BILL NUMBER: SCR 114INTRODUCED BILL TEXT INTRODUCED BY Senator Liu JUNE 23, 2010 Relative to California Youth Crisis Line Awareness Month. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST SCR 114, as introduced, Liu. California Youth Crisis Line Awareness Month. This measure would designate July 2010 as California Youth Crisis Line Awareness Month, support the California Youth Crisis Line and its outreach efforts to youth throughout the state, and encourage schools and organizations to share information with young people in their local communities about the California Youth Crisis Line. Fiscal committee: no. WHEREAS, In 1984, in Assembly Bill 3075 (Chapter 1614 of the Statutes of 1984), the Governor and the Legislature recognized that there were thousands of disconnected youth living on the streets of California and the need for a coordinated system that could connect youth to local resources they needed such as food, shelter, clothing, health care, and counseling, among others; and WHEREAS, In 1986, pursuant to Assembly Bill 3075 (Chapter 1614 of the Statutes of 1984), the Legislature established the California Runaway Hotline, now known as the California Youth Crisis Line; and WHEREAS, The California Youth Crisis Line's toll-free telephone number is 1-800-843-5200; and WHEREAS, For 23 years, the California Coalition for Youth has operated the California Youth Crisis Line 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as the state's only emergency response system for youth in crisis; and WHEREAS, The California Youth Crisis Line is an immediate, reliable, and free service where trained counselors respond to callers with confidential and nonjudgmental crisis-intervention counseling and local resource referrals to assist callers; and WHEREAS, Given that there are over 9 million youth under 18 years of age in California, one in eight of the nation's children, and an additional 3 million more young adults between 18 and 24 years of age, inclusive, the California Youth Crisis Line is a much-needed resource; and WHEREAS, The California Youth Crisis Line receives approximately 24,000 calls each year, to which counselors respond with confidential and nonjudgmental crisis-intervention counseling and provide appropriate referrals to youth-serving agencies in callers' communities throughout the state; and WHEREAS, Often the California Youth Crisis Line is the first resource a youth in crisis can access for assistance, besides law enforcement; and WHEREAS, Counselors provide resources to assist callers with topics, including, but not limited to, family dynamics, running away, homelessness, depression, suicide, teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and more; and WHEREAS, In California, an estimated 250,000 minors and thousands of youth between 18 and 24 years of age, inclusive, experience homelessness each year; and WHEREAS, California ranks 49th in the number of homeless children and 48th in the percentage of children who are homeless; and WHEREAS, Nearly 2 million children and youth in California live in poverty and over 600,000 more live in extreme poverty; and WHEREAS, Of the 2.2 million children living in poverty in California, 13 out of every 100 are homeless; and WHEREAS, Youth who "age out" of the foster care system are at an increased risk of homelessness and other at-risk factors. In California, the number of youth aging out of foster care has increased by 55 percent from 1998 to 2008, and now over 5,200 youth age out of the foster care system annually; and WHEREAS, In California, suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults; and WHEREAS, Over 15,500 youth in California currently occupy juvenile justice facilities and more than 1,800 youth are on parole; and WHEREAS, It is important that the Legislature recognizes the critical importance of the California Youth Crisis Line to the youth and families of California; now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate of the State of California, the Assembly thereof concurring, That the Legislature hereby designates July 2010 as California Youth Crisis Line Awareness Month; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature and the state support the California Youth Crisis Line and its outreach efforts to youth throughout the state; and be it further Resolved, That the Legislature encourages schools and organizations to share information with young people in their local communities about the California Youth Crisis Line; and be it further Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.