 This is important because it makes it easier for the youth advocate to empathize with their clients.Often youth going through services or systems (whether it be mental health, juvenile justice, substance use issues, foster care, or homelessness) can be dehumanized, their opinions/feelings/insight ignored, and further traumatized.When a youth advocate (who understands what those situations can feel like) steps into a young persons life, it is often transformational for that youth and can lead them to a path of stability and success.