Extern provides services for children and young people within a continuum of services that is preventative in design, ranging from diversion through to intensive community based high support programmes. Extern believes that children and young people, their carers and caring professionals require a range of services proportionate to presenting needs.

The continuum of services allows for young people to transfer to other programmes within the continuum as their needs change. Our strategic goal is to safely orientate children and young people towards indigenous community providers of services wherein they will receive ongoing support without the need for statutory interventions in their lives.

Extern uses a resiliency model of intervention as the theoretical basis for all its work. This model emphasises the strengths and resiliency of individuals, families and communities to bounce back in the face of adversity. It focuses on identifying people's strengths and building on these rather than an undue preoccupation with weaknesses and problems.

Historically, the social sciences have used a problem-focused approach to studying human development whereas, resiliency research points (from prospective longitudinal research) to a strong empirical base that many people faced with severe stress and adversity overcome these factors and become stronger as a result. (See for example, Bernard 1991). From Bernard's work the Extern Organisation has developed a resiliency model, which recognises that we all have developmental needs, and that, if the right environmental strategy can be put in place, we can meet these needs and expect positive outcomes. The model can be summarised as follows:

Extern is proud of its flexibility in engaging with young people and developing their potential as valuable citizens. We do this by working with young people in a strengths based manner, following the resiliency model. This has led to some of the young people becoming volunteers for Extern , with some of those later going on to become staff members of Extern and other service providers.

Service Provision

• Individual focus: Concentrating on the needs of the individual (even in a small group context) that recognises each person's uniqueness and is culturally competent.
• Group Approach: Encouraging a peer-learning model that promotes positive change.
• Activities: Offering physical education, interfacing with public amenities and utilises existing community services infrastructure.
• Specific interests: Pursuit of interests within a strengths based approach.
• Day Trips: Social, recreational, cultural or activity-based events that encourage self-discipline and self esteem.
• Residentials: Theme based with opportunities for active process learning. These often also provide timely breaks from difficult living arrangements.

Extern recognises the need to work holistically with children and young people across the key life domains of family, school and community and seeks to build on the protective factors.

Family

Regular home visits involve carers in contract setting and progress monitoring. Programmes recognise and build upon the potential strengths of carers, and extended carers, to be the main strength for support of children and young people. Extern is putting greater emphasis on its family work and is exploring how it can further enable and support families and carers.

School

Building relationships with schools, key teachers, parents and relevant others who will support and encourage children and young people, provides programme staff with 'early warning' signs of difficulty that could lead to school suspension or exclusion. Extern recognises the critical role that education can play in the life of the young person and therefore ensures that the education needs of the young person are addressed.

Community

Developing partnerships with indigenous service providers that could support the child or young person in the community is essential. Within some programmes volunteers are recruited to help the young person successfully negotiate community resources.

Extern recognises the need to work within a multi disciplinary context thus ensuring the nonduplication of services and respecting the role of professional agencies and carers in affecting positive change in children and young people's lives.

Extern also provide two other community based interventions which are based on best practice and are targeted at young people within Hardiker level 4- one is Linden Residential Unit and the other is Intensive Fostering Support. While these services are based in the community the young person will not reside in his /her own home.

Model Adherent Programmes

In recent years Extern has provided services which are evidence based and model adherent. In 2001 Extern became the first in Ireland to develop a Multi Systemic Therapy (MST) team. This team has been providing services to children and their families in the North of Ireland and works as part of the package of services known as Linden Services for Children.