Integrated within the work of YAP Policy and Advocacy is YAP Alumni Ambassadors, an agency-wide initiative with a goal to empower and support our program participants, families, and staff to leverage their experiences in human service to influence policy and systems change. YAP's programmatic approach is effective when program participants and families have voice and ownership of their service delivery plan, discovering that their input matters and enabling them to take constructive control of their lives, becoming self-advocates. YAP Alumni Ambassadors helps our program participants and their parents/guardians and families transfer that self-advocacy to advocacy for others, making an even greater impact.

Youth and families that participate in YAP Alumni Ambassadors have the opportunity to engage in a variety of activities such as providing legislative testimony, speaking before school boards, meeting with legislators at the local and federal level, presenting at conferences, and organizing letter-writing campaigns. With over 20,000 families served each year, YAP's current and former program participants and their families are a persuasive, informed (with their firsthand experiences) force advocating for change.

YAP works to influence public policy to increase support for families and communities and reduce reliance on institutions. Our activities inform policymakers and advocates about what families, government leaders, and communities need to make alternatives to institutionalization both a reality and a preferred approach to helping people facing complex challenges achieve success while keeping communities safe and families intact. We also continue to work with other advocates and groups who share our goals of deinstitutionalizing youth and strengthening families and communities.