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The Youth Outreach Union is a member operated internet resource of young adults
for young adults.
Based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the YOU offers technical assistance to young adult groups across the
country who are trying to start their own support network.
The members of the Youth Outreach Union span multiple communities, and all have two things in common:
-they all recognize the importance of youth voice and choice in the organizations and systems that support them. Click here to download our printable brochure!Youth and Family Training Institute's "Developing Youth-Professional Partnerships" Conference Survey to provide information about local youth leadership resources and opportunities.
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The Youth Outreach Union began, in 2001, as an advisory board for the Allegheny County Department of Human Services pilot program called "Partnerships for Youth in Transition, or PYT. When the advisory group had fulfilled it's responsibilities, Allegheny County DHS utilized community development funds to further the youth involvement in the System of Care in Allegheny County. The young people from the original advisory board formed a local grass roots effort, and in 2004,decided to call themselves the "Youth Outreach Union." In 2005, leaders of the local group decided that there was a need for young adults with similar issues to have support in their lives from people who could relate. Shortly thereafter, they expanded the Youth Outreach Union, and established the broader purpose of the group. With this in mind, the group offers their experience and expertise to others. The Youth Outreach Union strives to further the goals and mission of the original Allegheny county group on a broader scale, and for youth spanning many communities. | ||
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Get Help!The Youth Outreach Union offers support to young adults, whether or not they have a diagnosis of mental illness, or simply feel depressed every now and then. All a young adult needs to join is the DESIRE. Our Yahoo group is where the support happens. The Youth Outreach Union requests that members submit a very small amount of information in order to join the group and post questions. We ask each youth for their first name, gender, date of birth, zip code, and ethnicity. We use this information in order to apply for funding. Many grants are available to us if we can demonstrate that we are helping youth in a particular community. After joining, members can post questions to the group, ask for advice, or request that a moderator help them find resources in their community to help them with their concerns. The YOU also provides a list of national resources about mental health and young people |
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Get The Facts!Change doesn't happen in a vacuum. Not only does the Youth Outreach Union help young people to empower themselves, but we also provide assistance to mental health providers and communities about the special needs and concerns of young adults with mental health issues. This training is statistically supported and fact based training that is presented by young people who add a touch of their personal experiences to the hard data. In addition to providing training, the Youth Outreach Union provides young adults trained in conducting focus groups for various purposes. We operate under the idea that when it comes to planning, there should be:"Nothing about us, without us!"This means that young people should be asked what's important to them in every community. We're here to allow providers a chance to step out of the picture and allow those young people the chance to convey their opinions in a constructive and confidential environment. Providers and organizations are then given reports indicating the outcomes of questions they've asked. Part of our focus group facilitating is a comprehensive planning with the provider in which we will help to identify target population, and questions/areas to be explored. |
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Get Your Life Back!The Youth Outreach Union also provides training in"W ellness R ecovery A ction P lans," also known as WRAP. WRAP is a program for wellness that was designed by individuals with mental illness. YOU has modified it and tailored it for young people's needs. WRAP is built on 5 fundamental elements:
2. Personal Responsibility 3. Support 4. Education 5. Self-Advocacy |
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For more information about any of our services, call or e-mail us. |
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