Umatter for Youth & Young Adults

What Is Umatter® for Youth and Young Adults?

Umatter® for Youth and Young Adults (YYA) is a youth leadership and engagement initiative that includes interactive training, design and implementation of a Community Action Project (CAP) in their school community, and presentation of CAP at an event with their peers.

The goal is to promote mental health wellness including:

  • Healthy coping mechanisms and help-seeking
  • The ability to recognize when a peer needs help and how to provide it
  • Foster healthy community cultures with youth for youth
  • Address issues such as bullying, substance use, and suicide prevention

Core content and skills development include changing mindset, assessing personal strengths, building resiliency, and strategies to cope with stress, self-care, recognizing signs of distress in self and others, how to reach out for help and how to help a friend.

Elements of Umatter® YYA in 2023 - You Choose!

This year, perhaps as no other year, young people in New England are under a great deal of strain.  The rigors of the pandemic and isolation it has brought have taken a toll.

That’s why programs like Umatter® Youth and Young Adults Mental Health Promotion (Umatter® YYA) are more important now than ever before. Umatter® YYA promotes youth mental health and leadership skills. CHL works directly with adult advisors within school systems to support the delivery of a curriculum that is focused on building resilience and promoting help-seeking behaviors. Participants are supported in the creation of a Community Action Project to impact their community.

As we all are experiencing another winter with the continued impacts of a pandemic, CHL is offering more flexibility in how schools and youth engage with the Umatter® YYA. We are moving to an “a la carte” approach with the following discrete pieces:

  1. Youth Engagement Speaker (formerly “Kick off”) Event ~ March 10, 2022
  2. Community Action Projects (CAP) – schools and youth teams receive a stipend for production of a CAP, supported by CHL.
  3. Curriculum – Adult Advisors lead Umatter YYA curriculum sessions which include planning CAPs. CHL offers facilitation, support, and coaching.

Here are what Umatter® YYA participants are saying about their experience:

Umatter® helped me gain self-confidence and make new friends

I have definitely stepped up more as a leader… It’s cool that I can teach others about what I have learned and touch on the issue of suicide…. It’s good to have the knowledge about how we can help someone in that situation.

I like being a part of a group that is actively trying to improve the school and the life of students.

People should join Umatter® YYA if they want to make a difference in their communities. By normalizing the conversation on mental health, we help people feel less alone which ultimately brings people together.

What is Umatter® YYA —
Program Video

Our video won the FIRST PLACE Community Impact Award at the 22nd Video Festival Alliance for Community Media.  This video was produced in partnership with in Brattleboro Community Television.

There are no fees to participate.  School teams are enrolling in Umatter® YYA now.

If you are interested in joining any or all of these experiences, please email Karen at karen@healthandlearning.org.

Umatter® YYA Updates

Primary Care Provider Well Visit Information

“Developed By And For Youth!”​

The promotion of primary care well visits is a project of the Umatter Youth and Young Adult program supported by the Vermont Department of Health.

Take Charge of Your Healthcare!

Umatter® 2018-19 YYA Program concludes

The Umatter® 2018-19 YYA Program is complete with 68 youth participants who implemented Mental Health Wellness Community Action Projects in their schools.

Adult Facilitator Role

  • Recruit youth from your school/organization: Create and implement recruitment plan for engaging a diverse group of youth from your school/organization.
  • Participate in Umatter® YYA Virtual Kick-Off Training event: Complete and return the technology assessment from CHL for participating in the virtual event, organize student group to attend virtually, assist with making sure all resources and tools for the day have been received at the school, actively facilitate (with guidance from CHL) the experiential activities with your teams. 
  • Coordinate regular group meetings back at your school/organization: Facilitate activities to build group cohesion, reinforce curriculum content, and plan a Community Action Project (CAP). 
  • Maintain ongoing communication with Umatter Program Specialist and attend monthly (virtual meetings): You will receive regular emails providing group facilitation tips and activities; complete monthly report on group’s progress. Anyone from your team, youth or adult facilitator, can attend the monthly check in meetings. 
  • Support youth in carrying out a Mental Health Wellness CAP: Submit a brief one-page proposal including project costs and a final report. 
  • Celebrate, reflect, and inspire further action at culminating statewide event: Organize all facets of getting your group to and from the event. Support youth in preparing a presentation of their CAP. Provide feedback through written survey and focus group.

Interested in Umatter® For Youth & Young Adults?

The program can be implemented in a one day event or in multiple sessions comprised of workshops for youth and young adults to learn about promoting positive mental health. Youth and young adults then utilize the information they learn and share it with others through the development of a local community action project. Currently, the program is being developed for implementation in local settings over multiple sessions, with a peer development model and workbook for individualized learning.

Please Contact Us With Questions: