Expert Advocate Model

What is it?

The Expert Advocate Model is a team of emancipated foster youth trainers who train and speak as expert consultants.
These youth develop and implement a training program to inform organizations and groups that do not necessarily work
in the foster care field on the unique situation of current and former foster youth, and how to best cooperate with and
serve them. Like HEY, the EYAB would serve to strengthen systems through promoting awareness and improving cross-
sector communication.

Why Does HEY like this model? The Expert Advocate Model would be integrated within HEY’s
work to connect, convene, measure and sustain systems of support for current and former foster youth. HEY
understands that foster youth are experts on the foster youth experience, and strives to support the growth and
development of a genuine youth voice and youth driven program. This model also supports the main programmatic
areas of HEY’s work by promoting awareness across sectors. Therefore the work of EYAB will be integrated within HEY’s
work, but will be created and led by the youth themselves.

The youth
will develop the details of the training program, the
outreach strategy, outcome objectives and evaluations.
HEY will increase the capacity and experience of San
Francisco’s transitional aged youth advocates, as well as
increase community knowledge of the foster care population.

This model will not be severely affected by member loss throughout the year, as the project is developed by a team, but
can be carried out by individual trainers if necessary. This model is original, based on community input and successful
youth development strategies, and does not duplicate the efforts of any other foster youth advocacy organization.

Honoring Emancipated Youth • 221 Main Street, Suite 300 • San Francisco, CA 94105 • 415-808-4435 • www.heysf.org
 About HEYs Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board (EYAB)
2009 - 2010
HEY’s EYAB helps HEY share information with the community to build stronger youth and adult
advocates by educating the community about the experiences of current and former foster care
youth, through advocacy and trainings.

What do HEY Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board (EYAB) Members do?

 Serve for an 11-month term with a time commitment of 15 hours per week.
 Design training programs for the community about youth who have aged out of foster care.
 Represent and speak on behalf of the EYAB board at local and national conferences and events.
 Get extensive training in facilitating meetings, making decisions, action planning, and leadership.
 Learn about HEY’s current advocacy and research such as legislation, local and national
programs, city, state and federal funding that impact the lives of current and former foster
youth.

Who can apply?

 Bay Area former foster youth (18-24 years old) who:
o Are interested in helping other current and former foster care youth.
o Want to learn more about public speaking, working on a team and in an office, and
developing projects.
o Would enjoy working in the Financial District and throughout San Francisco.
o Enjoys working in groups, expressing opinions and having fun!

What’s the time commitment?

 11 months starting April 2009 and ending February 2010.
 Attendance at one, 4 hour weekly team meeting per week.
 15 hours per week (includes weekly team meeting).
 Attendance at the three day overnight California Coalition for Youth Conference in Sacramento
from Sunday, March 22, 2009 – Tuesday, March 24, 2009.

Do you get paid?

 Yes! You start at $11.50 per hour for 4 months, get a raise to $12.50 per hour for the next 4
months and then another raise to $13.50 per hour for the last 3 months. Raises will be given
during quarterly reviews and are dependent on maintaining an 80% attendance rate, attending
community meetings and conferences and completing assigned tasks.
 Bonuses (of up to $25) can be earned throughout the term based on project success and
completion.

You can download the application at http://www.heysf.org/youth_join.html

or

For more information about this opportunity,

call Leslie Brown at (415) 808-4497 or email lbrown@uwba.org

Honoring Emancipated Youth • 221 Main Street, Suite 300 • San Francisco, CA 94105 • 415-808-4435 • www.heysf.org
 How to Use HEY Materials from the CCY Taking Action 2009 Conference

Youth Leadership/ Advocacy/ Engagement/ Development: Answers, discussion,

and suggestions from HEY’s Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board (EYAB) team

We Want to Share Our Work!

As an intermediary, HEY supports best practice sharing and collaboration among organizations. HEY has
created the EYAB model as a replicable model and encourages any group to use our documents, theory
or research for their own youth teams. This CD and various print-outs are examples of some templates
and forms that we have developed. We welcome any organization to use our materials. Our request is
that those organizations who chose to use HEY’s models and research, include recognition of HEY’s
added value to their program’s development in their literature. All the documents on the CD are non-
editable PDFs. However, if you would like to have a version you can edit, we will email you a copy, but
please find some way to credit us for the assistance. Please email HEY’s Project Manager, Dana, at
dmandolesi@uwba.org for a version you can change for your use at your organization.

HEY’s Theory
When advocating for youth issues, it is essential to not only have the youth participating and present at
the table, but to ensure that they are educated, compensated, supported and equal partners in the
community collaborative process. The Transition Age Youth (TAY) movement holds as one of its core
tenants that youth should be included in any advocacy process. Using this theory HEY has improved
upon past EYAB structures and developed a model that is empowering, supportive, and continues to be
responsive to the needs of its members. The current EYAB model was based on review of past issues
and successes, expert testimony from youth and organizational partners, and youth development
research.

Please contact Dana Mandolesi, HEY Project Manager at 415-808-4284 or

dmandolesi@uwba.org for more information.

Honoring Emancipated Youth • 221 Main Street, Suite 300 • San Francisco, CA 94105 • 415-808-4435 • www.heysf.org
Being on an Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board is a big commitment, with a lot of rewards. You will work on a team
and individually to create and run your own program, attend youth conferences, and work with the adult and youth
community. Not only will being in EYAB provide you with professional skills, but it will be real work experience that you
can put on your resume.

What do HEY Emancipated Youth Advocacy Board (EYAB) Members do?

 Serve for an 11-month term with a time commitment of 15 hours per week
 Design training programs for the community about youth who have aged out of foster care
 Represent and speak on behalf of EYAB at local, state and national conferences and events

Who can apply?

 Bay Area current and former foster youth (18-24 years old) who:
o Are interested in helping other current and former foster care youth.
o Want to learn more about public speaking, working on a team and in an office, and developing
projects.
o Would enjoy working in the Financial District and throughout San Francisco.
o Enjoys working in groups, expressing opinions and having fun!
o
What’s the time commitment?

 11 months starting March 2009 and ending February 2010

 Attendance at one four hour weekly team meeting per week
 15 hours per week (includes weekly team meeting)

Do you get paid?

 Yes! The hourly wage starts at $11.50 per hour and members have the opportunity to receive two
performance based raises throughout the term.
 Plus bonuses can be earned throughout the term based on project success and completion.

Are there any additional benefits?

 Yes! Extensive training in facilitating meetings, making decisions, action planning, and leadership.
 Plus the opportunity to learn about how legislation and federal, state and local programs impact the lives
of current and former foster youth.

Application and selection process:

 Selection process includes application, statement of intent, 3 references and an interview

You can download the application at http://www.heysf.org/youth_join.html

or

For more information about this opportunity,

call Leslie Brown at (415) 808-4497 or email lbrown@uwba.org.