My internship works with runaway youth, with the primary goal of family reunification. The shelter director, youth advocates, counselors, and volunteers play a critical part in meeting this goal.

Multiple times a day the youth advocate provides a space for the youth to check-in. Check-in provides a space for the youth to share their feelings. During check-in a youth advocate will ask each youth questions such as, on a scale from one to ten how are you feeling? Why are you feeling this way? Is there anything that we can do? What attitude are you going to have today? What are your goals for the day and week? I participated but the youth advocate did not participate. I question if this creates the assumption that the youth advocate is better than the youth. Perhaps the youth advocate not participating helps protect the youth advocates authority.

The highly structured program makes the organization successful. A struggle that the organization faces is how fast the population changes. New clients quickly change the atmosphere. Not only do the clients shift, but the volunteers, and youth advocates change too. A group of students from Cal State San Bernardino used to bring in weekly art lessons that the youth really enjoyed. The students stopped coming and the kids were left with no art. This presents a difficult situation because you want the youth to enjoy art and you want to welcome whatever time and talent the volunteers have but what happens when the volunteers go and the youth remain?

Limited staff train volunteers, who might be there short or long term. I recommend that volunteers are used in areas in which the volunteers are strong so the volunteers can be used more productively. In addition, the volunteer process might prevent students and community members from helping.

Poverty is never mentioned directly, but referred to indirectly. I listened to one conversation which the youth talked about their past experiences of stealing and using drugs. Some of the youth’s behavior reflects that of those who are living in poverty. Programs are offered to change some of the youth’s behavior, such as teaching coping strategies.

The organization is doing good considering that it was only established three years ago. The organization does a great job at treating the youth as an individual and providing them with the required services.