Philosophy of Care

We believe in a holistic approach to youth work.

• We view each human being as a unique, whole person.
• We recognize that people use multiple ways to communicate needs, thoughts, and feelings.
• We believe youth possess developmental capabilities and needs that are qualitatively different than adults.
• We approach our work with youth and families with an emphasis on strengths while acknowledging and attending to constraints.
• We acknowledge, promote and value diversity. Diversity provides a rich medium for growth. We strive to provide opportunities that will increase the cultural competence of all people.

We believe families and caregivers are primary in the development of youth.

• We believe individuals interactions with families and primary caregivers form the foundation of relational patterns that exist through their lifetime.
• We believe it is essential to involve family members and/or caregivers, whenever possible.

We believe it is essential to serve youth within the context of their lives: peer, school, & community.

• We recognize that individual's lives have multiple contexts (i.e.-physical, emotional, cognitive, familial, educational, environmental, social, societal, cultural and spiritual.)
• We recognize and respect the important influence peers have on youth. We attempt to be creative in using this dynamic to promote healthy change.
• We believe that educational opportunities are essential for optimal development. Our collaboration with school systems increases the effectiveness of our services.
• We believe people and their communities should have a mutually beneficial relationship. We strive to strengthen this interaction and help all parties understand how this interchange can benefit society.

We believe youth and family have rights.

• We believe all people deserve to be respected and treated equally without regard to race, gender, class, ethnicity, culture, sexual orientation, or worldview. We treat others as we would like to be treated.
• We believe that no one culture or perspective is normative.
• We believe all people need to be physically, psychologically, and spiritually safe in order to ensure optimal growth. Violence in any form is not welcome at Y.O.U.
• We believe that all youth and families deserve high quality, developmentally sensitive services. We are committed to on-going evaluation and revision of our work.
• We are committed to focusing services on youth and families who are under served by other organizations. In an effort to increase access to our services, we locate programs within venues that are comfortable and familiar to those we serve.

We believe youth and families can reach their full potential.

• We believe good exists within all people.
• We strive to begin each day anew, acknowledging that people can change anytime.
• We believe the potential for growth is enhanced in an environment in which clear limits are provided.
• We support the idea that youth can create solutions. We strive to engage youth and families to develop a sense of ownership in the services we provide.
• We attempt to empower youth and their families, helping their voices be heard by the larger community.
• We attempt to instill in youth a sense of responsibility for their actions and lives.
• We believe youth work is a marathon, not a sprint.

Finally, we believe relationships are our most important tool. Our empathy, behavior, humor, and who we are speak more loudly than words. We are role models.