I feel things are quickly moving forward as this semester is getting into full swing while I’m also beginning a new job, and an exciting AHO Youth Leadership Team (YLT) project is underway.
At this week’s YLT meeting, we continued our discussion from last week’s meeting on how to best provide our support, resources, and services to youth transitioning out of the juvenile justice system. For many years, Jimmy Hayes (one of the OG’s of AHO) has been sharing his experience, as a former youth in the system with current incarcerated youth about his journey to sobriety and healing. For this YLT project, Jimmy offered to meet this week with his key contacts at juvenile hall and probation to share the YLT project in hopes of getting allies of support.
The Team agreed that building a relationship of trust, honesty and vulnerability must be at the forefront of this juvenile hall youth project. It is critical that the youth we are helping, know that each of us at AHO has lived experience with situations similar to what they are going through.
The project would provide a critical bridge for youth leaving juvenile hall to connect to AHO services. With AHO as a bridge, these teens will have the mentoring support to secure stable housing, jobs, medical, dental, and mental health care, in addition to other personalized support a youth might request. The plan is to go into juvenile hall once a month to begin building rapport and trust, so that when a youth is released, they feel comfortable to trust an AHO mentor to assist them in their transition back into the community.
I am eager to see this project move forward and take shape. And, I finally have an excuse to use those posters it took me an embarrassingly long time to put together. The Team will be meeting again next Wednesday to continue refining this project. I can’t wait to see what we will come up with next!
To hard work and new friends,
Kayla