Youth Involvement: Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment (MY LIFE)
Magellan of Arizona is dedicated to improving the lives of youth who have experience living with mental illness and/or substance abuse.
About MY LIFE
Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment
MY LIFE (Magellan Youth Leaders Inspiring Future Empowerment) 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 consists of more than 85 youth, ages 13 to 23, who have experience with mental health, substance abuse, juvenile justice and/or foster care-related issues. Through regular meetings, local and national workshops, presentations and hip-hop performances the group empowers youth by giving them a voice in helping to improve youth and young adult programs and services in their communities. Additionally, the group is responsible for advising behavioral health professionals, community stakeholders and government officials on the issues affecting child/adolescent and young adult programs and services, and providing outreach to help reduce the stigma associated with being a young person living with a mental illness and/or substance abuse issue.
Click HERE to view the MY LIFE one-sheet, which includes MY LIFE member responsibilities.
MY LIFE Videos
-
Click HERE to view the This is MY LIFE video. The This is MY LIFE video was nominated and selected as a top ten YouTube video for the National Council Conference's "Making a Difference" video contest in March.
- Hayley Winterberg, MY LIFE chair person, was recently selected as the recipient of Mental Health America's 2010 Mpower Award. Hayley traveled to Washington, D.C. to the Mental Health America Conference in June to receive their national award, Mpower, which celebrates the life and work of a teen or young adult who has spoken out about mental health issues to educate his or her peers and fight stigma. Below you can read more about Hayley's award and watch her inspiring acceptance speech.
- 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.
Events and Activities
MY
Fest is a youth involvement festival, featuring live music,
entertainment, art, food, and information about resources and
services from a wide-variety of youth and family-based Valley
organizations, produced by MY LIFE. With a crowd of more
than 2,500 people, MY Fest's second annual event, MY Fest '09, gave
youth and families the opportunity to get involved and learn about
employment, volunteering, youth programs and other community
activities. To view news footage and video highlights of MY Fest
'09 and MY Fest '08, click HERE.
| Festival | Information |
|---|---|
|
MY Fest '10 |
MY LIFE would like to thank everyone involved in the planning of MY Fest '10 and all those who attend the event for making it a great success. MY LIFE appreciates your support and dedication. MY Fest '10 attracted approximately 5,000 participants to this year's free community event at Tempe Town Lake on April 3. Participants enjoyed inspirational music, art and entertainment while learning more about available resources related to foster care, substance abuse and mental health. To view highlights and photos from this year's event, please click HERE. The youth are excited and egger to begin planning for MY Fest '11. |
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 |
Arizona House of Representatives Lawn To view highlights from the second annual Youth Day at the Capitol, please visit the MY LIFE newsroom section at the bottom of this Web page. |
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 |
|---|---|
| Youth Leaders Unite - An exciting youth
empowerment event hosted by Arizona's MY LIFE and New Mexico's
youth POWER (Promoting Our Wellness and Encouraging
Resilience).
Youth leaders from these groups and other youth attendees will come together Friday, July 9, 2010, from 4 to 8 p.m., at the Indian Pueblo Cultural Center for an innovative event that will inspire and empower youth by giving them the opportunity to have an active voice in the planning and implementation of system of care transformations in New Mexico and beyond. MY LIFE's presentation will include a description of their innovative program including personal stories, performances, video highlights and outcomes related to their tremendous success. MY LIFE will also explain how they advocated to Magellan's Shared Governance Board for the development of peer support services for transition age youth and how their efforts have resulted in five members becoming peer support specialist as part of a new youth peer support program at the consumer run agency, Visions of Hope. |
July 9, 2010 |
| Previous Presentations | Date |
| A New Leaf - Transition from detention program | June 2010 |
| Mingus Mountain School for Girls | May 2010 |
| Scottsdale Prevention Coalition May | May 2010 |
|
The Governor's Youth Leadership Day |
April 2010 |
| Arizona Youth Summit on Underage Drinking | April 2010 |
| African American Legislative and Leadership Conference | 2010 |
| Arizona Black Expo | 2010 |
|
National Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health, Washington, DC |
Dec. 2009 |
| Arizona SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) Conference | Nov. 2009 |
|
Alternatives 2009 Uniting a Movement of Change, Omaha, Nebraska |
Oct. 2009 |
|
Council of State Governments Conference, Awards Presentation, Santa Fe, New Mexico |
Oct. 2009 |
| Arizona Department of Juvenile Correction (ADJC): Co-occurring Disorders Symposium, Plenary session | Sept. 2009 |
|
Arizona's Department of Education Ninth Annual Transition Conference: Celebrate the Journey |
Sept. 2009 |
|
Durango Juvenile Detention Center Assembly |
Aug. 2009 |
|
Third Annual National Peer Specialist Conference |
Aug. 2009 |
|
Arizona Youth Leadership Institute |
Aug. 2009 |
|
ASU Center for Applied Behavioral Health Policy (CABHP). Sedona Institute |
2009 |
|
Governor Youth Leadership Day |
2009 |
|
Youth Day at the State Capitol |
Jan. 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 |
Newsroom
MY LIFE in the news.
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
If you have any questions about your services, please call Magellan at (800) 564-5465, TTY (800) 424-9831. If you are in crisis, call the Maricopa Crisis Line at (800) 631-1314, TTY (800) 327-9254. For emergencies, please always dial 911.
This page last updated: Thursday, August 12, 2010.