Raising Youth Voice: Empowering Young People through Strategic Communications

1. Raising Youth Voice: Empowering Young People through Strategic Communications Delia Ulima, Statewide Initiative Coordinator Hawai‘i Youth Opportunities Initiative/EPIC ‘Ohana Inc. Noy Worachit, Jim Casey Young Fellow Vice President, HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Board

2. Workshop Overview • Five Components of a Successful Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Four Core Principles of Strategic Communication for Youth Engagement Work • Communication Tools: Youth Advocacy Document and Legislative Advocacy • Marketing and Communication with the Youth Voice

3. Hawai‘i Youth Opportunities Initiative • The Hawai‘i Youth Opportunities Initiative helps youth leaving foster care become successful adults in their communities.  We work with youth and community partners to provide access to education, employment, financial capability, health care, housing, family relationships and social capital. • Started in 2010 as partner site of the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative in Hawai‘i • Private and public funding and partnerships

4. Foster Care in Hawai‘i • Department of Human Services/Child Welfare Services statewide in 4 counties • About 1,100 children in foster care annually • About half are Native Hawaiian • 200 young people in foster care between 14-18 • Average of 90-100 young people exit foster care every year at 18 or older

5. Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Youth leadership boards • Community partnership boards • Public and private partnerships • Opportunities for young people to engage • Ongoing meetings, trainings and support

6. Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Youth leadership boards: “Youth engagement is vital to the success of the HYOI. The youth leadership boards provide the youth voice by educating others on the needs of transitioning foster youth, collaborating with community partners and advocating for improved outcomes.” • HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Boards

7. Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Community partnership boards (“CP Hui”)

8. CP Hui Members (O‘ahu) • Michael Broderick, CEO, Y.M.C.A. • Lynne Kazama, Dept. of Human Services, Child Welfare Services Assistant Program Development Administrator, Independent Living Programs • Scott Fujii, Vice President, Bank of Hawai‘i • Signe Godfrey, President, Olsten Staffing Services • Kathy Matayoshi, Superintendent, Department of Education • Kayle Perez, Dept. of Human Services, Child Welfare Services Branch Administrator • Erika Lacro, Chancellor, Honolulu Community College • Oswald Stender, Trustee, Office of Hawaiian Affairs • Janice Takahashi, Chief Planner, Hawai‘i Housing Finance and Development Corporation • Honorable Bode A. Uale, District Court Family Judge • Noy Worachit, HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Board, Vice-President • Honorable Patrick K.S.L. Yim, Retired Judge First Circuit Court, Queen Lili‘uokalani Children’s Center Trustee, EPIC ‘Ohana Board Member • Gernani Yutob, Jr., HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Board, President

9. Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Public and private partnerships

10. Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Opportunities for young people to engage

11. Youth Engagement Infrastructure • Ongoing meetings, trainings and support

12. Core Principles of Strategic Communication for Youth Engagement Goal: Value and develop authentic youth voice and engagement to advocate for improved outcomes • Training: Strategic Sharing • Preparation • Support • Debrief

13. Strategic Sharing • What is the issue? • How does this relate to young people affected by foster care? • How does this relate to your experience? • How does data support this issue? • What is the recommendation/ask? • Who needs to hear this message?

14. Strategic Sharing

15. Strategic Sharing • Share safely • Sharing with a purpose • Practice the Principles: • Training • Preparation • Support • Debrief

16. Youth Advocacy Document • What is the purpose of a YAD? • Shares the youth voice • Outlines advocacy agenda and recommendations • Educates and inspires

17. Youth Advocacy Document • How do I use a YAD? • “Calling card” of the youth leadership board • Assist youth leadership boards in advocacy planning • Disseminate to key stakeholders • Share at trainings and presentations • Raise public awareness about needs, outcomes of transitioning foster youth

18. Youth Advocacy Document • How do I create a YAD? • Involve the young people • Check out existing YADS • Choose a format • Outcome areas • Yearly goals • Campaign focus • Select a design and layout

19. Legislative Advocacy • Preparation and training • Understanding the legislative process • Participating in legislative work • Strategic sharing • Presenting legislative testimony

20. Legislative Advocacy: Understanding the Legislative Process

21. Legislative Advocacy: Strategic Sharing

22. Legislative Advocacy: Presenting Testimony To: Senate Committee on Judiciary Thursday, March 21, 2013 2:00pm, Conference Room 325, State Capitol From: Tiffany Tuilata, HI H.O.P.E.S. Youth Leadership Board (Oahu) Hawaii Youth Opportunities Initiative Re: Testimony inSupport of SB 1340, Relating to Foster Care Good afternoon Chair Hee and members of the Senate Committee on Judiciary. My name is Tiffany Tuilata and I am a member of the HI H.O.P.E.S Youth Leadership Board of the Hawaii Youth Opportunities Initiative. I would like to submit testimony in support of Senate Bill 1340 and support the intent of the voluntary foster care act, which extends the option to remain in foster care up to age 21. I’m 24 and I aged out of foster care while on the run. I immediately found myself homeless with no support or knowledge on the resources available. When you find yourself sleeping in public restrooms or beaches, you begin to wish you had someone you could rely on or someone who could lend a helping hand. Just thinking of where my next meal would come from or when it would be safe to sleep in the park, it isn’t a feeling that any youth should endure. As recent as a year ago, I found myself homeless with two children. Nationally, statistics show that 24% of former foster youth will experience some form of homelessness due to the fact that they don’t have a place to stay after they age out of care and don’t have supportive adult relationships. Unfortunately, I was one of those statistics and I don’t wish any transitioning youth to experience the hardship of being without a home or a supportive adult. In closing, I would humbly ask this committee to pass Senate Bill 1340 and give foster youth the option to receive the continued support they need to be successful adults in our community. Thank you very much.

23. Legislative Advocacy 2) Communications and Outreach • Networking with legislators • Community partnerships • Presentations and trainings • Marketing and media outreach

24. Marketing and Communicationfor Improved Outcomes • Young people identify needs and priorities • Young people on the communications team • Young people as the ‘voice’ and ‘face’ of strategic communications efforts

25. Sibling Connections • Presentations to judges, social workers, resource caregivers and public • Creation of a brochure • Filmed ‘Sibling Connections’ video

26. Feedback after presentations • JUDGES: • What can you do to help maintain sibling connections? • Promise to ask questions at hearings and demand answers to ensure all efforts are made to keep siblings together. • I would address it as an important issue in court. • Talk with agencies and adoptive parents. • Make sure that at the beginning that siblings are placed together with family members. • I think it starts with awareness. I never realized how important it was for the children and how it made them feel. • I can be more active in inquiring and encouraging all parties to prioritize sibling visits. SOCIAL WORKERS: • What can you do to help maintain sibling connections? • Share the information presented with my staff. Push SW’s to arrange for siblings connections for all cares. • Be proactive and be a voice for foster child. • Keeps communication going between siblings! Encourage caregivers of non foster custody children to allow sibling visits with sibling(s) in foster care. • We will certainly take into consideration your recommendations to place in same homes, if not possible, same districts.

27. Social Capital • Presentations and trainings to judges, social workers, National CASA convention, resource caregivers, service providers, young people, stakeholders, CP Hui, IVAT Conference • Disseminated Jim Casey Initiative issue brief on Social Capital • Created Social Capital handout • Filmed ‘Social Capital’ video

28. Voluntary Foster Care to 21: Imua Kākou • Public will and policy: outreach to DHS Director, legislative efforts • Communications Efforts: • Identified VC to 21 as priority in Youth Advocacy Document • Creation of “Core Values” or “H.O.P.E.S.” • Presentations and trainings to judges, social workers, resource caregivers, service providers, young people, stakeholders, CP Hui • Chose name of program, “Imua Kakou” • Helped conceptualize/design marketing materials, website (imua21.org), working on social media • Wrote script/filmed “Imua Kakou PSA” • Participated in launch event • Participated in radio, newspaper, television interviews (local and national)

29. Next Campaign: Medicaid to 26 • YAD priority • Outreach to DHS/Med-Quest • Creation of handout • Presentations, video and website being planned

30. Questions and Answers • Contact Delia Ulima • Email: dulima@epicohana.org • Phone: 808-748-7052 • For more information: www.epicohana.net