Youth Advocacy Program has been providing community based substance abuse prevention and intervention services to Travis County youth and families since 1975. It began by providing intervention services to adolescents in the inner city areas populated primarily by people of color and focused on those youth abusing volatile substances, particularly spray paint. The plurality of them was Hispanic youth. Its main methods of service delivery were through street outreach and provided alternative activities, mentoring, counseling, educational and advocacy services. It evolved over the years to include more structured services and that were inclusive of the younger siblings and parents of the youth in the program. Its emphasis has always been to use educated and trained community people to provide services and prescribes to the philosophy of exhibiting "unconditional positive regard" toward clients. It has gained a reputation as an exceptionally culturally sensitive program and has become recognized as an indigenous support system for the target population.