Professional Network Community for Training Youth Workers: Conceptual Framework and Prerequisites for the Creation

Currently, in the context of the transition to hybrid education, new network forms of communication and interaction of teachers, students as well as specialists are in demand in the framework of personnel training, research and professional activities. The article reveals the main aspects of the integrated network community for training professionals working with youth in the field of educational and youth social policy. Network community can be viewed as an important resource for the development of both the participants themselves and the specific professional sphere. The purpose of the article is to describe the conceptual framework of a professional network community for training personnel for working with youth in the context of social, educational and youth policy and identify the prerequisites for its creation.In the course of the work, we used such methods as structural and functional analysis, system synthesis, modeling and an online survey. The sample comprised university students, faculty members, and youth workers (n = 147) from six federal districts of Russia.The conceptual framework of the professional network community presented on the basis of systemic-synergetic and constructive methodological approaches enables 1) to formulate its idea as a collaboration for personnel training, scientific research, joint projects implementation and self-development of participants; 2) to identify systemic contradictions, the solution of which is directed by the interaction of community members; 3) to determine the axiological basis, purpose, objectives and stages of deployment; 4) to identify the degree of its relevance, the presence of common interests among all its participants on the basis of the results of empirical research that may be useful in the professional network communities design.

A Narrative Systematic Review of the Mental Toughness Programme Offered by the National Youth Development Agency

The rapid increase of poverty, crime, and unemployment in South Africa results in youth vulnerability. Youth not in employment, not in education, and not in training are most vulnerable to life setbacks, find it difficult dealing with criticism, rejection, and failure. Thus, youth workers responsible for the coordination of youth service programme need to design an autonomy-supportive programme that can prepare youth mentally before youth are placed in a youth development programme that seeks to enhance youth employability. The National Youth Development Agency in South Africa under the National Youth Service Programme has developed a mental toughness programme curriculum that NYS volunteers undergo before participating in youth skill development programme or community service programme for a minimum of five days. The aim of the study is to explore the impact of the Mental Toughness Programme on the positive development of youth through youth lived experience in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. This study made use of a qualitative research approach, non-probability sampling to sample eight youth who participated in the Mental Toughness Programme offered by the National Youth Development Agency. In this study, we recommend that the National Youth Development Agency knowledge and research division should conduct a longitudinal study that can evaluate the impact of the Mental Toughness Programme on positive youth development in South Africa. The National Youth Development Agency should revise the mental toughness programme curriculum in a way that the programme goes beyond five days and physical toughness should be cooperated in the curriculum to enhance social cohesion. Received: 27 July 2021 / Accepted: 6 October 2021 / Published: 3 January 2022

The magic of pedagogy and psychology: essays and interviews for the 20th anniversary of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology, Kostroma State University

The book of essays and interviews was published in September 2021; the unique 20-year experience of training pedagogues, psychologists-practitioners, children's movement organisers, specialists in upbringing, social work, as well as defectologists, tutors in the unique educational environment of the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology at Kostroma State University is revealed in it. The book tells about the history and traditions of the Institute, its legendary teachers and alumni; the areas of training implemented at the Institute of Pedagogy and Psychology as well as the main vectors of scientific research work and international cooperation are mentioned. The publication is recommended to youth workers, teachers at schools, higher and vocational educational institutions, to post- and undergraduates and, in fact, to a wide range of readers.

Learning to Improve Program Systems While Navigating Program and Institutional Constraints

Many youth worker professional development (PD) efforts tend to focus on individualized skill development, rather than learning as a contextualized phenomenon that impacts youth workers’ everyday experiences in the field. Youth worker learning is fundamentally embedded in a broader ecosystem of programs, institutions, and systems that influence how they make sense of and implement their learnings. Examining institutionalized experiences and how they shape youth workers’ response to PD requires attention to the larger ecology of the contexts in which they work. In this paper, I analyze a PD initiative facilitated by a school district in the Rocky Mountain West. Data collected during the PD show that participating youth workers made changes to their program systems. At the same time, participants reported a range of institutional constraints that did not cohere with the PD. I bridge sensemaking theory to research on youth worker self-efficacy to unpack youth workers’ reaction to and implementation of the PD, and I discuss implications for youth worker PD. I propose that PD efforts could more closely attend to youth workers’ institutional contexts.

Samenspel tussen jongerenwerk en specialistische jeugdzorg

Een deel van de jongeren die in het jongerenwerk partici- peert ontvangt specialistische jeugdzorg, vanuit bijvoorbeeld verslavingszorg, jeugdreclassering, jeugd-ggz of intensieve gezinsbehandeling. Hoewel profes- sioneel jongerenwerk voor een brede groep jongeren in kwetsbare situaties positief bijdraagt aan hun persoonlijke ontwikkeling en maatschappelijke participatie, is er weinig bekend over de betekenis van het jongerenwerk voor jongeren die specialistische jeugdzorg ontvangen. Voor dit verkennende onderzoek zijn interviews afgenomen met: 1) zeven jongeren (16+) die specialistische jeugdzorg ontvangen en in jongerenwerk participeren; 2) zeven jongerenwerkers en 3) zes jeugdhulpverleners werk- zaam in specialistische jeugdzorg. Een thematische analyse maakt inzichtelijk dat het jongerenwerk op vijf manieren van betekenis is voor jongeren in specialistische jeugdzorg. Jonge- renwerkers zijn ten eerste toegankelijke gesprekspartners die deze jongeren motiveren om problemen serieus te nemen en daarbij professionele hulp te accepteren. Het jongerenwerk biedt deze jongeren daarnaast een omgeving om 2) betekenisvolle relaties op te bouwen, 3) hun zelfbeeld en eigenwaarde te versterken, 4) hun maatschappelijke participatie te vergroten en 5) onder- steuning te vinden om hun zelfstandigheid te vergroten. De resultaten maken inzichtelijk dat het jongerenwerk ook voor deze specifieke groep jongeren groeikansen biedt voor hun persoonlijke ontwik- keling en maatschappelijke participatie. Daarnaast leert dit onderzoek dat participatie van deze doelgroep in het jongerenwerk een positieve invloed kan hebben op de jeugdhulpverleningsprocessen en -resultaten. Hiermee bieden de resultaten gemeenten en de jeugdzorg een beter begrip van hoe het jongerenwerk als preventieve voorziening van betekenis is voor jongeren in specialistische jeugdzorg en een bijdrage kan leveren om de druk op de jeugdzorg te verlichten. Engelstalige versie van de samenvatting A substantial share of all young people who participate in professional youth work settings receive specialised youth-care services, such as addiction care, mental healthcare or intensive family treatment. Nevertheless, little is known about the unique value of youth work settings for young people who are receiving specialised youth-care services. In this exploratory study, we investigated the unique value of youth work for young people in specialised youth-care programmes. Interviews were conducted with: 1) seven young people (16 years of age and older) who were receiving specialised youth-care services and participating in youth-work settings; 2) seven youth workers and 3) six professionals working in specialised youth-care services. Thematic analysis demonstrates that participation in youth-work settings is significant for this group in five ways. First, youth workers provide these young people with accessible dialogue partners who can motivate them to take problems seriously and accept professional help for their vulnerabilities. Youth workers also offer an environment within which to 2) build meaningful relationships; 3) strengthen self-concept and self-esteem; 4) enhance social participation and 5) receive support that helps to increase independence. These findings thus suggest that youth work offers growth opportunities for this specific group. They further indicate that participation in youth work settings can reduce the duration and intensity of the youth-care services provided. The results can help municipalities and youth-care professionals to enhance their understanding of the importance of professional youth work to young people who are receiving specialised youth-care services and how youth work can contribute to reducing high healthcare costs.

Methodical principles and prevention-focused outcomes in professional youth work: A longitudinal analysis

Previous research has suggested that professional youth work settings empower socially vulnerable youngsters, strengthening their personal development and social participation. It is expected that youth work can prevent personal and social problems of youngsters, which may have longer term positive social returns. How the underlying methodical way of acting of youth workers contributes to prevention-focused outcomes remains unclear. This article presents a four-wave longitudinal cohort study (16 months) that investigated longitudinal associations between 12 individual methodical principles that youth workers apply in interactions with youngsters and four prevention-focused outcomes: prosocial skills, self-mastery, social network and civic participation. The sample consisted of 1,597 Dutch youngsters with a mean age of 16.5 years (SD = 3.60). Findings: Linear mixed models analysis found that all individual methodical principles were longitudinally associated with one or more outcome. The strongest associations were observed with regard to prosocial skills and civic participation. Depending on the outcome measure, methodical principles seem to be more effective for boys, for youngsters who participate for 3 years or longer in youth work settings and for youngsters between 10 and 19 years old. With regard to the effect of methodical principles on improving self-mastery, 9 of the 12 principles appeared to play no positive role in increasing self-mastery of youngsters. Applications: This study provides youth workers with a better understanding of which methodical principles are positively associated with prevention-focused outcomes as well as reinforcing the evidence-based practice of professional youth work.

Tieto valinnanvapauden edellytyksenä

Asiakkaan valinnanvapauden lisääminen on osa suomalaisen sosiaali- ja terveyspalvelujärjestelmän uudistamista. Valinnanvapauden toteutumisen edellytyksenä on, että asiakkailla on tietoa valittavina olevista palveluista ja että he kykenevät käyttämään tietoa valintojen tekemiseen. Nuoret tuntevat kuntoutuspalvelut huonosti, vaikka heillä olisi tarvetta niille. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan Kelan vuosina 2015–2016 toteuttamaa nuorten kuntoutuspalveluiden viestintäkampanjaa (Mikä Kunto?), jonka tarkoituksena oli lisätä nuorten ja nuorten kanssa työskentelevien tietämystä Kelan järjestämistä kuntoutuspalveluista. Tulosten avulla pohditaan, millainen on tiedon merkitys valinnanvapauden edellytyksenä nuorten kuntoutuspalveluissa. Tutkimuksen aineisto kerättiin keväällä 2016 puhelinhaastatteluna ja internetkyselyin. Tutkimuksen informantteina ovat viestintäkampanjan kohderyhmänä olleet 16–30-vuotiaat nuoret (n = 584), kuntoutuksen palveluntuottajat (n = 19), etsivät nuorisotyöntekijät (n = 102) ja Kelan palveluneuvojat, jotka vastaavat kuntoutuksen palvelunumeroon (n = 49). Informanteilta kysyttiin, ovatko he huomanneet kampanjan ja onko kampanja vaikuttanut nuorten yhteydenottojen määrään ammattilaisiin kuntoutusasioissa. Lisäksi tarkasteltiin kampanjasivuston kävijämääriä. Enemmistö kuntoutuksen palveluntuottajista ja Kelan palveluneuvojista oli huomannut kampanjan. Sen sijaan puolet etsivistä nuorisotyöntekijöistä ja kolme prosenttia nuorista muisti kampanjan. Ammattilaisten mukaan nuoret olivat olleet vain vähän yhteydessä heihin kampanjan vaikutuksesta. Kampanjasivuston markkinointi näkyi sivuston kävijämäärissä. Viestintäkampanjan sijaan nuorten ohjautumista kuntoutuspalveluihin saattaisi olla parempi edistää tarjoamalla henkilökohtaista neuvontaa kuntoutuksesta mahdollisesti hyötyville nuorille. Jos tarjolla ei ole tukea palveluista saatavilla olevan tiedon hyödyntämiseen, nuoret saattavat jäädä palveluiden ulkopuolelle, jolloin palveluntuottajan valinnasta tulee toissijainen kysymys. AbstractInformation as a precondition for patient choice. How a marketing campaign succeeded to add knowledge on youth rehabilitation services?Authors:Anna-Marie Paavonen, M.Soc.Sci, Research assistant, Research at KelaJenna Mäkinen, M.Soc.Sci, Research assistant, Research at KelaAnna-Liisa Salminen, PhD, Docent, Head of Research Team, Research at Kela One precondition for patient choice in the public health care system is that comparative information on service providers is available. If patient choice is to improve the quality of health care patients should be able to use the available information appropriately. Finnish studies have shown that the youth is poorly informed about the vocational and mental health rehabilitation services. This study examines the effects of a marketing campaign (Mikä Kunto?) which aimed to raise youth awareness of rehabilitation services. The campaign was carried out by the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela) in 2015–2016. The results are utilized to discuss the role of information as a precondition for patient choice in the youth rehabilitation services. The data was collected using a telephone interview and online questionnaires. The informants were young people aged 16–30 years (n = 584), rehabilitation providers (n = 19), youth workers in outreach youth work (n = 102) and Kela employees responsible for the rehabilitation phone services (n = 49). Informants’ awareness of the campaign was measured and the number of contacts by the youth with the latter informants in matters of rehabilitation. The analysis is complemented with the information on the number of visitors to the campaign website. A majority of the rehabilitation providers and Kela employees had noticed the campaign. In contrast, three percent of the youth and half of the youth workers in outreach youth work had noted it. The campaign affected only little the number of contacts by youth in matters of rehabilitation. Marketing of the campaign was shown in the number of visitors to the campaign website.Instead of a marketing campaign it could be more efficient to increase rehabilitation take-up by providing personal counselling to the youth in detecting rehabilitation need and in case management. If support for the use of available information is not offered the youth may not get the services they need and the possibility to choose the service provider becomes an irrelevant question. Key words: patient choice, information, rehabilitation, youth services

Student Collaboration in Action: A Case Study Exploring the Role of Youth Work Pedagogy Transforming Interprofessional Education in Higher Education

The College of Health, Psychology, and Social Care at the University of Derby has transformed its Interprofessional Education (IPE) offer from a top-down standalone event into a five-year strategy designed and delivered in genuine collaboration with students. Across the higher education sector, IPE has been a struggle, tokenistic at best, with limited buy-in from students. When academic-led it prevents deep learning; however, by utilising an informal education approach students bring their life, programme, and practice learning together to genuinely break down barriers between professional disciplines. This paper will use an autoethnographic case study to explore the challenges and opportunities of genuine collaboration based on youth work principles in the creation of a ‘value-added curriculum’, not aligned to modules or assessments. It found that buy-in from academics and students comes when students are empowered to take the lead. This is based on youth work pedagogical principles of group work, relationships with shrinking professional distance, critical pedagogy, genuine agency, and an emotional connection made between the professionals and service users. It suggests the potential is considerable as youth workers bring their pedagogical practice to a broader range of spaces within and beyond higher education.

Development of a theoretical framework for examining youth worker perspectives on their relationships with adolescents and emerging adults in the United States

It is important to understand how youth workers perceive their work with clients to support them in facilitating positive outcomes (e.g., gainful employment, academic achievement) for those they serve. There is a paucity of peer-reviewed research that explores youth workers’ perspectives on their social service practices in the United States despite their integral role in supporting positive adolescent and emerging adult development. This article discusses a theoretical framework founded on anthropology and social work paradigms. Researchers can use this theoretical framework to examine youth worker perspectives on building relationships with adolescents and emerging adults in the United States.

The Circulation of Youth Policies and Adaptation of Youth Work Practices Organised by Young People at Local Level in France

This article is focused on two local participation initiatives in North America and Europe. The Youth Services Cooperatives, summer organizations created by teenagers in Quebec, have been adopted in France since 2013, with the support of local institutions responsible for organising youth policies in the Brittany region (France). The other initiative, youth dialogue exchanges organised by young people, was established in Italy, the United Kingdom, and France. This European scheme aimed to create new ways of thinking about cultural policies for young people at local level. Conceptually, this work is based on actor-network theory (Akrich, Callon, and Latour, 2006) and the transnationalisation of public policies (Hassenteufel, 2005) applied to youth policies (Loncle, 2011), with a view to understanding how organisations working across different countries adapt certain international initiatives between different local contexts. The research is based on fieldwork. Interviews were conducted with young people, youth workers, and decision makers in France and Quebec. In Italy and in the UK, informal discussions and interviews with decision makers were carried out, and observations were made during activities led by young people. The analysis demonstrates that the circulation of participation initiatives is strongly dependent on the original context, especially with regard to the organisation of youth policies. Some characteristics of the initiative, for example the model of community organisation, are difficult to transfer to a country where public policies are centred around public institutions. Because of the absence of international actors who would be able to facilitate links between the organizations involved in these projects, local youth workers have taken on the role of international mediators between the original project and the new initiative in the destination context. These experiences are of interest for understanding how young people can have a fundamental role in implementing new participation initiatives, and have an impact on the definition and implementation of youth policies.