People who work intensively with youth, whether as education professionals, social workers, faith-based organization leaders, or any other types of support workers, need to go through youth support worker training to know how to guide young people through the challenges of today.
However, many organizations advertise training that doesn’t adequately prepare support workers for the challenges they will face. Here are the competencies that support worker training should include.
Ethical Conduct and Setting Boundaries
When working with young people, it is very easy to become enmeshed. Due to the power difference, it is the job of the youth support worker to set strong boundaries and follow rules of conduct so that they do not harm the young people they are working with. A good training program should cover ethical guidelines for those working with young people.
Recognizing and Intervening in At-Risk Behaviors
A large component of the work is helping young people overcome mental health challenges and other problems, which often manifest in certain behaviors. Good youth support worker training will help you recognize problematic behaviors and intervene in a way that builds a helpful relationship and generates results.
Communication Skills
A good training program will also cover the skills that you need to succeed in the job, such as clear communication skills, intercultural competencies, and more. The training should also cover skills you will need to improve your progression in the field, such as self-care, boundary-setting, and more.
These are just some of the competencies that a youth support worker training should cover.
