A youth case manager talking with a teenager seated on a couch

Family & Youth Services

Every young person is building toward something.

Case management, mentoring, health education, and support for teens, young adults, and young parents across Santa Barbara County — on their terms, at their pace.

Our Approach · Positive Youth Development

Every young person has strengths, responds to high expectations, and deserves a caring adult in their corner.

✓ On their terms, at their pace

✓ Direct enrollment & referral paths

✓ Bilingual, culturally competent staff

Our Programs

Different programs. One belief: every young person is capable of more than their hardest moment.

Some you can start directly; some come through a school, probation, or juvenile-hall referral. Not sure which fits?

A young mother laughing with her young child

For expectant & young parents · ages 12–21 Direct Enrollment

Adolescent Family Life Program (AFLP)

Strengths-based case management for young parents — primarily mothers ages 12–21. A case manager meets one-on-one with each young parent to build a caring relationship, understand their goals, and help them access what they need: finishing high school, postpartum health, behavioral wellness, and community resources.

In partnership with CenCal Health, AFLP also provides trauma-informed therapeutic services for parents and children.

High school completionGoal settingMental health assessmentsBehavioral wellnessCommunity resourcesPostpartum health

Get Started →

A young woman smiling in a workshop classroom, with peers working at a table behind her

School-to-workforce · ages 15–18 · North & Mid County Referral-Based

Empower U

A school-to-workforce pipeline for young people who’ve been justice-involved or expelled. In partnership with the SB County Workforce Development Board and the Foundation for California Community Colleges, Empower U pairs each young person with a Case Manager/Mentor and builds toward paid work experience in the community.

MentoringInterest inventoriesGoal settingConflict resolutionJob readinessResume & interview skillsPaid work experienceA full year of follow-up

Learn More →

Volunteers passing donated canned food into boxes together

Community collaboration · South Coast Community Partnership

South Coast Youth Safety Partnership (SCYSP)

A community-wide partnership working to give young people safe, supported paths to their educational, employment, and personal potential. SCYSP aligns community resources and believes local challenges are best addressed locally and collectively.

Visit the SCYSP Website ↗

Why This Matters

Stability changes everything.

Nothing shapes a young person’s future like stability — and the people who show up for them consistently.

When life throws one thing after another at a family, stability is the first thing to go. CommUnify’s Family & Youth Services exists to be the steady presence: staff who show up, week after week, and help young people build resilience, access resources, and take ownership of where they’re headed.

A CommUnify staff member sitting down with a family

Our Approach

Positive Youth Development

Every young person has strengths, responds to high expectations and supportive relationships, and has something real to contribute to their family and community. That belief shapes every program in this division.

The Difference Is Who Stays

The difference is who stays.

The young people we serve have often had plenty of adults pass through their lives. What they haven’t always had is someone who stays — who shows up every week, listens, and helps them figure out the next step.

That’s the role of a CommUnify case manager or mentor. Not someone managing a case. Someone in your corner.

A CommUnify team member giving supportive care to a child

Support That Stays

Parents and young children together in a circle at a group session

Group Support

A staff member with a tablet meeting one-on-one with a client

Case Management

Hands filling out an enrollment form with a pen

Enrollment & Referral Paths

By the Numbers

The work, by the numbers.

9

Unique programs serving youth & family

1,802

Youth served by FYS programs in 2023

43

Expectant or parenting youth assisted in 2023

9,300+

Diapers & baby wipes provided in 2023

Not sure where to start?

Start with our free screening, and we’ll help you understand what’s available — for the young person in your life and for your whole family. You may also qualify for other CommUnify programs, from child care to utility assistance — support you might not have known to ask about.

Get Started → Contact Family & Youth Services