Youthprise’s Youth Innovation Associate, Essence Blakemore, attended the 2025 CJJ Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., where juvenile justice professionals and advocates gathered to exchange ideas and solutions to strengthen youth systems of care. Members of the Minnesota State Advisory Group visited Capitol Hill to advocate for increased funding for youth mental health services. Currently, there is a boarding crisis, and many mental health facilities lack the resources and accommodations needed to serve youth in urgent need of care—leaving too many young people with nowhere to go. This year’s conference was an important opportunity to advocate for policies that truly matter to young people in our state and to support youth and their families before they become involved in the justice system. #CJJ2025AnnualConference (fb)

Please register at: https://bit.ly/3Z7adzd Children’s Minnesota’s is looking for 50 participants so please only sign up if you're able to commit fully to the afternoon and participate for the full 2 hour session. Please sign up by Monday, June 2nd to participate. Children’s Minnesota, one of the largest pediatric health systems in the United States, is collaborating with a variety of community partners to complete their Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). As part of this assessment, Collective Action Lab and Children’s Minnesota are hosting an in-person open forum with YWCA to discuss specific health issues impacting their children, the access to healthcare, systemic barriers they face, social determinants of health assets and gaps, and the solutions they envision. This would allow anyone who couldn't attend the community focus groups to engage and provide feedback. We'd love for you to join us for this important discussion. 🗓 Date: June 5th, 2025 ⏰ Time: 6 – 8:00 PM CST 📍 Location: YWCA of Saint Paul, 375 Selby Avenue, St Paul, MN 55102 We want to hear from you! This is a space to share your experiences and ideas about health in your community. Your input will help shape future care and services for families like yours. ✅ Interpretation will be provided (Somali, Hmong and Spanish) ✅ Food and childcare will be provided. 🎁 Participants will receive a $75 gift card as a thank you for your time. (fb)