2015 workshop for Lucas County foster parents on YABs
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2015 workshop for Lucas County foster parents on YABs
- 1. Creating and Maintaining a Community of Foster Care Youth/Alumni Lisa Dickson, Spring 2015
- 2. Competencies • Caregiver Specialized: 941-02-012: Knows how to help adolescents advocate for funding and programs they need for independent living. • Caseworker Related: 303-02-001: Knows how to involve children, when developmentally appropriately, in planning and decision making processes that involve them.
- 4. Consumer & Social Movements • Civil rights movement • Women’s suffrage • Disability rights • Faith movement • GLBTQ Advocacy Movements
- 5. Foster Care Movement • Youth in Care Network • California Youth Connection • Statewide youth advisory boards • Foster Care Alumni of America • International foster care movement Advocacy Movements
- 6. Equip Youth for Success Benefits for Youth
- 7. Equip Youth • Leadership • Professionalism • Resume • College applications • Emotional connections • Positive memories • Trust, healing Benefits for Youth
- 8. Develop a Sense of Community
- 10. National FCAA Postcard Project
- 11. Assist Professionals in Their Work Benefits for Professionals
- 12. Assist Professionals in Their Work • First-hand expertise • Valuable insights • Organizational goals • Add value to conferences • Better outcomes for youth • Revitalize your work • Legislation Benefits for Professionals
- 13. Source: Honoring Emancipated Youth Youth Serving Agencies Youth Led Agencies Youth are viewed as the recipients of programs, services, tools and resources. Youth act as developers , facilitators and evaluators of programs and services. Youth are showcased as a “Success Story” to promote a program. Youth act as agency representatives, and promote positive impact to community. Youth receive pre-packaged issues and topics. Youth have the opportunity to research multiple issues and decide on final projects Youth do not receive formal education or training about advocacy movements and systemic change. Youth receive strategic education and training about advocacy and its impact on larger social issues and systems.
- 14. Youth Boards and Role of Adults • Adults become facilitators and allow teens to take on more of a leadership role. • Adults become mentors or advisors, helping to arrange new experiences for teens, yet letting the teens take more responsibility. What Does It Look Like?
- 15. What Does It Look Like?
- 16. Experiential Learning: “Learn By Doing”
- 17. Establishing Structure • Code of Conduct • Mission Statement • Recommendations • Strategic Plan • Marketing Plan • Logo, Mascot • Group Identity Structure of the Board
- 18. Governance Models • President • Vice President • Secretary • Treasurer • Media Spokesperson • Parliamentarian • Operations Chair • Communications Chair • Youth Outreach * Customize your leadership structure; make it a reflection of the skills, insights and talents of participants
- 19. Holding elections • Speech regarding qualifications • Secret ballot
- 20. Sample Activities • Panels • Workshops • Legislation • Mentoring • Artwork
- 21. Share Your Voice “Nothing about us, without us” • Local and statewide, national conferences • Op-eds and interviews • Discussions about child welfare policy • Brainstorming sessions about IL classes and aftercare
- 23. Diplomacy skills
- 28. Appreciating your strengths and guarding against overuse
- 30. Handling emotions in the moment
- 31. Handling emotions in the moment
- 32. Handling emotions in the moment
- 33. effective requests 1.What do you want? 2.Who do you want it from? 3.What is the timeframe? 4.Do you both agree on what the outcome should look like? 5.Might require negotiation: yes vs. no vs. counter-offer
- 34. Barriers to Success • Low Attendance • Tokenism • Transportation Issues • Personal Issues • Time Management • Financial Issues • Lack of Experience Sustaining the Board
- 35. Overcome Barriers • Outreach • Strength in Numbers • Transportation Support • Peer Mentoring • Delegation • Stipends • Training Sustaining the Board
- 36. Tools for Communication • Phone • Email • Website • Blog • Wiki • Facebook • Newsletter Sustaining the Board
- 37. Conference Calls • Upcoming events • Funding opportunities, grants • Shared vision • Defined roles • Share challenges, support one another • Share successes, celebrate one another Positive Partnerships
- 38. Media Awareness Knowledge builds credibility: • Which journalists are interested in writing about foster care issues? • What local radio stations might be interested? • Have youth been trained in Strategic Sharing?
- 39. Promising Partnerships Local and statewide: • Foster parent organizations • Independent living coordinators • Support groups for kinship caregivers • Social worker agencies • Universities Sustaining the Board
- 40. Tips for Healthy Collaboration • Joint ownership; shared power • Consultation, participation, involvement • Clear purpose; shared responsibilities • Mutual accountability, defined roles • Proactive communication • Credit recognition, shared success Positive Partnerships
- 42. Helpful Publications Honoring Emancipated Youth has created a Step-By-Step Guide to Creating A Youth Board (47 pages). Youth Leadership Advisory Team: An Innovative Approach to Systems Improvement in Maine (60 pages). Engaging Youth in Policymaking Improves Policies and Youth Outcomes, California Center for Civic Participation. Youth testimony, meeting with policymakers, reviewing legislation. Practicing Youth Advocacy: Youth Transition Funders Group. Defines Four Types of Youth Advocacy as: Self, Local ,State and National. Learning for Life: Developing a Community of Youth Leaders.
Editor's Notes
- This workshop was designed to help participants to learn about: - the history of the foster care movement - the universal benefits of establishing a foster care alumni community - how to work with and empower youth, young adults and alumni of foster care to start and sustain a group in your area
- Lisa: But, first… INTRODUCTIONS: Introduction and Overview ▪ Large group activity: Each participant is asked to introduce themselves and one group that they belong to… trying not to use the same group as any of the other people before them. This group could be cultural, based on a physical attribute, based on belonging to a certain club or society, etc. (This is an exercise about belonging).
- LISA: Participants will be given general awareness about the foster care movement, its history, and how it relates to other social movements. They will participate in a hands-on activity that illustrates how social movements are born out of culture and oppression.
- LISA: History of foster care movement: Canadian Youth in Care (CYC) now called the Youth in Care Network – led to the creation of California Youth Connection (CYC) The success of the California Youth Connection led to legislation requiring states to create youth advisory boards The need for foster care alumni to ALWAYS have a voice and community that they can never “age out” of led to Foster Care Alumni of America Foster Care Alumni of America is a national organization, created in May 2006 There is an international foster care movement as well
- KIERRA: Involvement in a youth advisory board builds leadership skills, teaches professionalism, and creates experience that looks great on resumes and college applications. These relationships build emotional connections, positive relationships, and pave the way for trust and healing. Ohio has chosen to invest in young people aging out of the foster care system, and be that forever community that they will never age out of, even after they turn 23 years old and “age out” of local/statewide youth advisory boards.
- KIERRA: Involvement in a youth advisory board builds leadership skills, teaches professionalism, and creates experience that looks great on resumes and college applications. These relationships build emotional connections, positive relationships, and pave the way for trust and healing. Ohio has chosen to invest in young people aging out of the foster care system, and be that forever community that they will never age out of, even after they turn 23 years old and “age out” of local/statewide youth advisory boards.
- ADRIAN: On Thanksgiving 2008, Ohio held a Thanksgiving Foster Care Alumni Family Reunion. Foster care youth and alumni from each of Ohio’s 88 counties were invited to enjoy a Thanksgiving buffet and time with our extended foster care alumni community. Foster care youth are often unable to attend dances, like Prom. Therefore, every year, the VISION Board holds a Winter Ball. The youth advisory board chose the colors, food, music and theme.
- ADRIAN: One thing that foster care youth and alumni are often denied is family privilege. It is a family privilege to have a family to attend graduation ceremonies. To have a family to spend holiday with… On Thanksgiving 2007, foster care alumni from across the nation came “Home for the Holidays” to the United States Capital to remind our government about the needs of young people “aging out” of foster care.
- LISA: Foster Care Alumni of America has created an ongoing Postcard Project, in which postcards are created by people in and from foster care. As we build the foster care alumni movement, we are constantly discovering that - regardless of age, ethnicity, geography, education, occupation, or placement history - as alumni of the foster care system we have a great deal in common – and what we share is the Culture of Foster Care. ▪ Large group Cultural Awareness activity: Each participant is asked to introduce themselves and one group that they belong to… trying not to use the same group as any of the other people before them. This group could be cultural, based on a physical attribute, based on belonging to a certain club or society, etc. (This is an exercise about belonging).
- KIERRA: Professionals have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by inviting foster care youth and alumni to be a part of your work. Quote by Martin Luther King: "And there's a reality; let's not fool ourselves: this bill isn't going to get through if we don't put some work in it, and some determined pressure. And that's why I've said that in order to get this bill through, we've got to arouse the conscience of the nation..." When foster care youth and alumni testify about legislation, Senators and House Representatives listen. In everything we do, we bring our first-hand experience and valuable insights. It is our passion to improve outcomes for foster care youth. This adds value to your conferences. It helps professionals to achieve their organizational goals. It can revitalize your passion and remind you of why you chose this career in the first place.
- KIERRA: Professionals have nothing to lose, and everything to gain, by inviting foster care youth and alumni to be a part of your work. Quote by Martin Luther King: "And there's a reality; let's not fool ourselves: this bill isn't going to get through if we don't put some work in it, and some determined pressure. And that's why I've said that in order to get this bill through, we've got to arouse the conscience of the nation..." When foster care youth and alumni testify about legislation, Senators and House Representatives listen. In everything we do, we bring our first-hand experience and valuable insights. It is our passion to improve outcomes for foster care youth. This adds value to your conferences. It helps professionals to achieve their organizational goals. It can revitalize your passion and remind you of why you chose this career in the first place.
- Older adolescents have six interrelated jobs to accomplish during this stage of their lives: • Increase and maintain knowledge of self and self-esteem. • Learn to be increasingly responsible and make complex decisions. • Set goals and develop strategies to reach them. • Become increasingly independent from parents. • Develop strong relationship skills. • Increase interpersonal communications skills. Today these life skills are still necessary. If we expect youth to go into adulthood in a positive way, we can plan experiences to help them perform the jobs listed above. Have a well-planned program. Such a program requires good organization, strong leadership, and exciting, imaginative programs that are connected with your members’ lives, needs and interests. Set clear, simple and consistent behavioral expectations and consequences. All individuals need to know the results of their actions. When working with young people, it is essential that expectations and consequences be clear, easily understood and consistent. Provide individual attention to your members. Public recognition of positive behavior.
- Whiteboard page 2: Enjoy working with youth, (Encourage and support youth voice, youth-centered/youth-led, willing to share power, active listening, teen development, teen culture, meaningful choices: not too many or too few) Role-play Coaching and Mentoring: To empower young people, Youth Workers should utilize both coaching and mentoring. Mentoring equips youth with an adult supporter that encourages growth by acting as a positive role model. Through these relationships, youth gain skills through experiential learning, observation and dialogue. Mentoring assists youth to develop and strengthen transferable skills that will empower them to become leaders. Coaching is slightly different than mentoring in coaching works to empower young people by providing an “invisible” hand of support. The coaching model provides young people with the opportunity to reach their own conclusions. As a coach, Youth Workers take the back seat, and allow youth to lead the process. Allow to trial and error. Older adolescents have six interrelated jobs to accomplish during this stage of their lives: • Increase and maintain knowledge of self and self-esteem. • Learn to be increasingly responsible and make complex decisions. • Set goals and develop strategies to reach them. • Become increasingly independent from parents. • Develop strong relationship skills. • Increase interpersonal communications skills. Today these life skills are still necessary. If we expect youth to go into adulthood in a positive way, we can plan experiences to help them perform the jobs listed above. Have a well-planned program. Such a program requires good organization, strong leadership, and exciting, imaginative programs that are connected with your members’ lives, needs and interests. Set clear, simple and consistent behavioral expectations and consequences. All individuals need to know the results of their actions. When working with young people, it is essential that expectations and consequences be clear, easily understood and consistent. Provide individual attention to your members. Public recognition of positive behavior.
- LISA: Hand out chart. Who is taking responsibility? Who is making the decisions? Are youth involved in this effort actively engaged in leadership development and skill building? 8) Young people-initiated, shared decisions with adults. This happens when projects or programs are initiated by young people and decision-making is shared between young people and adults. These projects empower young people while at the same time enabling them to access and learn from the life experience and expertise of adults. This rung of the ladder can be embodied by youth/adult partnerships. 7) Young people-initiated and directed. This step is when young people initiate and direct a project or program. Adults are involved only in a supportive role. This rung of the ladder can be embodied by youth-led activism. 6) Adult-initiated, shared decisions with young people. Occurs when projects or programs are initiated by adults but the decision-making is shared with the young people. This rung of the ladder can be embodied by participatory action research. 5) Consulted and informed. This happens when young people give advice on projects or programs designed and run by adults. The young people are informed about how their input will be used and the outcomes of the decisions made by adults. This rung of the ladder can be embodied by youth advisory councils. 4) Assigned but informed. This is where young people are assigned a specific role and informed about how and why they are being involved. This rung of the ladder can be embodied by community youth boards. iii Not True Participation 3) Tokenism. When young people appear to be given a voice, but in fact have little or no choice about what they do or how they participate. This rung of the ladder reflects adultism. 2) Decoration. Happens when young people are used to help or "bolster" a cause in a relatively indirect way, although adults do not pretend that the cause is inspired by young people. This rung of the ladder reflects adultism. 1) Manipulation. Happens where adults use young people to support causes and pretend that the causes are inspired by young people. This rung of the ladder reflects adultism.
- “LEARN BY DOING” ACTIVITY When you offer experiential learning opportunities that are developmentally appropriate and appealing to young people at the different ages and stages of their lives, you provide environments proven to foster positive youth development. (Advisor-Explorer Relationship… and the importance of Reflecting afterward) Do • Young people experience an activity, which involves exploring or discovering something related to the learning topic. (Exploring meets developmental needs of adolescents: choosing values and lifelong commitments) Reflect • Young people share by describing what happened or what they experienced. When young people share what they’ve learned, they not only stimulate their own growth, but the growth of their group as well. • Young people process what they’ve learned and shared in order to look for patterns or themes, with the goal of building a bridge to new knowledge and skills. Apply • Young people generalize from this experience to implications related to their own lives or to broader societal experiences. • Young people apply or think about what can be done with their newly acquired information or skill.
- ANGIE: Steps for securing group identity
- Exercise: Go to parts of the room where signs are – EXPLAIN YOUR DECISION Print OHIO YAB Officer Descriptions Customize your leadership structure; make it a reflection of the skills, insights and talents of participants.
- ADRIAN: Gives brief examples of ways that elections have been held in VISION Board and Ohio YAB
- KIERRA: It’s important for foster care youth and alumni to be an active part of child welfare policy and events in your state. Ways that they can participate include: Youth panels, co-presenting workshops, and contributing to legislation. Peer mentoring networks can be established for youth aging out of foster care. They can contribute their artwork as part of the FCAA Postcard project. Here in Colorado, Gov. Bill Ritter’s sibling visitation law last year was initiated by foster care youth and alumni. For “Bring Your Child to Work” Day 2008, the Governor was shadowed by Tony (foster care youth) who reminded him all day about how long it had been since Tony last saw his siblings.
- KIERRA: KIERRA: 'Nothing about us without us' is Foster Care Alumni of America’s motto. When 'experts' hold discussions about changing child welfare policies, procedures and/or legislation, youth and alumni should be there. Youth in Ohio have shared their voices as part of the Kids Are Waiting Campaign (explain the “I Am Waiting” shirts – what they say on the front and on the back). Youth and alumni in Ohio have presented workshops and participated in panels during local, statewide and national conferences. We have written op-eds and been interviewed by newscasters.We’ve been involved in discussions about child welfare policy, including Marcus Fiesel legislation, Medicaid until age 21, and protesting cuts to TANF-Independent Living funds.VISION Board youth have contributed to the curriculum of Independent Living classes, and helped teach those classes.
- ADRIAN: Will mention the role of Ohio foster care alumni and youth in: - Marcus Fiesel legislation - Extending Medicaid to age 21 - Protesting TANF-IL cuts - FCAA Alumni Leadership Institute 2007 & 2008
- ADRIAN: Will mention the role of Ohio foster care alumni and youth in: - Marcus Fiesel legislation - Extending Medicaid to age 21 - Protesting TANF-IL cuts - FCAA Alumni Leadership Institute 2007 & 2008
- ADRIAN: Will mention the role of Ohio foster care alumni and youth in: - Marcus Fiesel legislation - Extending Medicaid to age 21 - Protesting TANF-IL cuts - FCAA Alumni Leadership Institute 2007 & 2008
- ADRIAN: Will mention the role of Ohio foster care alumni and youth in: - Marcus Fiesel legislation - Extending Medicaid to age 21 - Protesting TANF-IL cuts - FCAA Alumni Leadership Institute 2007 & 2008
- ADRIAN: Will mention the role of Ohio foster care alumni and youth in: - Marcus Fiesel legislation - Extending Medicaid to age 21 - Protesting TANF-IL cuts - FCAA Alumni Leadership Institute 2007 & 2008
- Identifying and handling emotions in the moment
- Identifying and handling emotions in the moment
- Identifying and handling emotions in the moment
- Appropriately handling conflict is part of being a statewide leader We want your message to be heard We want the impact of your words and actions to reflect well on foster youth and have positive aftereffects
- KIERRA: (Mention and briefly discuss these barriers) Low Attendance Tokenism Transportation Issues Personal Issues Time Management Financial Issues Lack of Experience
- KIERRA: (Mention and briefly discuss these strategies) Outreach – increases attendance Strength in Numbers – decreases the likelihood of token involvement (collective voice) Transportation Support – helps with transportation issues Peer Mentoring – support one another regarding personal issues Delegation – helps with time management Stipends – helps offset the cost of youth participation Training – addresses lack of experience
- LISA: READ THE NEWS. When we present ourselves as being knowledgeable about what's going on locally, statewide and nationally regarding foster care, this builds our credibility with others. - Find out who is speaking out about foster care - Find out which journalists are interested in writing about foster care issues- Research the local radio stations for future promotion opportunities
- LISA: Partner with child welfare professionals to improve services to young people in/from foster care: Many people within the child welfare field long to make a more powerful and lasting impact when it comes to foster care. Attend their meetings and tell them who you are and what FCAA is all about. The people who care most about our mission will be drawn to you! In Ohio, through our connections with allies, we planned and orchestrated Ohio’s first statewide Independent Living Summit, and successfully advocated with ODJFS to make this an annual event.
- LISA: between agencies and partners, between adults and youth "I want to say that, in all of our actions, we must stick together. “Unity is the great need of the hour, and if we are united, we can get many of the things which we not only desire but which we justly deserve." - MLK
- LISA