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When: Oct 3-5, 2010 in Helena, MTWhat: The 2010 Youth in Transition Conference is a youth and parent centered event that will assist youth with disabilities and their teams to plan and develop plans for after high school. This venue will include: A “Real Life” Fair: participants can meet with a wide variety of community re-sources. Keynote Presenters: Fun, informative, youth centered! Workshops: information that supports what was learned at the Real Life Fair. Students, parents, and all relevant team members are encouraged to attend! Topics and Information: Transition to What? Information Available: Housing Transportation Food/Clothing Recreation Employment Education/Training Financial Aid Community Service Self-Advocacy

APPLICATION—Montana Youth Leadership & Advocacy Summer Training - Anaconda - June 11 & 12, 2010 Click here to download the application (PDF) What: Training/workshop to develop leadership and advocacy skills in the system of care (SOC) for Mental Illness and in the community. Who: Youth (grades 8-12; ages 13-17) diagnosed with mental illness

Transitioning into adulthood can be awkward for nearly every young person. For transition-age youth with disabilities, issues surrounding managing Personal Assistance Services (PAS) can be intensified by normal developmental concerns such as striking out on your own and navigating the road into adulthood.  Accessing and maintaining long-term supports, such as PAS, has often been a significant barrier to employment youth and adults with disabilities. This new guide assists youth in strengthening some of the most fundamental skills essential for successfully managing their own PAS: effective communication, time-management, working with others, and establishing professional relationships.  Such skills are key to not only enhancing independence, but also thriving in the workplace and growing professionally. 

What: On May 25th Montana Youth Transitions Project sponsored a introduction meeting for service providers to gather and discuss the topic of transitioning youth from High School to life beyond High School. I hope you can join us as we move toward developing a strategic plan with other service providers to address the needs of everyone involved with serving our transitioning youth in When: August 12th 2010 from 10 am – 2 pm Where: 2121 Rosebud Dr. Billings Mt. 59102 Lunch will be provided I hope you can join us Please RSVP by August 10th, 2010 Call Patti McCubbins at 406.444.9060 or email pmccubbins@mt.gov

The Montana Youth Leadership Forum is currently recruiting delegates for the 2011 Forum to be held on the campus of Carroll College July 18-22.  All expenses of the program are covered by the program for youth to attend. MYLF serves youth with any type of disability. Those who are currently in their freshman through senior year (or equilivent age range) are eligible and encouraged to apply. You may download the application here (deadline is April1, 2011) and additional information can be found at www.montanaylf.org.

Schools that have clear policies, procedures and activities designed to prevent bullying and have supportive staff and student organizations can be effective in reducing verbal and physical harassment. These kinds of positive school climates are associated with reduced suicide risk and better mental health among LGBT students [5,6].  For youth to thrive in their schools and communities, they need to feel socially, emotionally, and physically safe. Schools, communities, parents, and youth have a role to play in building positive, supportive, and healthy environments for youth. Such environments promote acceptance and respect and help youth feel valued [7].

Click here to download the Sponsorship Letter (PDF) Click here to download the Registration Form (PDF) The 4th annual MYTransitions Conference will be held at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls, MT on November 9-11, 2011. The conference organizers, MYTransitions, is a non-profit committee of various agencies and individuals in Montana who are dedicated to working with youth with disabilities to establish meaningful and diverse transitions into adulthood. This year's conference will be focused on the needs and interests of individuals with disabilities and their families, and will include a Real Life Fair and various workshops related to community services and independent living options. We are committed to helping Montana's youth reach their full potential and want to make this opportunity available to as many individuals and families as possible. Your donation toward scholarships or conference expenses will help make that goal possible. To help defray the travel costs for youth with disabilities and their families and/or the costs of the conference, please complete the attached application and return it to MYTransitions, 1617 Euclid Ave., Helena, MT 59601 or as an attachment to mylfjuneh@bresnan.net. For questions or for more information, please feel free to contact June Hermanson at Ph. 406-442-2576. For conference registration information, go to www.montanayouthtransitions.org. Thank you for your partnership and investment in Montana's future.

AgrAbility recognizes the immense potential for rural youth to excel individually and contribute to their communities. Therefore, the Project seeks to: Make lifelong changes in the worldviews of rural youth by exposing them to principles and examples of disability in agriculture increase disability awareness and foster the acceptance of peers with disabilities Encourage and empower rural youth with disabilities by providing them with vital resources concerning assistive technology and other disability-related resources Supply rural youth with relevant information to share with family members, neighbors, and other community members with disabilities Provide encouragement for community service projects, by such groups as FFA chapters and 4-H groups, to assist people with disabilities

A Helena youth group is getting national recognition for their advocacy in mental health. The Hope & Advocacy Youth Group consists of four young adults that are paving the way in Montana with their message on dealing with mental health issues.

Unfortunately, boys and girls with autism often face barriers to participating fully in youth community organizations. And so with help from respected experts in the field of autism and special education, experienced parents and caregivers, we have created Leading the Way: Autism-Friendly Youth Organizations, a guide for organizations to ensure that youth with autism have the same formative experiences through community programs that are available to their typical peers.

What:The LIFFT youth and young adult peer group (students in grades 6 up to college age) is looking forward to beginning a new year having fun and working on developing the self-confidence and skills necessary to live happy, healthy, productive, and independent lives.This youth and young adult peer group is currently scheduled to meet on the fourth Thursday of each month during the winter and spring. Each meeting will include one hour of discussion on a topic relating to growing up with a disability and an hour of social/recreational activities.When:All sessions 2:00 to 4:00 pmFebruary 23, 2012March 22, 2012April 26, 2012May 24, 2012Where:Billings LIFFT Office3333 2nd Ave NorthContact:Brent Morris, Jed Barton, Jennifer NancePhone: (406) 259-5181

Download  the 2012 MYLF Application here! (PDF) Click here to download and apply to be a part of the volunteer staff!(PDF)   What:We're inviting future community leaders to attend the annual Montana Youth Leadership Forum (MYLF) for students with disabiliites. Applications forms must be postmarked by March 30, 2012.When:July 16-20, 2012Where:Helena, MTCarroll CollegeContact: June Hermanson 1617 Euclid Suite 1 Helena, MT  59601 Phone: (406) 442-2576 Fax: (406) 443-3796 Email: mylfjuneh@bresnan.netWebsite: www.montanaylf.org

As many as 40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBT, and a new Williams Institute study of youth shelters confirms this estimate. Between October 2011 and March 2012, 354 agencies completed surveys about their clients and found that about 40 percent of their homeless and non-homeless clients were LGBT (9 percent of whom identified as bisexual). About 30 percent of clients using housing-related services (like emergency shelter and transitional living programs) were LGBT.