History & Background
What happens when you get youth leaders in one room?
They start a movement.
The foundations of Youth MOVE (Motivating Others through Voices of Experience) National first started when youth from several states had the opportunity to meet at a national peer movement conference in 1999. Having established relationships and built friendships together around the power and importance of peer support, the group went on to present on the youth peer movement at a national System of Care summit in 2001, formally solidifying the group as a powerful voice within the youth peer movement.
After many more presentations, conferences, speeches, and work, the collective was awarded a grant which allowed them to hire their first position in 2002. It wasn’t longer after that in 2003 the youth collective formally became the National Youth Development Board (NYDB) with support from SAMHSA and was housed within the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (NFFCMH). Once again after much work and growth, NYDB became Youth MOVE National in 2007, and its own independent 501c3 nonprofit in 2013.
The Formative Years
Housed as a program within the National Federation of Families for Children’s Mental Health (NFFCMH), YMN spent the next few years building partnerships, fundraising, and even making temporary tattoos (which, like T-shirts, was also a huge deal).
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provided funding for the Dare to Dream America program. YMN’s recognition program, the Rockstar Awards, was developed in honor of those who led the path thus far. Maryland piloted a version of a Youth MOVE chapter, and in 2009, the official first three Youth MOVE chapters were accepted—in New Jersey, Florida, and Oregon.
Youth MOVErs sold 50/50 raffle tickets and T-shirts at conferences to fundraise for this new venture.
And then came time to register as a 501(c)3.
The Path to Independence
Youth MOVE National started the fall of 2012 as an independent, 501(c)3 organization. The Board of Directors hired three staff positions—an Executive Director, a Director of Member Services, and a Director of Resource and Development.
In the following years, YMN went from sponsoring youth tracks at conferences to hosting and leading the youth track at Training Institutes 2014 (and will do so again at Training Institutes 2018). It more than doubled the amount of initial staffers, secured more funding, and accepted dozens more chapters into its network.
We Believe That…
Youth are not the leaders of tomorrow—they are the leaders of today.
Youth deserve to be equal partners in the process of change.
Youth are individuals. Not cases.
Youth can motivate others through voices of experience.
Today and Tomorrow
Youth MOVE National has grown into a nationwide Chapter network with 50+ chapters in almost every state, DC, and tribal nations. Youth MOVE developed one of the first exclusively for youth by youth, peer support curriculums which highlights evidence based, validated research science, while centering around and honoring direct lived experience and stories from young people. Youth MOVE National continues to grow and expand, continuing the youth peer movement into the future with a focus on historically, and presently excluded marginalized youth communities, such as BIPOC youth, 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, and youth disabled by systems.