The Three C's cover what is essential to ensure that a consultation involving a young person is a positive and effective experience.  

                                                         Communication             Consent             Confidentiality

Communication with young people requires special skills, as young people are less forthcoming with information. They often respond with shrugs or, 'I don't know'. Consultations require more time to engage the young person and to gently elicit the necessary information 'small slices at a time'.

Some ways for facilitating commuincation include:

• allow longer time for the consultation
• let the young person know they are important by greeting them first and any accompanying adults second
• build rapport with the young person by talking to them, smiling, listening to them, and being sincere and interested
• ensure that your body language is open and friendly
• be unhurried and stay calm
• let the young person know what to expect
• explain confidentiality and consent issues
• ask permission before questioning about personal areas (ask permission to ask a series of questions with an explanation as to why you are asking them)
• give the young person permission not to answer
• compliment the young person for their answers and for discussing sensitive issues
• reduce the personal focus by story telling (e.g., 'Tell me what it is like for a young person experiencing _________.')
• for young people who show significant risk factors, mention your concerns.  Many young people do not recognise dangerous lifestyle patterns and see their activities as solutions rather than problems
• identify strengths as well as show concern for risk factors
• provide whatever educational materials the young person is interested in
• ask the young person who there is in their life they can trust and confide in
• toward the end the consultation by asking the young person to sum up their life in one word or to give a 'weather report'
• give the young person the opportunity to express any concerns that may not have been covered and ask for feedback about the consultation.

Consent issues for young people seeking treatment are covered in Resource 7: Consent 

Some advice regarding how to explain Confidentiality to young people is provided at Resource 8: Confidentiality