| Involuntary youth; i.e., "clients" mandated to receive services, present a special challenge to service providers. The challenge is to secure these youths' engagement and active participation in services. Co-production is a framework and set of empowerment practices that offer the potential to meet this challenge. In principle, co-production interventions enable staff and clients to collaborate on projects that enhance organizational capacities and improve communities (Cahn, 2004). Proponents seek to enlist participation and foster engagement through opportunities for youth to become "resources", "contributors" and "change agents". With co-production, voluntary or semi-voluntary interventions are incorporated in compliance-oriented programs.;This study developed a theory-based framework for co-production interventions. The literatures on empowerment, collaboration, youth development, and services to involuntary clients were used to develop this framework. Then a descriptive, exploratory case study using multiple qualitative data methods was implemented with the aim of empirically grounding the expanded theory. 25 child welfare and juvenile justice involved youth and staff in two small upstate NY private agency sites participated in the study. Cross-site and within-site comparisons were used to elucidate micro-level constructs and their inter-relationships.;Findings revealed that, for some youth, participation in co-production activities followed a developmental progression. Specifically, these youths' participation began as involuntary, but it changed to semi-voluntary participation with indicators of emotional and cognitive engagement. In both sites, empowerment practices employed by staff, with an emphasis on autonomy-supportive and relatedness-building strategies, served as a driver of staff/youth collaboration and enhanced levels of youth engagement.;Common youth outcomes identified in both sites included social skill development, self esteem improvements, and positive identity gains. Data also revealed beneficial staff outcomes. Together these two sets of findings suggest a reciprocal association between gains in youth engagement and enhanced staff efficacy, empowerment and engagement.;Co-production interventions comprise a distinct yet diverse set of intervention practices with import to working with involuntary youth. These interventions have considerable, unique potential for all human service organizations and professions and for social work in particular. Implications for social work preparation programs, social policy and research help set the agenda for the next phases in co-production theory, research, and practice. |
