Youth First’s mission is to strengthen youth and families by providing evidence-based programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success.
Our mission is to strengthen youth and families through evidence-based programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success.
Our mission is to strengthen youth and families through evidence-based programs that promote mental health, prevent substance misuse, and maximize student success.
Youth First partners with schools churches businesses communities local agencies to provide
a menu of proven programs and strategies.
News
Upcoming Events
Family First Growth at CMOE – 09/26/2023 – 12/18/2023
In It To Win It – In-Person Program – 10/11/2023 – 11/29/2023
Family First Success – Tekoppel – 10/16/2023 – 12/18/2023
Send us a message to learn more about Youth First programs
For more information about Youth First’s programs and services, please provide your name, email address and a brief message about the nature of your inquiry. We’ll get your contact info to the appropriate person and get back with you as soon as possible.
How You Can Support Local Youth
Be a part of our life-changing work by donating, volunteering, or sponsoring an event!
A generous donor wants to ensure our future is bright with a matching gift opportunity. If we raise $100,000 each year for the next 10 years, it will be matched by this donor!
Helping a Child Grieve
Counties, Youth First BlogBy Callie Sanders, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. Did you know that children experience grief differently than adults? Most children are aware of death even if they do not understand it fully. Experiencing grief firsthand can be very confusing to children at any age. They may go from upset and crying one minute, to play and positivity the next. […]
Regulating Emotions
All Posts, Counties, Youth First BlogBy Valorie Dassel, MSW, LCSW, LCAC, Youth First, Inc. In the era of social media, we’ve probably all watched a viral video of an adult throwing a temper tantrum in public. Imagine if the people in those videos had the skills to calm themselves down before expressing a reaction. If they were able express their […]
How to Help Your Perfectionist Child
Counties, Youth First BlogBy Brooke Skipper, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. If you have a perfectionist child, you most likely already know it. You’ve witnessed the crying episodes, self-doubt, and meltdowns. Perfectionist children set unrealistic goals and then place enormous pressure on themselves to reach those goals. While it’s good for kids to hold high expectations of themselves, […]
Making a Mental Health Checklist to Prepare Students for College
All Posts, Counties, Youth First BlogBy Abby Betz, MSW, LSW, Youth First, Inc. Now that our youngest children are back in school, it is time to start thinking about college-aged students returning to campus. We spend lots of time preparing our youngsters for going “back to school,” but what about our college students? Are we preparing our young adults for […]
“Smart” Ways of Managing Anxiety
Counties, Youth First BlogBy Heather Miller, MSW, LCSW, Youth First, Inc. Sometimes anxiety happens without much warning. One minute everything is fine. The next minute, “what- ifs” can become all consuming. Typically, teens and adults have a smartphone readily accessible. It may be feasible to grab your phone and try the following tips to help manage anxiety. Anxiety is a […]