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Program Philosophy <br /> From the moment youth walk into Open Doors for Youth, our interaction with them will be guided by the <br /> following philosophy and principles. <br /> Nine evidence-based, guiding principles <br /> to help youth overcome homelessness <br /> The principles begin with the perspective that youth are on a journey; all of our interactions with youth are <br /> filtered through that journey perspective. This means we must be trauma-informed, non judgmental and <br /> work to reduce harm. By holding these principles, we can build a trusting relationship that allows us to <br /> focus on youths'strengths and opportunities for positive development. Through all of this, we approach <br /> youth as whole beings through o youth focused collaborative system of support. <br /> Journey Oriented: Interact with youth to help them understand the interconnectedness of past, present, <br /> and future as they decide where they want to go and how to get there. <br /> Trauma-Informed: Recognize that most homeless youth have experienced trauma; build relationships, <br /> responses, and services on that knowledge. <br /> Non-Judgmental: Interact with youth without labeling or judging them on the basis of background, <br /> experiences, choices, or behaviors. <br /> Harm Reduction: Contain the effects of risky behavior in the short-term and seek to reduce its effects in <br /> the long-term. <br /> Trusting Youth-Adult Relationships: Build relationships by interacting with youth in an honest, <br /> dependable, authentic, caring and supportive way. <br /> Strengths-Based: Start with and build upon the skills, strengths, and positive characteristics of each youth. <br /> Positive Youth Development: Provide opportunities for youth to build a sense of competency, usefulness, <br /> belonging, and power. <br /> Holistic: Engage youth in a manner that recognizes that mental, physical, spiritual, and social health are <br /> interconnected and interrelated. <br /> Collaboration: Establish a principles-based, youth-focused system of support that integrates practices, <br /> procedures, and services within and across agencies, systems, and policies. <br /> From:Nine evidence-based, guiding principles to help youth overcome homelessness. Prepared by Nara F. Murphy, <br /> PhD and the Homeless Youth Collaborative on Developmental Evaluation,Supported by the Otto Bremer Foundation <br />