Young Adult Engagement: Process, Peer Development and Product Farjad Agha & Rachel Cooper

Stella’s Place Partnering with young adults* to create community- based mental health care that is: Peer Driven Comprehensive Accessible * aged years

How Stella’s Place does Co-Design Engaging Young Adults (YAs) to participate and lead in the development, facilitation, and evaluation of programs, projects and initiatives Brainstorming and creative activities, leading to selecting, prioritizing and operationalizing ideas Creating and implementing plans that meet specific needs of Young Adults

Co-design at Stella’s Place Ensures our programs are relevant to Young Adults Enhances quality, producing innovative solutions Empowers young adult participants by valuing their input Gives community members a sense of ownership and accomplishment at project completion Catalyzes discussion among many voices with varying perspectives Prompts careful decision making Challenges traditional hierarchies

Values of Co-Design Safety Lived Experience is valuable Consistent consultation Relevant services are created by asking the “customer” what they want

We believe that Young Adults… Are the experts Need to be compensated for their time and expertise Know what they want

Key Elements of our Co-design Process YA Peer Facilitators plan, facilitate and evaluate meetings Informal/Formal Peer Support is available A comfort agreement (group guidelines document) is created for each working group to ensure comfort and safety Feedback is vital! Participants provide anonymous feedback which helps us to improve the process Working Group members are provided with food, TTC tokens and an honorarium for their time and expertise

Benefits of the Co-design Process Creation of relevant services Higher levels of engagement Greater self-esteem and greater self-confidence for participants Cultivation of community

Challenges of Co-design “Perfect is the enemy of good” - Voltaire

Challenges of Co-design Decision making processes need to be transparent, and clarified Having the end product reflect all input - Input will be considered but may not be used Time, resources and $$$

. Photo of Farjad

From Advisor to Facilitator From Mentee to Mentor Speaking Experience

What I’ve Gained Friends Connections and networking ability Public speaking experience Confidence – I can go after what I want Increase in commitment Being relied upon Ability to seek my own opportunities Knowledge of how organizations and systems work Learned about foundations of good workplaces

Co-design in Action: Stella’s Place Furniture Design (in partnership with Sheridan College) Goal: Creating furniture to make our café space welcoming, by “turning intake on its head”

From Process… to Product Space Open House (Fall, 2015): “How do you want this space to look/feel/function?” Drawing on Space Open House feedback, Sheridan College students collaborated with Stella’s Place YAs and staff Space Design Group provided ideas about types of furniture, functions

From Process… to Product Beanbag Chat Co-design team of 9 YAs who specify all areas of app design, from content to design to functionality Consultations with 81 YAs across the Toronto Area We are currently beta-testing with YAs for launch in early 2017

Tips on Co-Design to get you started… Start small – consider how people can be engaged meaningfully, and how their input can make meaningful change Consider resources necessary: Meaningful co-design requires time, money, people, passion and organizational buy-in Communicate the process transparently – what participants can expect, how decisions will be made, how feedback will be integrated

Tips on Co-Design to get you started, continued … Seek perspectives from diverse stakeholders – differences in perspectives and opinions are important Remunerate people for their expertise: provide honoraria, transportation support and food Provide multiple ways to engage, if possible (example: small groups, , survey monkey) Seek feedback to improve the process

Get in touch! Rachel Cooper Peer Initiatives