NCJ Number
94893
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Advocacy is a part of every client intervention plan at Whitman Center -- an Omaha, Nebraska, short-term, crisis-intervention program offering counseling on a residential and nonresidential basis to youth, aged 13 to 17, and their families.
Abstract
Any program advocating for youth in the larger society starts best by empowering youth within its own program. Ongoing program evaluation at Whitman Center functions as a safeguard against the abuse of clients' rights and helps to guarantee responsive and quality services. Programs proven responsive to clients are in a good position to advocate on their behalf with other agencies. An advocate moves beyond consideration of what services exist into consideration of what constraints might prevent those services from being available to a particular client or group of clients. Advocacy also involves an effort to remove constraints. An advocate works to coordinate with other agencies, identify and support family strengths, and link the family with community support systems. There is also court-related advocacy. Through legal case advocacy and participation on community-wide committees responsible for expanding services, treatment of young people as if they were criminals can be changed. At the Whitman Center the plan is to expand involvement in community-wide decisionmaking groups to have an impact on policies and on the development of youth services. The priority on advocacy at Whitman has not caused conflicts within the program. Resources have been allocated in such a way as to involve staff in advocacy without sacrificing quality direct service. Two references are included.