Finding ways to help Manchester youth
Meet Michael Quigley, the new director of the Office of Youth Services in Manchester.
What is your background in working with youth?
I grew up in Quincy, Massachusetts. Shortly after college, I worked in the public schools for about a year. Then, I landed a job at YouthBuild Quincy as a case manager. YouthBuild is a program for opportunities for youth. There are a lot of young people who were disengaged from the community, who had no criminal backgrounds either as a youth or young adults, who are facing homelessness and other challenges. We’d provide workforce development training to help them find meaningful employment while also helping them to get their high school diploma. I worked in YouthBuild for 14 years in a variety of positions, in Quincy, Worcester and the North Shore and was a director for about 10 of those years.
How did you come into this position at Manchester OYS?
During Covid, my program went into a shutdown, and I was running it remotely. I was trying to figure out what my next steps were in my career to further develop myself and allow myself to grow. When I saw the opportunity with the City of Manchester, I thought it would challenge me in different ways and also give me an opportunity to grow something that would help youth in the community that needs it.
What does your job as director entail?
Right now, we’re [working with] the schools. Our counselors are at the high schools and middle schools working with young people who might be struggling with attendance or having an issue with getting in trouble. We can step in and support that young person to help get them back on track by providing case management between them and a teacher or guidance counselor in cases where they may not be able to communicate effectively what they’re feeling or what’s going on. I’m also meeting with as many community partners as possible to see where we can expand our services beyond just the schools and where we can impact the city in different ways, maybe by creating some programming or other opportunities for young people to express themselves and be heard.
What would you like to accomplish?
We definitely want to bring anger management groups back for young people who are struggling with the management of their feelings and their emotions. That’s something we can do to have an impact right away. In the long term, we’re working with other organizations to create programming, like workforce development opportunities, college readiness opportunities, life skills, groups and case management, so that we can also provide those youth and families outside of school. Something else that I’m interested in exploring is starting a youth advisory board for the City of Manchester. I think it would be really great to provide an opportunity for youth from different schools to have a voice in local politics and local policy and to give back to their community.
What are some of the biggest challenges facing youth right now?
Sometimes, it’s as simple as they’re lacking support and love in their life. People formulate opinions about kids, and they aren’t even fully developed yet. Teachers may hear things from other teachers, or coaches may hear things — negative things — about a kid before they even start working with them. There are populations of our youth that don’t feel like they’re respected, don’t have a safe space to express what’s going on, or don’t have caring adults in their lives who are fostering an environment for them where they can feel valued.
How does OYS work to address those challenges?
Our staff is trained on how to be caring adults who are going to listen and care about what kids have to say and show them what it means to feel valued. We may not always agree with them, but we’re going to honor their opinions. We’ll give anyone who comes through our door a chance to show us who they are. We try to help them understand why it’s important to love yourself and have confidence. We try to look at their talents and provide them with [related] opportunities that can help them build those skills. I truly believe that if young people in the community feel heard and respected, that’s going to help tackle [the number of] suspensions and youth crime and other issues.
What do you enjoy most about working with youth?
I came from a community where a lot of the kids I grew up with, including my older sister, were labeled as “problems.” People would make comments about them and treat them a certain way because of what they looked like or the community they lived in or what their parents were like. It set these kids up for failure, and, unfortunately, I saw a lot of my friends fall into some heavy stuff when they got older. They had childhood trauma, and they just couldn’t turn it around. The most fulfilling part of my job is when there’s a kid who comes through the door, who is a bit rough around the edges or has been through some tough stuff and is lacking confidence, who, once they have these adults in their lives who believe in them, are able to do something with that belief. It’s great to be able to be a part of that change.
Featured photo: Michael Quigley. Courtesy photo.
