Huffpost - May 7, 2017 by Mary Lee There are more than 400,000 foster children in state custody right now. Every year, more than 20,000 age out without being reunited with their biological family or finding a new one through adoption. Every day, another child is taken...
Cuts and stretched services are affecting the mental health of carers in the sector, with many too ashamed to seek help. The Guardian- March 22, 2017 by Emily Reynolds Understanding around mental health is improving: campaigns such as Time To Change have drawn public...
Reuters - November 27, 2017 by Lisa Rapaport (Reuters Health) - One in five teens are victims of bullying, and these adolescents are about twice as likely to bring guns and knives to school than peers who aren’t bullied, a U.S. study suggests. Researchers examined how...
Sunshine and Hurricanes - November 28th, 2017 by Michelle Meyers Parenting a teen (or tween) isn’t easy. We have certainly heard all the horror stories of defiance, disrespect and general disinterest. But, often such tales of teenage turbulence are wildly exaggerated....
Life as Mama - September 3, 2015 Parenting a toddler certainly has it’s ups and downs. It can be absolutely wonderful and amazing at times, and then downright exhausting and frustrating at other times. Once a child becomes a toddler they develop a mind of their own...
Sunshine and Hurricanes - November 28, 2017 by Kira Lewis Does it feel like your disrespectful teens and tweens need an attitude adjustment? The door opens and in walks the tween or teen. You sense their arrival because the energy in the air completely shifts. You can...
The New York Times - August 17, 2017 by Aaron E. Carroll Rates of teen suicide continue to rise, federal health officials reported this month, with rates for girls higher than at any point in the last 40 years. A rational response would be to engage in evidence-based...
Psychotherapy Networker - October 1, 2012 by Janet Sasson Edgette "How do I get her to talk about her feelings?" asks Jean, a counseling intern about to meet 13-year-old Hannah for an initial appointment. "I'm not sure what to say to her." Hannah will be the first...
Mental Floss - February 2, 2012 by Kathy Benjamin For everyone who is or was a teen, here are some scientific explanations for why they behave that way. 1. Risk Taking All teenagers take stupid risks that they one day look back on and wonder what the heck they were...
WTOP - October 11, 2017 by Teta Alim WASHINGTON — October is ADHD Awareness Month, bringing attention to people who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. For parents with children who may have ADHD, it’s important to recognize symptoms and learn how they can...
What is it about mental health that makes us so afraid to talk about it? It’s time to break that stigma and start the conversation!
Parenting a child who is struggling with their mental health is stressful. To help guide you as you reach out for help we put together this easy quiz.
As we head into the summer it is time take a deep breath. Here are some tips from Barbara Smith, a therapist in our Bozeman office.
Here are five ways that Youth Dynamics is working to address child abuse in Montana.
We all know about the benefits of self-care but where many people get stuck is in how to self-care, We try to answer all of these questions below.
The entire Youth Dynamics team met at the Chico Hot Springs on May 2-3 for our Annual All Staff Retreat. The theme of this year's retreat was Dealing with Secondary Trauma - Self-Care. The two days was set up with stations for YDI staff to try new self care...
So, you've taken the plunge and have reached out for help for your child. Now you find your self rushing from place to place, meeting all sorts of new professionals who say they are here to help you. It can be very confusing! Here are some tips from a (former) case...
Mental health issues affect 1 out of 5 children and teens in the United States. Depression is among one of the most common mental health issues for youth, affecting anywhere from 10% to 15% of kids.
Reaching out for help can be the scariest step for families. Here is what getting help with Youth Dynamics looks like for most families in our services.
As Youth Dynamics expands across the state, we are truly fortunate to serve a growing number of Montana youth and their families and have a positive impact on their lives. It is an honor to watch many of the children we serve graduate from our services and stay on a...
Law enforcement in the United States arrests 1.3 million youth and children every year. In Montana alone, over 4,000 youth were arrested in 2014. These high numbers make it crucial to learn how involvement with the justice system influences the development and health...
Gerre Maillet discusses how anybody can support children in foster care, even if they are not ready to become foster parents themselves.
![[Infographic] Montana Youth Suicide by the Numbers](https://www.youthdynamics.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/The-Importanceof-literacy-2-featured-image.png)
Suicide continues to be a very big issue. This infographic highlights some of the most important statistics about suicide by Montana youth in 2015.
Peter Degel CEO hosted a call January 25th, to share the successes of the last year and exciting future plans with the Youth Dynamics team.
Suicide is a scary thought for most parents. Nicole Bergman discusses what parents can do if they are concerned about their child.
This is the one time of year we all (with the exception of Scrooge) share the common goal to be happy. We expect ourselves to be happy. Our favorite people who we may not get to see very often come to town. We feel happy with our lit candles, the taste of our favorite...
Peggy Leinart-Murch is one of Youth Dynamics most devoted therapists. She became a Licensed Therapist this December after 17 years with our agency. Peggy travels to the rural areas of South Eastern Montana every week bringing mental health treatment to youth and...
The first purpose of the Angel Tree was to make sure that all of the kids in the Billings area group homes had a Christmas. "The kids are away from their families and being able to give them a little extra love in this time is important," Shirley Bulluck, Intake...
Are you looking for a rewarding job where you can make a difference? At Youth Dynamics we take great pride in our work and our team. We are looking for everything from therapists, to part-time mentors and group home counselors, and more. Youth Dynamics is a great...
At first, I mechanically wrote something that resembled other ‘asks’ from us and other nonprofits in the area when I wrote this blog post. When I finished I couldn’t figure out why I didn’t like it, until I saw that it was simply too similar to other holiday donation...