Lessons Learned in Meaningful Collaboration with Justice Involved Young Adults

Justice involved young adults represent the most excluded, stigmatised and traumatised amongst their peers and are considered an especially hard to reach and hidden population (Skinner-Osei et al., 2019; Case & Haines, 2015). Beresford (2013) highlights how those who face barriers to their involvement in wider society are also more likely to be excluded from participatory arrangements in society. Meaningfully engaging these young adults in participatory enquiry about their lived experience of formal services and what they need from these at critical points in their adolescence, is essential yet hugely challenging (Holt & Pamment, 2011). This brief report shares key lessons from a collaborative project between justice involved young adults and undergraduate social work students culminating in both collectively producing a learning resource (DVD) articulating the justice involved young adults' experiences and needs from professional services.