Achieve My Plan (AMP)
Intended Audience
- Child Welfare Workers
- Child Welfare Supervisors
- Social Services Non-child Welfare
Targeted Age Group(s)
- 10-12
- 13-17
- 18 or older
QIC-EY Engagement Model Components (i) The engagement model components were identified through the QIC-EY Environmental Scan as critical to the support of youth engagement in the attainment of permanence.
- Engage Specialized Staff
- Support Youth Empowerment
- Utilize Youth-guided Team
Description
Developed in 2008, Achieve My Plan (AMP) is a workforce development intervention that supports individuals working directly with youth and young adults by strengthening their skills in engaging young people, supporting youth to build self-determination skills and promoting decision-making. AMP comprises several role-specific certification models that are tailored to different roles and system experiences. It includes organizational orientation and readiness, virtual training, skill development, observation, feedback and coaching. AMP is a strength-based and empowerment-oriented approach to working with young people.
The certification process for AMP lasts approximately 4 months. Those who complete the training and all of the practice activities will receive certification. Certified AMP participants will receive additional materials to help them successfully implement the model. .
Target age:
The workforce skills are applicable across a wide range of age groups; however, AMP is especially valuable for individuals working closely with youth and young adults 12-25 years old.
Goals/Outcomes:
- AMP improves outcomes for youth and young adults by better equipping individuals who work closely with young people with specific skills to support youth-driven and strengths-based practice.
- AMP has been shown to increase young people’s satisfaction, active engagement and self-determined participation in care planning, plus alliance with their planning teams.
- Workforce interventions are more successful and effective with individualized coaching and with feedback to identify measurable strength and skill development.
- AMP improves outcomes through engagement of youth and young adults as active drivers of their own planning processes.
Cultural responsiveness:
AMP was developed by centering on youth and young adult voice and those with lived experience throughout the model development. The model has cross-cultural applicability because it focuses on asset-based skill development through a workforce development lens that centers on the diverse identities, values and desires of youth. The model is composed of a practice framework that elevates cultural identities and connections as core components and assets.
Evidence base:
AMP continues to have a growing evidence base supporting the intervention for young people and the AMP training model for providers. The AMP pilot study found that young people participated more and engaged more meaningfully in team meetings when they were supported to prepare ahead of time and when the team used effective facilitation skills (Walker et al., 2012). Findings from a randomized study of AMP showed that, relative to youth who received an “as usual” practice, young people who received AMP participated more – and in a more active and self-determined manner – with their teams. They also rated their alliance with their teams significantly higher. Furthermore, adult team members rated team meetings as more productive and were more likely to say that the AMP meetings were “much better than usual” team meetings (Walker et al., 2017).
Evidence from a study of the AMP training for providers shows that the AMP training and certification have been effective in producing significant improvements in trainee competencies for working with youth and young adults, as assessed by their practice in video recordings and as assessed subjectively by the trainees themselves (Walker et al., 2019). Trainees have been highly satisfied with the training/coaching experience as well. A separate study has shown similar, positive impacts for the AMP+ training for peer support providers (Walker et al., 2022).
Implementation Considerations
The training period for AMP certification is approximately 4 months. AMP certification requires the following: attending a pre-AMP orientation session; attending videoconferences (8) that occur every other week for 16 weeks; uploading 4 video recordings showing the AMP modules being used with a young adult client; and participating in individualized feedback sessions with AMP trainers, based on submitted videos. Adaptations have been made to the original AMP model in order to accommodate different practitioner roles, systems and youth experiences. As a result, four AMP certification models exist; each of these models is tailored to different roles and system experiences. There is a cost for certification. which also includes the program manual, training and fidelity measures. There are also options for training without certification, depending on the role and the audience.
