Through the Eyes of Our Youth Partners
Launched in 2018, the Youth Partner Program (YP), has grown to nine Youth Partners serving youth on all islands. YP's are young adults between 18-27 with lived experience in systems (foster care, mental health, juvenile justice) who are passionate about supporting young people and helping them navigate the systems. Recently, we asked youth partners to share their thoughts on the program. We hope you enjoy reading their insights and stories as much as we did.
Why is the YP Team Important?
“I started as a Youth Partner in August of 2020 and am now the Youth Partner Lead for our DOH-CAMHD Grant. The Youth Partner Program is so important to youth throughout the state of Hawaii experiencing many different systems because it allows young people with lived experience to learn professional skills and it shows the young people they are working with that there is hope. We like to think of ourselves as “Hope-Dealers”, because we want every young person we work with to feel empowered to live their dreams.” ~ Tiffany Darragh, a veteran YP who is based on O’ahu.
“The youth partner program is important because we reach youth from all walks of life and get to offer peer support to those who may not have supports or may not believe in themselves. We are able to build a relationship with them and encourage them to achieve their goals. Watching them make progress in their lives is a fulfilling journey for the youth and for us youth partners as well.” ~ Kacie Lambert, O’ahu
“I know that the YP Program is important because no one will understand the youth's perspective as best as those with similar/lived experience of what going through Foster Care or mental health services is like. It gives a sense of comfort and understanding to the youth who are going through unfamiliar services and constant change. The YP Program allows us to make use of our lived experiences by showing up for youth, advocating for youth, and supporting youth in their journey to independency.”
~Tianna Celis-Webster, Hawai'i Island.
“YP work is important because youth that are in care don't usually believe that there even are people who genuinely want to be there for them and make sure they reach whatever goals they wish to accomplish or to just talk about things they don't feel like they can go to anyone else about. Having lived experience most of the time makes youth feel as if they can trust us and open up more than with other adults on their care team. It also helps us be able to understand and be empathetic towards our young people because we have either walked in their shoes or similar shoes.” ~ Daysha-Lynn Morris, Kaua’i.
What Is Your Favorite YP Story?
“My favorite Youth Partner story is when my youth got her first job. She was nervous to go in for her interview, so we roleplayed the process and practiced breathing exercises together in the car. When she was ready, she asked me to go inside with her. I was able to help her with filling out the job application and be an encouraging support in between her interview. When she was offered a position, I was able to celebrate with her. To hear how happy and proud she was to get her first job also made me happy and appreciative to share the moment with her.” ~ , Tori Ikeda, O’ahu
“My favorite Youth Partner story is about a youth that our Youth Partner Lead (Tiffany) and I were both working with. This youth had shared with us something they were struggling with and we started to talk to them about setting boundaries as a way to help. We talked with the youth about their hesitations and anxieties around setting boundaries and did our best to help them to feel comfortable with setting boundaries through sharing our lived experiences with them. A couple weeks later, we heard from one of the youth’s other service providers that the youth had expressed their plan to set boundaries with someone in their life at an upcoming meeting. This is my favorite story because I loved seeing the youth feel empowered to speak up and advocate for themselves. I feel honored that I was even able to play a small role in this youth growing in this area of their life.” ~ Nadia Onishi, Maui
"I was working with this youth for a year and this youth was one of my first that I had ever worked with. She was really shy and did not have the best relationship with her mom or have much friends due to the pandemic and did not have the courage to speak up for herself. I asked her what she wanted to work on and her goals. She asked me to help her build up the courage to speak for herself, make new friends and to hold her accountable. We role play situations and how she would respond. With many practice, she ended up being able to communicate better with her teachers and others. She was able to make new friends, interact with many more people, and she was able to have a better communication with her mom. During her last YP services visit, she thanked me for helping her “build confidence in herself." Being able to help out youth is something I live for and enjoy.” ~ Aponi Boyer, Maui
What Inspired You To Become A Youth Partner?
“I was inspired to become a Youth Partner hearing about it from my co-workers on the hi hopes board. It Seemed like an amazing opportunity to work directly with youth. I know while I was in care, I definitely would have wanted to have a youth partner to teach me about resources and help me with my goals. ~ Kekoa, Hawai’i Island
"When I was aging out of foster care, I didn't know that I could go to college and I didn't even think about it. My case manager was helpful. Having someone who supported me with navigating resources and knowing that these were available to me, helped me to think about college more. I was able to graduate from UH Manoa with my Bachelor's degree and I have no student loans. H.Y.P.E. is important to me because I want to encourage others to go to college and share my experience in order to help others. Many young people going through systems don't have positive supports in their life, and I want to be that for them." ~ Deza-rae Desa, O’ahu