COH-MentalHealthBook

MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTION INTERVENTIONS FOR YOUTH EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS:
PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR FRONT-LINE PROVIDERS
often work from a “for youth” philosophy that engages youth in a tokenistic manner. The
following features characterize the “for youth” engagement process:
•¡
Youth are not given meaningful leadership roles to improve the services they use.
•¡
Youth engagement is a token effort to present the appearance of listening to and
including youth, but is not meaningful or genuine.
•¡
Youth do not receive full information when they are given advice.
•¡
The lack of diversity among the youth chosen to be representatives often leads to a
process of selecting the “cream of the crop,” who present the most professional skills
and are higher functioning.
In contrast to this model, the Hidden in Our Midst and What’s the Map? projects strived
toward a “with youth” philosophy. One tool that organizations can use to enhance
engagement with youth who are newcomers and/or experiencing homelessness is Hart’s
ladder of engagement (Hart, 1992), which is widely used to showcase the spectrum of
youth engagement models (see Figure 2.3-1).
FIGURE 2.3-1. HART’S LADDER OF ENGAGEMENT
Organizing/governing/control
Lived experience initated, leadership
Lived experience initiated, partnerships
Adult/organization initiated,
shared decision making
Informed dialogue
Assigned but informed
Tokenism
Decoration
Manipulation
Empowerment/meaningful engagement
Empowerment/meaningful engagement
Empowerment/meaningful engagement
Tokensim moving toward engagement
Tokenistic
Tokenistic
Non-engagement/participation
Non-engagement/participation
Non-engagement/participation
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