- 17 year-old male from Dorchester
YAP provides advocacy and legal representation for young people who are unable to pay for
counsel in delinquency, youthful offender cases, and related disciplinary and administrative
proceedings. The project offers clinical assessment, service planning, and referrals to high-risk
youth to prevent chronic court involvement and help them lead productive lives. YAP also offers
education and training to families and children, youth-serving professionals, and members of the
community. Learn more about our services.
Established in 1992 by the Committee
for Public Counsel Services, the Massachusetts public defender agency, YAP started
with one and one-half attorneys. Today, YAP employees 20 people, including four attorneys, three
social service providers, a psychologist, and a community liaison. The team uses a multi-disciplinary
advocacy model that incorporates legal serves, clinical assessment and advocacy, and community outreach.
Learn more about our
history.
The Youth Advocacy Project’s work environment fosters diversity, open communication, multidisciplinary
collaboration, and professional development. All members of the Youth Advocacy Project are encouraged to
participate in all aspects of the Project's mission and to seek out opportunities for personal and
professional development. Learn more about our staff.
For more information please download YAP's annual reports. Both files are in .pdf format.
2002-2003 Bi-Annual Report (pdf)
2004-2005 Update (pdf)
If you do not have the Adobe Reader, download it for free here.
Please Note: The pictures of children on the website of the Youth Advocacy Project (YAP) are not
photos of YAP Clients. These pictures are royalty free pictures purchased from Comstock.
Additionally, the murals featured on the front page were painted by youth from various neighborhoods in Boston.
