Hello Youth Movers! Chris here. We just had our quarterly membership and allies meeting this week, and I thought I'd share a bit of what we talked about and what we're up to. We're developing new programs, existing ones that continue to MOVE across the state, and are increasing our advocacy efforts. Let's dive in!

YMPA is about to conduct interviews for members of our soon-to-be-formed Youth Advisory Council! This council would be a group of young people ages 16-29, and two junior members as young as 14, who would guide Youth MOVE PA's activities using their experience, values, and expertise to ensure that we are operating in a way that is true to today's youth values. That's right, Movers, that means YOU can help us take the next step to becoming truly youth-driven and make an impact on the issues that YOU care about! 

We've been hard at work in the Transition Age Youth and Young Adult (TAYYA) Subcommittee of our state's Mental Health Planning Council (MHPC) as well. YMPA has supported the development of an Advocacy 101 workshop that will be going for a test-drive soon. So if you've ever wanted to learn how to become an advocate, let us know and we'll tell you how to you can check it out!

We've got a whole bunch of upcoming trainings for FREE from now through May, such as our youth-friendly Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and more! Check out the Training and Education tab on our website for more info.

Finally, our school-based programming is continuing to crush it out there! Sources of Strength, our newest program, has been offered in 3 schools now and continues to gain traction. Our partnership with The Copeland Center's youth-focused "Doors to Wellbeing" program continues going strong as we bring their Peer Generation: Youth Empowerment (PGYE) curriculum to more students! PGYE is about to train the 3rd cohort of Pennsylvanian students next month in Beaver County, with many more to follow!

Phew, you made it! It's been an exciting time over here for sure, and even with all this snow and cold weather, YMPA continues to keep the fire burning! If you want to get involved or have any questions, shoot us an email at ympa@youthmovepa.org.

That's all for now. I hope you're all staying warm out there. Remember to be kind to your minds and motivate others using your voices of experience. See you in the next one!  

Join the meeting on October 17th at 4pm here: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82958662228

This week YMPA's Sources of Strength team is in Maine to receive their training which will allow them to bring this awesome evidence-based program to schools all around Pennsylvania! They're hard at work learning all they can to bring the best quality of training they can to our young peers and the school staff who support them.

While our staff work hard, they also play hard. Want to see what they're up to in real-time? Be sure to follow all of the fun adventures on our Facebook page! 

Here's a sneak preview: 

Are you as excited as they are? You should be!

It's always been one of our goals to reach youth in schools because we know that school is the place we spend much of our time as we grow into adulthood. A lot happens there and it can be hard to find emotional support when we need it most. Especially if we don't have access to support outside of school .

Youth MOVE PA is finally ready to tackle school-based mental health and support young people where they're already at! Be on the lookout for opportunities to bring Sources of Strength to a school near you!

To learn more about our Sources of Strength program, click here.

Speakers are Kevin Puskaric and Jamal Ford

Recorded on Thursday, May 25th, 2023

Watch the Webinar

Understanding Co-occurring, where it begins, and how it grows.

• When a mental health issue exists, whether diagnosed or not, we will learn how we are at risk of substance addiction.
• And why a substance abuse addiction can trigger a mental health issue.
• Often youth using drugs and alcohol are too young to understand or believe they are at risk of addiction.
• Remember, there is no getting off this road once you have gone down it. You may be able to control your addiction/mental health issue, but it will always be with you, waiting for an opportunity to knock you off the wellness wagon.

Join us on December 20, 2022, for the TAYYA Subcommittee Meeting.

The Subcommittee is made up of youth, young adults, and adult allies which will come together to create an advocating voice for transition age youth across Pennsylvania regarding mental health and substance use issues.

Metting link for 12-20-2022 at 2pm: 

• https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3699378928

Handouts for Subcommittee Attendees

• TAYYA Subcommittee ADULT Packet.pdf
• TAYYA Subcommittee YOUTH Packet.pdf

The TAYYA Workgroup has officially become a Subcommittee of Mental Health Planning Council (MHPC)!!! 

Join us on September 20, 2022, for the first meeting as a Subcommittee.

The TAYYA Subcommittee will be made up of youth, young adults, and adult allies which will come together to create an advocating voice for transition age youth across Pennsylvania regarding mental health and substance use issues.

Metting link for 9-20-2022 at 2pm: 

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82298865243

Metting link for 9-20-2022 at 7pm:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81315511671

Suicide Prevention Guide 2022.pdf

The Jana Marie Foundation, Aevidum, Prevent Suicide PA, Pennsylvania Network for Student Assistance Services (PNSAS), STAR-Center at the University of Pittsburgh, and Garrett Lee Smith (GLS) Youth Suicide Prevention Grant are pleased to share a resource guide for communities for National Suicide Prevention Month.  Within the month of September, the week of September 4^th-10^th is recognized as National Suicide Prevention Week, with Saturday, September 10^th marking World Suicide Prevention Day.  This year’s theme is “Creating Hope through Action.”

The resource guide provides examples of activities that you can implement in your organization or community to raise awareness of the importance of suicide prevention.  This includes ideas for events, training, social media posts, virtual backgrounds, a sample proclamation, and more.

Please feel free to share this resource guide with partners in your communities that can work together to create hope and prevent suicide. 

If you have any questions they may be directed to c-prosen@pa.gov.

Date/Time: September 6, 2022   |  4pm to 5:30pm

Location: Virtually on Zoom

Click Here to Join: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85746872459

Join transgender therapist and author Dr. Stacee Reicherzer as she provides loving, encouraging, and practical advice for supporting children to flourish now and in their future.

This program is conducted through zoom. Register to receive a reminder, the evaluation, and any other resources.

How to Support Transgender and Gender Questioning Children, June 10 2022 | Online Event | AllEvents.in

Download: Youth MOVE PA June 2022 Newsleter.pdf