HYPE Values & Principles

HYPE services assist young adults to explore, pursue, and achieve education and employment goals that will lead to a desired careers and financial self-sufficiency. HYPE services emphasize education goals that further career development.

HYPE services develop resiliency and skills of young adults to create and reinforce the identity and role of worker and student. HYPE works with family members and mental health providers to ensure consistent messages and supports are provided in order to prevent the creation of “disability identity.”

HYPE services assist young adults in selecting and pursuing vocational goals that are consistent with their personal preferences, values, and interests by providing factual information and detailed alternatives to allow them to weigh the long- and short-term costs, risks, and benefits of potential career pathways.

HYPE services accepts all young adults who express any level of interest in exploring or pursuing education and/or employment. Young people are not excluded on the basis of diagnoses, symptoms, substance use history, psychiatric hospitalizations, homelessness, level of disability, or legal system involvement.

HYPE practitioners work closely with services and supports utilized by the young adult. Given the various services young adults may be involved with (both within and outside of community mental health) concerted effort is dedicated to coordinate services.

HYPE services are based on the young adult’s values and choices and assist in continuous exploration of additional preferences and interests.

HYPE services assist young adults in understanding the impact of financial decisions on long-term self-sufficiency. HYPE services see application to SSA as a last resort and helps the young person to access other types of financial support. HYPE helps young adults develop an “exit plan” if receiving government benefits.

HYPE services work quickly to help the young adults enter into their desired setting. Practitioners do not delay pursuit or entrance into either employment or education, but works intentionally to overcome barriers to entrance as well as develop skills and resources while concurrently pursuing a young adult’s goal.

HYPE services identify and link young people to naturally occurring supports and services within their communities to support the entrance into and maintenance of employment and education.

HYPE practitioners systematically visit employers, who are selected based on the young adult’s preferences, to learn about their business needs and hiring preferences. The long- and short-term costs, risks, and benefits of disclosure are discussed prior to job development. HYPE does not disclose the mental health condition unless it is preferred by the young adult.

HYPE supports are individualized and continue for as long as the young adult wants and needs the support.

HYPE services connect young people to existing community supports to meet their educational and employment needs to enhance community integration. HYPE services do not duplicate existing supports on campus or in the young adults’ communities. HYPE provides additional supports in order for a young adult to access and/or benefit from the community service/support.

HYPE services focus on developing and refining skills so that young adults can master critical skills and use them when needed across different roles and environments.