Mission and Vision
TEAM CONTACTS
Kara Righi (802) 595-4278; Diane Torres (802) 377-5264; Darcy Oakes (802) 447-6946
Standing Agenda
Meetings and events
Meeting dates subject to change, but we generally meet bi-monthly on the first Thursday of the odd months at 2:30pm and the locations rotate.
Standing Agenda:
- 15 minutes of agency introductions and updates
- 15-20 minutes of detailed referral and program presentation from a program in community
- 20 minutes of case consultations
- 5 minutes of feedback on the meeting (what went well, what should we change, etc.).
Upcoming Meeting:
January 13 @ 2:00 pm via Zoom:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86568973081?pwd=xEick5SvKx5zbmwG6Mat6GWpT4zf52.1
Meeting ID: 865 6897 3081
Passcode: 384186
Resources:
Vermont Youth Project Application is open: Applications close December 13th, 2024. This is a program about building youth-friendly communities and community spaces in Vermont that embrace positive youth development and seek to empower their youth to be active. The Vermont Youth Project (VYP) is ready to support your community to uplift, engage, and empower your young people. Whether your community has just started the conversation or are already champions at youth voice, VYP is adaptable to your needs! Offering 3 tiers of support, VYP is tailored to meet the needs of your community. Here is the link to the page on the website that has more details and information: https://vermontafterschool.org/vyp/
Vermont Afterschool – Professional Development Catalogue: This year’s professional development catalogue is live for your use and enjoyment. Here is the direct link to the catalogue itself: https://vermontafterschool.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2024-2025-Vermont-Afterschool-PD-Catalogue.pdf And in case you are interested in a bit more info about these opportunities and other such details they have to offer your developing professionals… Here’s the link to their Professionals and Program Resources page of their website: https://vermontafterschool.org/professionals-program-resources/
Vermont Family Network –HireAbility Pre-Employment Transition Services Workshop (recording): A recording of the HireAbility workshop on 10/3/24 can be found here, along with the presentation slides.
AOE Guidance – Supported Decision Making: This is targeted to educators but will be helpful for us to keep in mind if we are at a table where guardianship is being discussed by a team. We cannot offer legal advice to families, so this is a resource you can share in addition to VFN, Vermont Bar Association, Etc. https://education.vermont.gov/sites/aoe/files/documents/edu-supported-decision-making-information-and-guidance-for-educators.pdf
Edward Jones – Financial Investment Series for High School Students: Edward Jones has a financial investment series for high school students. It’s 5 online sessions (20 min each) on the basics of investing money and managing those investments.
The Vermont Youth Opportunity Initiative – Input and Ideas for Ensuring Youth Opportunity and Success in VT: The Vermont Youth Opportunity Initiative gathered input from over 600 Vermonters of all ages, including over 200 youth, to collect input and ideas for ensuring youth opportunity and success in Vermont. They created a really great report from this collection of information, including existing strengths, needs & gaps, and potential action steps to work toward addressing the identified needs. Youth voice, youth leadership, and youth-led spaces are central to all of this content, which goes on to include community engagement and families as well. There’s some really validating content in this report for the kind of youth empowerment work and community engagement work we all work so hard at. Here’s the link: https://www.futureofvermont.org/youth-opportunity-initiative
Announcements
Paid Internships – Senator Peter Welch for Spring 2025 and Beyond: Deadline for Spring 2025 was November 4th, however, reach out to Senator Welch’s Office Manager, Amy Lee, at [email protected] if you know anyone who is interested. Paid internships are offered in both the D.C. office and our state office. Internships in the D.C. office involve learning about the Senate legislative process and assisting office legislative, communications, and administrative staff. Internships in the state office involve learning how professional staff engage with community stakeholders and assist constituents. The internship program is intended for those who have completed at least one year of college, although applicants with compelling experience may qualify. More information about both internship opportunities and how to apply can be found at https://www.welch.senate.gov/services/internships-2/. They are offered every semester, so this could be an opportunity for Fall 2025 as well.
Vermont Care Partners – Job Opportunities for new Mental Health First Aid Trainers: Flyer attached. Vermont Care Partners has led Mental Health First Aid in Vermont for 14 years. With the ongoing expansion of interest in Mental Health Literacy programming, they are excited to expand their training team and the capacity of Vermont organizations interested in offering these courses to their communities. Instructors are invited to find classes to submit for approval and work with Vermont Care Partners to be assigned courses in their regions. They are currently accepting applications for Youth, Teen, and Adult Mental Health First Aid trainers to work in specific parts of Vermont and statewide. There is a priority for instructors in Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Rutland, Washington, and Windham counties.
Previous Meeting Notes and Recordings:
resources
Bennington County Area Resources