by Dr. Ivan Raymond

THE ROCK AND WATER PROGRAM EMPOWERING YOUTH WORKERS AND CLIENTS

An innovative and increasingly popular youth development program, titled Rock and Water, was recently trialled in the South Australian residential care system. This article provides a general outline of the program and details a case study involving a group 10 boys in care, aged between 11 and 15 years.

A range of qualitative and quantitative data is tabled that provides preliminary evidence for the program’s ‘empowering effects’ for both participants and youth workers involved with the program. These outcomes are discussed in relation to their contextual importance for the residential care system, areas of ongoing improvement and future directions.