A needs assessment found that Warren County residents are forced to travel to neighboring counties to receive treatment services for troubled youths. Of the 10 services examined, only four - outpatient substance abuse treatment, school-based prevention, home- and school-based family intervention and counseling and therapy services - have programs available in Warren County. Crisis intervention is offered by the way of hotline calls, although it's unknown if the public is aware those services are readily available, the report said. The services that are not available locally include: a temporary shelter, respite care for children in a crisis situation, helping unwed and teenage mothers, outpatient psychiatric treatments, and transitional living for homeless or uneducated children. The 35-page assessment, completed by Nicole Kozma and described as a snapshot into what services are available, will be used to help formulate a plan of action for the Warren County Resource Board as it prepares to seek public support for a future sales tax to upgrade services. Nearly 30 agencies, including school districts and nonprofit organizations, were contacted to supply input for the evaluation. Kozma, executive director of Healthy Communities of St. Charles County, said a localized funding source, such as a sales tax, would greatly enhance the services that are currently provided and allow others to be expanded to treat additional children. Those eligible for services must be 19 years or younger. "I think any time you can help your children is a benefit to everyone in the community," she said. "There really is not a bad thing about this. It's going to help children, it's going to help the families. There are a lot of services that will be provided that aren't provided now." In the report, it was estimated to cost up to $1.7 million to meet the needs of 5,045 children, including 2,034 in sexual abuse, date rape and substance abuse prevention programs. The prevention programs alone were projected to cost $86,615.29. The total number of people who could be impacted could be as high as 20,598, according to Kozma, who multiplied the number of children directly impacted by 2.64, the average household size for Warren County. The estimated population in 2008 was 31,214, an increase in 27.3 percent from the 2000 census. The non-school service needed the most is for psychiatric services, where 231 children are estimated to need help. In addition, teenage pregnancy continues to rise along with children seeking temporary shelter. "These are services needed for your county," Kozma said. The resource board, pursuant to state statute, can seek up to a quarter-cent sales tax. It took three tries for the sales tax measure to be approved in St. Charles County, finally getting approval in 2004. The tax was approved in Lincoln and Franklin counties in 2006 and 2008, respectively. While many of the available services are being held in the schools, such as programs helping decrease the risk of child abuse or neglect or counseling/therapy sessions, Kozma said in many cases the closest services are available in Wentzville or St. Charles. Without local funding, services that are available now could diminish in the future. Kozma said it appears $57 million will be cut from the mental health, health and senior services state budgets in 2011. "By making the needs of your children a higher priority, you are helping to ensure a better future for all in Warren County," Kozma said. Now that the needs assessment is completed, a polling of county residents will be conducted to determine if a sales tax increase would be supported by voters. Board members will have until Aug. 24 to decide whether to put the tax increase on the November ballot. The next Resource Board meeting will be held May 27, at 4:30 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Express in Warrenton.