In India, children in Child Care Institutions (CCIs) must leave at 18 as per the Juvenile Justice Act, 2015. This sudden transition often leaves them without the life skills, emotional support, or financial stability needed for adulthood. Make A Difference (MAD) created the Youth Progression (Aftercare Program) to address this gap, providing structured support to help youth move from institutional care to independent, thriving lives.
Youth Progression Resource Hub - Access essential documents, trackers, and tools.
Crisis Management in Aftercare:
Crisis management in the Aftercare program focuses on providing immediate, short-term support to youth experiencing periods of significant stress or disruption in their lives. The overall objective is to ensure the timely and effective resolution of crises, helping youth cope with emotional, mental, and physical stress. This support is not intended to replace long-term psychotherapy but rather to offer assistance, resources, and stabilization.
Crisis Management in Aftercare and Stages of Approaching the Crisis Situation
Types of Crises:
Crises can be broadly categorized into two major types, with the response approach dependent on their type:
• Emotional Crisis: Examples include clinical depression, suicidal tendencies, aggressive behavior, low self-esteem, worthlessness, or self-harm
• Life Crisis: A broader category encompassing various challenges:
Note: Crises often overlap; for example, dropping out of college (career crisis) can have emotional and financial implications
Degree of Crisis:
| Level | Youth's Current State | Urgency of Intervention | Nature of Crisis | Competence Required | Whom to Reach Out |
| L1 Crisis | Slightly anxious/stressed; can manage daily routines. | No immediate action; not time-sensitive. | Minimal impact; low-intensity; manageable via casual conversation. | Fellow/wingman sufficient (SSG level); basic Aftercare/crisis management training; minimal full-timer input. | Initially: Fellow/wingman. If it worsens, the CO of the Chapter. |
| L3 Crisis | Moderately stressed/anxious; actively seeks support; overwhelmed but functional. | Within 3-4 days; manageable implications. | Moderate damage; needs timely guidance and structured follow-ups. | Crisis Management Team plans; fellows/wingmen execute under guidance; requires timely full-timer guidance. | Primarily: Crisis Management Team for guidance and planning. Specifically: Full-timer (Afsar) |
| L5 Crisis | Highly stressed/anxious; severe implications (e.g., risk of losing shelter, job, life, severe mental health issues) if not addressed promptly. | Immediate action is critical; within 1-2 days. | Significant and ongoing consequences; high-stakes; beyond wingman/fellow's capacity. | Direct intervention by full-timer to lead/guide; Crisis Management Team expertise needed; involves immediate action plans and support for fellows/wingmen. | Immediately: Community Organiser + Crisis Lead (full-timer) Crisis Response Team (Fellows/Wingmen, External Experts, Support Team). External Stakeholders (e.g., shelters, NGOs, healthcare providers). |
The ultimate goal of crisis intervention is to resolve the situation so that the youth's condition returns to L1 (manageable at the wingman/fellow level) or, ideally, L0 (the youth becomes self-reliant, requiring no specific intervention beyond regular SSGs and wingman interactions).
📊 Financial Discipline
📌 What does Financial Discipline mean in MAD?
At MAD, financial responsibility isn’t optional—it’s a commitment. These mission-driven funds exist to serve youth, and every rupee must be accounted for with full clarity and audit readiness.
- Ensures accountability and transparency
- Helps track actual spends vs. planned budget
- Avoids roadblocks for future budget approval
- Keeps MAD ready for any internal or external audits
🔍 Quick Reference Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Link / Access |
| 📘 Finance User Manual | Step-by-step guide on raising budgets to submitting bills | Finance User Manual |
| 📁 Chapter-wise Budget Tracker | View approved budgets with the youth's name, and pending bills dashboard | CityFinance_Youth_Level_Budget |
| 💵 Deposit Form | Return unused funds to MAD | Deposit Form |
| 🏦 Transaction ID Sheet | Find transaction IDs for reference | Transaction ID's |
❗ Important Reminders
- The CO/Fellow who raises the budget is responsible for submitting the softcopy bills within 7 days
- Late submissions may result in delays in approving future budgets or holding monthly stipends
- Only COs/Fellows should raise budgets – Volunteers are not authorized
- For any support, reach out to the respective POCs mentioned"If a pending bill is not settled within 7 days of the amount being credited, future budgets or stipends be put on hold"
📇 Point of Contacts (POC)
| Function | Point of Contact | Contact Info | When to Reach Out | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Youth Progression | Afsar T A | afsar.ta@makeadiff.in 9020591140 |
If you're unsure how to proceed with any YP step, crisis support, need urgent support or guidance. | |
| CO Institute | Parvathi Vinayan | parvathi.vinayan@makeadiff.in 8547455033 |
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| Finance | Shruti Jain | shruti@makeadiff.in 9990674225 |
For any queries about pending bills, budget clarifications, transaction IDs or finance SOPs. | |
🔴 Important: These are the non-negotiables that must be upheld for the project to succeed.
Non-negotiable 1: A fellow must serve as the Captain or vice captain of Youth Progression
Non-negotiable 2: All placement-eligible youth must be cross-checked and confirmed in the tracker before starting placement activities.
Non-negotiable 3: Youth must attend career guidance sessions to remain eligible for college application support.
Non-negotiable 4: A formal handover call with the previous CO/YP Captain is mandatory before finalizing youth data for the new cycle.If I follow these steps, I get the final product.
Deliverable - Product | Steps - Checklist
| 📦Deliverable | ✅Checklist |
|---|---|
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¶ 🔄Transition and Handover |
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📘 What happened in Phase 1? In Phase 1 (January–March), the Youth Progression (YP) Captain or Community Organizer (CO) conducted a need analysis to identify youth requiring placement support. They updated the Youth Placement Tracker with eligible youth based on their final year status or course completion. We’re now entering Phase 2, where the actual placement support begins.
Starting June 2025:
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¶ 💡Youth College Placement |
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¶ ✍️ Scholarship Agreement Signing |
🕊️ Some milestones take shape slowly—this one’s in the making. We’ll return when the time’s right. |