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Authentic Youth Engagement with High and Complex Need Youth. YAP is a nationally recognized, nonprofit organization exclusively committed to the provision of community-based alternatives to out-of-home care through direct service, advocacy and policy change. Psych/ Social. Finances. Legal.
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YAP is a nationally recognized, nonprofit organization exclusively committed to the provision of community-based alternatives to out-of-home care through direct service, advocacy and policy change.
Psych/ Social Finances Legal Education Residence Employment Family Medical Safety Bubble Chart Spiritual Youth & Family
Chicago YAP Chicago YAP Staff
The Safely Home Campaign A web-based, nationwide YAP-lead campaign that promotes the belief that community-based alternatives for young people should be the norm and out-of-home placements the exception, not the other way around.
Collaborative Campaign: Partners • The Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth • The Campaign for Youth Justice • Children and Family Justice Center of Northwestern University School of Law • The Coalition for Juvenile Justice • Community Connections for Youth • First Focus • The Forum for Youth Investment • The Gay, Lesbian, Straight Education Network (GLSEN) • Justice Policy Institute • The National Collaboration for Youth, representing 40 youth-serving organizations • National Juvenile Justice Network • Pennsylvania Association of Community Health Centers • Rehabilitation and Community Providers Association • SparkAction • Strive DC • The W. Haywood Burns Institute
Why this Campaign • More than 500,000 youth and young people in out-of-home placements, Detention centers, incarceration, residential treatment centers, other institutions / congregate care facilities • More than 61,000 youth incarcerated on any given night (detention, residential & state / federal incarceration) • More than 400,000 youth in child welfare system, with more than 50,000 living in institutions
Locked Up & Left Out • Many Community-Based Programs • Exclusionary criteria often limits youth with highest need • Compliance requirements often eject youth with highest need • Interventions are based on the program, not based on the youth’s need • Out of Home Placements: • Put youth at additional risk (trauma, abuse, etc.) • Don’t meet underlying needs • Separate youth from their families and emotional supports
The Solution Focus on Meeting Underlying Needs not Services • Individualize services • Enables creativity in response • Close gaps • Allow for non-traditional services
The Solution Engage families and youth to have voice and choicein what happens to them Support & develop public policies that incentivize keeping families together Redirect resources from out-of-home placements to intensive community-based program Replace out-of-home placements with community programsthat can reach young people Help government and communities build their capacities
Seven Goals of the Safely Home Campaign Educate and inform Reduce out-of-home placements Redirection Expand community-based alternatives Reduce overrepresentation of youth of color Improve community safety Increase successful outcomes for youth
National Report: Released June 24, 2014 Target advocates and policymakers Describe elements of effective community-based programs Highlight “bright spots” Support states and localities in reducing use of incarceration for high-need youth Elevate youth voices
Genesis, Goals & Key Messages Create continuums for all kids; meet the kid, not the file Recognize the value of community: Virtually anything that can be done in an institution can be done better in the community Systems have the money to pay for more effective and less expensive community programs - redirection Communities can’t climb out of poverty, neighborhood violence, etc. through institutionalization, especially of their youth Effective programs up to serve more youth in the community (especially high-need youth) should be scaled up
How you can help: Partners • Collaborative Campaign • Blog posts • Sharing via social media (hashtag #safelyhome) • Presentations / conferences where joint missions • Keep us informed and share stories • Resources • Youth & Family Stories, sharing space • Let us know of good works happening that we can highlight • Legislation • Policy • Direct Service
How you can help Keep us informed about what’s happening in your community, county, state Share stories of success for us to highlight in our newsletter Help us expand our reach Drive other ideas – how else can we work together to help youth?
Social Media w: www.safelyhomecampaign.org e: safelyhome@yapinc.org : Like us on Facebook @kidssafelyhome @yapinc
Thank you! Dave Williams, drwilliams@yapinc.org Regional Director, Chicago Shaena Fazal,sfazal@yapinc.org National Policy Director, Washington, DC Steve Gates, sgates@yapinc.org Program Director, Chicago