What are the most effective ways to ensure privacy and confidentiality when working with minors?

The criteria to become a K-12 substitute teacher provides a good example of the requirements to work with minors. Young children and those with disabilities are the most vulnerable populations. The application process is just the beginning phase. Then, references are checked and applicants submit to fingerprinting by law enforcement agencies. If there is any activity, whether misdemeanor or felony, it will appear and be communicated on the results. This is the very minimum standard that should be upheld in order to work with minors.

In my experience checking, then double checking your laws that apply to minors within your state of operation is vital to protecting the young person's impact. as a human rights advocate it starts with "Respect". Respect for the individual no matter how young they are, I always put myself in that position, what would "I" as a parent want for my own child if we were in this situation privacy will always prevail.

Working with physicians can be rewarding but very stressful. The specialty can make a difference. If working in a busy trauma center's emergency room, once can expect life threatening situations. Physicians are not there to make friends but rather save lives. Sometimes they are judged because of how they present differently from one minute to the next. They are on the very front lines and require a clear head, competent assistant staff or co-leads, to provide the maximum care possible. Also, some physicians just need to have caring staff who can look beyond their focus-filled extremes and pat them on their backs once in a while.

One thing I found to be helpful is to be "Super Clear" when communicating with a parent or a youth. within this work, buried right under the surface is always a ton of trauma. trauma is based on that person's personal perspective, no matter how young they are. clarity is necessary in order to build trust and reliance that you are always in the best interest of that person's journey. respect is what should drive you in these actions. respect for that person is what guides you to make sure you being clear. it is not an ability but a responsibility and duty to be in the best interest of that person's well-being. clarity is a byproduct of the respect you have for them.

One time at work i was approached by a funder that offered to increase their financial support if our organization was willing to give them the personal information of our clients. this is a form of information betrayal, the data of the people you serve is vital to the ability you hold to service them, there is nothing more important than the protection of that information. collecting that data will allow the providing of services they need to survive easier, to betray that trust is to do more harm than the services you offer to assist them with. protection of the information is vital to building a base of trust and standards of the profession that your organization is offering.

Within my lifetime of experience working with justice-impacted young adults, thee most important tool in creating viable programs to benefit youth is the youth themselves. That is like me designing something to help you without considering you or your opinion in the factor of such creations. this I happen to see a lot in the positive youth development spaces, people will dictate what young people want or need and then find applicable laws to force them to participate. this is not how change happens. as a person of color, I can relate to a world telling you things instead of including you in your own assistance. we built our organization with our young people at the table not just inviting them. together with pour young people WE make CHANGE

Community is always the way to survive and grow. over the past decade or two I have been doing this work I have found that collaboration is the way to combat competition-based funding. when we started the Incarcerated Nation Network it was designed to keep organizations working together even though their funding is a competition that causes separation, backstabbing, and rivalry. collaborating will build a network or services that can go to support young people, it literally takes a village to raise a child meaning that we all must play a vital part in their success and development.