Archive for 2012

“Programs Help Teens Connect to Services” is in the December 2012 issue of the New England Psychologist. The article highlights the two SAMHSA grants awarded to THRIVE and Youth MOVE Maine in partnership with Maine’s Department of Corrections’ Division of Juvenile Services to  improve services and supports for Maine’s youth. 

“The work is recognizing that the trauma is pervasive, and as a system we don’t always do a very good job of identifying it in children and youth,” says Arabella Perez, THRIVE executive director. To read more visit the New England Psychologist.

THRIVE has new role in Juvenile Services grant,
Youth MOVE has new grant for Youth Courts

LEWISTON – As of October 1, THRIVE and Youth MOVE Maine (“Youth MOVE”) have new homes and new federal Substance and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grants to support. Diversion to Assets, Androscoggin County’s alternative juvenile corrections program, has also moved from previously shared office space at 124 Canal Street.

THRIVE is the newly announced training and technical assistance partner for the Department of Corrections Division of Juvenile Services’ new four-year, $4 million SAMHSA grant, Expanding Trauma-Informed System of Care Practices in Maine. THRIVE’s new operations center for trauma-informed training and technical assistance is located at 26 Bridgton Road, Westbrook.

“Lewiston was well-suited for our first six years serving mental health agencies and community-based programs in the Tri-County area,” said Arabella Perez, THRIVE Executive Director. “We became an independent organization last October and expanded our services state and nationwide adding juvenile corrections as a child-serving systems partner. We are thoroughly pleased that the work with Maine’s juvenile services will continue through this new grant. The move complements our new business model.”

Youth MOVE, the statewide chapter of Youth Move National, received its own three-year $600,000 grant to establish Youth Courts in the greater Brunswick and Portland areas. 

“We’ve expanded from one to four regions since 2009,” said Ryun Anderson, Youth MOVE Maine Director, “offering young people skills building workshops and opportunities to join committees and workgroups that guide the improvement of mental health, child welfare and juvenile justice service delivery. The Youth Court grant allows us to collaborate with partners and further develop programs they established for prevention, treatment and recovery support for 11-18 year olds with first-time, non-violent offenses who are also at risk for substance abuse and mental health challenges. These youth and young adults will also receive skills-building opportunities within a restorative justice framework.”

Youth MOVE’s temporary central office is at The Community School at Opportunity Farm in New Gloucester. The Diversion to Assets program and Youth MOVE’s Lewiston group have moved to new meeting and office space in town at Tree Street Youth Center.

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Campaign Wins Bronze for
Excellence in Community Communications & Outreach

ORLANDO, FL - G.E.A.R. Parent Network and Youth MOVE Maine accepted the bronze award in the Children’s Mental Health Awareness Campaign category on behalf of collaborative partners Children’s Behavioral Health Services and THRIVE at the Excellence in Community Communications and Outreach recognition ceremony July 26. The awards are sponsored by the federal Substance and Mental Health Services Administration’s Caring for Every Child’s Mental Health Campaign.

G.E.A.R. launched Maine’s monthlong award-winning 2011 campaign with its traditional Tailgate Kick-off for families, youth and child-serving health and human services providers in the parking lot of the Office of Child and Family Services. During the first two weeks of May, G.E.A.R.’s Family Advisory Councils for Empowerment Statewide distributed 140 toolkits to mental health agencies and other community-based, child-serving organizations from Caribou to South Portland. The kits contained a total of 35,000 children’s mental health awareness items.

“We asked providers to share the contents with the families they serve,” said Carol Tiernan, G.E.A.R. Director. “The kits contained information on where to go for support groups and workshops, articles and personal stories  of hope and resiliency, explanatory cards to hand out when a child is acting up , inspirational magnets, and sunflower seed packets from our conference with Youth MOVE.”

At the annual Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day celebration at the State Capitol’s Hall of Flags, more than 30 service providers heard seven youth and family members share inspiring stories of resiliency and emotional wellness in the face of challenges ranging from abuse and teen pregnancy, juvenile incarceration and autism to a learning disability and depression. Adults spoke of the difference a family organization can make, as well as the benefits of intergenerational resiliency.

“We’re delighted that our Hall of Flag speaker was part of a larger story that ran during the May campaign detailing our expanding efforts statewide to support youth in Maine,” said Ryun Anderson, Youth MOVE Maine Director. May has been national Mental Health month since 1949.

The final piece of the campaign was the “What Families and Youth Want” conference hosted by G.E.A.R. and Youth MOVE Maine with keynote speaker Stan Davis of Stop Bullying Now. Approximately 180 family members, youth and providers were treated to a full day of workshops and activities.

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G.E.A.R. Parent Network empowers parents of children with emotional and behavioral health needs to effect life decisions based on their family’s individual strengths and needs by providing safe and supportive avenues for: emotional support, problem solving, sharing common experiences, seeking knowledge about community resources and advocacy, identifying the strengths and needs of their child(ren) and families and accessing information and education related to children’s issues.

Youth Move Maine, a state chapter of Youth Move National, supports youth and adults with experience in service systems in building the skills, partnerships, policies and practices essential to making sure all youth are connected, resilient, growing and included in the decisions that impact their lives. For more information, go to: www.youthmovemaine.org

THRIVE trauma-informed trainings and technical assistance help child-serving providers and community organizations transform the way services are delivered to children and youth with serious behavioral health challenges and to their families.

Youth MOVE Maine award-winning staff (back from left): Jozalynn “Joz” Jones, Old Town;
Ashalie Wark, Manchester; Chesari Tempesta, Turner; Jennifer Herrick, Lewiston;
Jacinta Storer, Auburn, Diversion to Assets Coordinator; Ryun Anderson, Freeport;
(front from left): Dustin Stout, Lewiston, intern; Chelsey Everest, Portland; not shown: Faith Stevens, Rockland.  

LEWISTON – Youth MOVE Maine (YMM) received the Maine Youth Action Network (MYAN) ImpACT Award June 6 for being an Empowering Organization and “exemplifying the systematic engagement of youth ages 12-18 in decision-making and planning.”  The annual awards recognize youth and adults who are making an impact in their communities.

“We’ve expanded from one to five regions in the last two years,” says Youth MOVE Maine Director Ryun Anderson, “and tripled the number of participants. Our new website, www.youthmovemaine.org, and our Facebook page showcase the areas of leadership development, skill building, mutual support, community awareness and provider support, in which youth are creating positive change across Maine.”

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YMM, a state chapter of Youth Move National, supports youth and adults with experience in service systems in building the skills, partnerships, policies and practices essential to making sure all youth are connected, resilient, growing and included in the decisions that impact their lives. For more information, go to: www.youthmovemaine.org

MYAN, a program of the Opportunity Alliance, offers training, networking and leadership opportunities to youth and adults seeking partnerships for positive change.

From left: Renelle Ray, Volunteer of the Year; Karen Voci, Executive Director, Harvard Pilgrim Foundation; Susan Greenwood, Executive Director, The Cromwell Center; Janet Wyper, Manager of Community Relations, LL Bean; and Ed Kane, Harvard Pilgrim Vice President, Maine

Harvard Pilgrim Hosts ’12 Spirit Awards

Portland – Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation feted Arabella Perez, Director, THRIVE, and fellow nominees at its Maine 2012 Community Spirit Awards March 15 at Portland Harbor Hotel. Fourteen total individuals and organizations in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts were hailed by Foundation colleagues for their “deep commitment to giving,” their good corporate citizenship and public advocacy. THRIVE was nominated in the Community Hero category.

The Selection Committee comprising 2010 and 2011 Community Spirit Award recipients chose Renelle Ray as Maine’s Volunteer of the Year and The Cromwell Center for Disabilities Awareness as Maine’s Community Hero.

May 6-12 is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week this year. The National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health chosen theme is Youth Overcoming Trauma.

Awareness Week is dedicated to sharing stories of resiliency with the public and increasing support for the triumphs and challenges of these young people. The more family and youth involvement in the movement, the better!

Help spread the word…

about resiliency and recovery on social media pages, in emails or your signature block.

Cyndi Lauper was keynote at the national Children’s Mental Health Awareness event in Washington, D.C. Click here to watch the celebration featuring “Heroes of Hope” stories.

Nearly 35 percent of children and youth who are reported for abuse and neglect demonstrate significant deficits in social skills. Learn more about the behavioral health impact of traumatic events on children and youth, and pass it on.

Click on the following to download: 2012 SAMHSA Short Report: Promoting Recovery & Resilience for Children & Youth Involved in Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Systems.

Click on the following to download: Identifying Mental Health and Substance Use Problems of Children and Adolescents

Prevalence of Teenage Sexual Assault
A national survey of 12- to 17-year-old youths found that 17 percent reported physical assault and 8 percent reported a lifetime prevalence of sexual assault. Learn more about the behavioral health impact of traumatic events on children and youth.

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth
LGBTQ youth who are homeless or run away are more likely to report victimization on the streets than heterosexual runaway youth. Click here to learn more about the behavioral health impact of such traumatic events and pass the awareness on!

“Heroes for My Son” Children’s Mental Health Awareness Booklet Now Available 
New York Times bestselling author Brad Meltzer has provided select vignettes from his first non-fiction book, “Heroes for My Son.” The booklet features inspiring tales of modern-day heroes and prominent figures, such as Nelson Mandela and Anne Sullivan, with room at the end of the booklet for readers to write about their own hero. Click here to download the booklet.

StopBullying.gov Resources
To place your order for the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) free, research-based bullying prevention resources, please call 888.ASK.HRSA. Certain resources can also be ordered online. Visit ask.hrsa.gov, click on the “Search Publications” link, enter “bullying” into the search box and click “submit.” You may also email Erin Reiney, MPH, CHES, at  EReiney@hrsa.gov.

Collaborating Organizations
View organizations supporting Children’s Mental Health Awareness 2012. Learn how yours can too!

Click here to see how Communities celebrated Children’s Mental Health Awareness 2011.