receive more help. Through YVLifeSet, Rutherford meets with a specialist once each month face-to-face and has 24/7 support. She is in college, working toward a bachelor’s degree.

“There have been plenty of times when I’ve broken down in the middle of the night, crying because I felt like I wasn’t doing my best, I wasn’t making enough of myself,” she said. At those times, Rutherford reached out to her YVLifeSet specialist for support.

“I have people behind me who support me, who push me to be great, who let me know that I can be somebody,” she said.

More information about the briefing is available at from the American Youth Policy Forum. Program information is available at youthvillages.org and yvlifeset.org.

Nine participants in Youth Villages’ YVLifeSet program joined other foster youth from around the country (above) for the Congressional Foster Youth Shadow Program in Washington, D.C., this week. They are participating in three days of education, advocacy and relationship building with the goal of improving and strengthening child welfare systems across the United States. They were at the White House today and heard from administration leaders on why advocacy by foster youth on the local, state and national levels is critical to affecting the decisions made by elected officials and policy leaders on their behalf (below).

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Steven Tyler today announced his intimate concert performance “STEVEN TYLER…OUT ON A LIMB” at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall on May 2. The award-winning director Brett Ratner and the legendary frontman are collaborating on a unique experience to benefit Janie’s Fund, Tyler’s charitable initiative to help girls overcome the trauma of abuse and neglect.

Named after his hit song “Janie’s Got A Gun,” Janie’s Fund is a collaboration between Tyler and leading nonprofit organization Youth Villages established to help girls who have been abuses and neglected. Launched in November 2015, Janie’s Fund offered a historic 54 days of impact coinciding with the 26th anniversary of the release of the song. For more information, please visit: www.JaniesFund.org.

“Youth Villages is so grateful to Steven Tyler for starting Janie’s Fund to help our girls who are working to heal from abuse,” said Youth Villages CEO Patrick Lawler. “Steven’s commitment to helping these girls brings them so much hope, and this will be an incredible evening. He uses his big voice unceasingly to raise awareness and funds for the voiceless.”

“I’m digging deep and finding some real buried treasure for this one. I’ve never performed quite like this before,” Tyler said. “I’m telling it like it is and getting to perform with some extremely talented musicians and dear friends from Nashville. For this show, we’re taking it up close and personal and truly going…OUT ON A LIMB.”

“STEVEN TYLER…OUT ON A LIMB” will showcase in-depth stories and insights on stage from recounts of Tyler’s piano upbringing to trials and tribulations of life with his band. Backed by his Nashville-based band, Loving Mary, Tyler will lead the crowd on a time-traveling journey from his musical ancestors in Calabria, Italy all the way to Route 440 and Nashville’s country music.

The event will also feature a silent auction with once-in-a-lifetime experiences and memorabilia, from a five-day stay at Tyler’s Hawaiian home to a limited edition, hand-shaped artist series surfboard designed by artist Tim Bessell as part of the Bessell Warhol Project. Additional items include an autographed, one-of-a-kind painting of Tyler and Aerosmith bandmate Joe Perry by artist Brian Fox; the Skittles® mic stand from the set of Tyler’s Super Bowl commercial; exclusive signed images taken by photographer Sarah Skinner; pieces from Tyler’s personal wardrobe worn on American Idol; and an opportunity to attend the Emmy® Awards in Los Angeles along with a complimentary gifting suite prize package.

Tickets go on sale Friday, April 8 at 10 a.m. and are priced at $53, $153 and $203, not including applicable service charges. Two VIP packages will be offered by Twisted J, one at $550 (includes access to seats in the first five rows and exclusive advance access to silent auction items) and $950 (same offer as $550 with the addition of a Meet and Greet). For additional information with package details, visit www.ticketmaster.com.

One of music’s most recognizable and dynamic performers, Tyler has been cited by Rolling Stone as “one of the greatest singers of all time.” Tyler and Aerosmith have sold more than 150 million records worldwide and he has won four GRAMMY® Awards, six American Music Awards, four Billboard Music Awards and an Emmy® Award. In addition to having nine No. 1 hits, Aerosmith has received 25 Gold, 18 Platinum and 12 multi-Platinum album certifications. Tyler’s highly anticipated upcoming solo album is scheduled for release later this summer on Big Machine Label Group’s Dot Records. His current single, “RED, WHITE, & YOU” is available now.

In addition to presenting sponsor Twisted J Apparel, award-winning New York-based restaurant Catch will sponsor the milestone event.

With help through the YVLifeSet program, Emily is overcoming her anxiety and achieving her goals.

Emily, 18, drove home from class and pulled into her foster mother’s driveway. She stepped out of her new car with a quiet confidence.

“This is where Leslie and I live,” Emily said. “She’s my foster mom and my best friend. Living here has been really good for me.”

Not long ago, Emily had severe anxiety and depression. She grew up with an abusive father, and her mother had bipolar disorder.

“Our home was like a war zone,” Emily said. “I felt lost. Mom refused to accept the truth about the abuse. She didn’t take her medication, and her moods were all over the place.”

When she moved in with Leslie, Emily’s anxiety was crippling. She had flashbacks and emotional breakdowns. She stopped going to school and was scared to leave the house. Leslie and Emily sought information about Youth Villages’ YVLifeSet program.

“After she warmed up to Leslie, Emily felt at home for the first time,” said April Tussing, Youth Villages YVLifeSet specialist. “She finally has a safe haven and a support system.”

April meets with Emily on a regular basis, helping her prepare for a bright future.

“Emily was taking more than 10 medications when I met her,” April said. “Together, we regulated her medicine and discovered alternate ways for her to cope with anxiety.”

Emily uses essential oils to calm her nerves and sees a therapist to work through past trauma. She decreased her medications and is learning to talk through her emotions.

“April keeps me grounded,” Emily said. “When I feel like I’m stumbling, she reminds me of my goals and passions. I know I have a bright future, but sometimes I need reminding.”

Working on such practical life skills as budgeting and time management, Emily sees that her dreams are within reach. She is in her first semester of college, pursuing forensic anthropology. She has a bank account and reached her goal of buying her own car.

“Any resources we offer, Emily takes advantage,” April said. “I am so proud of how far she has come.”

Emily has all A’s and B’s in school and volunteers at an animal shelter. She hopes to become a YV Scholar.

“April and Leslie have helped me enjoy life again,” Emily said. “I’m hopeful for my future.”

Learn more about how the YVLifeSet program helps young adults aging out of foster care at YVLifeSet.org.

Emily, 11, has always had a bubbly personality. When she entered Megan and Joey’s adoptive home, she was nervous about staying with strangers, but they made her feel right at home.

“Within hours of arriving at our house, Emily came out of her shell and became the bright and happy girl she naturally is,” Megan said. “She clicked with our family immediately.”

Despite Emily’s cheerful demeanor, Megan could see the hurt in her eyes.

“Emily was so determined to make the best out of her situation,” Megan said. “She was masking a lot of hidden darkness and trauma that had not been addressed.”

Emily grew up in an abusive home. The years of neglect and sexual abuse caused extreme anxiety. In Megan and Joey’s home, she had the loving environment to begin the challenging work of coping with her past.

“Emily mentioned several times that she feels safe with Megan and Joey,” said Amanda Bowers, Youth Villages family intervention specialist. “This security is why she has made such progress emotionally.”

For the first time since leaving her biological home, Emily was willing and motivated to work through her past. Amanda taught her coping skills for her anxiety. She learned to relax and feel comfortable talking through her feelings.

“With time, love, trust and therapy, Emily’s fears and anxiety have decreased significantly,” Megan said. “After being here for more than a year, she is no longer consumed by anxiety. She is at peace.”

UPDATE — The Steven Tyler Skittles Portrait sold for $7,101 on eBay on Feb. 10.

Skittles® announced tonight an eBay auction of musician Steven Tyler’s Skittles portrait (below) to support Tyler’s philanthropic initiative that helps girls who have been abused and neglected: Janie’s Fund.

Tyler and his Skittles portrait are featured in the Skittles Super Bowl 50 television commercial, in which Tyler comes face to face with a portrait of himself made entirely of the candy. Bidders can bid on the replica Skittles portrait at www.SkittlesPortrait.com starting Sunday evening until Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. CST.

Proceeds from the auction will support Janie’s Fund, Tyler’s partnership with private nonprofit Youth Villages that raises money and awareness to help Youth Villages provide trauma-informed care to girls who have histories of being abused and/or neglected.

Tyler’s hit song “Janie’s Got a Gun,” originally released Nov. 8, 1989, was born out of a growing desire to speak up for victims of child abuse. Each year, 1 in 5 girls in the United States experiences sexual abuse.

 For more information, please visit www.JaniesFund.org or call 901-251-5000.

“Angie has had a very positive influence on Kat,” said Kristyn Vanderland, Kat’s Youth Villages counselor. “They formed a quick bond and have a lot in common.”

After being neglected and abused for years in her biological home, Kat craved positive attention. Angie has two older daughters who no longer live at home. With an empty house and an open heart, Angie is committed to supporting Kat.

“It is exactly what Kat needs,” said Elena Tanase, Youth Villages adoption specialist. “She receives the attention she has long deserved while also gaining supportive siblings.”

Since living with Angie, Kat’s depression has improved. She excels in school and gains more confidence each day. With their laid-back personalities and a similar sense of humor, Kat and Angie enjoy quality time together.

“Kat has done great in her new home,” Elena said. “She couldn’t wait for the adoption.”

Kat’s adoption was celebrated with her new family and Youth Villages team. They threw a party with cake and gave Kat a special bouquet of flowers.

“Watching the change in Kat has been amazing,” Kristyn said. “She has come out of her shell and her outlook on life has changed completely.”

Kat will attend community college next fall. She hopes to pursue a master’s degree in business administration.

“Kat is resilient and dreams big,” Elena said. “With Angie’s love and support, we are confident that Kat’s dreams are within her reach.”

Abrianne, 8, Clifton, 7, and Breanna, 4, were born into the foster care system. Their biological mother abused drugs and neglected them. After a time in foster care, they moved back into their mother’s home but the environment had not improved.

“They were placed in three different foster homes after that,” said Jenna Fulcher-Thompson, Youth Villages adoption specialist. “The children were being defiant toward the foster parents and had high energy levels. They were difficult to handle.”

Abrianne, Clifton and Breanna had never experienced the stability of a forever family. But when Youth Villages staff found foster parents Jessica and Ken, the siblings’ home life changed for the better.

“Jessica and Ken fell in love with the children right away,” Jenna said. “They treated them as their own from the moment the kids were first placed in their home.”

As the children transitioned into their new home, Jessica and Ken were not deterred by difficult behavior. Instead, they were committed to creating a comfortable and positive environment for the siblings. With patience and support, the children’s behavior improved.

“Jessica and Ken were able to build a relationship with them,” Jenna said. “With that relationship as a foundation, the kids responded well to their care and structure.”

Adopting the three siblings was a simple decision for Jessica and Ken. Only 10 days after they signed an intent to adopt, the family was celebrating the adoption finalization with extended family and Youth Villages staff. There was a party with cake, ice cream and gifts.

“Everyone was all smiles,” Jenna said. “You could see the close bond between the children and their new family as they sat together and hugged throughout the morning.”

Jessica and Ken have always been eager to provide a loving and caring home for children. Their passion for adoption has been key to the success of Abrianne, Clifton and Breanna. Thanks to Youth Villages, Jessica and Ken, these children have found their forever family.

“Jessica and Ken have provided the love and care these children needed,” Jenna said. “It is because of their permanent home and unconditional love that Abrianne, Clifton and Breanna have made such positive changes.”

Musician Steven Tyler announced today the launch of his new signature philanthropic initiative to help girls who have been abused and neglected: Janie’s Fund.

A partnership with private nonprofit Youth Villages, Janie’s Fund will raise money and awareness to help Youth Villages provide trauma-informed care and experiential therapies to girls who have histories of being abused and/or neglected.

Tyler’s hit song “Janie’s Got a Gun,” originally released Nov. 8, 1989, was born out of a growing desire to speak up for victims of child abuse. Each year, 1 in 5 girls in the United States experiences sexual abuse.

“As a father and grandfather, I want to focus my energy on things that really matter and leave behind something else in this crazy world along with my music,” Tyler said. “I am starting Janie’s Fund to give a voice to the millions of victims who haven’t had one and encourage everyone to join me on this mission.”

Janie’s Fund kicks off with “54 days of impact” running from Nov. 8, the 26th anniversary of the release of “Janie’s Got a Gun,” through the end of the year. Anyone who signs up to support Janie’s Fund during these 54 days becomes a founding member of the fund and receives limited-edition merchandise from Tyler. Fans can visit www.Prizeo.com/StevenTyler to become a founding member and register for a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Tyler through Prizeo.

The Ultimate Rock Icon Experience with Steven Tyler prize includes walking the red carpet and VIP backstage passes to Tyler’s new solo album release party and concert as well as hanging with Tyler before and after the show. In addition, founding members are recognized in perpetuity on www.JaniesFund.org.

Youth Villages will use Janie’s Fund to support its work with girls who have been abused and neglected, including in intensive in-home services, residential treatment services, YVLifeSet services for girls aging out of foster care, and experiential therapies such as therapeutic drumming. During the past 10 years, the organization has helped more than 20,000 girls who have experienced abuse and/or neglect and expects to help nearly 4,000 such girls this year in its programs in 12 states and Washington, D.C.

“Youth Villages is thrilled to work with the legendary Steven Tyler to help fulfill his dream of helping these most vulnerable children in our country,” said Patrick Lawler, CEO of Youth Villages. “We use the latest science on children’s developing brains and what works to help them heal from trauma. We appreciate Steven using his big voice on these girls’ behalf.”

Tyler, the songwriter and voice of the best-selling American rock band Aerosmith, has been a philanthropist his entire life, performing at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert in Oslo, Norway.

For more information, please visit www.JaniesFund.org or call 901-251-5000.