DATE: Friday, September 5, 1997             TAG: 9709050071

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY KIA MORGAN ALLEN, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   65 lines

BOOK SHOWS THERE IS MORE TO INDEPENDENCE THAN MOST TEENS REALIZE

SO TEENS, you've tossed your tassels and you're ready to leave home.

You're GROWN, right?

Well, what are you waiting for? Act now! Move out, get a job, pay your own bills and handle the big R - responsibility.

That's Bernard Curry's advice.

Not really, but Curry, a clinical therapist, laughs every time he hears teens boast about how much better life will be once they leave home.

``Teens THINK they know-it-all,'' Curry said, ``but they DON'T.'' He'll tell that to any sharp-tongued teen.

He may even encourage them to read his book, ``What Virginia Teen-agers Should Know Before Striking Out On Their Own.''

The 12-page, self-published book is an at-your-own-pace take-home test that asks a range of questions, from how do you open a bank account to where do you get a condom. Fortunately, you can take a chance and cheat because there are no teachers or parents around to patrol.

Curry, executive director of In Home Clinical and Casework Services, developed the book as a guide for the at-risk youth he works with on a regular basis.

While helping those teens, Curry learned that most young people don't have a clue about how to gradually move from the nest to independence.

Curry's book asks a range of questions, from ``How do you open a bank account?'' to ``When can you get a learner's permit?''

Not sure? You're not alone. Most of Curry's staff bombed the quiz, so did clients and even more surprisingly, their parents.

``It's frustrating if you don't know the answers, and where to find the answers,'' Curry said.

Javon Sawyer, 16, knows that frustration. Javon didn't take the test before he moved out on his own. He learned that the hard way - at age 10.

He got ``in trouble with the law;'' spent several years at a juvenile detention center and in late 1995 was referred to Curry.

He read the book and took the test.

``I thought it was easy. But I was like, `man, I can't believe I didn't know this stuff,' '' Javon said. ``I think the book lets people know that everybody doesn't know what they should know.''

The questions in Curry's book come from a variety of sources, but mostly they're the questions frequently asked by his clients. The book is just part of Curry's commitment to be his brother's keeper. It's a goal he set for himself when he received his master's degree from Norfolk State University in 1993.

He has shared the book and its questions with his colleagues in an effort to touch the lives of more young people.

Janice Grubbs, program coordinator at the Norfolk Detention Center, said Curry's book has sparked interest and conversation among her clients.

``I gave it to my clients just before Curry printed it and it really led to a lot of conversations that will be future discussions,'' Grubbs said.

``As adults, we take a lot of that stuff for granted, something as simple as going to get a license. A lot of the kids thought they knew and really didn't know.''

Added Curry: ``It's almost like sex education. At a certain time, let kids know what's happening.'' MEMO: If interested in purchasing the $12.95 book, write: IHHCS 4100

Granby Street, Suite 201, Norfolk, VA or call 623-8985. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

HUY NGUYEN/The Virginian-Pilot

...Bernard Curry...

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