NCJ Number
212471
Journal
Youth Studies Australia Volume: 24 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 40-44
Date Published
December 2005
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article reviews the success of the Whitelion mentoring and employment program for young people, presenting three case studies detailing this individualized Australian program and the impact on participants.
Abstract
Whitelion is a Victorian-based non-government organization that assists at-risk young people, linking them with positive and supportive adult mentors and finding them jobs. An intervention such as this is viewed as leading young people to develop greater levels of connectedness with their community and enabling them to access opportunities that would otherwise be beyond their reach. These young people targeted by Whitelion are typically those who have become involved in the Australian juvenile justice system and having considerable experience in substance abuse. Whitelion is attempting to realistically address these critical issues that act as serious impediments to young people changing their at-risk behavior and gaining a new sense of self-worth. This article reviews a 2001 evaluative study on the impact of the Whitelion program on substance abuse revealing positive self-reported achievements. The article concludes with three case studies of detailed accounts of individualized programs and their impact on participants. The case studies show that if mentoring is integrated with other positive interventions aimed at employment, education, and community, and if participants’ well-being is enhanced by experiences of connectedness and belonging, then young people themselves may be more capable of taking control of their lives. References