Get Involved

Youth Involvement

Magellan of Arizona is dedicated to improving the lives of youth who have experience living with mental illness and/or substance abuse.

MY LIFE

About MY LIFE

Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment

Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment (MY LIFE) gives youth an opportunity use their experience, talents and voice to make positive changes in their lives while helping others to do the same.

MY LIFE is made up of youth between the ages of 13 and 23 who have experience with mental health, substance abuse and/or foster care-related issues. Through regular meetings and local and national workshops, presentations and performances, the group focuses on important issues affecting youth. MY LIFE provides an excellent opportunity for youth to have an active voice in the planning and implementation of system transformations to improve behavioral health care in Maricopa County.

MY LIFE member responsibilities include:

• Advising Magellan of Arizona and providers on issues affecting child/adolescent and young adult programs and services with special focus on the transition from the child to adult system
• Working with other youth boards and community groups on a variety of community based project
• Providing the youth leadership and outreach necessary to help reduce the stigma associated with being a young person living with a mental illness and/or substance abuse issues
• Performing other duties as determined by MY LIFE members

Click HERE to view the MY LIFE one-sheet

MY LIFE Videos

• Click HERE to view the This is MY LIFE video

• To view more videos of MY LIFE, please visit the AZ MY LIFE You Tube page.

Get Involved

MY LIFE meets the first and third Wednesday of each month, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Community Bridges, Bill Wilson Hall located at 2770 E. Van Buren St., Phoenix, AZ 85008. Entrance is in the rear of building.

Presentations

MY LIFE presentation team includes speakers, dancers, entertainment and workshops to present to youth and adults at conferences, schools, treatment centers, juvenile detention centers and other locations.

Upcoming Presentations	Date
MY LIFE's 2010 presentation schedule is coming soon
Previous Presentations	Date
National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, Washington, DC   For more information about the conference, please visit http://www.ffcmh.org/	December 4 to December 9, 2009
Arizona SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Conference	November 3, 2009
Alternatives 2009 Uniting a Movement of Change, Omaha, Nebraska	October 28 to November 1, 2009
Council of State Governments Conference, Awards Presentation, Santa Fe, New Mexico Presentations with Dr. Laura Nelson, Arizona Department of Health Services; and Dr. Richard Clarke, CEO, Magellan of Arizona	Sunday, October 4, 2009
Arizona Department of Juvenile Correction (ADJC): Co-occurring Disorders Symposium, Plenary session	September 25, 2009
Arizona's Department of Education Ninth Annual Transition Conference: Celebrate the Journey	September 22 and 23, 2009
Durango Juvenile Detention Center Assembly	August 14, 2009
Third Annual National Peer Specialist Conference	August 26, 2009
Arizona Youth Leadership Institute	August 29, 2009
ASU Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy (CABHP). Sedona Institute	2009
Governor Youth Leadership Day	2009
Youth Day at the State Capitol	January 2009
Cesar Chavez Behavioral Health Conference	2009
National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health	2008
State Adolescent Substance Abuse Conference	2008
Mental Health Awareness Coalition Visions of Change Conference	2008

 

Events and Activities

Magellan Youth Festival (MY Fest)

Festivals	Information
MY Fest '10	SAVE THE DATE! April 3, 2010 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Tempe Beach Park 54 W. Rio Salado Pkwy Tempe, AZ 85281
My Fest '09	Click HERE to view footage from MY Fest '09 (coming soon)
My Fest '08	Click HERE to view footage from MY Fest '08

Youth Day at the Capitol

MY LIFE members meet face-to-face with Arizona State Representatives, Senators and staff to share ideas on how to reduce stigma and educate our community on mental health, substance abuse, and foster care-related issues.  MY LIFE members shared information initiatives, performances, poetry and art.

Date	Information
Youth Day at the Capitol '10 February 10, 2010	Arizona House of Representatives Lawn 1700 W. Washington Ave.   Phoenix, AZ 85007 English flyer |
Youth Day at the Capitol '09 January 27, 2009	Arizona House of Representatives Lawn 1700 W. Washington Ave.   Phoenix, AZ 85007 English flyer | Spanish flyer

Activities

• Transition to adulthood service improvements and system transformation
• Volunteer activities in the community
• Education and outreach events for other youth, families, providers and the community
• Developing a MY LIFE youth Web site
• Advocacy and stigma reduction initiatives

Newsroom

• MY LIFE members Hayley and Xavier starred in two public service announcements (PSA's) as part of the 1 in 4 campaign, which focuses on reducing the stigma associated with mental health. The PSA's aired during the month of May as part of Mental Health Awareness on 3TV. Click HERE to view these compelling PSA's.  

• More media highlights coming soon.

Contact Information

For more information or to attend a meeting, please contact:

Greg Dicharry
Development Manager
MYLIFE@MagellanHealth.com
(602) 652-5833

Para información en español por favor comuníquese con:

Alex Zavala
Directora, Reinversión y Participación Communitaria
MYLIFE@MagellanHealth.com
(602) 797-8288