Youth Advocate Programs, Inc.

Youth Advocate Programs, Inc. (YAP) is a national nonprofit founded in 1975 that provides community-based services as alternatives to youth incarceration, residential placements, and neighborhood violence. The organization operates across 35 states and Washington, DC, serving thousands of families annually in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Its work spans youth justice, child welfare, behavioral health, education, and public safety.

YAP's approach centers on its YAPWrap® model, which employs neighborhood-based Advocates and mobile behavioral health professionals who meet participants where they live, learn, work, and play. This model delivers intensive, individualized support aimed at addressing complex family challenges without removing young people from their communities.

The organization maintains a no reject, no eject policy and emphasizes hiring staff from the communities it serves. With five decades of operation, YAP has established a sustained presence across a broad geographic footprint in the United States.