What Helps, What Harms
What is What Helps, What Harms?
What Helps What Harms (WHWH) is Youth MOVE’s National Policy Initiative. Through a youth-driven forum and discussion process, WHWH captures the needs of young people in our chapter network and expresses the voice of youth across the country. Youth spoke up and we listened. The information contained in this report comes directly from Youth MOVE Chapter members and is used to guide Youth MOVE’s national partnerships, resources we create, and strategic policy actions moving forward.
WHWH provides concrete recommendations for positive change in youth-serving systems. Young people repeatedly identified approaches that were most helpful to them which appeared in every pillar of WHWH. In order to ensure maximum positive impact of recommendations that are implemented as a result of WHWH, changes must be guided by three themes & six pillars identified by youth nationwide.
- What Helps, What Harms Executive Summary
Originally released on Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day, May 8, 2014, this document outlines the history of What Helps, What Harms and the journey from local to national initiative. - What Helps, What Harms Policy
This document is Youth MOVE National’s policy guiding work.
The What Helps, What Harms national policy centers around three themes—Peer Support, Cultural Competency, and Youth Voice—as well as six pillars—Education, Community, Mental Health, Foster Care, Juvenile Justice, and Employment—identified by youth nationwide.
The Original Project
What Helps, What Harms is Youth MOVE National’s policy initiative. It’s been led by Project Director Jessica Grimm, of Bravehearts MOVE New York. Her work has engaged over 50 Youth MOVE chapters in holding forums in chapter communities, leading young adults through a series of questions. All youth are able to share what helps in achieving success and what is harmful in their life. The questions apply to all aspects of youth life, including services, culture, community, climate, and more. Through a rigorous compilation project, Youth MOVE National presents the comprehensive youth voice of the Youth MOVE Chapter Network. Youth MOVE National uses this document to guide policy work moving forward. The youth have spoken and we are listening.