The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA)- Youth Engagement Guidance

The purpose of this Guidance is to provide federal staff and contractors with strategies, tools, and tips for appropriately engaging youth in government-sponsored events and meetings in order to:
-Help ensure a positive, supportive, and meaningful experience for youth
-Support SAMHSA in gaining valuable input and perspectives from youth
-Demonstrate and role model best practices for engaging youth

Given these three primary objectives, this Guidance has been broken into different sections. Three broad goals are outlined in the first section, including strategies for each goal. The goals and strategies in this section are centered on informing an agency’s policies and practices to create an environment where supported youth engagement is a practice. The second section introduces tools and resources for government representatives to fully implement and model youth engagement. These tools were either developed or adapted by SAMHSA staff with the assistance of youth advocates from across the country. They were tailored specifically for use by government representatives who are interested in engaging youth. The third section provides important tips for government representatives to use for successful engagement of youth before, during, and after government-sponsored events.