Publications from ODSW Social Insights: Letters by DSW (Vol 1) | Page 88

Social Work with Young People

5. Treat mental illness or mental health concerns.
Where young people show that they may have mental health concerns,
facilitate access to assessment and evaluation. Treated early, these concerns
need not deter young people from achieving their goals. Differentiate
between situational mental health concerns which could be the result of
life experiences and pain, and chronic or persistent mental illness. It can be
challenging and time consuming, but we need to appropriately address and
facilitate treatment for the two different types of illness, i.e. situational or
persistent.
6. Invest in long term support.
While most young persons may be able to cope after completing a mandatory
program, some will require support for a longer period of time to achieve
stability. They should continue to receive support and help until they become
self-sufficient adults, independent of programs and services. This is not easy
to arrange but worth the gains for some young people, and this is more so for
those with a disability.
7. Support families.
Our approach cannot be exclusively young person-focused. It must include
their families and parents as they are the key to whether a young person
will achieve success. Furthermore, parents or significant adults deserve the
support. Parents and families struggling to cope with young persons should
have ready access to information, advice and practical help.
8. Invest in the people doing the work.
Work with young people involves more active engagement and participation
in activities. To sustain them in their work and to build their capability, it is
worth investing in the training and development of youth workers. They should
not be hired just to do a job. They should be able to discover their talent
and aptitude, and be supported to develop in these areas as a distinctive set
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