Strengthen links with other community agencies

Community Development Model

“Effective and comprehensive crisis work in a community includes establishing clear working agreements and referral procedures with all involved agencies" (Hoff & Adamowski, 1998, p. 170).
Youthline believes it is essential for youth and family focused services to have strong community networks.  Youthline has an ongoing commitment to strengthen these links. We have been proactive in this development through our involvement as a leading force in developing the New Zealand Adolescent Association Network.  Our philosophy with networking is clearly articulated in our networking policy and procedures documentation.

Youth development services need to be targeted, ongoing, and part of a wider system of responses and interventions to support young people and their families.  In many of our programmes, we work in partnership with other groups.  Strong linkages of this kind embrace community development processes which promote the interests of youth.  Youthline has strong relationships with schools, and tertiary organizations’ who train social workers and counsellors to work with young people and their families.

Youthline seeks to be a leading youth organisation in the youth community and in the social services and health sectors.  We aim to provide quality services that reflect the youth development principles outlined above, utilising a youth centred, strengths based model backed up with quality evaluation and research initiatives.