Sevices for Youth

Our Youth Employment Services (YES) program serves clients ages 16-24. The goal of our youth program is to help young people find positive work environments that promote independence, growth, and self-esteem. Our YES program receives referrals from mental health providers, as well as schools, substance abuse programs, homeless shelters, the foster care system, and the criminal justice system.

One factor contributing to our success with at-risk youth is that our agency provides a continuum of services that follow a young person through their transition into adulthood. Many school-based programs are available, but once students graduate or drop out, these services are lost, and often these youth fall through the cracks. CVE is a stable resource that maintains a high degree of involvement throughout these changes. CVE looks at the whole picture and help our youth work toward not only successful employment, but also successful lives.

CVE youth clients participate in all aspects of the program, including goal setting, vocational skills development, transitional employment in the clerical, café, and janitorial fields, volunteer work, occupational therapy, and community employment. CVE also provides the support of a staff member who follows the progress of each client, beginning with the orientation, and continuing throughout their journey as a client of CVE. This staff member collaborates with social workers, therapists, teachers, family members, and other members of the client’s support network, to ensure that each young person is moving forward toward his or her vocational goals. CVE staff view each youth client as a talented and capable individual, and work hard to bring the young person’s interests and talents to the forefront of their vocational planning process.

Steps to becoming a CVE youth client:

Verify Eligibility
The first step is to call the CVE office at 415.544.0424 and ask for the YES program. In order to verify eligibility, the client will be asked some initial questions to confirm that you are in the CBHS system. Clients will then be scheduled for an orientation.

Attend an Orientation
These are regularly scheduled and last about one hour. Clients will learn more about CVE’s services, and have an opportunity to ask questions. At the orientation, clients will be given a Vocational Referral Form. If the client decides that CVE is good match, he/she will take the Vocational Referral Form to his/her mental health service provider to be completed and returned to CVE.

Intake
Once CVE has received the Vocational Referral Form, we will contact the client to schedule an Intake Interview. During the Intake Interview, the CVE Youth Counselor will discuss the client’s work interests and, help the client design a Vocational Plan to best suit his/her needs. If a client isn’t sure about what he/she wants to do, available options can be discussed with the counselor.

Follow-up
From there, you will attend a Follow-up meeting to meet the supervisor or counselor of the program or business you are pursuing. You and the Youth Counselor will review your vocational plan and agree on your next steps at CVE.

If you have any questions, please contact the Youth Program Coordinator, Rebecca Locken at 415.544.0424, ext139 or you can e-mail her here.