Youth to Youth: Keeping Kids Safer and Healthier

1. Youth to Youth: Keeping Kids Safer and Healthier Ashley Schwanke LPN Program Nurse Karen Turner Mentor Outreach Worker

2. Youth to Youth • Funded for 1 year by MAC cosmetics • Streetworks identified inner city street-involved youth as being a group that needs attention in regards to drug use and HIV prevention • Targets high risk youth age 14-24 • These are youth that have involvement in the criminal justice system, a hx of abuse, foster care involvement, attachment to non-traditional family networks and of aboriginal decent.

3. Youth to Youth: Goals • Youth have the skills, knowledge, resources and support needed for healthy decision-making • Staff members of youth serving agencies are better able to address the needs of the youth population in the downtown core

4. Youth to Youth: The team • 2 peer Youth Workers – 2 Days a week • LPN – 1 Day a week • 1 Mentor Outreach Worker

5. Youth to Youth: Our plan • Speaking engagements • Involvement in youth activities • Training staff – Formally and Informally • Outreach

6. Youth to Youth: So far • Youth teaching med students • Connecting with youth through activities – Youth night • Youth mentors making Streetworks more youth friendly • Outreach – on foot and van • Youth presenting to fellow youth • Resources, presentations and educational posters

7. Youth to Youth: Barriers in reaching youth • Finding youth • Agencies being afraid to work with us • Making that connection – the trust factor and abandonment issues • Time issue • Attitude mixed with a dash of hormones • Working with a group • Networking

8. What is the formula? What doesn’t work • Control • Talking down • Being the know it all • Bringing previous negative experiences into new relationships • Pushing to hard • High expectations • Strict Rules • No flexibility • Youth only wanting to work with 1 worker

9. Tips: What works • Recognize strengths – point out the positives • Learn! • Be yourself • Ask questions. Don’t push and prepare to be tested. • Build trust – must be earned • Share • Use non-traditional interventions.

10. Tips: What works • Bend rules if possible • Maintain a sense of humor and patience. • Watch for opportunities for change. • Recognize personal bias. • Be generous with time (as much as possible).

11. Youth to Youth: Outcomes • Are ongoing!! • Trusting relationships with youth • The ability to provide honest information • Accessing services and resources – Youth seeking education, advice and guidance. • Youth mentors gaining new skills, knowledge, and resources

12. Building The Team: Who do we hire for youth mentors?

13. General Qualities • Lived experience • Age • Creativity • Outgoing • Flexible, open, and the ability to understand Harm Reduction

14. Team: What is important • Ensure there is an outside support system for the person • Ensure the work environment is “safe” • Different amounts of clean time means different types of support • Make time-out available • Ask about triggers

15. Going off the Rails

16. Going off the rails! • Staff still involved through family and friends – moving from the community to working with the community • Past issues with people that are now clients • Miscommunication – Street bravado • Learning boundaries, protocols, policies

17. Going off the Rails! • Too much pressure on self • Slips • Sabotage or self-sabotage • Moving into the role of a professional

18. Youth to Youth: Overcoming the barriers with Youth Mentors • Be supportive • Recognize their strengths and point out the positive • Lead by example • Build trust • Maintain patience

19. Youth to Youth: Overcoming the barriers with Youth Mentors • Respect and hear challenges • Ask about how you can support, what might indicate a problem, what to do if blank occurs. • Alter work if necessary • Encourage team members’ mutual support

20. Youth to Youth: Hopes for the future • On going funding – and more of it • More time • Full Staff • Research • More resources • Networking

21. Questions?