Best Practices for Increasing Meaningful Youth Participation in Collaborative Team Planning

(2016) | Useful to: Parent Centers and other service organizations who wish to include youth and young adults in their programs and services.

A critical element in developing any program or research project is the perspective of the populations it will affect. For young people on the path to adulthood and self-sufficiency, this is even more important, because they are still learning to become independent and shaping ideas about who they are, what they believe in, and what they want from life.

This 8-page guidebook describes best practices for including youth with personal experience in all aspects of your programs—from planning and research design, to advisory boards, to peer and recovery support services. Its sections include:

• Organizational Support for Participation
• Before the Meeting: Help the Youth Prepare
• During the Meeting:Create a Safe Environment
• During the Meeting: Ensure the Youth is Part of the Team
• Measuring Participation and Empowerment

Access the guidebook at: 
https://www.pathwaysrtc.pdx.edu/pdf/pbAMPYouthParticipation.pdf

Best Practices for Increasing Meaningful Youth Participation in Collaborative Team Planning is a product of the Research and Training Center on Family Support and Children’s Mental Health at Portland State University, with input from AMP advisors and other youth and adults who are part of planning teams around the nation. (AMP stands for Achieve My Plan.)