Our Approach
Nine Guiding Principles
These nine guiding principles were created by a group of youth-serving organizations in the Twin Cities, Minnesota metro. Using these principles, we can best serve youth and young families experiencing homelessness.
Journey Oriented: We interact with youth to help them understand the interconnectedness of their past, present, and future as they decide where they want to go and how to get there.
Trauma-Informed: We recognize that most homeless youth have experienced trauma; we build our relationships, responses, and services on that knowledge.
Non-Judgmental: We interact with youth without labeling or judging them on the basis of their background, experiences, choices, or behaviors.
Harm Reduction: We contain the effects of risky behavior in the short term and seek to reduce its effects in the long term.
Trusting Youth-Adult Relationships: We build relationships by interacting with youth in an honest, dependable, authentic, caring, and supportive way.
Strengths-Based: We start with, and build upon, the skills, strengths, and positive characteristics of each youth.
Positive Youth Development: We provide opportunities for youth to build a sense of competency, usefulness, belonging, and power.
Holistic: We engage youth in a manner that recognizes that mental, physical, spiritual, and social health are interconnected and interrelated.
Collaboration: We establish a principles-based, youth-focused system of support that integrates practices, procedures, and services within and across agencies, systems, and policies.
The Wellness Wheel
The services and resources we offer to youth focus on the whole person and highlight nine different areas of wellness.
Spiritual: Explore values, sense of purpose, and meaning in life. Identify ways of expression, or enhance spiritual practices.
Living Standards: Explore current surroundings i.e. safety, housing, and community that impact stability and daily life. Consider what environmental changes can be made to support wellbeing.
Family: Consider a personal definition of family. Explore the roles and impacts of these relationships. Connect with resources that strengthen goals and hopes as a parent and the well-being of children.
Social Connectedness: Learn about building healthy relationships and support systems. Incorporate fun activities into life. Recognize how substance use, communication skills, and trust can impact relationships.
Financial: Assess current finances and the ability to meet basic needs and lifestyles. Learn financial skills and connect to services that promote financial stability, growth, and goals.
Health & Nutrition: Connect to a primary healthcare provider for ongoing and preventative care. Find ways to stay healthy and boost natural health potential through nutrition, sleep, and exercise.
Emotional Health: Bring awareness of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Learn ways of expression using self-care practices and healthy coping skills during life’s good and stressful experiences.
Intellectual: Engage in ways to expand personal and professional knowledge and skills. Be curious, try new things, and strengthen problem-solving and communication skills.
Employment Readiness: Explore interests, dreams, and possible career choices. Develop new work skills or find training opportunities to support current and long-term employment goals while establishing a work-life balance.