notMYkid has joined the Valley of the Sun United Way and a coalition of other nonprofit organizations as a partner in United Way’s plan to create Mighty Change in Maricopa County.

Together, notMYkid and United Way and other community partners will implement vital strategies to tackle bold goals which focus on creating solutions for the community’s most pressing needs.

In recognition of Red Ribbon Week, notMYkid will be hosting SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment Training) online trainings for school staff or anyone who works with youth. Join us to learn how to identify youth who may be struggling with substance misuse and successfully connect them to resources and treatment. This training is provided at no cost through the support of the Valley of the Sun United Way Mighty Change Initiative.

Online trainings will happen during Red Ribbon Week:

Wednesday, Oct. 19 from 4-5 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 21 from 12-1 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 24 from 9-10 a.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 26 from 4-5 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 28 from 12-1 p.m.

“Red Ribbon Week is a national campaign aimed at drug prevention,” said Kristen Polin, CEO of notMYkid. “It only seems natural that we do something meaningful during that week. We know many Arizona teens are struggling with substance use and we want our teachers and schools to be equipped to help.”

Valley of the Sun United Way engaged more than 1,000 community members through three communitywide surveys, 18 town hall sessions and 24 deep dive focus groups in an unprecedented effort to identify Maricopa County’s most pressing needs. The community-centered planning process led to the four key areas of focus for its new Mighty Change 2026 (MC2026) plan: health, housing and homelessness, education, and workforce development. Woven into each of the plan’s strategies is a focus on diversity, equity, access, and inclusion.

Rob Podogar, Chief Development and Community Engagement Officer at Valley of the Sun United Way said United Way listened to the community to develop the goals and strategies, and saw opportunities for nonprofit, corporate, community and government partners to work together to achieve those goals. “We are excited to bring together and support this group of incredible partners to move the needle. By working together, we will create the mighty change needed so every person in our community has the opportunity to succeed.”

About notMYkid:
notMYkid has a mission to empower and educate youth, families, and communities with the knowledge and courage to identify and prevent negative youth behavior. Recognizing that the challenges our youth face today are complex and can potentially devastate and derail futures, notMYkid passionately works to educate and protect our community’s kids by providing life-saving peer-to-peer programs and support. We are dedicated to helping youth overcome challenges during their most vulnerable years.

Following two decades of service, our nonprofit has completely transformed to meet the unique needs facing youth and their families by providing a full continuum of life-saving prevention, early intervention, behavioral health support, and wellness programs. Our team of behavioral health experts deliver the highest quality educational content, trauma-informed programs, and behavioral health services for youth to nurture healing and support growth. A calendar of events and program offerings are updated daily. For more information, resources, or to donate, visit http://www.notMYkid.org.