Youth peer advocates
Ongoing Events
& Training
We offer a variety of ongoing technical assistance events and trainings for Youth Peer Advocates and supervisors. Join a learning community led by staff experts and build your “toolbox” of skills to support, educate, and empower youth/young adults.
YPA Technical Assistance Trainings
Dynamic presentations on popular topics to educate and strengthen the peer workforce. Continuing Education hours available!
Location: Zoom
Schedule: occurs monthly on the third Thursday from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Upcoming Dates
Aug 20, 2026
September – no meeting
Oct 15, 2026
November 19, 2026
December – no meeting
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rcu2tqzstG9BiEnf4lBZFZ6xWcmHSglBT#/registration
Strategic Storytelling: Using Lived Experience with Purpose
Thursday, August 20, 2026 @ 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Youth Peer Advocates regularly share parts of their lived experience to build trust and connection with the young people they support. But how can YPAs do this in ways that are intentional, ethical, and truly helpful for the youth in front of us?
This session explores how to use your story as a purposeful tool in peer relationships—not just to relate, but to support growth, hope, and engagement.
Participants will learn how to:
- Share lived experience in ways that center the youth’s needs—not their own
- Use storytelling to model resilience and possibility
- Set boundaries to protect both themselves and the young person
- Match their story to specific support or advocacy goals in the moment
Presenter: MiMi Phillips, Youth Training Coordinator
Download Flyer: YPA TA Training August 2026
Registration link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0rcu2tqzstG9BiEnf4lBZFZ6xWcmHSglBT#/registration
YPA Lived Experience Cafe
Whether you are new to your role or have been a Youth Peer Advocate for many years, the Lived Experience Cafe is a YPA networking group to share experiences, innovative and effective practices, knowledge and skills, solution to barriers and challenges, and key information supporting your role as Youth Peer Advocates!
Location: Zoom
Schedule: occurs monthly on the fourth Wednesday from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Upcoming Dates
June 24, 2026
July 22, 2026
August 26, 2026
September 23, 2026
October 28, 2026
November 25, 2026
December – no meeting
YPA Supervisor Cafe
Open forum for YPA supervisors to discuss the challenges and successes of supervising youth peer advocates and to support role clarity.
Location: Zoom
Schedule: occurs bi-monthly on the second Tuesday from 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Upcoming Dates
August 11, 2026
October 13, 2026
December 8, 2026
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtdu-sqz4jHdAVGFYqrHPbikNW_vaD-iL7#/registration
Youth Peers Meeting
YPM is a monthly statewide meeting for students and youth, Youth Peer Advocates (YPA), Certified Recovery Peer Advocates (CRPA), and others in similar peer-based roles (ages 12-30) to connect and have an open discussion to share tools and strategies, advocacy, and workforce development.
Location: Zoom
Schedule: occurs monthly on the second Wednesday from 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Upcoming Dates
July 8, 2026
August 12, 2026
September 9, 2026
October 14, 2026
November – no meeting
December 9, 2026
Registration Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUsd-2uqzgsHda6I9WFL29U-rIJbL2Jh5i9#/registration
Never miss a TA training! Click the video below to view our YouTube Playlist.
