[ Browse by Service Category : Topics Related to Youth Outreach Programs (1) ]
Juvenile Delinquency Prevention
Programs that offer a variety of activities for youth who are at risk for behaviour which is likely to involve them in the juvenile justice system with the objective of assisting them to improve self-esteem, to become aware of alternative ways of dealing with feelings and leisure time, and to take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. Included may be counselling, rap and discussion groups, tutoring, companionship programs, alternative peer group experiences and supervised recreational activities.
Youth Violence Prevention
Programs that attempt to reduce the incidence of violent acts committed by youth on the streets, in the schools or in other settings through a variety of educational interventions which may focus on children of various ages, parents, people who work with families, the schools, health care providers, law enforcement officials and/or the community at large. The program may provide information about model/promising prevention and intervention programs and crisis response strategies; descriptions of the risk factors associated with youth violence; research including statistics on violence committed by and against children and teens; outreach; and/or presentations that may be tailored for a variety of audiences.
Peer Role Model Programs
Programs that offer the services of volunteers who have admirable qualities of character and are willing to serve as role models for youth who are troubled and at risk for delinquency, adults who are disadvantaged by poverty, health conditions or other problems or other special populations who need the friendship and support of a peer to improve their personal and social functioning. The volunteers are usually of a particular age, gender, cultural background or other status that clients can identify with.
Street Outreach Programs
Programs that are staffed by outreach workers who spend time with people who live on the street, build relationships with them, identify and address their immediate needs (e.g., crisis intervention, food, clean clothing, hygiene kits, blankets, someone to listen) and provide information about and linkage to longer-term forms of support such as shelter, counselling, drug and alcohol detoxification and rehabilitation, care/case management and, where applicable, family reunification services. Street outreach programs may be staffed by volunteers or peers who were formerly homeless; and may target special populations such as homeless youth at risk for sexual abuse or exploitation, veterans, or people with specific medical or mental health conditions, or be available to the larger homeless population.
Youth Enrichment Programs
Programs that offer a wide variety of activities including arts and crafts, academic programs, sports, reading clubs, workshops and other recreational, leisure, cultural, social and civic activities for school-age children and youth in out-of-school hours. The objective of youth enrichment programs is to promote healthy social interaction and help participants maximize their social, emotional, physical and academic potential.
Outreach Programs
Organizations that make an effort to increase the availability and utilization of community services by specific target populations by providing direct services for targeted individuals in their homes or other convenient locations or by making special efforts to ensure that a particular group is aware of available services and encouraged to participate. Included are programs that do outreach regarding their own services as well as those which encourage a target population to use a wide variety of services.
The above terms and definitions are part of the Taxonomy of Human Services, used here by permission of INFO LINE of Los Angeles.