Since its inception, National Youth Advocate Program has been reflective of the character and vision of Dr. Mubarak Awad, founder of NYAP and former president, which has been shaped and crafted in response to his personal experiences. The organizational history of the effort traces to Ohio where in response to that need, Dr. Awad created the Ohio Youth Advocate Program with direct encouragement from the Ohio Youth Commission (now the Department of Youth Services), the state agency charged with finding placements for delinquent youth referred to the state from county juvenile court judges.