North Country Health Consortium- YLTA (Youth Leadership Through Adventure) and Adapt

North Country Health Consortium- YLTA (Youth Leadership Through Adventure) and Adapt

North Country Health Consortium- YLTA (youth Leadership through Adventure) and Adapt

  1. In school meetings, after school meetings in 10 regions
  2. Middle and high school conferences-
  3. 100+ youth plus staff members—like to bring the youth to youth connection
  4. By youth/for youth- leadership skills- through adventure- try to get outside, active, camping, etc.
  5. Can be involved in a club (some people call it “ASPIRE,” “SAD,” or their own acronym but use the YLTA model)
  6. There is a regional board with members from the regions
  7. The goal is to make ourselves healthier, and to make better decisions rather than make harmful decisions.
  8. Conferences- you are dispersed, you have to meet others who you don’t know- school climate project--- when every school comes, they talk about how to improve their school climate
  9. Want to improve the school climate--- use surveys to gauge what the school may need to do. The conferences are judgement free, positive, etc., and the goal is to bring it back to our communities or schools…
  10. We are expanding, Thornton, Kennett, looking to expand.
  11. Student Assistants at most of the schools who are trained- do an adult training for those advisors- they work with the SAP---substance misuse---staying health, substance misuse--- all the SAPS come for training and then share what they have done- to become a better leader.
  12. Example of a success- Joe’s example--- was trying to get a group established---wants to bring this back to my home town. Profile regional school- there was a reputation for being a “hippie” school, made it more green, reduced waste, gained a new garden program, environmental awareness, mini special Olympics, good participation. The connections of youth who go back to their communities.

YEAH Council- 10 years-

Monthly meeting

  1. Focus on youth advocacy for youth with special health care needs
  2. Help the youth to advocate for themselves-
  3. Meetings- share time, (we are not a support group)- allows youth to share what is going on in their own lives…to support one another ( for example, IEP, medical issues0>
  4. Working on a YouTube channel, headed by our youth members; encouragement for adults who successfully overcame their health issue/disability; encouragement;
  5. Working on a slam book ( a notebook that can be passed around and people can write their ideas; this is for a teen or young adult who can talk about what it means to the youth. It will be published.
  6. All our projects are youth led and youth drive (with adult support). The para project- outreach to paraprofessionals to work with the youth-working together with the youth. Our youth have branched out---RESPECT is critical with the para project. Have a facebook page and website with several resources- “Ready, set, go” for transition age youth. Educating youth- youth voices poster designed for the classroom. We want to inform youth about their Individualized Education Plan.

Parent Information Center (Family organization)- we are doing more work with youth.

  1. Engage the YEAH Council for input- for conferences-
  2. Curriculum for students (3 part) 1. Self awareness, 2. IEP, 3. Taking ownership
  3. Helping youth develop their IEPs or have more input- videos of youth talking to youth. Self-advocacy. Launching more youth activities- youth involved in other ways. Workshops is focused on self-empowerment.

Governor’s Youth Council

  1. New group- made a mission and vision statement- created an app for our group
  2. Established to advise the Governor, media, legislation, events. Work remotely developed a strategy for working across regions, to get people to join- hour long phone calls--- meet in Concord once a month- opening up applications in September- looking at legislation- as well. Focus on substance misuse- respond to opioid crisis, want to focus on preventions.
  3. About 60 members- and then 15 official members. Working with New Futures - give us information about bills related to alcohol and drugs, want to be established under Executive order.
  4. Have to be going into freshman year no older than 19 to be part of the group. Have adults us out, Substance misuse prevention Coordinators have been working with us, etc.

YouthMOVE NH

  1. Motivating others through voices of experience-chapter of a national organization. All 8 staff have lived experience with the systems in the state ( such as MH, SD).
  2. Want to help youth to reach their full potential.
  3. Collecting information to improve services and systems.
  4. Develop youth-friendly training and webinars, building students leadership teams in schools; prioritize trainings that educate adults to create safe spaces to effectively serve youth people.
  5. Providing youth peer support as part of NH’s Wraparound model. Advise committees. Peer support is a newer focus- sitting on policy committees, new staff are focusing on youth peer support. More students to work in schools.
  6. Youth-friendly training and webinars- strategic sharing—different trainings that are part of our summer institute; cultural and linguistic competency- advocacy 101. Partnered with the IOD for the summer institute for @ 5 years…this is the 1st year when the youth totally will lead the process.

Monica

  1. Nashua Prevention Coalition or CAST- youth group- started by holding youth listening sessions---asking middle and high school students to identify concerns (YRBS) and what they wanted to work on in their schools and in their communities- focused on SUD, and mental health, suicide prevention. Prevention clubs with advisors in the schools-- Ohio youth-led prevention model and Youth to Youth One voice---

Focus---

Top View