Written By: John Dellick
This blog highlights events that Youth MOVE Ohio has participated in during the month of May!
Youth MOVE Ohio is a youth and young adult-led organization devoted toward improving services and systems to promote youth inclusion, mental wellness, positive supports, and healthy transitions.
You can learn more about Youth MOVE Ohio here >>
17th Annual Resiliency Ring
The Resiliency Ring is an annual event that brings youth & young adults, parents & providers, and local & state lawmakers together to celebrate resiliency and Child Mental Health Awareness Day every May.
This year was our first year back in person since the start of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Youth MOVE Ohio kicked off the event by doing a press release at the Ohio Statehouse, which was followed by lunch at the Sheraton Hotel conference room. OHMAS Director Lori Criss and others from the state were in attendance, along with youth from across Ohio. Several youth spoke on what makes them resilient. Six schools joined via zoom to have a live discussion with Director Criss and other state officials about how the pandemic has directly affected them and offered solutions to these unique challenges.
At the end of the event, everyone went outside and made a huge circle to form the Resiliency Ring! Everyone stood together and celebrated what makes them resilient!
NAMI Conference
This year’s NAMI Ohio Conference was held May 13th and 14th. Youth MOVE Ohio had a booth where we passed out information on Mobile Response Stabilization Services, Youth MOVE Ohio care cards, foldable frisbees and other information. To end the first day of the Conference, members put together a presentation that highlighted the work that they have been doing throughout the pandemic! From helping to develop Ohio’s first Youth Peer Support Curriculum, developing a 14 Day Stay Healthy at Home challenge that was accessed by 20,000 people online during the start of the pandemic, weekly support zooms, and distributing 1,200 hula hoops; 2,000 frisbees; 1000 care cards; 500 t-shirts and 400 care packages to youth across Ohio. The presentation ended with Youth MOVE Ohio members having a “special delivery” and distributing care packages to all attendees at the conference!