Guest:  Alexis Kennedy

Topic:  Youth Peer Advocate services

Host:  Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York independent living (WNYIL). Our guest today is Alexis Kennedy, Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate at WNYIL, and your host is yours truly Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program Alexis.

Guest:  Hi, thank you.

Host:  And you're here because you're in charge of an exciting new program that the agency is just getting off the ground, called the Youth Peer Advocates Services. That's intriguing, could you tell us who this program is aimed at?

Guest:  So, the Youth Advocate Services can be used by youth who identify as having a disability and are in between the ages of 14 and 28.

Host:  What are some of the disabilities that you anticipate serving?

Guest:  So, this could be different disabilities like blindness, deafness as well as other developmental disabilities, or even mental health disabilities.

Host:  It sounds like you cover the gamut, much like WNYIL does. I presume that that's because the youths might find it especially challenging to transition from say public school into either higher education or other aspects of life?

Guest:  Right, youth with disabilities don't have to navigate the transition into adulthood on their own. Having a YPA or Youth Peer Advocate is helpful to help them bridge that gap from being a youth into becoming more independent on their own.

Host:  Are there particular services you'd like to mention about this?

Guest:  Yes, so we offer a variety of services, including one on one support, as well as peer support groups, a Youth Advisory Council that will be built up of youth who want to be in charge and help us create this program and guide this program, and there will also be an online youth peer community that we will have up and running soon.

Host:  And because this is part of WNYIL for youths that have particular needs of assistance like benefits, or certain other areas, you could probably work together with some of your associates at the agency.

Guest:  Yes, of course, I'm always able to bridge that gap and help refer out to other people within the agency if needed.

Host:  Is there a particular type of experience that it would be helpful for the youths to have when they come into this program?

Guest:  Youth might be struggling with different things going on in their life, they might be struggling with their transition, they might be struggling with accepting their diagnosis. Maybe they just need a little guidance from someone who understands where they might be coming from. A youth peer advocate has their own lived experience, and we use that to help support young people who have disabilities in their life goals and stuff like that.

Host:  And in case the youth is transitioning, not into higher education, but into vocational activities do you provide assistance with say resume writing, interview practice and such?

Guest:  Of course, this could be done in a one on one support setting, or this could be also done maybe we might have support groups that cover this topic as well.

Host:  Terrific. Something that isn't quite off the starting blocks yet but eventually will probably be a key part of your program is an online website specifically for youth with disabilities. What can you tell us about what that will be able to do?

Guest:  So, on this online youth peer community, you will be able to kind of use it as a Facebook-esque kind of site, and you can share things you might be going through, you can share your feelings and it's just kind of an online community full of peers who have disabilities and who know what you might be struggling with.

Host:  I imagine there's some aspects to the program that I haven't quite managed to cover in the questions that I've offered you. What have we skipped so far?

Guest:  I know I really want to stress that youth peer advocates know what you might be struggling with. Unlike some other providers, we have been through things similar that youth with disabilities have gone through.

Host:  How can people contact you to get more information on the program and or sign up?

Guest:  So for more information you can contact me, Alexis Kennedy, at my email which is akennedy@wnyil.org and then you could also give me a phone call at 716-836-0822 extension 161.

Host:  Thanks for being with us. Alexis.

Guest:  Thank you.

Host:  You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of WNYIL. Our guest today was Alexis Kennedy, Credentialed Youth Peer Advocate at WNYIL, and your host was yours truly, Ernie Churchwell.