Supporting TAY to Get Involved and Grow
This section is primarily for employers of youth, or people that work with TAY in the role of their mentors, supervisors, or supporters.
One of the most important aspects of supporting youth in gaining the speaking and leadership skills that they need is having someone that they can connect with and who they know will “back them up” at all times. Many TAY in the mental health field have not grown up with the support systems that others have. Therefore, having a mentor or adult in their life who encourages them to grow, and supports them in that journey, is a major contributor to their success.
Trust and communication:
One of the things that young people look for most is the ability to connect with someone and develop a relationship. Young people identify open and honest communication as one of the key aspects to this relationship. “Don't start by asking them a million questions” but instead tell them your story and why you are involved in mental health. Perhaps you both were in foster care, or both experiences homelessness at some point in your lives. Establish a personal connection, and let that youth know that you have similarities between you not just differences. This helps to create trust and a “two way stream” of communication. If there are other young people employed by your agency, be sure to create the time and space so that they can talk and bond with the new TAY. Remember, trust comes with time and the more you remind the young person that you are there to support them in their professional and personal development, the quicker that relationship will develop.
Opportunities:
Young people want experiences and opportunities to gain and improve their skills. TAY report employers and mentors as being supportive by encouraging them to take a Public Speaking Class at a community college, and allowing them the time to attend workshops, trainings, and conferences. You can also encourage the youth you work with to develop their public speaking and leadership experiences through volunteer work, signing up to give a speech at a program that works with young people who share their story, mentoring programs, or getting involved in other community organizations. Additionally, you can encourage them to get together with other young people and form a group in which they work on their public speaking skills together.
TAY also identified the importance of learning from exposure to other professionals and the opportunities to talk with others in the field. When possible, bring your young employees with you to meetings or conferences so that they can learn through seeing you work and speaking with older and experienced colleagues.
Confidence:
Because of stigma many TAY have become ashamed of their background and personal experience, and have to be re-taught that it is those experiences that now give them respect and credibility. Young people need to understand their personal experience has value and is powerful — they are the expert in their field. “Encourage the youth to own it” as that is what qualifies them to speak on the issue.
Meeting preparation:
Youth need to feel confident and supported when going into new situations. Encourage them to do the research on the issues beforehand so that they feel well versed on the topic. Additionally, be available to answer their questions, and connect them with others who will be at the meeting. This ensures that they know that other people will share their perspective and be able to validate them or “back them up” at the meeting. This helps them feel confident speaking on the topic, and they know who to divert questions to if they don't know the answer. When possible, send youth to meetings together so that they can support each other and feel more comfortable knowing that there is another young person who shares their perspective.
If you employ a young person and are sending them on behalf on your agency, it is imperative to explain to them what they are allowed and not allowed to speak on under confidentiality obligations. Teach them how to speak in generalities so that they can still make their point without violating legal contracts.
Telling their story:
Encourage youth to develop an elevator speech on their topic or organization and to learn to tell their story. An elevator speech is a 30 second speech that touches on the main topics or points, and is rehearsed beforehand. This gives youth the ability to have a ready made answer to questions about their organization or topic and allows them the opportunity to present themselves in a confident and well rehearsed way. Telling their story can be an important part of their participation, as it is often what qualifies them as experts on TAY. They should spend time on developing their narrative, deciding how much they want to share, and practicing telling their story. This will ensure that they feel comfortable sharing their past and secure in what they choose to say.
Saying “I don't know”:
Let TAY know that it is ok to say “I don't know” and that they don't have to have all of the answers all of the time. Explain to them the power in being able to admit that you do not know and that they can follow up with people once they have the answer.
Dealing with anxiety and nervousness:
Teach the young people you work with techniques for dealing with anxiety and nervousness such as deep breathing, rehearsing, and taking a quick walk. Explain to them that adults get nervous too, and that you have confidence in them. Remind them that they can do it, and that you would not be sending them if you thought that they were not prepared and ready.