Participants: Champaign, McHenry, Cook
- Champaign is knowledgeable of Youth MOVE National
- Youth MOVE Illinois purpose is to start a state wide youth organization, everyone across the state has access to it
- Needed Champaign
o Support system for peer ambassadors
§ Peer Ambassadors- AFAM teen grp that works with at risk youth, decision making trainings, counseling, change group how to change different problems, JDC focus group, building upon their strengths, sit on SAMSHA iniative board. Leadership development
o A place to go because they have so much free time
o Need a centralized place to build their network
o Jobs – some sort of responsibilities
- Needed McHenry County
o Would love to develop peer a
o Support youth who make decisions in clinical programs
o At-risk by not in J
o Understanding rights
o Free time
o Demographics- suburb
o Assess to recreational centers
o Transportation
o Jobs and traingings
o Helping families with rent and basic necessities
o Immigrant
o Youth feel very isolatedà struggling alone…barrier to treatment
- Need Cook County
o Job Placement and training
o High school drop outs
o Violence
o High school diplomas and GEDs
o Something to do
o Currently focus afterschool programming and transition aged youth
o In some parts there is a great need for services for undocumented immigrants
THEMES
Potential to impact policy
Youth Play a role in health care reform
Funding to support high risk
Peer to peer change in medicare billing
Federation may be able toassist (Andrea Barnes and Eric)
Transition to independence
Safe communities
Important to get the peer to peer supportà sooner or later it will be in place and will help youth be at the table. Nice to have processs done earlier
Mission Statement:
Timeline: Would like to have a draft chapter application by march; continue having consistent calls to support communities; finalize applicationin March when champaign infrastructure is more solidified
Peer Ambassadors Conference
Focus this year is on youth advocacy in media
Happening some time before mental health awareness week
McHenry and Cook willing have a presence at conference and help with preliminary
planning
