Are You Ready to Be the Change?
Parent Advisory Group
The Parent Advisory Group (PAG) is made up of active parents who want to make a difference in the community by improving the system of mental health care and education for children with mood, behavioral, and emotional disorders.​ PAG is charged with serving as the advisory group for the Kalamazoo Wraps initiative to ensure family voice is taken into account as programs and policies are developed. The mission of PAG is: Improve mental health services for children and youth through our collective experiences. PAG members who attend and participate in a meaningful way, get paid a stipend for their work. Those who are interested in becoming a member should contact our family services department for more information.
Calling All Youth MOVE
Calling All Youth (CAY) Motivating Others through Voices of Experience (MOVE) is a group of young people, 9th grade to graduation, who have experience with an emotional, mood, or behavioral challenge. As a group, members work to reduce mental health stigma, educate the community, and develop their own leadership skills. They work alongside professionals, parents, and community members to improve mental health services in our community. The mission of this group is, "CAY seeks to educate and empower youth who have mood, emotional, or behavioral challenges to advocate for themselves, and use their experience and voice to improve the system of care of children's mental health services". In addition, youth who attend and participate in a meaningful way, get paid a stipend for their work. Those who are interested in becoming a member should contact our youth services department for more information.
Kalamazoo Youth Development Network
The Kalamazoo Youth Development (KYDNet) is a great opportunity to get involved in the after-school sector of Kalamazoo County. The network is connected to over 40 local youth organizations and offers an array of affinity groups to the public including youth leadership, inclusion and equity, quality coaching, and social-emotional learning. To learn about KYDNet and their community opportunities click HERE.
Join a Community Board
If you are interested in finding ways to be more involved in your community, consider joining a local board of directors. Many non-profits like ASK Family Services, are looking for dedicated individuals to help guide the work we do. At ASK Family Services, we actively recruit family members of and individuals with lived experiences with mental health challenges. A list of local non-profits can be found HERE. A list of Kalamazoo County Advisory boards can be found HERE.
Michigan Legislature
The Michigan House of Representatives and Michigan Senate can be reached via email, telephone, or postal mail. To find out about a specific bill, click HERE.
