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Ultimate Youth Worker

What makes Ultimate Youth Workers unique?

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Ultimate Youth Worker

Ultimate Youth Worker, eh. What makes you an Ultimate Youth Worker then?

After seventeen years in the youth sector I have had the opportunity to see the good, the bad and the ugly that can be our cohort. I have seen youth workers who should never have been allowed to start work as they were downright dangerous. I have seen youth workers who have caused more damage to their young people. I have heard of youth workers abusing young people and I have seen them jailed.

However, I have also had the privilege to see some amazing youth workers. Youth worker’s who epitomise the best of the best. Ultimate Youth Worker’s! We get asked all the time what makes a great youth worker… here are our thoughts.

Ultimate Youth Workers…

Get EDUCATED

Ultimate Youth Worker’s are always looking to grow their knowledge and skills. Professional development is good and these youth workers do it, they just need more. While many position descriptions require only minimal qualifications, Ultimate Youth Workers know that the more qualified the youth worker the better outcomes for the young people. Imagine a world where youth workers were minimally qualified if they had masters degrees (it would look kind of like the world psychologists live in).

Are PASSIONATE

There is nothing more impressive than a youth worker who really loves what they do. They beam when their young people thrive. They talk about their work positively. They see only the best in their young people. They love the profession. They are just so passionate. Great youth work organisations hire passionate people, then train them up. You can always train people. You can’t make them passionate.

Get good SUPERVISION

The largest cause of burnout within our sector is that of psychological distress. Supervision provides a conduit for communication on specific issues relating to the causes of youth worker burnout. It asks us to be open and responsive to the issues while learning and developing our skills. Ultimate Youth Worker’s seek out supervision. If they don’t get it at work they find an external supervisor to support them.

Know their VALUES

Ultimate Youth Worker’s understand that the mountaintop experiences are rare. Youth work is hard work. You need to know what will tip you over the edge. You also need to know what will keep you going in those tough times. Your vales are what anchor you to your mission. If that mission is to support young people you need to be fully aware of your values and how they will bring you down and build you up. This is key to being an Ultimate Youth Worker.

Get our core values audit now…

Do their RESEARCH

Ultimate Youth Worker’s don’t just take your word for it. They never believe what they see in the media. They are curious, wonder filled people. They look at all the research out there. Journal articles, books, video, audio etc. and then they look to how to put this research into action. But, they do their research first.

GO THE EXTRA MILE

These youth worker’s are the top of the crop. The best of the bunch. By their very nature they do more. They read more. They network more. They do more to help their colleagues and clients. They just do more. This doesn’t necessarily mean they do more hours, They do more in the hours they have. For their clients, they bend over backwards. They help as much as is humanly possible.

CELEBRATE the successes

Mountain top experiences are few and far between in youth work. It is a hard slog! Every now and then a success does come our way. Ultimate Youth Worker’s celebrate these success like mad. We celebrate with the young people. We celebrate with our colleagues. We celebrate with pretty much anyone who would listen to us.

Plan their CAREER PATH

Whether you are just starting your career or you are years into it, it is important to realise that no one other than you is looking out for your career progression. Most youth work organisations do not do succession planning or if they do it is mainly focussed on the top job. Ultimate Youth Worker’s don’t leave their career to chance. It is a well planned process. They are in the jobs they are in because it is a clear choice… not because it was the only one they could find.

Listen to our podcast on how to get started planning your career…

Understand youth work THEORY

Ultimate Youth Worker’s know what to do and when to do it. They know why they have chosen to provide a certain response over the many others they could have. They know theory and how to implement it in practice. They read and critically reflect on how to best support young people through academic research and they ask lost of questions.

Use evidence-based PRACTICE

Ultimate Youth Worker’s fully grasp the nuance of working with young people in a complex environment through best practice research. Ultimate Youth Worker’s don’t just wing it. They use facts and figures and programs that have been tested. Evidence is the key here… show me it works.

Look after their SELF CARE

Ultimate Youth Worker’s know that the most important thing they can do for their client has nothing to do with their client at all. They plan to look after themselves. Self care is a requirement for great youth work. It builds longevity. It helps us to slow down and take care of the carer. As a good friend of ours says its putting the oxygen mask on before we help anyone else.

They act with EMPATHY

Ultimate Youth Worker’s walk a hundred miles in the shoes of every one of their young people. They put themselves into the situations their young people are facing and they FEEL what their young people feel. In feeling this they show genuine compassion and a sense of esprit de corps with with the young people we serve.

Recognise youth work as a PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP

Youth work is a professional relationship in a contested environment. As Howard Sercombe says, “It is a partnership within that space – a covenant… in which youth worker and young person work together to heal hurts, to repair damage, to grow into responsibility, and to promote new ways of being“. Ultimate Youth Worker’s recognise the relational aspect of the work as well as the professional boundaries that entails.

Seek to have personal EXCELLENCE

Ultimate Youth Worker’s want to be the best. Second best isn’t in their mindset. Personal excellence is the standard to which they they hold themselves. When there is something they can do better, you can bet they will be working on it. there motto: “Good, Better, Best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best“.

They have an answer to THE YOUTH WORK QUESTION

Ultimate Youth Worker’s answer the youth work question by saying they want to see young people supported by people who care and are well trained. they want to see young people reach their potential. They see a future world where young people are seen and dealt with justly. These youth worker put young people first in all their thinking.

They are LEADERS

When you are in a pinch it is an Ultimate Youth Worker who gives you the advice to help you get over the line. They may be a manager, team leader of senior youth worker… they might even be a fresh faced newbie. Ultimate Youth Worker’s are the ones others turn to for advice because they are the best. Other youth worker’s look to Ultimate Youth Worker’s and that is what makes them leaders.

They BUILD THE NEXT GENERATION of youth workers

Every organisation that employs youth workers should mentor them. Every professional association should develop the potential in every new youth worker that joins them. Most of all it should become part of our core responsibilities as youth workers to the stability of the sector. Ultimate Youth Workers seek out new youth workers to mentor. They give them opportunities to learn and grow and fail safely. They build the next generation of youth workers to be the best.

Their work is framed in SOCIAL JUSTICE

Ultimate Youth Workers realise that the world just is not fair… They see it every day. In their work they seek to bring justice to every situation. They look to restore people to dignity and provide honour due to them as people. They believe that justice is for everyone even those who have committed the most heinous of crimes. Social justice means that everyone must be treated justly, and Ultimate Youth Worker’s strive to do this every day.

They are POLITICAL activists

Youth work is political. We spend much of our time helping young people navigate the systems imposed on them by politicians. We advocate to politicians to change the systems which oppress the young people we work with. Ultimate Youth Worker’s take it to the next level. They know how to advocate and to who. They lead protests. They train young people to advocate for themselves. They have the numbers of their local politicians in their speed-dial and they are known by those who would pick up the phone.

They are AUDACIOUS

Ultimate Youth Worker’s take surprisingly bold moves. They are canny outlaws and world changers. They do not take the world at status quo, they seek to change it for the better. They take calculated risks to see grand outcomes for their young people. They never accept things the way they are. They dream of a better future.

These are just a few of the things we see from the best of the best, the Ultimate Youth Worker’s. How do you stack up?

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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What youth workers can’t live without?

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Youth Worker

This post started as a bit of tongue in cheek discussion with a good friend about what youth workers can’t live without that led to a facebook question (which became very real, very quickly) and ended with me writing this down. What do you think about this list? What are we missing?

Coffee (or Tea)

Many years ago I stated unequivocally that Ultimate Youth Workers drink coffee like it is our life blood. The avalanche of vitriol that came my way from our friends in the United Kingdom was phenomenal. So from then on I have begrudgingly allowed tea in the mix. To be sure I have often wondered how youth workers would get anything done before we have our first cup of love.

A good compendium

Youth workers are often seen as less professional than others when we arrive at meetings. We dress like young people, we usually have a cup of coffee in our hand and when we sit down at these meetings we have a crappy note pad and a ten cent biro in our hand. Well if that doesn’t scream professional, nothing will. Buy a good compendium, it holds a legal pad, there are good ones for $30 on amazon (and don’t forget a decent pen… spend at least $2).

Games supplies

I was reminded of a post by our good friend James Ballantyne at Learning from the Streets and some of the stuff that clutters up a youth workers car. In my own car I have two frisbees, a basketball, a tennis ball or three, a cricket bat, multiple decks of cards (including a 500 deck, Uno and Skip-Bo), a few empty water bottles, a ream of different coloured paper and every colour Sharpie you can imagine. With these tools I can create the most imaginative games under the most extreme circumstances.

A go bag

In military terms a go bag is a bag of goodies that will sustain you in a crisis. When I worked as a casual residential worker I would get a phone call an hour before they needed me. I still have a go bag in my car for just such an emergency. My bag is a basic duffle bag (similar to this) and has in it:

  • A full change of clothes
  • a few snacks, a couple of meals, a few sachets of coffee
  • A towel and a toiletry bag with all I need
  • A small first aid kit (With any medication I might need)

I also keep a sleeping bag and a pillow in my car so if I need to do a sleep over shift I am always ready to go.

Someone to download with

You need to be able to debrief in this job. If you don’t you are on a slippery slope to burnout. You need to have a mentor who you can go to and just ask any questions. You need a supervisor who can support you as a person, a practitioner and a professional. You need to have someone who understands the job, you and the pressures you are under.

Qualifications

When I started as a youth worker I had no qualifications. I didn’t know anything , I didn’t know any better and my bosses didn’t really give me any training to bring me up to speed. I had to work it out myself. That is the worst possible position for a new youth worker to be in. I made dozens of stupid mistakes that could have been avoided.

In 2005 I began a degree in youth work almost four years after I started as a youth worker. What I learnt over the next three years set me up to provide the best service possible to young people. Since that time I have gone on to do many more qualifications, I taught in TAFE and in Higher Ed and I have come to the conclusion that the best way for youth workers to learn how to do the job.

A network

One of my mantras for my students is build your network. I say it so often some of my students will joke that I have a network for everything. The simple fact is that youth workers get things done because of the people we know. Join LinkedIn (you can add me first). Every time you meet someone get their card and add them to your contacts. Join some groups on facebook.

A Self Care Plan

You must, YOU must, YOU MUST have a self care plan if you want to survive in youth work. It isn’t something that you can just wing. You must have a plan that covers the main areas of life and it must be written down. You need to review it ever three to six months to see how you are going.

We believe in this one so much we have dedicated a vast number of blogposts and our first podcast episode to having a self care plan.

A hobby outside Youth Work

Youth work can become our life. We love it. It’s rewarding. But it can also suck the life right out of you. In my career I have seen a bunch of youth workers run themselves so hot that they burnt out. If your life is only about one thing you are in trouble. Youth workers need to have a hobby outside of youth work. Something that has nothing to do with youth work in any way.

A good book

Youth workers are readers, at least we all should be. In our bags we should have with us a good book every day. When I was in direct practice on a daily basis I lost count of how many hours I lost sitting in waiting rooms with young people. After a good 30 to 45 minutes we would end up sitting staring at a wall or if we were really lucky a tv. Have a book with you. Read, Read, Read.

A good suit (or equivalent)

We do love a snug pair of jeans and a sweet hoodie as youth workers. It’s our uniform. However, there are times that our uniform doesn’t work for us or our young people. When I worked with the Office of the Child Safety Commissioner I spent much of my time with young people in residential care, resi workers and volunteers who would have thought a three piece suit was out of character. I would then end up in Meetings with senior public servants and managers from not for profit organisations where a suit was the uniform.

You will go to court for your young people, you will attend funerals and if you are really lucky you might get invited to a wedding. You need a suit.

Well that is the list. What do you think? What else should be added?

Leave a comment below.

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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Podcast 017: Practising Critical Reflection

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Critical Reflection
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Critical ReflectionIn this episode of the Ultimate Youth Worker Podcast ‘Practising Critical Reflection’ Aaron speaks with us about the importance of critical reflection and the model put forward by Jan Fook and Fiona Gardner.

This episode explains the three part process for practising critical reflection. This multi-disciplinary model is used across the human services sector world wide and is one that youth workers should be familiar with.

We hear every day that youth workers are feeling a sense of powerlessness, that they fear risk and the consequences of risk, and that they are faced by increased complexity. We want to be the best, but we feel overwhelmed by the job.

Critical reflection is spoken about extensively in youth work education courses however when youth workers enter the workforce we hear that there is no time for it, there are no structures in place to do it and there is minimal if any support from management to start running it. For a profession that quite literally deals with life and death critical reflection is a must for all youth workers.

You want to provide the best service to your young people, you want to have a long and successful career in youth work, you do not want to be burnt out by the job, then begin to implement this model into your practice. If you do, you will be leaps and bounds ahead of the average youth worker.

 Today’s resources

Thanks for Listening!

     To support the podcast, donate here!

To share your thoughts:

To help out the show:

  • Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
  • Subscribe on iTunes.
  • Buy a book

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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Podcast 016: Who is our Community Engagement Coordinator?

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Community Engagement Coordinator
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Community Engagement Coordinator

In this episode of the Ultimate Youth Worker Podcast Aaron speaks with Jessy Hall, Community Engagement Coordinator about his work with Ultimate Youth Worker focussing on building our community and a few awesome adventures coming his way.

Community Engagement Coordinator

Let me introduce you to Jessy Hall. Jessy is a young man born on Wurundjeri country in Melbourne, Victoria. Jessy holds a Diploma in Youth Work and a Certificate IV in Child, Youth and Family Intervention.

Jessy has been working as a youth worker since 2014 in a variety of different roles. His passion for youth work began whilst volunteering on a YMCA program for young indigenous leaders

Jessy is the Community Engagement Coordinator at Ultimate Youth Worker. Writing articles, joining the podcast, engaging with members of the Ultimate Youth Worker community and generally being an all round nice guy, Jessy is our go to staff member for turning our frowns upside down. If you want to know about the goings on in our community then our community engagement coordinator is the go to guy.

Community Engagement Coordinator

Jessy has just embarked on the journey of a lifetime, to drive around Australia in a four wheel drive with his partner. He plans to work along the way and explore the different opportunities available for youth workers in Australia. During his trip Jessy will add videos, pictures and podcast of the amazing youth workers he comes across. If you have a great project that you are involved with let us know and Jessy might be able to pop in for a visit.

Thanks for Listening!

     To support the podcast, donate here!

To share your thoughts:

To help out the show:

  • Leave an honest review on iTunes. Your ratings and reviews really help and I read each one.
  • Subscribe on iTunes.

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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Youth Work Degrees Australia

Youth Work Degrees Australia

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Youth Work Degrees Australia

Youth Work Degrees Australia

Youth-Work-Degree-Australia

The height of professional youth work in Australia is the humble degree program. Three years of your life where you get to learn all the ins and outs of the profession of youth work in Australia. There are currently six youth work degrees in Australia, each with their own distinctive points.

If you are considering studying a youth work degree in Australia then you need to weigh up the pros and cons. A helpful first step is our podcast “How do I become a youth worker“. Another point to make is that all youth work degrees in Australia a regulated by the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) which assures the quality of Australia’s higher education sector. All the courses have had to meet rigorous and exacting standards to be able to be endorsed including a review by industry experts and academics. So whichever course you choose, know that you are getting a comprehensive course which has been developed to meet the highest standards of education.

So here is a breakdown of the courses (in alphabetical order) which are available to you if you are after youth work degrees Australia:

Australian Catholic University

Australian Catholic University runs a Bachelor of Youth Work from their campus in Melbourne. This is what they say about the course:

Youth Work is an exciting and challenging career involving working for and with young people in a variety of fun and rewarding ways. The key thing that differentiates youth workers from other community service workers is that young people are their primary concern. Youth work acknowledges the social and cultural environments within which young people live and helps foster young people’s emotional and social development.

In addition to the core youth work units, students can choose between minors in counselling or sociology. You will receive valuable practical experience in working with young people, in addition to the theoretical insights and practical competencies needed for dealing with the needs, problems and aspirations of young people.

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Eastern College Australia

Eastern College Australia runs a Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Youth Work) from their campus in Wantirna in Melbourne’s Eastern Suburbs. This is what they say about the course:

Youth workers improve the life outcomes for young people. We encourage their personal and social development while helping them to become active citizens.

In our Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Youth Work), you will gain a strong foundation for working with young people. You will gain specialist knowledge to support young people experiencing difficulties from a trauma informed care perspective. To get you ready for a challenging and rewarding career you will spend 70 days on professional work placements.

Our degree is taught from a Christian worldview perspective, and is delivered by experts in the field of youth work. You will receive guidance from specialist youth workers and experienced sociologists, community development workers, social workers and other relevant areas. You will graduate with the knowledge, skills and experience to support young people as a reflective practitioner.

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Edith Cowan University

Edith Cowan University runs a Bachelor of Youth Work from their campus in Joondalup,  Western Australia. This is what they say about the course:

Provides a comprehensive program of study in the essentials of youth work as an embedded practice within community work. The course includes specialist units in youth work, plus complementary studies in community work.

Students can choose complementary areas of study such as Aboriginal and Intercultural Studies, Addiction Studies, Community Work, Criminology, Psychology, Counselling, Visual Arts, Media and Communication, Events Management, and Outdoor Adventure.

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Tabor

Tabor runs a Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Youth Work) from their campuses in Adelaide and Perth. This what is they say about the course:

Young people are actively involved in shaping our world. So, what will this world look like for all of us in the future? How will life be better for citizens of the next century? The Tabor Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Youth Work) is developed around a central, optimistic ideology – that young people enrich society. Such enrichment requires unity and collaboration. Human experience is fundamentally relational and Tabor believes that any society is made better by the presence of multiple voices.

The Tabor program is designed to promote the critical need for a collective voice in shaping our future world. Play at online casinos here. This belief, grounded in the social sciences and our own spiritual values, drives us to play a role in the ongoing struggle for justice and to help young people excel in an interconnected society.

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RMIT University

RMIT University runs a Bachelor of Youth Work and Youth Studies from their campus in Melbourne’s CBD. This is what they say about the course:

The Bachelor of Youth Work and Youth Studies explores complex issues affecting at-risk youth, such as homelessness, radicalisation, poverty and mental health. It encourages critical debate and investigation of youth in relation to space, digital landscapes, culture, religion, family and the law.

The role of a youth worker is diverse, with many challenging and rewarding career opportunities. This program aims to examine and foster the environments in which all young people can thrive and feel confident, connected and safe.

[button_1 text=”Find%20out%20more…” text_size=”28″ text_color=”#ffffff” text_font=”Lato;google” text_bold=”Y” text_letter_spacing=”0″ subtext_panel=”N” text_shadow_panel=”Y” text_shadow_vertical=”-1″ text_shadow_horizontal=”0″ text_shadow_color=”#000000″ text_shadow_blur=”0″ styling_width=”40″ styling_height=”20″ styling_border_color=”#000000″ styling_border_size=”1″ styling_border_radius=”6″ styling_border_opacity=”100″ styling_gradient=”Y” styling_gradient_start_color=”#0080ff” drop_shadow_panel=”Y” drop_shadow_vertical=”1″ drop_shadow_horizontal=”0″ drop_shadow_blur=”1″ drop_shadow_spread=”0″ drop_shadow_color=”#000000″ drop_shadow_opacity=”50″ inset_shadow_panel=”Y” inset_shadow_vertical=”0″ inset_shadow_horizontal=”0″ inset_shadow_blur=”0″ inset_shadow_spread=”1″ inset_shadow_color=”#ffffff” inset_shadow_opacity=”25″ align=”center” href=”https://www.rmit.edu.au/study-with-us/levels-of-study/undergraduate-study/bachelor-degrees/bachelor-of-youth-work-and-youth-studies-bp322″ new_window=”Y”/]

Victoria University

Victoria University runs a Bachelor of Youth Work from their campus in Melbourne’s Footscray Park Campus and recently in NSW. This is what they say about the course:

In our youth work degree, you’ll learn to help young people develop through activities that are enjoyable, challenging and educational.

You’ll graduate with:

  • a solid professional foundation for working with young people
  • specialist knowledge to support disadvantaged groups
  • clarity on the services available to teenagers and young adults
  • practical management skills
  • leadership skills.

[button_1 text=”Find%20out%20more…” text_size=”28″ text_color=”#ffffff” text_font=”Lato;google” text_bold=”Y” text_letter_spacing=”0″ subtext_panel=”N” text_shadow_panel=”Y” text_shadow_vertical=”-1″ text_shadow_horizontal=”0″ text_shadow_color=”#000000″ text_shadow_blur=”0″ styling_width=”40″ styling_height=”20″ styling_border_color=”#000000″ styling_border_size=”1″ styling_border_radius=”6″ styling_border_opacity=”100″ styling_gradient=”Y” styling_gradient_start_color=”#0080ff” drop_shadow_panel=”Y” drop_shadow_vertical=”1″ drop_shadow_horizontal=”0″ drop_shadow_blur=”1″ drop_shadow_spread=”0″ drop_shadow_color=”#000000″ drop_shadow_opacity=”50″ inset_shadow_panel=”Y” inset_shadow_vertical=”0″ inset_shadow_horizontal=”0″ inset_shadow_blur=”0″ inset_shadow_spread=”1″ inset_shadow_color=”#ffffff” inset_shadow_opacity=”25″ align=”center” href=”https://www.vu.edu.au/courses/bachelor-of-youth-work-abyw” new_window=”Y”/]

Youth-Work-Degree-AustraliaCan we suggest that if you are in youth work or are looking to be a youth worker and you want to be in the sector for more than a couple of years then you need to have a youth work degree in Australia. The knowledge, practice wisdom and experience you gain will hold you in great stead for many years. Whichever degree you choose know that you are going to be learning from the best in the sector.

Remember that each of these degrees have their own take on how to do youth work, but the core business of working with young people to encourage, empower and engage young people is the same.

Let us know who you choose to study with!

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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Podcast 012: Youth Drug and Alcohol

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Youth Drug and Alcohol
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Podcast #012: Youth Drug and Alcohol

In this episode of the Ultimate Youth Worker Podcast Aaron speaks with Dr. Kat Daley from RMIT University about her research into youth drug and alcohol abuse.

Youth Drug and Alcohol with Dr. Kat Daley

Dr Kat Daley is a Lecturer in the School of Global, Urban and Social Studies. She researches issues of marginalised youth including, substance abuse, self-injury, homelessness, gender and sexual abuse. Her book, ‘Youth and Substance Abuse’, was published in 2017. Kathryn teaches courses in social research and policy. Prior to academia, she worked in youth alcohol and other drug services. 

In todays episode Aaron and Kat speak about why young people tend towards use that is problematic and long term. They look at the particular patterns in young women with problematic drug use that arose from Kat’s research, the key issues surrounding problematic use in young men and how these two groups approach dealing with their substance use problems. It is through such great research that youth workers gain insight into our clients.

A special thanks to Kat for taking time out of her very busy schedule to be our first academic on the cast. A core part of our mission with the Ultimate Youth Worker Podcast is to make academic work more accessible to the masses. If you enjoy this cast don’t forget to leave a comment in the section below and share the link with your colleagues.

Today’s resources

Recruit great youth workers

7 tips for recruiting Ultimate Youth Workers

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Recruit great youth workersRecruit great youth workersRecruiting Ultimate Youth Workers…

Recruiting is one of the most important jobs a youth service manager will ever have. Managers are responsible for two major tasks: results and retention. You can never get great results if you have mediocre people and you will never retain people if they don’t believe in what you are doing. So the answer is simple… recruiting the right people in the first place solves 90% of your issues.

First things First

You do not need someone so badly that you have to hire bad candidates. The absolute worst thing you could do is hire the wrong person because you feel the need to fill a spot. This will inevitably hurt your team and your ability to get the results you so desperately need to show. We all have stories of when the wrong person had a role and they tore a team apart. There is no time ever that you need to have a full complement of staff over recruiting the right person. No matter what anyone says you can take your time to get the best.

Tip 1 – Write a great position description: A great position description isn’t a fluffy document. Many HR departments have templates that have so much information and window dressing that you actually have no idea what you want a person to do, or even worse… you want them to do everything. Be clear and concise. The position description should include the duties you want the candidate to fulfill, the behaviours you want them to exhibit and the knowledge the must hold to do the role to which they are applying. If you feel like you are adding more than this it is simply window dressing. If you have the opportunity to have input into writing the position description make sure it is imperative that you make it fit your role perfectly.

Tip 2 – Initial cut down: You should ask for a resume, a cover letter and a response to your key selection criteria. Start with the cover letter. You are looking for an opportunity to weed out all those who wont fit your role. Many recruiter will spend less than 10 seconds scanning the cover letter. But, what should you look for??? Well here are a few ideas:

  • Is the document well formatted? Are there paragraphs? How are they justified (left or fully is the only way to go). Is it more than three or four paragraphs in length? Is it grammatically correct?
  • Are the candidates contact details on the document?
  • Has the candidate let you know where they heard about the role?
  • Have they addressed it to you or just used a ‘to whom it may concern’?

If a person makes it through the first round move on to their resume. Are the candidates contact details on the document? Do they have the qualifications and experience to fulfill the role? Is the document well formatted? Have they told you what they did in their roles or just put what they should have done from previous position descriptions? If they make it through these checks then you move on to the key selection criteria.

The key selection criteria should address your criteria within the position description. Have they answered your points with a clear PAR story. In a PAR story, they will describe:

  • Problem that existed
  • Actions they took to address the problem
  • Results they achieved solving the problem

If they make it this far they are OK. But, OK is not enough to fill your position. Its time for you to proceed to the next step.

Tip 3 – Phone screen interview: If you have other staff members on your team this is a good opportunity to get them to show some leadership, if not you can do it yourself. A phone screen interview is a short 30 minute interview that starts with the question ‘tell me about yourself?’ and ends with a behavioural interview question. You don’t tell the candidate your decision here (provide a good no letter if they didn’t make it). This is the most cost-effective and timely way of eliminating candidates who don’t stack up.

Recruiting to interview

Tip 4 – Interview those who are left: A day of interviews and testing and it’s what we use at Ultimate Youth Worker when we hire staff. But if your organisation can’t afford a day of interviewing then here are a few ideas for you:

  • Behavioural interviewing is a must. You need to see how a person will react to situations which will happen regularly in the role they are applying for.
  • If you aren’t getting your young people to help it’s not worth interviewing. The young people add a different dynamic that shows a lot about how the candidate works with young people.
  • An hour is not enough. Even the worst people can put on a good show for an hour. Try an hour of panel interviews, testing such as DISC profiling or a big 5 and finish with a half hour interview with the team. If you do this as a minimum you will be leaps ahead of your competition.

Tip 5 – It’s always better to have a bench: If you have a job opening and you already have a person who will fit the role you save yourself a lot of effort at the start. Most Government funding requirements expect transparent recruiting into roles, however if you have a person who will fit your role there is no rule that says you can’t get them to apply. Students who have done placements with you, former staff that you would have back in a heartbeat and casuals who are looking to expand their careers are all great people to have on your bench. If a role comes up that you think would fit a bench warmer then get them to apply. 

Tip 6 – References are not as useful as people think: If a person has put down a referee it is highly unlikely that person will have anything negative to say about your candidate. It is important to make sure they have all the credentials and qualifications they say they do. The best use of reference check is to qualify all the information the candidate has provided to you.

Tip 7 – If they aren’t excited they aren’t the right person: We don’t mean they have to be extroverts (we love introverts) but they do need to show enthusiasm. Enthusiasm for the organisation, the mission and the role. If the candidate doesn’t have a smile on their face and a spring in their step they are most likely the wrong person for your role. You should take excitement for the role over just about every other metric you use in hiring. Everything else you can teach or have it taught to the person who gets the job. Passion is something which can’t be given.

If you use these seven tips we guarantee you will get great candidates. These tips work for 90% of candidates 90% of the time. The rest comes down to your hard work and tenacity. If you want to take your organisation to the next level then you need to have the best staff. Recruiting Ultimate Youth Workers means setting the bar high and never settling except for the best.

 Once you’ve got the right person, don’t forget to keep them!

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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The youth work question

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What is the youth work question?

Over the last decade I have been asked to speak with hundreds of people who want to be youth workers. Sometimes in seminars or training courses, other times I get to do it one on one. The first question I always ask is “Why do you want to be a youth worker?” In my experience there is no other question which separates those with happy fluffy bunny and rainbow unicorn feelings from those who will truly become the next generation of youth workers. It is the youth work question. Here are a few of the answers I get that cause me concern:

  • “I just really love kids”.
  • “I have had a lot of trouble in my own life”
  • “I have coached kids and I think I can do this easily”
  • “Those kids just need someone to guide them”
  • “I can keep them on the straight and narrow”
  • “I’m a parent of teens, so I understand young people”

The youth work questionWhenever I hear one of these answers my skin literally crawls. Often broken and hurt people who look for closure to their inadequacies drift towards youth work. People who cannot answer the youth work question. It is something that youth work trainers see every intake. People who haven’t dealt with their own demons before wanting to work with young people. The other side to the coin is people who think anyone can do youth work. Its not that hard. I coach a team two hours a week. I have a teenager who I see for a few hours a day. Surely its not that hard to do youth work.

These people show a few main things that lead myself and others to point them away. First, a lack of personal insight. Second, a short sighted view of working with young people. Finally, a focus on themselves not on the young people they want to serve. If you truly want to be a youth worker it is a path of walking along side young people. It is not a time for your own issues to haunt you. It is about providing the support young people need to reach their goals.

If your answer to the youth work question is that you want to see young people supported by people who care and are well trained. If you want to see young people reach their potential. See a world where young people are seen and dealt with justly. Then you might have what it takes to be a youth worker.

Here are a few links to articles on becoming a youth worker.

YACVIC

YACWA

Youth Work WA

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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There is no try in youth work

You cant try out youth work.

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Youth work

Let me be blunt about youth work. You can not try out youth work. Its not like playing a game of basketball and then giving up. Its not like trying to paint and deciding you are not able to do better than stick figures. Its not like cooking where if you stuff up you can throw it in the bin. If you give youth work a go it is literally life and death. Your words, your actions, even your body language can support or shred the young people you work with in a heartbeat.

We get a lot of emails from people saying they want to try and be a youth worker. I cringe every time I read this statement. Its so non-committal. Many of our friends in the sector have stories of people they have met who during the course of their conversations state that they would love to try being a youth worker. Most of these people think its all coffees and camps, rainbows and unicorns. If you really want to be a youth worker you need to know that it is hard work. It is serious work. It takes people who genuinely care and want to work with young people through good times and bad.

I couldn’t resist a Star Wars quote. As the great Jedi master says, “Do or do not, there is no try”. In youth work we can’t try. Trying lends itself to giving up when it doesn’t work. Trying lends itself to being half-assed. Trying is… well just not enough. Be a youth worker. Give yourself to it fully. Don’t dip your toe in, do a belly whacker. The only way our young people will trust us and open up is if they see us fully engaged in youth work. it is the core to ethical practice. As Howard Sercombe says it provides space for young people to disclose. Do youth work with everything you are and everything you have and the rewards will be endless.

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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Youth Homelessness is a big issue

Youth Homelessness Matters: Because we don’t realise its happening

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A thought on youth homelessness

Youth Homelessness is a big issue

Youth Homelessness Matters

A former Victorian Premier when asked why he was closing down youth refuges for homeless young people replied with some stupidity that there is no need for young people to be homeless, they can always go home. Unfortunately, young people can’t always go home. There is family violence, mental health and the justice system to contend with. There is drugs and disengagement and an education system that doesn’t understand. There are literally thousands of very real reasons a young person cannot go home. At the top of the list is that it is unsafe. Youth homelessness matters! So why don’t we know more about youth homelessness as a society? Why is the media and our government silent?

If you ask the average person on the street why a young person is homeless they will probably not be able to give you an answer. The sad fact is most people ignore the homeless and if they do give them any notice it is usually to let them know how it is their own fault they are in the situation. It is the rare person who seeks to find out about the person in front of them. To notice them.

As youth workers we are just as guilty as the rest of the population. Even those of us who work in homeless services can struggle to notice them and not just their problem. They yell #NoticeUs, and we fill out forms. They plead notice us, and we tell them we have no place for them to lay their head. They slink away into the darkness and we wonder why they missed their appointments. As youth workers we must hold ourselves to a higher standard. I have been guilty of this type of behaviour dozens of times. Seeing a young person down an alley, without a lunch at school, sleeping on a friends couch… and I did nothing. However, I have also stood in the gap for hundreds of others.

We need to shine a light on this issue. It will open Pandora’s Box!!! We will have to deal with all the reasons for homelessness. We will have to hold ourselves accountable for turning away from those in need. We will have to advocate to those in power to change the circumstances of some of our most vulnerable young people. We as youth workers must show that youth homelessness matters. Then our clients will say that we notice them.

 

Aaron Garth

Aaron Garth is the Executive Director of Ultimate Youth Worker. Aaron has worked as a youth worker in a number of settings including local church, street drug and alcohol outreach, family services, residential care, local government and youth homelessness since 2003. Aaron is a regular speaker at camps, retreats, & youth work training events and is a dedicated to seeing a more professional youth sector in Australia. Aaron is a graduate of RMIT University and an alumnus of their youth work program. He lives in Melbourne with his wife Jennifer & their daughters Hope, Zoe, Esther, Niamh and son Ezra.

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