## Other Youth Topics

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            -  Youth Topics 
            -  Children of Incarcerated Parents 
            -  Learning from Youth who have an Incarcerated Parent: 2016 Listening Session 
            -  Listening Session Summary: Overview 
            -           Strategies For Behavioral Health Professionals      

# Strategies For Behavioral Health Professionals

## Video and Guide: Creating Conditions that Promote Safety, Healing, and Growth in Child-Parent Visits

## YPAR Research: Nothing about Us without Us

Nothing about Us without Us: Amplifying the Perspectives of Youth with Experiences of Parental Incarceration through Youth Participatory Action Research

## YPAR Research: Raising Voices

Raising Voices: Youth Participatory Action Research to Explore Experiences and Strategies for Improving the Well-Being of Youth with Incarcerated Parents

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                      - Build trust with caregivers so we stop worrying about upsetting them if we talk to other adults
                      - Work with caregivers to encourage truth telling about the incarceration
                      - Provide training and on-going supervision that includes:                         - Accurate statistics about children and families of the incarcerated
                        - Strategies for respecting family relationships and circumstances
                        - Understanding self-awareness and bias
                        - Skills for building trust
                        - Strategies for helping children and their parents and caregivers communicate about difficult topics
                      - Design programs that train older children of incarcerated parents to be mentors for younger children of incarcerated parents
                      - Offer transportation options and coordination to help youth get to visit their incarcerated parent
                      - Offer family counseling and guidance to youth and their incarcerated parents (this is especially important given the limited opportunity and time for calls and visits)
                      - Provide information and help for coping with the unpredictable nature of managing relationships with caregivers and following correctional policy as we attempt to connect and communicate with our incarcerated parent
                      - Corrections staff should receive training that emphasizes:                         - That visits are supposed to be a positive experience for families
                        - That respectful treatment and interactions with the family and the incarcerated parent are what is expected by children of incarcerated parents
                      - Use communication methods like posters and post them everywhere — schools, public libraries, health clinics
                      - Advertise on websites frequented by youth (such as Pandora and Facebook)
                      - Use celebrity spokespeople (e.g. musicians and sports figures) who can contribute to reducing stigma and shame
                      - Have a social media campaign
                      - Use public services announcements

**Additionally, we have identified 11 strategies that apply across *all* professions:**
                      - Get to know us: we are not statistics; we are youth who come from different backgrounds and family circumstances
                      - See us for who and what we are
                      - Know yourself: be aware of the assumptions and biases that you may have about us
                      - Let us know we can trust you. Be reliable and predictable. Listen without judgment
                      - Respect our right to confidentiality
                      - Help us to help each other by providing us with opportunities to gather together
                      - Help us channel our emotions into making a positive change through advocacy
                      - Honor our inner strength: don’t feel sorry for us
                      - Involve youth of incarcerated parents and their families in decisions about programs, policies and practices
                      - Agencies should understand the complexities of collaboration with and between other agencies (such as schools and corrections) because of confidentiality requirements
                      - Create lists of available resources and make them accessible

*» Return to **Youth Ideas for Change** page.**» Return to the overview of the **Listening Session Summary** page.**» Return to **Youth Perspectives** page.*

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

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