Technical Assistance Partnership for Child and Family Mental Health |
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Youth Invovlement Frequently Asked Questions |
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Click on any question below for the answer and related information:
Is there a movement of Youth advocating for changes in residential facilities? Youth have been receiving inpatient care in residential facilities, therapeutic boarding schools and hospitals for many years. These facilities have been growing in number and popularity: “Over the past decade in the United States, hundreds of private residential facilities for youth have been established, described as a $1 billion to $1.2 billion industry that serves 10,000 to 14,000 children and adolescents” (http://cfs.fmhi.usf.edu/projects/ASTART.htm). In recent years, an alarming number of incidents of abuse have been and continue to be reported, ranging in severity from isolation, to short term injuries, to even death. These incidents have resulted in multiple state investigations, lawsuits, and media attention. Until recently, there was not a strong national movement of youth advocating for positive changes in residential facilities that would ensure the safety of youth everywhere. In 2005, young people across the country signed a letter written by youth to support a bill proposed by California Representative George Miller “to assure the safety of American children in foreign-based and domestic institutions” (http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h109-1738). This bill would provide strict regulations and oversight of private residential treatment programs. There are many Web sites and online forums now where former patients in abusive facilities are able to share their stories and receive support from other youth who have been traumatized in the name of treatment. Some of these forums can be accessed at the following links:
Most of these sites are designed to be a “ place to heal, to vent, and to let the past go” (http://www.mountainparksurvivors.com). They are also designed to provide education for youth, parents, professionals and other community members about the dangers of many residential treatment centers and how best to make an informed decision when considering sending a young person to such programs. A growing number of organizations are being created for youth by youth to help them to advocate for their rights in their communities, states, and country. These organizations are founded and managed by passionate young people who are concerned about social change. Often the organizations focus on a broad array of issues affecting the lives of young people, ranging in topic from education reform, voting rights, juvenile justice, mental health, and most recently institutionalized care programs. Youth are coming together to create information packets for other youth (http://misled-youth.org); to organize local grassroots advocacy groups (http://www.youthrights.org); and to educate the community and media on issues relevant to young people, including the issue of restraint, seclusion, and abuse in residential programs. Just as there are growing numbers of abuses reported in treatment centers, there are also growing numbers of youth who are standing up, speaking out and advocating for their voices to be heard. Youth are organizing to collectively speak out against the injustices that have impacted their lives. As youth are becoming empowered and sharing their experiences, they are able to effectively partner with families and professionals in the National movement to end abusive treatment in institutionalized care facilities. Through the work of these organizations and partnerships, the nation—and now congress—is being alerted to the dangers of unregulated residential treatment programs. "We were hurt, but we won't let that dictate who we are. We will stand up for ourselves, and for those who come after us, and will do what is right" (http://www.mountainparksurvivors.com). [Top] How can Positive Youth Development (PYD) improve services for youth in the juvenile justice system? The research on positive youth development (PYD) indicates that PYD has a positive impact on the lives of young people. With transformation, the juvenile justice system can incorporate principles of PYD to improve services for youth. Historically, the juvenile justice system created services based on the belief that preventing deviant behavior in youth is best achieved by providing community-based systems in which juvenile offenders are treated as young people who have the ability to be rehabilitated. The movement towards rehabilitation for juvenile offenders held the basic principle that society has a responsibility to rehabilitate juvenile offenders—as a moral duty to the future of these young people, as well as to the future of society as a whole (Juvenile Justice FYI). This approach was eventually abandoned, as subsequent lawmakers vowed to “get tough on crime” during the rise in juvenile crime in the 1980’s and 1990’s. The juvenile justice system moved away from efforts to rehabilitate youth and began trying youth within the adult legal system. Despite the trends of the 1980’s and 1990’s, many juvenile justice advocates, and some lawmakers, are fighting to revisit the approach on which the juvenile justice system was founded: rehabilitation. Positive Youth Development is at the forefront of this movement. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services identifies Positive Youth Development as a “policy perspective that emphasizes providing services and opportunities to support all young people in developing a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and empowerment. While individual programs can provide youth development activities or services, the youth development approach works best when entire communities, including young people, are involved in creating a continuum of services and opportunities that youth need to grow into happy and healthy adults. Simply put, youth development is a life process that everyone goes through. The goal of the positive youth development approach is to ensure that all adolescents experience this life stage positively.” Positive Youth Development can make an impact on youth in the juvenile justice system in a number of ways. Youth are often seen as a problem to be corrected, and the focus is often on their deficits rather than their strengths. PYD urges a fundamental shift in the way that adults and systems view youth. The approach focuses on the strengths and potential of youth and views relationships with the community and family as essential to capitalizing on those strengths. The juvenile justice system is one of the primary social institutions in which youth have contact as they begin to engage in risky behaviors. In order to take advantage of that early detection, principles of PYD must be integrated into the juvenile justice system so that youth can be encouraged to cultivate their strengths and talents, rather than focus on their deficits. Research supports the notion that focusing on the strengths of young people is effective in preventing risky behaviors. Jeffrey Butts, of the University of Chicago’s Chapin Hall Center for Children, asserts that young people with certain assets and resources are more likely to avoid risky behaviors. These assets include:
(http://www.urban.org/Pressroom/thursdayschild/jan2006.cfm) Youth outside of the juvenile justice system have access to these resources and are therefore able to flourish and go on to lead productive and meaningful lives. Youth within the juvenile justice system can not be expected to compete in the labor market, let alone succeed upon leaving the system, if they are not given the same resources as their peers outside of the system. If the juvenile justice system is able to provide youth with these resources, it will be one step closer to preparing youth for a promising future, rather than continuing the cycle of crime and violence in which many youth in the juvenile justice system are currently involved. For all intents and purposes, a real change towards a PYD approach within the juvenile justice system will have to be initiated in Congress. In order for that change to occur, members of Congress must be informed about successful examples of PYD working within the juvenile justice population. Advocates for PYD’s integration into the juvenile justice system can inform their representatives about the successes of youth in the juvenile justice system and other systems when PYD is incorporated. “Treat the young people as your own, but never forget that they are somebody else’s” [Top] What are the facts about Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (GLBTQ) youth, and how can GLBTQ youth be supported within system of care communities? Some quick statistics about GLBTQ youth:
(Source: Taken from presentation by Marlene Matarese and Tricialouise Gurley, presented at the 18 th Annual Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health Conference) These grave statistics make it imperative that GLBTQ youth in systems of care be actively engaged in their communities. To do this, system of care communities must make an effort to create a “safe space” where GLBTQ youth can feel protected and supported. System of care communities can take strides to better educate themselves and their communities about GLBTQ-specific issues in the areas of education, violence and bullying, substance abuse, homelessness and suicide prevention. There are several other ways that members of system of care communities can create a safe space for GLBTQ youth. Here are some examples:
[Top] What does the term youth-guided mean? The National Youth Development Board is currently working on defining the term youth-guided. The board is still in the beginning stages and this definition is in draft form. The current draft of the definition states: Youth Guided means that young people have the right to be empowered, educated, and given a decision making role in the care of their own lives as well as the policies and procedures governing care for all youth in the community, state and nation. This includes giving young people a sustainable voice and the focus should be towards creating a safe environment enabling a young person to gain self-sustainability in accordance to their culture and beliefs. Through the eyes of a youth guided approach we are aware that there is a continuum of power and choice that young people should have based on their understanding and maturity in this strength-based change process. Youth guided also means that this process should be fun and worthwhile. The position of the NYDB is that youth should always be at minimum guiding policy, practice and their individual treatment. As youth gain knowledge, resources and understanding of options and procedures, they should make the transition to directing and then to driving as they make their transition into adulthood. This process should occur at the individual, community and policy making levels. The responsibility to create a youth guided system depends on a partnership between youth and adults who also need to open the door in strengthening youth involvement. The table below describes what should be occurring in each stage beginning with youth guided through youth driven. ** Youth should be young people who have experience as consumers and are or would be the youth served in a system of care community. Youth Guided
Youth Directed
Youth Driven
[Top] Is there a theory or approach that supports youth involvement in systems of care? Yes, the positive youth development (PYD) approach provides a framework on the importance of involving youth and guidance on how it should be done. PYD is a way of thinking, living, and acting as individuals and as a community. As adults and youth, we should expect more from young people and provide them with opportunities to give more and become more. It is important to remember that involving youth is not just a way to help them to develop positively; it is also a way to utilize the youths’ expertise in enhancing systems transformation. Involving youth in this way will also lead to the development of a youth-guided system. This concept of developing opportunities for young people to create change is not a new one. The PYD approach has been a relevant concept in adolescent development literature for the past 20 years. During this time, youth development has shifted from prevention (programs created to combat the problems of high-risk youth) to preparation (developing skills and encouraging broader development for all young people) to participation and empowerment (utilizing young people as partners in decision making). The Youth Development and Delinquency Prevention Administration (YDDPA) recognizes four components of positive youth development: having a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging, and power (National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth [NCFY], 1996). These components comprise a comprehensive and inclusive approach to youth development:
(NCFY, 1996) Rebuilding Communities With Youth Young people should grow up in communities, not programs. An important factor in utilizing a youth development approach is the connection of the youth to the community (NCFY, 1996). It is through the connection with the community and youth development opportunities that young people gain a sense of personal power. All young people need to feel a connection and a sense of belonging and will seek out ways in which they can meet their basic physical and social needs, as well as build competencies that they feel are necessary to participate in society. Often young people who are involved in systems of care are disconnected from their community due to out-of-home placements and isolation as a result of stigma. Young people who have a mental illness may be faced with reintegrating back into the community after stays in psychiatric hospitals, juvenile detention centers, foster homes, group homes, or residential facilities. Young people who are currently dealing with poverty, school failure, family crisis, and challenging behaviors are the least involved in youth development opportunities (Roach, Cao Yu, & Lewis-Charp, 2001). For these young people, socialization and discrimination have profound effects on their positive development. Youth and adults often react to a loss of belonging by engaging in high-risk behaviors to lessen feelings of seclusion and isolation (Kirshner, O’Donoghue, & McLaughlin, 2002). As healthy relationships between people dissipate, communities begin to fall apart resulting in a greater chance of violence and crime. One way to rebuild communities is to support youth, families, and community resources simultaneously so that the core problem, and not just its symptoms of the problem, can be treated. The development of youth groups for young people in systems of care that are grounded in the community will foster a sense of connectedness. Allowing opportunities for youth to communicate about the barriers they have faced often helps them to move forward in positive ways. These groups may also help young people deal with issues of race, gender, sexuality, and religious differences in order to better understand each other’s experiences. In order to rebuild a community, all community members must be seen as equal partners in the rebuilding process. The “community as partners” approach empowers members of the community – youth, families, and community supporters – to become active in making positive changes in their neighborhoods (Kirshner et al., 2002). When an empowered community creates change, the community becomes a safe and supportive environment for youth to learn and develop new skills. These new skills can be developed through positive participation in community-building activities, which in turn create appreciation and public awareness of youth contribution. The PYD approach requires that the communities view youth contribution and partnering as an important investment in the future of the community. The youth development-community empowerment approach engages youth in activities that give them the opportunity to learn new skills and grow while simultaneously encouraging positive relationships that root them in the community (NCFY, 1996). Youth involvement and engagement is the foundation for rebuilding the community. PYD Framework Fits in Systems of Care The goal of system of care communities is to create transformation within the children’s mental health system. Authentic transformation creates structural and philosophical change. Youth leaders, consumers, coordinators, and adult supports are all a part of system reform. The role of youth and youth coordinators is to foster youth development and involvement within their own group as well as throughout the community. However, given these fundamental principles, each youth organization is going to use a different model. The PYD approach emphasizes the importance of addressing the strengths, needs, and resources of individual communities in order to build the most appropriate framework. Family support, individual personality, socioeconomic status, access to education and opportunities, gender, physical capacity, and racial or ethnic background contribute to the development of young people and affect the types of contributions that youth are able to bring to their communities (NCFY, 1996). For example, while one young person may be able to advocate for youth through public speaking, another may express him or herself more effectively through art or writing. Thus, different youth development approaches are more effective for different youth. It is important to remember that youth development is contextual, not linear. PYD Approach and Resiliency Resiliency is also an important component in the positive development of young people. Why do some youth “make it” and become successful? Care and support, high expectations, and opportunities to participate help young people to become more resilient when faced with challenging life experiences. Young people who develop problem-solving skills, have positive relationships with adults, and have a sense of social competence, safety, identity, autonomy, purpose, respect, and future often have the ability to bounce back from adversity (Bernard, 1991). Resilience is a product of trusting relationships, internal strengths, skills in interpersonal relationships, and the ability to problem solve. Faith and self-esteem are also crucial in building resiliency in young people (Institute for Mental Health Initiatives, 1999). Having a sense of belonging and purpose, as well as resiliency, often allows young people to overcome the barriers that they face due to the stigma of having a mental illness. What Does It Take?
Resources: Bernard, B. (1996). Fostering resiliency in kids: Protective factors in the family, school and community. In Advancing youth development: A curriculum for training youth workers. Washington, DC: Academy for Educational Development, Center for Youth Development and Policy Research. Kirshner, B., O’Donoghue, J. L., & McLaughlin, M. W. (Eds.). (2003). New directions for youth development: Youth participation improving institutions and communities. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. National Clearinghouse on Families and Youth. (1996). Reconnecting youth and community: A youth development approach. Silver Spring, MD: U.S. Department Of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau. Retrieved on October 29, 2004, from http://www.ncfy.com/Reconnec.htm. Roach, C., Yu, H. C., & Lewis-Charp, H. (2001). Race, poverty, and youth development. Poverty & Race 10(4), 3–6. Retrieved on October, 29, 2004, from http://www.prrac.org/full_text.php?text_id=21&item_id=167&newsletter_id=57&header=Poverty+%2F+Welfare. [Top] Why should youth be involved in the evaluation component of our system of care and how can we get youth involved? Involving youth in research is part of creating social change and improving their lives and the lives of their peers. In addition to board and committee participation, young people have been involved in evaluation (Sydlo et al., 2000). Young people should be involved from the beginning stages of defining the problem to collecting and evaluating information, making decisions and taking action. Youth involvement will give these young people opportunities to learn about research and evaluation (Checkoway & Richards-Schuster, 2003). Youth have been involved in evaluation as subjects, consultants, and partners. Young people have served as co-evaluators and directors and have organized their own research projects to study a problem of their choice. One example of this process comes out of the Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (FFCMH). FFCMH partnered with youth to conduct a 2-year study on the experiences of youth with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse problems and their families. The purpose of the study was to provide opportunities for youth and families to share their experiences in these systems and to make recommendations for change. The youth guided the study and received research training in the process. Ten youth were trained to design the questions, facilitate the focus groups and interviews, and analyze the data. The youth came from all over the country and did most of their work via the telephone with the help of the researcher who was hired to train them. The youth core research team interviewed 150 youth and families and then formulated recommendations, which were published in Blamed and Ashamed: The Treatment Experiences of Youth with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders and Their Families (Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, 2001). Three Main Purposes of Involving Youth in Evaluation and Research (Smith, 2001)
What Makes Youth Involvement in Research Successful?
Resources: Sydio, S.J., Schensul, J. J., Owens, D.C., Brase, M.K., Wiley, K.N., Berg, M.J., Baez, E., & Schensul, D. (2000). Participatory action research curriculum for empowering youth. Hartford , CT : The Institute for Community Research. Checkoway, B. & Richards-Schuster, K. (2003). Youth participation in community evaluation research. American Journal of Evaluation 24(1), 21-33. Smith, J. (2001). Pizza, transportation and transformation: Youth involvement in evaluation and research. The Evaluation Exchange 7(2), 10-11. Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health and Keys for Networking, Inc. (2001). Blamed and Ashamed: The Treatment Experiences of Youth with Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders and Their Families. Alexandria , VA : Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health. [Top] What are the responsibilities of a youth coordinator in a system of care community? Many communities, particularly those funded since 2002, are hiring youth coordinators and are not sure who to look for and how to describe the person's responsibilities. Characteristics of effective youth coordinators often include:
The roles of the youth coordinator often include the following:
The role of the youth coordinator is to be a coach for youth. When we conceptualize the word coach, we think of words such as encouragement, support, guidance, energizing, empowering, and supportive. The coach is someone who is a part of the team as a supportive resource but is not the person playing the game. The youth coordinator should be a coach in all aspects of forming and maintaining the youth group. Although it is important to let the youth lead, the youth coordinator should still be present as a support person. He or she should be involved as the youth develop ground rules. The youth coordinator should head off any discussions that violate the group's rules. The youth coordinator should not be a director or disciplinarian. Young people do not need another authoritarian figure to exert control and manage their behaviors. Rather, they need support and encouragement in their activities and guidance from an experienced individual. Youth coordinators need to ensure that all contributions are valued and to emphasize that there are no right or wrong answers. They should be careful not to dominate the discussion or step in as the “expert.” Instead, they should be present as a resource and support. The youth coordinator should be a model listener and encourage others to listen with open minds. Youth advisors should advocate for their youth, empowering them and enhancing their leadership skills. Youth should be involved in all steps of the process, including developing policies and guidelines for the group, designing the group logo, planning and implementing strategies, and selecting the time and location for meetings. Young people should know about and be part of developing the group budget and share in the decision-making process in allocating funds. Sometimes youth coordinators find themselves in numerous meetings and are involved in so many committees, boards, and other groups within systems of care that the actual work around getting youth involved gets lost in a bureaucracy. Youth coordinators and their supervisors should work together in finding a balance between the two and identify ways to get other youth representation for these meetings. Hiring a youth coordinator in a system of care is an exciting opportunity and the beginning process of developing a youth-guided system. [Top] Our system of care community wants to involve youth in meetings, as well as on boards and committees, but we have been unsuccessful in our previous attempts. We had difficulty finding a youth who was interested, and when we did, the youth did not speak during the meeting. How can we better involve youth in the meetings so that they are interested and willing to participate? There are many reasons why young people choose not to attend or speak during meetings. The first step is to ask the youth why he or she did not participate. Most frequently, young people appear disinterested because:
Being the only youth in a room of adults can be intimidating. Many of the adults on a governing board or committee represent the same people that have been making decisions for the youth for most of their lives, which can make young people feel like their opinions are not relevant. Feelings of insignificance are increased when board members use acronyms and words that are not a part of the youth's vocabulary. The more young people feel like their involvement is not important, the more they will remain quiet in the meeting, if they continue to attend. Connecting the youth to a board member who can support and coach the young person can help in this process. Youth involvement may not be successful if coaches are not selected carefully, do not have time to adequately support young people, or expect that everyone will immediately know how to work together. Solutions to some of these challenges include selecting supports who have time and are dedicated to providing help and encouragement to interested youth. Adults must also ensure that youth have transportation to and from meetings and that meetings are held at a time that does not require young people to miss school. Coaches should also spend time with youth before and after meetings to answer questions and foster a more supportive environment. Here are some suggested strategies that adults can use when involving youth in governance boards and committees, as well as other meetings and presentations. Adult Responsibilities for Involving Youth in Meetings: 5 Simple Strategies There are a few simple strategies to use when adults ask youth to participate in meetings or conferences. Implementing these strategies will ensure that adults allow ample time and provide support for authentic youth participation. 1. Identify youth and adult support
2. Ensure preparatory support
3. Clarify roles and responsibilities
4. Ensure logistical support
5. Orient youth on location
Involving youth on boards and in meetings can be challenging for everyone involved; however, the outcome makes the hard work worth it. In a study conducted by the National 4-H Council (Zeldin, McDaniel, Topitzes, & Calvert, 2000), researchers found that youth involvement in organizational decisions helps in a variety of ways. Youth engagement helps organizations:
Involving youth in decision-making also supports the positive development of young people. The Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) conducted a study in 2000 on the effects of young people who participated on boards and committees. They found that youth benefited from participation on governing boards in numerous ways. Youth board members reported that they learned how to make better decisions about issues facing their peers. They believed they were better at planning and facilitating meetings. Young people reported that they were more comfortable sharing ideas in a group, having leadership roles, and giving presentations. Youth board members reported being more committed to helping the community, and involvement helped them develop positive relationships with adults. Young people were also found to be more prepared and interested in higher education (YLI, 2000). Young people are the present and future agents of change and need support from the adults in their community to be successful. Developing an authentic youth involvement movement in system of care communities requires that young people are given opportunities, and adult and professional power is shared with youth. Resources Youth Leadership Institute. (2000). Changing the face of giving: An assessment of youth philanthropy. San Francisco , CA : James Irvine Foundation. Retrieved on October 29, 2004, from http://www.irvine.org/assets/pdf/pubs/youth/Youth_Philanthropy.pdf . Zeldin, S., McDaniel, A. K., Topitzes, D., & Calvert, M. (2000). Youth in decision-making: A study on the impacts of youth on adults in organizations. Takoma Park , MD : Innovation Center for Community and Youth Development. Retrieved on October, 29, 2004, from http://www.theinnovationcenter.org/pdfs/Youth_in_Decision_Making_Brochure.pdf [Top] |
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