Panelist | Strengthening Native American Partnerships Panel
Clint Valandra, “Crow Feather,” a name given to him by his Lakota grandmother to commemorate his great-grandfather’s feat, is of Blackfeet and Lakota descent, with French and Irish roots. Born in Rosebud, South Dakota, and raised in Browning, Montana, he grew up as one of ten siblings.
His education began at Cut Bank Boarding School and continued through earning a bachelor’s degree from Troy University.
In 2023, he established Willow Creek Productions to provide cultural presentations and training in traditional games for youth and adults, demonstrating his dedication to preserving Indigenous traditions and educating others.
Clint has served as the Indigenous Education Coordinator for Billings Public Schools at Skyview High School for the last 15 years. He has become a vital source of strength by advocating for and promoting Indigenous perspectives. Through his work, he inspires students to honor their heritage while embracing their futures. Additionally, he plays a key role in facilitating the Elk River Tribal Youth Council.
Clint Valandra’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference
At the 2025 Yellowstone Conference, Clint Valandra will join the Strengthening Native American Partnerships panel, where he’ll share his expertise in leveraging community partnerships for collective impact.
Moderator | Strengthening Native American Partnerships Panel
Named after her great-grandmother, Josephine Pine, a Northern Cheyenne tribal member, Josie Brady serves as the Native American Resource Coordinator at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. She works to create a supportive environment for Native American youth, focusing on cultural connection and engagement in treatment programming.
Josie has initiated a weekly Wellbriety talking circle to support those dealing with chemical dependency, collaborating with the chemical dependency team to facilitate the group. She also brought Mustang Nation to life—a club where Native American youth can gather to learn about their cultures and traditions. Josie incorporates smudging into the weekly schedule and encourages all youth and staff to participate.
She also worked with Yellowstone Academy staff to create an Indigenous garden and helps facilitate engaging, educational presentations that promote cultural awareness for both youth and staff.
Previously, Josie gained experience with Billings Public Schools, leading initiatives at the elementary and middle school levels. These included organizing events such as Family Night and Grandparents’ Night, as well as coordinating summer programs designed to bring cultural education to students across grade levels.
Josie Brady’s Role at the 2025 Yellowstone Conference
At this year’s Yellowstone Conference, Josie Brady will moderate the “Strengthening Native American Partnerships” panel, where she’ll lead a discussion on leveraging community partnerships for collective impact.
“It sure makes a difference when you know somebody cares.”
Those words guided Franklin LeRoy (Rabe) Robbie, founder of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, whose faith, compassion, and vision continue to shape the organization today.
Below is the story of Franklin Robbie—and how a life rooted in faith and resilience unfolded into a vision that gave birth to Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR), a place where children could find structure, care, and belonging.
A Life Shaped by Faith and Resilience
Born on December 5, 1918, in Minneapolis, Franklin Robbie was the eldest of nine children to Rudolph and Leona Rabe. His father’s ministry led the family to move often—seven schools before graduation—and being left-handed in a right-handed world made learning even tougher. Yet through it all, Franklin’s resilience began to shine.
At fourteen, a ruptured appendix nearly took his life. An experimental treatment saved him, sparking a lifelong faith in God’s purpose. At fifteen, he made a personal commitment to Christ—a decision that became the compass for his life and work.
Soon after, at a church camp, he met Merle Middleton, who became his partner in life and ministry for nearly fifty years. Together they raised three children—Barbara, Wesley, and Kathy—and devoted their lives to helping others.
Franklin Robbie’s Call to Ministry
In 1948, Franklin Robbie moved his family to Montana to serve as pastor of Knees Community Church. There, he inspired his congregation to dedicate “God’s Acres,” where crops grown on donated land funded a parsonage. Within a year, a new home stood as a testament to faith, work, and community spirit.
Later, through Youth for Christ, Franklin began visiting correctional schools and meeting boys burdened by neglect and hardship—“little boys with big problems,” as he called them. Those encounters planted the seeds of what would become his life’s mission.
The Vision That Became Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch
In 1957, Franklin Robbie and Merle moved to Billings, Montana, to open Yellowstone Boys Ranch—a leap of faith born from conviction and compassion. With limited means but an unshakable belief in what was possible, they created a home where children could find love, structure, and belonging.
What began as one small home grew into Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, an organization that has since touched tens of thousands of young lives across Montana and beyond.
Franklin Robbie’s ability to connect with people was unmatched—he drew in ranchers, business leaders, and neighbors, transforming them into lifelong supporters united by care and purpose.
A Legacy Beyond One Ranch
Franklin Robbie’s leadership extended far beyond Billings. Over three decades, he advised 23 child-care agencies nationwide, promoting financial stability through his “pay as we go” philosophy. His approach helped YBGR and other nonprofits remain strong, debt-free, and mission-focused.
Away from his work, Franklin Robbie was a husband, father, and friend who loved skiing, gardening, and woodworking. His home was filled with laughter, stories, and the joy of family. Even in his eighties, he lived with curiosity, creativity, and gratitude.
Love, Loss, and New Beginnings
In 1988, Franklin lost his beloved Merle to cancer after his own heart surgery. Her passing left a deep void, but her parting wish—that he find love again—brought new hope. He later married Peggy Oberweiser, whose warmth and care, along with her son Jonathan, renewed his joy in later life.
The Lasting Legacy of Franklin Robbie
Franklin Robbie’s proudest legacy wasn’t just the ranch he built—it was the lives he changed. From his own family to the thousands of youth who found healing and hope through YBGR, his life’s work continues to ripple through generations.
When Franklin Robbie passed away on March 21, 2014, at age 95, he left behind a story of faith, perseverance, and compassion that continues to guide YBGR’s mission today.
“It sure makes a difference when you know somebody cares.”
Because Franklin Robbie cared, generations have been forever changed—and his dream lives on each time a child finds hope, healing, and belonging at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.
Learn More About Our History
Visit our History page to explore the story—and the caring people—who gave birth to our mission. Their vision continues to touch the lives of thousands of youth across Montana and beyond each year.
Want to dive deeper? You can also find A Legacy of Caring, written by our founder, Franklin Robbie, on Amazon.
Did you know June marked our 68th year of caring for kids?
In June of 1957, after purchasing the old O’Rourke Farm west of Billings, we welcomed the first child into our care—planting the roots of what would become Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.
It all began with a bold response to injustice: At the time, young boys—some barely old enough to ride a bike—were being housed alongside adult criminals at the Montana State Industrial School. Franklin Robbie saw it and said, not on our watch. There has to be a better way.
What started as a safe haven soon grew into a therapeutic residential treatment center for youth.
A Legacy of Caring Takes Root
By the fall of 1973, we had already served 400 youth. In 1977, we began transitioning from long-term custodial care to short-term therapeutic treatment, launching our first Pilot Assessment and Treatment programs in Orth Lodge.
In June 1980, The Wrangler announced a historic milestone: the decision to admit girls to our Brekkeflat Assessment and Treatment Lodge. That edition also marked the first time we were referred to as Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.
The 1990s brought another important step forward. We were approved by the State of Montana to pilot Medicaid reimbursement for Psychiatric Residential Treatment Services—ensuring access to critical care for youth with significant mental health needs.
And in 1999, we expanded into community-based services, stepping outside the walls of the Ranch to meet kids where they live, learn, and grow.
Visit our History page to explore the story—and the caring people—who gave birth to our mission. Their vision continues to touch the lives of thousands of youth across Montana and beyond each year.
Want to dive deeper? You can also find A Legacy of Caring, written by our founder, Franklin Robbie, on Amazon.
Suicide is a tragedy of epic proportions. To paint a picture, in 2023, 49,316 Americans took their own life. Overall, it’s the 10th leading cause of death in the United States and the 2nd for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and we want to shed light on this critical topic because education saves lives. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into prevention strategies.
Addressing Suicide Through Systemwide Prevention
Preventing suicide requires more than individual action—it takes coordinated efforts across communities and systems. Below are key strategies that can make a life-saving difference.
Identify & Assist Persons at Risk
The first step in preventing suicide is to identify populations at risk. Then, educate the people who work with them on suicide warning signs and intervention strategies, so they’re empowered to save lives.
Public awareness campaigns and education can reduce barriers to seeking treatment, ultimately helping individuals receive life-saving support.
Organizational Linkages & Seamless Transitional Care
There’s no question that when organizations communicate and work together to wrap around the people they serve, it equates to excellent client care. In essence, it serves as a buffer, ensuring no suicide warning signs are missed and that people move seamlessly between different levels of care.
Create Systems to Respond to People in Crisis
Putting systems in place for those in crisis is essential and is not limited to mental health. Everything from emergency shelters to food stamps, and of course, mental health crisis call centers play a critical hand in preventing suicide.
Encourage Social Connectedness
Social isolation is a significant risk factor for suicide. Thus, communities that create systems to foster social connections can significantly reduce risk. Free community events, volunteer programs, and support groups are all great ways to bring people together.
Together, We Can Save Lives
Suicide prevention isn’t just about one program or one conversation—it’s about building communities where no one falls through the cracks. When we dismantle stigma, strengthen support systems, and foster connection, we create the conditions where hope has a chance to grow.
Join Montana Psychiatry & Brain Health Center in the exploration of innovative approaches to treating depression and suicidality at this continuing education event for mental health professionals at the Ranch.
Date & Time:
Wednesday, October 15th, 2025 5:30 – 7:30 PM MDT
Location:
Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Chapel 1701 Ray of Hope Lane, Billings, MT 59106
When traditional interventions fall short, what’s next? Beyond Medication is a 1.5 CE Hour professional development event bringing together experts in psychiatry and counseling to explore practical, evidence-based strategies for depression and suicidality.
Attendees will:
Learn practical skills for supporting clients in crisis
Explore emerging alternatives such as ketamine therapy, TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation), and psychedelic-assisted therapy
Engage in an interactive panel discussion with leaders across the mental health field
CE Credit Information
This event offers 1.5 CE Hours, eligible for: LCSW, LAC, LCPC, LMFT, LMSW, LBSW, and CBHPSS
Why Attend?
With one in five adults in the U.S. experiencing a mental health condition each year, equipping providers with effective, innovative tools is more important than ever. Join us for an evening of collaboration, learning, and practical takeaways to strengthen mental health care and build resilient communities.
In the United States, roughly 135 people die by suicide every day. And for every life lost, countless others are left in the wake, making the magnitude of grief and loss at the hands of this tragedy astronomical.
September is Suicide Prevention Month. To honor it, we’re exploring the topic of suicide because education saves lives. Today, we’re taking a closer look at how to support suicide survivors.
Listen to the TED Talk below, where psychologist Erica Lennon brings attention to suicide and shares her experience of losing a client to it.
The truth is, nearly all of us have been affected by suicide. It’s a common tragedy that we don’t often speak openly about.
Intimate survivors are often riddled with guilt and complex feelings of grief, which makes navigating support all the more difficult for people closely involved.
What Sets Suicide Grief Apart from Other Losses
In addition to typical feelings associated with grief and loss, survivors of suicide often grapple with the following:
Stigma & Isolation
Talking about suicide can be challenging for survivors because of differing cultural and religious viewpoints, leading to conflicting emotions and difficulties navigating conversations on the topic.
Mixed Emotions
When death is by suicide, people often mourn the loss and hold intense feelings surrounding the circumstances of the death. Emotions such as anger and feelings of abandonment and rejection can all occur after a suicide, alongside positive feelings about the deceased. Sorting through all of these various emotions can make the healing process more challenging.
Needing to Understand Why
Searching to understand the circumstances of losing someone to suicide can lead to the question of “Why?” As a result, people may second-guess actions, hold feelings of guilt, and wonder if they missed signs or could have done something different to prevent the tragedy.
Loss by suicide increases the risk for suicide among survivors.
5 Ways to Support Someone After a Suicide Loss
Below are five ways you can support someone who’s experienced loss by suicide.
Promote Self-Care
Healing takes time and starts with self-care. Encourage those grieving to engage in activities that promote wellness.
Offer Resources
Be prepared to provide resources such as local support groups, mental health professionals, and self-help options.
Parenting is a journey filled with challenges, growth, and meaningful moments. To support you along the way, we’ve gathered eighteen powerful quotes on purposeful parenting—designed to guide, inspire, and encourage you no matter where you are on the path.
Purposeful Parenting Quotes
Quote 1: Children don’t say, “I had a hard day, can we talk?” They say, “Will you play with me?” – Lawrence Cohen
Quote 2: Too often, we forget that discipline really means to teach, not to punish. A disciple is a student, not a recipient of behavioral consequences. – Daniel J. Siegel
Quote 3: If you want your child to improve, focus on their strengths more than their weaknesses. – Unknown
Quote 4: Every child’s behavior is telling us something. Our job is to see the behavior as information, not aggravation. – Unknown
Quote 5: If your children fear you, they cannot trust you. If they do not trust you, they cannot learn from you. – Lori Petro
Quote 6: Children behave best when they feel most loved. Shame isn’t a strategy to encourage good behavior; it leads to compliance and then to rebellion. – Sarah Boyd
Quote 7: A parent’s voice becomes a child’s self-talk. Let’s wire our kids for self-compassion, not self-criticism. – Unknown
Quote 8: Respond to your children with love in their worst moments, their broken moments, their angry moments, their selfish moments, their lonely moments, their frustrated moments, their inconvenient moments. Because it is in their most unlovable human moments that they most need to feel loved. – L.R. Knost
Quote 9: Our kids are counting on us to provide two things: consistency and structure. Kids need parents who say what they mean, mean what they say, and do what they say they are going to do. – Barbara Coloroso
Quote 10: Parents who pay attention can avoid power struggles, even with strong-willed kids, by empathizing as they set limits, give choices, and understand that respect goes both ways. – Dr. Laura Markham
Quote 11: “No” is not a complete thought. If we want our children to learn to think like adults, we need to explain our adult thinking. Don’t command. Communicate. – L.R. Knost
Quote 12: We teach our kids how honest they can be with us based on how we react when they tell us things we don’t want to hear. – Susan Stiffleman
Quote 13: If we want to stop our child’s aggression, we have to stop focusing on the behavior and respond to their feelings. – Sarah Rosensweet
Quote 14: Hitting a child doesn’t teach them that the stove or the road or the outlet isn’t safe. It teaches them that the person hitting them isn’t safe. – L.R. Knost
Quote 15: When a child is upset, logic often won’t work until we have responded to the right brain’s emotional needs. – Dr. Dan Siegel
Quote 16: Our children need to know that mistakes are okay, imperfections are normal, and failure is just a step on the path to success. – L.R. Knost
Quote 17: It’s not our job to make our kids happy. They’re allowed to be upset, sad, and feel however they feel. It’s our job to hold space for all their feelings so they don’t feel alone in their distress. – Blimie Heller
Quote 18: Being harder on our children doesn’t make them stronger. People are strengthened through compassion and understanding. No matter their age or gender. – Lelia Schott
Every story has a first chapter. For Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Orth Lodge is a cornerstone of that chapter.
In 1959, what began as a leftover machine shed on the old O’Rourke Farm in Billings became something more. Through the generosity of our first donors, that humble structure was transformed into the Ranch’s first building, complete with sleeping quarters, a dining hall, a schoolroom, a kitchen, and staff housing.
It was more than just a place to live and work. Orth Lodge embodied a bold new vision: that Montana’s most vulnerable youth deserve safety, structure, and the chance to heal.
Today, Orth serves a new purpose: it’s a family life center, providing a welcoming space for families to stay while visiting their children in our therapeutic residential care at the Ranch.
What’s endured isn’t just the structure, but the spirit of compassion, stability, and human connection that has lived within it for decades.
As we prepare for this year’s “Living the Legacy” celebration to honor our founding, we’ll be sharing stories from our past that have shaped who we are today.
We invite you to join us on the journey.
Learn More About Our History
Visit our History page to explore the story—and the caring people—who gave birth to our mission. Their vision continues to touch the lives of thousands of youth across Montana and beyond each year.
Want to dive deeper? You can also find A Legacy of Caring, written by our founder, Franklin Robbie, on Amazon.
For kids at the Ranch, time in Montana’s wilderness is more than a day outdoors—it’s a chance to find joy, build confidence, and create lasting memories. Earlier this summer, a group set out on the trails of the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, many experiencing its beauty for the very first time. It was a powerful reminder of how healing outdoors can help kids see new possibilities for themselves.
Experiencing Montana’s Outdoors for the First Time
Some hiked rocky paths, others spotted wildlife, felt the spray of a rushing river, or paused to take in breathtaking mountain views. For many, it was an adventure that showed not only the wonder of Montana but also the strength and resilience within them.
Why These Moments Matter
These simple but profound experiences give kids a sense of belonging and remind them that joy is possible. They help kids feel connected to the world around them and confident in what they can achieve. With the encouragement of caring professionals, the memories made on these trails will last long after the hike ends.
At YBGR, we believe healing outdoors is just as vital as the work we do indoors—thriving under the wide-open skies of Montana.
