Youth Outreach (Chinese: 協青社) is a non-profit organization in Hong Kong established in November 1991 as a crisis intervention center for youth.(2005)Youth Outreach 2002-2005 Year Book. Youth Outreach Official Website In the years since its establishment, the organization has been devoting its services to help youth in critical condition or those who face major crisis in their life.Youth Outreach Official Website, Mission. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/index/?q=mission Retrieved on 28 March 2010 The Chinese name of Youth Outreach is special where the second character "青", meaning green or youth, symbolizes youthfulness and liveliness, and its character position between "協", meaning aid, and "社", meaning society, creates the picture of youth being supported and cared for.Youth Outreach Official Website, Logo. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/index/?q=logo/ Retrieved on 28 March 2010
Background of the organization Youth Outreach was formed in 1991 due to the proposal of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to work for youth life crisis prevention and youth healthy development. It provides professional counselling services to the youth as well, who are incapable of handling life crisis incidents on their own.Youth Outreach Official Website, Mission. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/index/?q=mission
History In 1991, the minute center of Youth Outreach situated in the quarters of Mong Kok was intended to become a one-stop crisis prevention service center under the initiative by Professor Peter Newbery.
In 1992, services were expanded to include a Women's Center in Wan Chai, and a Men's Center in the neighboring district.
In 1993, after the establishment of the "Outreaching Team (Program)”, Youth Outreach was able to extend its service scope to directly find and provide assistance to needy adolescents.
In 1997, the "Men’s Center" was expanded to include independent living dorms in order to accommodate and help find work opportunities to the growing number of older adolescent members in the organization.
In 2002, a new service of Youth Outreach, the "Hang Out" was opened.
In 2004, a new complex building was built in Sai Wan Ho. The complex now serves as the headquarters of Youth Outreach.Youth Outreach Official Website, Introduction. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/index/?q=intro/ Retrieved on 28 March 2010
Organization structure (2009)
Patrons Executive director Deputy executive director Assistant executive directors Lavender Patten Mr W. Y. Wan JP Mr T.H. Chan Ms W. Z. Liu (General Administration & Headquarters) Ms Betty Tung Ms X. K. Yip (Outreaching service) Mr Y. S. Shum (Crisis Prevention Center)
The organization consists of assistant teams responsible for administration, outreaching, crisis prevention and adolescent development. Under the administration umbrella are public relations, I.T services and headquarter departments. Hangout bar, outreaching teams and customer service fall under the branch of Outreaching. Crisis prevention consists of male & female centers, male transitional housing, and psychological counseling. City Challenge and School of Hip-hop go under the branch of adolescent development.Youth Outreach. Organization structure. Youth Outreach, 2010.
Service Units
The Hang Out
The Hang OutHang Out Official Website http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/hangout/index.htm occupies most of the floors of the Youth Outreach headquarters. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week to young people aged 6 to 24. In addition to providing young people with a place to chill out safely, the Hang Out organizes regular activities for its members with social workers present to provide appropriate help when needed. Its facilities range from band rooms to barbecue courts.Youth Outreach 2002-2005 Year Book. pp.65.
Street Rover Youth Outreach established an all-night outreaching supporting team which is an external branch of the Hang Out in 1992. Everyday from 10pm until 6am the next day, the team of social workers drive along streets in this 5.5 ton multi-facility 'teen' friendly lorry searching and offering assistance to suspected street wandering youth. A wide range of entertainment equipment is carried on board the rover, providing youth with a safe leisure environment.Street Rover Official Website, Aim. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/car/aim.htm/ Retrieved on 28 March 2010.Street Rover Official Website, Goal. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/car/goal.htm/ Retrieved on 28 March 2010.
Crisis Prevention Centers The center is a free, 24-hour temporary family styled residential center offered by the organization to house youth between the ages of 8 and 18 who have left their homes. In the centers, homeless youths are trained with skills of independence and self-sufficiency. There are 20 beds for boys and 20 beds for girls. Residential application is based on the individuals' situation as well as direct referrals from teachers, churches and other non-profit organizations.Youth Outreach Official Website, Crisis Prevention Center, Male Center Service Introduction. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/c_center.htm/ Retrieved 28 March 2010. Social workers under the organization are responsible for helping to solve conflicts between teenagers and their parents. The centre allows teenagers to stay at most up to two months, then they are either sent to long-term residential or to other relatives. Both of the male and female centers provide youths staying full recreational services and daily provisions. Once they leave, the organization conducts follow up work that lasts for three to six-month, aiming to assess the adjustment of the youth.Youth Outreach 2002-2005 Year Book. pp.31.
Special services in the female centers cover the physical, intellectual and psychological training for young women. The teenagers have access to academic tutoring, group counseling, family therapy.Youth Outreach Official Website, Crisis Prevention Center, Female Center Service Introduction. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/c_center.htm/ Retrieved 28 March 2010.
Transitional Housing Project This project is similar to Crisis Prevention Centers. Its purpose is to help older teenagers of age 16-20 who are employed but reluctant to return home due to dysfunctions in parent-child relationships, rebelliousness or other personal and familial conflicts. Under a three-month contract, youth are giving temporary housing, whilst helped to establish self-reliance and a stronger sense of self-identity and what their purpose of life is.
Independence Hall (Boys) Independence Hall (Boys) provides transitional housing services to male adolescences aged 15 to 21 years old. The occupants go out for work or study in daytime, and stay in the hall at night. The aim of the Hall is to help teenagers developing a healthy lifestyle to prepare them to stand on their own feet in the future. Each hall operates under a "OIC" duty system in which social workers or staff live together with the teenagers to help them to tackle daily living problems. For more proper care, each teenager is paired with a social worker with the aim of providing individual care and assistance when needed. The hall has a capacity of holding 40 teenagers in total.
A wide range of services are provided in the hall which include occupation and school referral, homework tutoring, individual/family counseling and psychological healing activities.Youth Outreach 2002-2005 Year Book. pp. 51.
Independence Hall (Girls) It provides girls aged 15–25 with similar services as Independence Hall (Boys).Youth Outreach 2002-2005 Year Book. pp. 54.
School of Hip Hop The School was established in October 2004 under the principle of using Hip Hop culture, especially Hip Hop dance, as an intervention method to serve young people. The School teaches young people the 4 elements in Hip Hop, including Street Dance, Disc Jockeying, Microphone Controller and Graffiti Writing(Oriental Daily News, 2010).(2010, 13 March). 'Legal' Graffiti. Oriental Daily News. Retrieved from http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/090726/4/dduy.html. It emphasizes a Hip Hop spirit of mutual respect, creativity, and positive attitude in learning.School of Hip Hop Official Website: School of Hip Hop Official Website, Main. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/hiphop/index.htm/ Retrieved on 28 March 2010.
The School's objectives are:(2005)pp. 77, Youth Outreach 2002-2005 Year Book. Youth Outreach Official Website
To raise youngsters' motivation to study or work, resume their studies or take up employment; To build up the self-confidence and the self-image of youngsters; To develop youngsters' potential; To provide youngsters with training in the knowledge and skills off the creative and cultural industries.
In the attempt to broaden the sphere of services, the Schools also provides services to Youth Outreach Women's Homes, anti-drug rehabilitation houses and children with special needs. Often, the School holds performances to the public, including dance, band (music), Graffiti and skating in shopping malls or other public areas.School of Hip Hop Official Website, Activities. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/hiphop/index2.htm/ Retrieved on 28 March 2010.
Hong Kong Institute of Youth Studies The institute was established in July 2003, subsidized under the Organization. The institute offers a formal training program with lectures and supervised fieldwork, to students of social work or related disciplines at the undergraduate and graduate level as well as teachers and other workers who are involved in working with young people from the Hong Kong, China, Macau and Taiwan areas. They are trained to serve the marginal adolescents.
During the training program, trainees will live at Youth Outreach (with the accommodation provided by Youth Outreach Training Unit), and have fieldwork under the supervision of qualified social workers and clinical psychologists, attending lectures including theory and practice. Each trainee is assigned to a Mentor who assists the trainee with the practical problems of day to day living in Hong Kong.
The research interest of the institute lies in adolescence related issues. Research reports such as 'Report on Popular Teen Hang-out Spots' and 'Youth Internet Social Life Survey'' have been released.
I.T. Development Workshop
The I.T. Development Workshop includes courses designed to enhance teenager's computer knowledge and skills and provide practical training and working environment for the teenagers to start their career in the IT field.Youth Outreach IT Workshop Homepage. http://www.youthoutreach.org.hk/it/
Its two main services include:
Webpage Design: Web design training for teenagers to build up their own webpage and subsequently held Small and medium enterprises (SME), as well as Small office/home office (SOHO) to start their business on the internet.
Computer Troubleshoots: Training teenagers on the repairing and inspection of computer systems.
Youth Employment Start-up Program (Y.E.S.) The program aims at providing a stable working platform for marginalized youths aged 15 to 24 who neither have skills of any kind, nor acquiring qualifications that help them to hunt for a decent job . Assigning them to the organization's designated workplace, the program helps equip them with basic skills and help them to regain their interest and spirit for work as a stable job can also prevent the marginalized youths from straying on streets all night. Y.E.S. also trains their interpersonal skills in business environment. If progress is seen in their work performance, Youth Outreach would assist them in getting a permanent placement so that they can stand on their own.
The work training platform of Y.E.S. includes:2009. Youth Outreach Services Brochure, Youth Employment Start-up Program
7-Eleven (Kwun Tong & Sai Wan Ho Store): Training in retail industry Hair Salon: Hair styling training School of Design: Training in marketing and clerical work, or the retail industry