Thara Young Promoted to Family Support & Stabilization Program Director

We’re very pleased to announce that Thara Young has been promoted to Program Director of our Family Support & Stabilization(FSS) program! Thara has been with Bridges Homeward for almost 8 years in a variety of capacities, first starting as a Family Support and Stabilization (FSS) Specialist, then proceeding to hold various management positions. These positions led to her current role, where she oversees the entire FSS program. Throughout every role, her commitment to strengthening, growing, and developing the FSS program has been unwavering – a commitment which spread to other areas within Bridges Homeward.  

In addition to overseeing the FSS program, Thara is constantly involved within many of the Bridges Homeward committees. She is an active member of Bridges Homeward’s Justice, Equity, and Action Committee (JEAC) and helped develop and co-lead the agency's BIPOC Affinity group. She is also personally dedicated to helping advance Bridges Homeward’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) efforts, and values which are at the core of this agency’s mission.  

Congratulations to Thara for this well-deserved promotion! Below, Thara shares about her new position, her favorite things to do within her job, and her personal motto.   

What does your new job entail? I oversee the FSS program which contains 5 different services supporting Youth, Young Adults & Families.  

Under the FSS umbrella falls our Independent Living service (IL), our Young Parent Support service (YPS), our Youth Support service (YS) as well as our Family Time Visitation service (FTV). Understandably, FSS is one of the largest programs at Bridges Homeward and the importance of the work that we do is not lost. I’m honored to be in a unique position to nurture, guide, and manage a program which has not only executed the agency’s mission so thoroughly but has also had such a visceral impact on the families which it has served.  

What’s your favorite thing to do at your job?  

“Empowerment and advocacy, for self and others.” 

I take great pride in being able to live out these core principles of FSS and strive to create an environment for my staff to live the same. Undoubtedly one of my favorite things to do is support my staff in empowering them to be their authentic selves, as they do the amazing work that they do. One of the chief responsibilities of an FSS worker is to provide the scaffolding needed for parents and caregivers to feel empowered to advocate for themselves. Therefore, it’s imperative that my team feels empowered to do the same, in all regards. I just love being able to provide the support for them to do so.  

Do you have a philosophy/motto with which you approach your work?  

I read somewhere that “For a seed to achieve its greatest expression, it must come completely undone. The shell cracks, its insides come out, and everything changes.”  

I tell my staff all the time that we are partially here to plant seeds with the individuals and families that we serve. In this context, planting seeds refers to the tools and interventions that we utilize during engagement – seeds which may or may not blossom in the short term, but seeds which can also bear fruit in the months or years to come. It is important to remember that though the seeds may not sprout during their time with us, they were planted nonetheless, and it is for this reason that the work FSS does is so important to helping families bridge the gap and edge closer to home.  

Do you have a goal you want to achieve at Bridges Homeward?  

I want to continue driving DEIB initiatives and efforts at Bridges Homeward. As an agency, we have done great work, but this is work that never stops, and must continue.  

I also have a goal of continuing the expansion and establishment of permanency throughout all of the services under the FSS umbrella.  

What’s your favorite thing about working with your team?  

My team is truly AH-MAZING. I just love them so much! My favorite part is when we’re all together and something random is said or done and we all burst into uncontrollable laughter for a few minutes. I think it’s important to share laughter, simply because it can bring so much joy to another individual. In this line of work, moments of happiness and joy are so important.  

I love the bonds we have built over time and the way we support one another on this team. I am grateful to have them and excited to work with them in this new capacity.