For someone trained to respond to a range of emotional and social crises, Scott Cochran has a lot of hope. The recently named director of Madison’s Youth & Family Services joined the department full-time as a clinical coordinator in 2004, and took over as the organization’s head in January after the retirement of longtime director of Dave Melillo.

Scott’s connection to the town is far more than a job, however; he moved to Madison at the age of 10. Graduating from Daniel Hand High School in 1986, he remembers always being involved with the town through community events and the local church, even participating himself in the Peer Advocates program still run at Hand by Youth & Family Services.

Scott earned his B.A. in psychology and MSW from Southern Connecticut State University, returning to Madison to raise his own family with his wife Laurie. It was an internship with Middlesex Hospital’s outpatient program in the mental health clinic during his graduate work that drew him to working with adolescents, and made him aware of the mental health needs of students in a changing world.

Despite the changes faced by the next generation in terms of technology and academic and social stresses, some things still remain the same.

“Kids still need their families, still struggle as they grow up with various issues with being connected to their peers, finding a place where they feel unique and valued as themselves. Those things have not changed,” Scott says. “But what has changed is American culture and the ability to connect through technology, which has been a huge culture change. And we now have millennials who are coming of age, who have never lived in the world that many adults grew up in.

“It’s very different and we know through quite a bit of growing research that kids are viewing the world in a way, and maybe learn in different ways, and are maybe more vocal, and more expressive in ways,” he continues. “And adults have to struggle with understanding the children of today in that respect.”

Asked if he saw a way to bridge the gap between teens and parents, Scott stresses the importance of listening.

“I think that is very important to try and understand the world from their viewpoint, much as when we were their age, we needed adults to understand us. We are much more accustomed at times to preaching, and it comes from a good place,” says Scott. “But one of the most important aspects of raising our children and supporting children is our ability to listen to them first, before providing to them what we think they are supposed to do or supposed to think.”

It is this listening- and understanding-first approach that has allowed Youth & Family services pursue its mandate with success, though most residents probably forget the small building tucked between Memorial Town Hall and the Academy School until they need its services. In addition to the Peer Advocates and Peer Helpers programs at Hand, the service also provides a number of counseling services, including substance abuse prevention programs and resources, violence and anti-bullying programs, a variety of youth development groups, parenting resources, and assistance with accessing social services programs for those who need it.

Looking forward to his new role as director, Scott is proud of the breadth of programs offered by and involvement of the organization within the community, but acknowledges two challenges. Several retirements in recent years have caused the town to lose what Scott estimates to be about 80 years of experience in youth services, though these senior members did have a hand in shaping the Five-Year Strategic Plan presented to the town as of July 20.

The new plan acknowledges local conditions affecting youths’ social and behavioral health, including academic and social pressures, high rates of anxiety and depressive disorders, and unhealthy gender-based attitudes and behaviors, and then suggests what measures can be enacted by the community for and in partnership with teenagers.

Scott estimates that, based on youth surveys, current programming reaches approximately 1,000 teens within the community. The goal is to build on the foundation left by his predecessors. The other challenge is a simple matter of space.

“We have a limited amount of space in our current location, and providing our services is often a challenge of juggling schedules and rooms to make sure that what we offer is still accessible. How we are going to run a program is often based on where is it going to happen, how is it going to happen. We can often face problems that exceed our physical resources here,” says Scott.

While carpentry, enjoying the town’s coastline, and camping with his family help him to face the challenges that can arise from his job, he acknowledges the importance of having a dedicated and hardworking staff to the department’s success.

“It is a very positive place to work, and it makes it possible to deal with the challenges and the traumas that we sometimes have to support people through,” says Scott.

It’s the response of kids in the face of difficulties that gives him the most hope, however.

“Kids are resilient. People can be resilient, kids in particular, and something that drew me to working with kids is that there is still a sense of innocence and newness for kids, that when faced with challenges, just based on their age and development, they can overcome and bounce back from a lot of difficult things. And that is something that can often be overlooked,” says Scott.

While there is a satisfaction to his work that comes from being a part of a helping profession, Scott also notes the two things he has learned most from working with youth and families: the importance of not making assumptions based on appearances, and humor.

“What I have always loved about kids and families was the innocence, but the playfulness. That certain things are funny that you forget are funny,” says Scott. “I think that is the thing that always drew me to working with kids; they are fun.”

For more information Youth & Family Services programs, resources, and volunteer opportunities, call 203-245-5645 or visit www.madisonyouthservices.org.