Community support workers are essential to social services programs and community assistance initiatives, where they can work with youths to offer valuable help and support. However, creating a strong relationship is a key part of this process, making the services offered more impactful. 

Strong and positive relationships are extremely important in this field, helping community support workers develop a natural rapport with their clients. When done well, this rapport can lead to trust—allowing community support workers to better help their young clients. Building these beneficial relationships takes time and effort, requiring tact and empathy. By creating these meaningful connections, community support workers are better able to make a difference in their clients’ lives. 

Here’s your guide to building beneficial relationships with youths after completing your community support worker program!

Be Continuously Supportive and Make Youth Feel Genuinely Cared For 

A strong relationship flourishes with commitment. This means that putting in the effort to understand youth, committing both time and work into the relationship, leads to stronger connections. Being flexible and patient can also help solidify a meaningful relationship—proving to youths that you’re always there to help them.

High risk youths who’ve rarely had positive experiences with adults will need special care, so your continuous support will not go unnoticed. This will prove to them that others care about their wellbeing and that they are worth the effort. By being available emotionally and physically, you can help high risk youths improve their situation. In this way, not giving up and making them feel genuinely cared for is an essential step in building beneficial relationships.

Emphasize Honesty and Be Self-Aware with Your Communication 

Honesty is at the core of every successful relationship. While working with youth, it’s important to be transparent in the help and services you can provide. Doing so will enable you to work together towards realistic change. This honesty goes hand in hand with intentionality, giving you a framework to act purposefully and thoughtfully with your client—thus laying the foundation for a more sustainable relationship. 

By completing your community support worker training, you’ll gain hands-on experience working in the field. This opportunity will allow you to develop a keen sense of self-awareness and improve your communication skills—which will be particularly useful when building relationships with youth. 

You can rely on these skills to ensure that your interactions reflect your genuine interests, communicating more effectively by choosing the right words and using the right body language. For instance, keeping your arms uncrossed and maintaining eye contact can convey openness, especially when combined with verbal encouragement. 

Building Trust and Focusing on the Wellbeing of Youths After Community Support Worker Training

Forging meaningful relationships heavily relies on building trust. You can apply what you learn through your community support worker diploma to create a safe environment that encourages trust. Here, you can help the young people you work with explore their motivations and fears regarding change—understanding who they are and what they want in order to provide them with the best services possible. 

It’s important to remember that trust occurs naturally, based on consistent positive interactions. Being patient throughout this process and showing empathy and genuine interest in understanding youths can go a long way in building strong and meaningful relationships. These relationships can be very rewarding, serving as a safe space for young people to explore and define their own futures.

Are you interested in going to a community support worker college?

Contact Discovery Community College for more information!