Directed advocacy with young people

Directed Advocacy with Young People – Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA), Alberta Objectives: To share information on the individual advocacy work of the OCYA, an independent child rights based advocacy program in... [ view full abstract ]

Directed Advocacy with Young People – Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA), Alberta
Objectives:
To share information on the individual advocacy work of the OCYA, an independent child rights based advocacy program in Canada. Advocacy is available to young people receiving services in the child intervention (welfare) system and/or the youth justice system. The information shared will focus on the principles and practices that underpin the way the OCYA engages and works with young people on individual issues. The main focus will be the innovative way the OCYA takes direction (aka instruction) from young people for all individual advocacy activities, except in limited circumstances. Information on taking direction from younger children will be highlighted.
Background:
Young people are referred to the OCYA for a variety of reasons, including but not limited, to the young person:
• Not feeling heard in decisions being made about them,
• Disagreeing with a plan for their care or are unhappy where they have been placed, or
• Wanting connection with family or their cultural community and this is not being acted upon.
OCYA advocates work with the young person to develop and implement a plan; the young person directs the advocacy.
• Young people can decide if they can work with their advocate, or if they want a different one.
• Young people can decide how much information to give to their advocate.
• An advocate’s job is not to determine what is best for a young person.
Method:
• This information can be shared through either the Poster, Oral or Workshop formats.
Results:
• Participants will gain a greater understanding of the possibilities of engaging young people, including younger children in actively participating in advocacy.