Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch would like to invite you to attend our seventh annual Yellowstone Conference: Caring For The Caregiver being held on our main campus in Billings, MT on Thursday October 19^th, 2023. This year’s conference is focused on the caregivers that provide care to Montana’s youth and families with professional panel discussions on:

• Human Resources: Recruiting & Retention ~ Moderator: Lance Moyer, Human Resources Director for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

This panel discussion will focus on the changing recruiting & retention landscape, and the challenges faced by behavioral healthcare organizations in attracting and retaining employees that support the organization’s culture.

• Preventative Resiliency ~ Moderator: Taylor Clark, OTD R/L, Occupational Therapist for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

This panel will focus resources in the community, as well as strategies caregivers can build into their own lives to support both themselves and, by extension, those they care for.

• Applying Emotional First Aid to Caregivers ~ Moderator: John Dailey, Training Specialist for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

This panel will focus on providing emotional first aid immediately after a traumatic event reduces the psychological stress while strengthening existing coping skills and building community supports which have a positive impact on the retention and resilience of caregivers.

• Systemic Supports-Collaborating for Outcomes ~ Moderator: Mike Chavers, CEO of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch

The Systemic Supports-Collaborating for Outcomes panel will focus on how the systems and principles that can aid and impact caregivers for Montana youth and families.

5.75 CEUs and 6 OPI credits are available upon request. The conference will be offered both in-person and virtually again this year.

Conference Agenda:

Check-in starts 8:30am-9:00am

Welcome 9:00am-9:15am

Human Resources Recruitment Panel 9:15am-10:30am

Break 10:30am-10:45am

Preventative Resiliency Panel 10:45am-12:00pm

Lunch 12:00pm-1:00pm

Applying Emotional First Aid to Caregivers  1:00pm-2:15pm

Break 2:15pm-2:30pm

Collaborating for Outcomes panel 2:30pm-3:45pm

Keynote Speaker 3:45pm-4:30pm

 Click Here to purchase tickets!

Montana’s Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch will be offering free access to Karyn Purvis’ world renowned, Empowered to Connect simulcast.

Empowered to Connect (ETC) is an attachment rich community focused program that exists to support, resource, and educate caregivers. ETC’s resources and trainings are especially helpful for caregivers of children who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), toxic stress, and maltreatment. ETC relies heavily on the model of Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) created by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. David Cross at the TCU Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch staff will be on-hand to facilitate discussions throughout the presentations in order to dig deep into how these parenting techniques can be implemented in our daily lives.  

Join trauma specialist, author and national trainer, Megan Howard, LCSW, CCTP, for this intensive 3-day EMDR training that will provide you the knowledge and skills needed to use EMDR safely and effectively. Through lecture, live and videotaped EMDR demonstrations, and supervised experiential exercises, this training will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of trauma theory, principles, diagnosis and EMDR treatment.

The stage model remains today’s state-of-the-art treatment approach for all but single-incident trauma. During this training, you will learn the goals of each stage, along with the therapeutic tools to reach those goals.

You must be present for all 3 days of EMDR training to receive the hours of training certificate. CEUs will be emailed by PESI after paperwork has been processed.

Cost is $700.00 per ticket 

Purchase Tickets

Schedule:

Wednesday January 8th, 2020

• Registration 7:30am-8:00am
• Training 8:00am-11:50am
• Lunch 11:50am-1:00pm (Lunch on your own)
• Training 1:00pm-4:00pm 

Thursday January 9th, 2020

• Training 8:00am-11:50am
• Lunch 11:50am-1:00pm (Lunch on your own)
• Training 1:00pm-4:00pm 

Friday January 10th, 2020

• Training 8:00am-11:50am
• Lunch 11:50am-1:00pm (Lunch on your own)
• Training 1:00pm-4:00pm 

Program Outline:

Neuroscience of Trauma, Effective Assessment and DSM-5® Diagnostic Criteria

Neuroscience’s Current Trauma Paradigm

Biological nature of trauma

• Triune Brain, The Autonomic Nervous System and the Stress Response
• The Polyvagal Theory
• Traumatic Stress: normal, prolonged, complex and developmental

Specific trauma symptoms

Primary treatment issues in trauma therapy

Trauma’s Somatic and Sensorimotor Sequelae

• Hyperarousal
• Hypoarousal
• Dissociation, body memories and “flashbacks” Affect dysregulation

Trauma and Attachment

The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study (ACE Study)

Attachment Essentials

• Baby/momma trauma
• Insecure Attachment Styles Assessment and Primary Treatment Issues of:
• Avoidant
• Preoccupied
• Disorganized type

Assessment and Diagnosis of Trauma Disorders

Current Trauma Diagnoses:

• Acute Trauma Disorder
• PTSD and subtypes
• Dissociative
• Preschool
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Proposed Trauma Diagnoses

• Developmental Trauma Disorder (DTD)
• Complex PTSD

Trauma Treatment: Effective Tools, Treatment Modalities, and an Introduction EMDR

The Stage Model of Treatment

• Assessment, Rapport, Psychoeducation
• Developing the “Skills to Stay Stable”
• Trauma Tools for Affect Regulation
• Recognizing and regulating affect
• Dissociative episodes and “flashbacks”
• Grounding clients in their bodies and back in the present in the here and now
• Mindfulness/bodyfulness (including somatic exercises)
• Multisensory Guided Imagery
• EFT (meridian tapping)
• Reduction of physiological arousal
• Recognizing and up & down regulating arousal levels
• Containment and self-soothing
• Stage One: Stabilization and Safety

Stage Two: Working Through Traumatic Memories

• Brief overview of the theory and applicability of three trauma processing modalities:
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP)
• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
• EMDR

Practice EMDR for both Resourcing and Trauma Processing

Live EMDR demonstration followed by experiential sessions

Under Supervision, Learn and Safely Practice the Skills of EMDR for Both Phase One and Two

Phase One Work: Imaginal Resourcing

• Containment Imagery
• Comfortable Place Imagery
• Protection Imagery and/or Nurture Imagery

Phase Two Work: Reprocessing Traumatic Memories

Limitations of Research and Potential Risk

• Contraindications and precautions for reprocessing trauma
• Differences in theory and in the associated neurophysiological models are a matter of ongoing discussion

Objectives:

1. Evaluate the biological nature of trauma and how trauma is stored in the body and limbic system, creating physical and psychological symptoms to better understand your clients.

2. Differentiate between sympathetic (activated) freeze response and the parasympathetic (deactivated) dorsal vagal immobilization response your clients experience.

3. Distinguish between the following types of traumatic stress: normal, prolonged, complex and developmental and articulate treatment considerations for each.

4. Ascertain the clinical implications of traumatic stress symptomology, including hyperarousal, affect dysregulation, dissociation, body memories, and flashbacks.

5. Employ effective somatic techniques to reduce/eliminate client’s body memories, “flashbacks” and dissociation.

6. Summarize the landmark study: Adverse Childhood Experiences Study and understand the ten adverse childhood experiences studied as they related to clinical diagnosis and assessment.

7. Evaluate the clinical presentation of the following attachment styles as it relates to your clinical assessment: secure vs insecure; insecure; organized vs insecure disorganized.

8. Designate two different treatment strategies, once attachment style has been ascertained, based on your clients’ attachment style.

9. Demonstrate strategies to help clients build skills to be prepared to process trauma via EMDR, including safety within the therapeutic alliance and skills for self-regulation.

10. Determine when/if your client is prepared to safely process trauma memories via EMDR.

11. Create and employ client-driven imagery for safety and containment during trauma processing.

12. Utilize clinical techniques to help with grounding and centering traumatized clients in-session.

13. Prepare clients with various trauma tools; mindfulness, guided imagery and meridian-based techniques to decrease client’s arousal levels and modulate affect.

14. Analyze and critique the original eight phases of EMDR’s standard protocol (Shapiro) as it relates to clinical treatment.

15. Determine Parnell’s four essential elements of each EMDR session and how it relates to client treatment.

16. Practice under supervision Parnell’s Modified EMDR protocol to prepare for work with your clients in-session.

17. Practice under supervision the skill for resourcing a client with imaginal resources prior to processing traumatic material.

18. Practice under supervision the trauma processing modality and EDMR tools for processing traumatic memories with your clients.

19. Utilize and practice two “cues for safety” with your clients based on Steve Porges’ Polyvagal Theory.

Continuing Education Credits – all 3 days

Addiction Counselors: This course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for 19.0 CE in the Counseling Services skill group. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.

Counselors: This intermediate activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

Montana Counselors: The Montana Board of Behavioral Health no longer pre-approves any courses or sponsors. Each licensee is responsible for taking courses which contribute to their competence and directly relate to their scope of practice as defined in board statute (MAR 24-219-32). Licensees must keep CE documentation for three years in case of an audit. This intermediate level activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of instruction.

Marriage & Family Therapists: This activity consists of 1140 minutes of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. You should save this course outline, the certificate of completion you receive from the activity and contact your state board or organization to determine specific filing requirements.

Montana Marriage & Family Therapists: The Montana Board of Behavioral Health no longer pre-approves any courses or sponsors. Each licensee is responsible for taking courses which contribute to their competence and directly relate to their scope of practice as defined in board statute

(MAR 24-219-32). Licensees must keep CE documentation for three years in case of an audit. This intermediate level activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of instruction.

EMDRIA: This training is not affiliated with EMDRIA and does not qualify towards EMDRIA credits or training.

Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Clinical Nurse Specialists: PESI, Inc. is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.

• Nurses in full attendance will earn 19.0 contact hours. Partial contact hours will be awarded for partial attendance.

Psychologists: This live activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of continuing education instruction. Credit requirements and approvals vary per state board regulations. Please save the course outline and the certificate of completion you receive from this live activity. Contact us for more information on your state board or organization specific filing requirements. American Psychological Association credits are not available.

Montana Psychologists: This live activity is designed to meet the criteria requirements of the Montana Board of Psychologists and is a PESI-approved continuing education and qualifies for 1140 instructional minutes. Please save the certificate of completion you receive from this live activity.

Social Workers: PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2017 – January 27, 2020. Social Workers completing this course receive 19.0 Clinical Practice continuing education credits. Course Level: Intermediate. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance. A certificate of attendance will be awarded at the end of the program to social workers who complete the program evaluation.

Montana Social Workers: The Montana Board of Behavioral Health no longer pre-approves any courses or sponsors. Each licensee is responsible for taking courses which contribute to their competence and directly relate to their scope of practice as defined in board statute (MAR 24-219-32). Licensees must keep CE documentation for three years in case of an audit. This intermediate level activity consists of 19.0 clock hours of instruction.

Other Professions: This activity qualifies for 1140 minutes of instructional content as required by many national, state and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your course outline and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.

Speaker Megan Howard, LCSW, CCTP was trained on the use of EMDR as a treatment protocol through EMDRIA and uses EMDR in her practice to achieve improved outcomes with a broad spectrum of clients in the areas of trauma, abuse, and substance abuse.

She is certified as a Clinical Trauma Professional through the International Association of Trauma Professionals and currently owns and operates one of the largest treatment centers for substance abuse and trauma in the state of Idaho.

She has been invited to train internationally at the International Society of Addiction Medicine in India and at the International Conference on Addiction Research and Therapy in Amsterdam.

Ms. Howard earned her Masters in Clinical Social Work from Northwest Nazarene University and is a member of EMDRIA and the International Society of Addiction Medicine..

Speaker Disclosures:

Financial: Megan Howard is the owner of Addiction and Trauma Recovery Services. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc.

Non-financial: Megan Howard has no relevant non-financial relationship to disclose.

Recently, YBGR, through a generous grant from NorthWestern Energy, YBGR partnered with Circle Analytics to complete an Economic Impact Report. Through this partnership, we did a “deep-dive” into the benefits of YBGR: what we not only do for kids and families, but also how much of a difference we make economically to our stakeholders (you). 

Circle Analytics  prepared hundreds of these reports for state agencies, cities, counties, economic development districts, as well as private and nonprofit entities across the country.   Social impacts recognize the greater extended value of the program to society – dollars expended vs. dollars saved.

Circle Analytics found that for every dollar spent at YBGR, there is a return of $13.90 through long-term savings to society, jobs, capital investment and indirect business taxes.  

Full Report

Youth Advocates Team Up On Pilot Program

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Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART):

Starting at a young age, children learn to process their world through their senses.  They learn to regulate their emotions not only through their senses but their relationships and connections to those around them, most importantly their caregiver.  At YBGR we utilize a variety of evidenced-based treatment approaches for children that focus on changing their negative thought patterns, emotions and behaviors.  As an agency working towards more trauma-informed care practices, we recognize the need to meet the children and families where they are at.  Through the Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART), we now have the opportunity to truly meet children and their families where they are at in their treatment.  SMART was designed using a variety of treatment and therapy expertise including: trauma-focused psychotherapy, sensorimotor psychotherapy, sensory integration, play therapy, attachment and family therapy, developmental psychology and human development.  Clinicians using SMART work with the child (and hopefully the caregiver) to nurture healing and growth.  This model offers flexibility to be implemented as individual therapy, caregiver-child therapy or parent psychoeducation/coaching. 

This modality can be used to treat somatic problems, emotional dysregulation, posttraumatic stress disorder, behavioral disorders, mood and anxiety disorders that are based in a history of trauma.  Through a very generous donation, YBGR was able to have Elizabeth Warner, Psy.D. and Heather Finn, LICSW from SMARTmoves (www.smartmovespartners.com) come and train our staff over the course of three days.  YBGR was able to train not only the clinicians throughout our organization in the SMART model, but also have some non-clinical staff (school-based behavior specialists, care coordinators, program managers, and mental health workers) trained on how they can help support the therapists in their work with the clients and families.  In an effort to further collaborate with outside providers, five Billings Clinic Staff (4 therapists and 1 psychiatrist) joined the training as well. 

During the first two days of training, clinicians spent much of their time learning the philosophy and application behind the model as well as learning about the equipment.  Best of all, they got to test all of the equipment to see what it did and various ways to incorporate it into their work with children and families.  At YBGR we work with many clients who have experienced multiple traumatic events, often severe and pervasive in nature.  Through this unique model clinicians learned just how to  work with the children in a specially designed room to help facilitate emotional and behavioral regulation.  The room is exclusively designed for this purpose, children can playfully use big pillows, weighted blankets, balance beams, and other equipment that allows for full engagement of their brain and body.  There has been research to show the generational impact of trauma; meaning that parents who experience trauma will inevitability pass down the trauma to their children.  Countless studies exist and research regarding the Adverse Childhood Experiences and the generational impact.  For the caregivers who are involved in the treatment of their child, the strategies taught to their child often are useful for them personally as well.  Clinicians can also meet privately with the caregiver to offer some guidance to help coach their child. 

It’s YBGR’s effort to help not only the child but the whole family to help continue the growth within the family and ultimately within the community. 

Click here to read!

YBGR opens renovated medical clinic

June 22, 2018

• By SUSAN OLP 

• In 1957, around the time the Yellowstone Boys Ranch opened west of Billings, Dr. Don Harr, a psychiatrist new to the area, was tapped as a consultant.

  He worked with the cottage couples who helped oversee the care of the boys on campus. He primarily focused on helping discern the underlying reasons for the youngsters’ behavior problems.

  “So they could approach it in a more therapeutic way than just hard-nosed discipline,” Harr said Thursday afternoon.

   

  It was only one small part of his medical practice in Billings. Now long retired, Harr, 94, returned to what’s now the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch for the grand re-opening of the nonprofit’s Tom & Joan Scott Medical Clinic.

  Employees and supporters gathered for a barbecue and tours of the renovated clinic. Several foundations contributed about $180,000 to upgrade the clinic, said YBGR CEO Mike Chavers, in a few remarks to the group.

  “It’s our 61st year here at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch,” he said. “It’s about making a difference in kids’ lives across Montana.”

  YBGR works with about 700 children and youth a day in community based and residential treatment services, he said. About 73 live on campus and another 60 are bused in daily for school and treatment services.

  Beyond that, community based services are offered in Billings, Lewistown, Livingston and Dillon.

  In an interview, Chavers said YBGR started planning about a year ago to upgrade its medical clinic, which was located on the main campus west of 72nd Street West. At the time the red-brick building east of 72nd was not in use, and it made sense to remodel it and locate the medical services there.

  “We knew that we needed an updated clinic space in order to provide better services for our kids,” Chavers said. “The types of kids we’re getting are changing and we needed more nursing services.”

  Despite the fact that kids who come to YBGR now stay shorter periods, they’re coming with more complex medical or psychological issues than they have in the past.

  “So we knew we had to support our medical staff, our psychiatric staff and nursing staff and give them the space they needed to provide good treatment, and this project allowed us to do that,” he said.

   

  Remodeling on the one-story clinic began in April, with the work done by Henderson Construction of Billings. Individual sick rooms were added for kids who aren’t feeling well.

  The nursing station was enlarged and private offices were added. Technology was upgraded because of the need for tele-psychiatry and tele-conferencing.

  “Sometimes our families can’t come and visit and we like them to be able to see their child,” Chavers said.

  Video teleconferencing is available across campus, but the clinic offers a more private setting, and there’s also a conference room for transmitting staff conferences that may involve the family.

   

  The staff includes a part-time medical director, a full-time physician assistant, a full-time psychiatrist who works remotely from Dallas, a director of nursing, a dozen nurses and some part-time contract nurses.

  That’s much different from what Harr was used to when he first started consulting at the newly opened ranch. The campus, with only a few buildings, sat west of 72nd Street West.

  “Some of the buildings were left over from the ranch that had been here previously,” he said. “So I had the opportunity to witness many additions and changes.”

  He stopped his consulting work after several years, but returned occasionally to fill in on a temporary basis when YBGR was short of medical help.

  “I think it’s marvelous what’s been done and what they’re continuing to do,” Harr said.

  Comparing the facilities to what was previously available, he is impressed. The clinic is laid out well and provides staff room to work one-on-one with the youth.

  “It’s almost beyond comparison to what it was on the other side of the road,” he said.

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We had some pretty special visitors today at YBGR!! Maverick’s Mini Ark came out today to the ranch with their mobile petting zoo. Our kids and staff loved having the chance to cuddle and pet mini goats, sheep, a horse and a cow. I couldn’t tell who was more excited the kids or the adults!! Our residential therapy dog Emmy Lou even was excited to meet the animals

Thank you so much to Bridget, Maverick, Wyatt and Dallas Roe for bring those incredibly adorable critters out for our kids and staff!!!!!! We are so blessed to have amazing folks like you in our community and the support you have for YBGR youth.

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YBGR Community Based Services staff, Kim Chouinard and Susan Frew got to take a very special ride on a very special helicopter recently thanks to Crystal Hoffman.

Crystal is a YBGR Clinical Supervisor that also has served our country for over 20 years in the Air National Guard. She is the Sustainment Services Flight Superintendent and is also a Senior Master Sargent in the Air National Guard.

During the Montana Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Boss Lift, Kim and Susan learned about how the National Guard serves our country, along with getting to see a Black Hawk helicopter up close and got to take a 40 minute ride around Montana in a Chinook helicopter. What an amazing adventure!!

Please join YBGR and other Billings community sponsors for the 21st annual March Against Drugs and Violence event on Saturday June 9th.

When: Saturday June 9th from 12pm-130pm
Where: Courthouse Lawn, Billings, MT (217 N. 27th Street)

It Sure Makes a Difference When You Know Someone Cares

 (Billings, Mont.) May 17, 2018 – “It sure makes a difference when you know someone cares” has been Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) motto for over 60 years, devised by founder Franklin Robbie. Franklin used the motto to describe the work YBGR does for youth in need. Times have changed, but the need to help youth has not, and this motto still rings true today.

YBGR’s Community Based Services (CBS) provides many programs and services to help youth in communities around the state of Montana. I would like to introduce you to a charming and delightful young man named Benjaymn from Billings. Ben and his family are clients of CBS’s Case Management program. Ben who has autism and suffers from a medical condition that has caused a lot of stress and pain on his nine year old body. He has had six kidney surgeries already and the possibility of having more. Ben has poor circulation and is very apparent in his little feet, they are cold and purple. Due to his medical issues and surgeries it’s hard for Ben to get a good nights of sleep.

YBGR recently teamed up with two other local non-profits, Slumberland’s 40 Winks and Blankets & Bears to make a huge but simple difference in some YBGR children’s lives by providing new mattresses and bedding. Ben received a new Tempur-Pedic bed and special NFL bedding. The whole house was abuzz with excitement and joy that Ben was finally going to be able to rest peacefully and have a really cool comforter set with his favorite football team, the Minnesota Vikings!

There were so many tears of gratitude from Ben’s family, but the most touching moment was Ben’s concern when his mom began to cry. Ben grabbed his mother’s hand and looked deep into her eyes and asked her “Momma why are you crying?” and “Momma what’s wrong?” he didn’t realize that her tears were not tears of pain but of happiness. His mother Heather, explained gently to him “These are tears of happiness, momma is alright” as she hugged him to ease his fears and comfort him.  Benjaymn has the most emphatic soul you will ever meet. What an absolute joy he is.

If you would like to help children like Benjaymn, please contact YBGR Foundation at 406-656-8772 or visit www.yellowstonefoundation.org.  Blankets & Bears can be reached at 406-696-4308, blanketsandbears4kids@yahoo.com, or visit their Facebook page www.facebook.com/BlanketsandBearsMt

(Billings, MT) January 30, 2018− It doesn’t need to be Veterans Day to support and honor our brave heroes. Any day is a great day to show our gratitude to the men and women who selflessly defended our freedoms and liberties. Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) showed their appreciation of veterans by donating jams and jellies made by students in Yellowstone Academy’s Vocational Technology program. All fruit is grown on YBGR’s 410-acre campus on the west end of Billings. YBGR youth tend to the plants, harvest, clean and process all the fruit that they then turn into jams and jellies. The process teaches youth valuable life skills such as patience and dedication. It also gives youth the opportunity to learn about the significance of giving to others.

Yellowstone Academy’s vocational education teacher Jim Klempel and YA Para educator Robert Sipes teamed up recently with Chris Grudzinski, founder of Montana Veterans Meat Locker and current board member of Montana Wounded Warriors to distribute jams and jellies to veterans. For Robert Sipes this project is near and dear to his heart, he is a combat veteran of Desert Storm and understands the struggles that veterans face. “They are a lot like the struggles our kids face at YBGR and YA” Robert said.

Veterans Meat Locker, a non-profit organization provides free professionally processed meat for veterans and their families, was started by Chris and his wife in 2016. The meat is donated by Montana hunters and ranchers, then processed and package at a discount by 4th Ave Meat Market and stored in a walk-in freezer donated by the owners of Popeye’s Louisiana Chicken Restaurants for distribution to qualifying veterans.

Chris, being an Iraq and Afghan veteran himself, wanted to show his gratitude to his fellow veterans by providing what he calls “therapeutic food.” Chris travels around the state of Montana delivering ample free meat to veterans at their request, no questions asked about income. They simply provide a VA card, DD214, or any other valid proof of service. These trips will now include jams and jellies lovingly made by YBGR youth for the veterans to enjoy. Chris says, “I like to shake each veterans hand and thank them for their service”.

Before the sun set on the day these two non-profit joined forces, Chris delivered meat and jam to a Vietnam Veteran named David. David recently finished chemotherapy treatment and was excited to enjoy some toast with the jam.  He said this was perfect since he had lost a lot of his taste for anything during his treatment, but jam was something he could still enjoy.  Chris said of YBGR’s donation “I want everyone to know that they are a part of something so big yet so secret, the appreciation for so many Veterans that have never felt that their service mattered or was appreciated.  This small, yet huge gesture of food as the jam represents is one of the three basic necessities in live.  This precious gift has warmed David’s heart and gave him something he has been needing.”

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch has been providing services for emotional troubled youth and their families for over 60 years. YBGR youth feel so blessed and proud to be able to give back to communities and veterans. “We wanted to give back for what they all (veterans) did and what they have sacrificed and show appreciation for them and their families” said Jim Klempel.

For more information and how you can help the Montana Veterans Meat Locker visit www.facebook.com/vetmeatlocker

For more information on Montana Wounded Warriors visit www.montanawoundedwarriors.org

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) has announced the expansion of its Chemical Dependency (CD) Program after receiving licensure from the State of Montana. YBGR will be providing additional programs in Montana to include: Outpatient and Intensive Outpatient Chemical Dependency Treatment, Chemical Dependency Screenings and Evaluations, Family Chemical Dependency Counseling, and Prevention Education services for youth. According to Walter Shore, Director of Chemical Dependency at YBGR, “Our youth deserve the opportunity to experience life without being under the influence of alcohol and drugs and know that someone is there to help.”

Shore further explains that “youth are starting at an alarmingly younger age abusing substances and Montana’s current treatment services are not able to address the high rates of children and adolescent alcohol and drug use.”  YBGR has seen an increase in youth dually diagnosed with both Substance Use Disorder and Mental Health Disorders. Early intervention of both disorders is key to preventing higher levels of treatment interventions later in life.

YBGR currently offers CSCT (Comprehensive School and Community Treatment) along with CD services in the Laurel School District and at Medicine Crow and Riverside Junior High Schools in Billings.  The CD services include Chemical Dependency Screenings and Evaluations, along with ongoing Chemical Dependency Therapy Services. Youth placed at YBGR’s Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) in Billings receive Chemical Dependency Evaluations, Substance Abuse Screenings, and Early Intervention/Education Services. Youth also participate in Chemical Dependency Counseling that includes Group (including Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous), Individual, and Family Therapy Services.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is a multi-service organization providing a broad spectrum of services including Psychiatric Residential Treatment, Case Management Services, Care Coordination, Home Support Services, Therapeutic Youth Mentors, Therapeutic Foster Care, Chemical Dependency, CSCT, Supported Employment, Outpatient Therapy Services, Psychological Testing and Day Treatment.

For additional information on Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch visit its website at www.ybgr.org or call 800-726-6755.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” ~ Margaret Mead

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is honored to welcome our newest board members Wendy Keating and Gary Tognoni to YBGR’s Board of Directors. They are in great company with board members Bob Carr, Chip Youlden, Perry McNeese, Terry Moore, Bill Goodwin and Bob Wilmouth. Wendy Keating who is presently in Washington was able to join the meeting via Zoom, pictured center on a tablet.

Swing Kidz dance group performers rehearse at Broadwater Elementary on Monday.

Larry Mayer Gazette Staff

Billings Gazette 11/29/17 by Jaci Webb

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted:  Oct 17, 2017 7:45 PM MDT Updated:  Oct 18, 2017 7:55 AM MDT

By John Emeigh – MTN News

http://www.kxlf.com/story/36621336/music-therapy-changing-lives-in-dillon#.WejNkDXOMjs.facebook

(Dillon, Mont.) June 15, 2017 – Are you considering becoming a foster care parent? Visit with professionals of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch to learn initial information on what it is to be a foster parent during the evening of Monday, June 19, from 5:30 – 7 p.m. at Dillon Elementary School District Board Room, located at 22 North Cottom, Dillon, MT 59725.

This is an informational evening for anyone who may be interested in becoming a therapeutic foster parent or who would like to learn more about Therapeutic Foster Care.

Contact Charise Lemelin at charisel@ybgr.org, Tracey Lujan at tlujan@ybgr.org, or call 406-683-0416 to R.S.V.P. for the event.

The Yellowstone Foundation has partnered with AmazonSmile, an Amazon.com program for nonprofits, to allow shoppers to donate to the Ranch at no added cost!

How does AmazonSmile work? 

AmazonSmile will donate .5% of all eligible purchases to the Yellowstone Foundation to support Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch programs.

Click here to go to the link on Amazon.com or go to smile.amazon.com, then login to your Amazon account, shop, and buy!

Performing and singing many current pop songs and hits from the past, kids and staff rocked the stage inside Yellowstone Academy (YA) during this year’s Talent Show on May 26. The auditorium was filled with kids ready to strum, pick, key and hit instruments provided by YA’s music program.

Those who had a knack for acoustic guitar, bongo drums or the keyboard captured the audience’s attention with the vibrant sound of live music. Most of the kids sang to voiceless versions of songs from pop singers like Ariana Grande, Rihanna, Katy Perry, Taylor Swift and country songs like those by Sam Hunt, Blake Shelton and more.  During the best composed performances and the most well-known songs, kids cheered and stood, swaying to the tempo. Many staff jumped in, including lodge workers, teachers and the school therapist, showing off strong vocals and musical talents of their own.

Once the performers stepped off stage, they were met with high-fives, and words of praise and encouragement from their peers.  Impressed with their friends’ performances and sometimes critical of their own, many of the kids walked away with a newfound confidence or a set of goals to achieve the next level of adjunct instrumentalist or singer superstar.

Celebrating 60 Years of Leadership and Creating Positive Outcomes for At-Risk Children and Youth in Montana

Save the Date for September 21, 2017, 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch has reached 60 years of working to improve the lives of At-Risk Children and Youth in Montana.  As part of our celebration of this legacy of caring, we are hosting a conference focused on improving outcomes for kids and families in Montana.  Named The Yellowstone Conference: Kids in Crisis, the event will focus on promoting effective solutions to the problems facing our state’s most vulnerable young people, and provide a forum for mental health practitioners, education staff and law enforcement to exchange ideas – and to celebrate the efforts of those who are on the front lines developing and implementing solutions.

Based upon Georgetown University’s LEAD (Leadership, Evidence, Analysis, Debate) Conference, the conference is designed to be both interactive and informative.  During the conference, dedicated and knowledgeable professionals from a variety of governmental and organizations from around Montana will provide insight on the current challenges facing Montana youth, as well as introduce promising practices.

Through a lens of trauma informed practice and a focus on outcome measurement, the conference will provide opportunities to learn and engage on the following topics affecting Montana youth:

• Youth Suicide
• Social Media and Bullying
• Co-Occurring Disorders / Dual Diagnosis
• Funding Challenges and Opportunities

Eric Arzubi, MD, Chair of the Billings Clinic Department of Psychiatry and is President of the Big Sky Regional Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry will be providing the keynote address at the end of the day, summarizing the event.

Afterwards, there will be a reception celebrating YBGR’s 60 years of caring.

Fee for conference is $25.00, which includes conference, lunch, and reception.

Register here

Sincerely,

(Livingston, Mont.) May 15, 2017 – Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) in Livingston will be hosting pre-service training during the months of May and June for individuals interested in becoming therapeutic foster parents. These are free evenings for Livingston and surrounding area families to learn initial information on foster care, begin the training process, meet YBGR’s team of professionals and enjoy dinner.

The dates are May 30, and June 1, 6, and 8, from 6 – 10 p.m. at YBGR’s Livingston office, located at 5237 Hwy 89 South, Suite 1, Livingston, MT 59047. All four trainings must be attended.  For more information on these trainings, or to learn about foster care, call Tracey Lujan at 406-222-6490, e-mail tlujan@ybgr.org, or e-mail Charise Lemelin at charisel@ybgr.org.

(Dillon, Mont.) May 11, 2017 – One of Dillon’s Pint Night Fundraisers will benefit Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch’s (YBGR) Dillon Community Based Services (CBS) program. The June 2 event is free, open to the public and kid friendly.

Charise Lemelin, YBGR’s Dillon Clinical Director, said she is ecstatic about receiving the “go-ahead” for the event. She said that they’d like to use the donations raised for underfunded needs affecting Dillon’s services.

“Our biggest needs right now are office space and vehicles, and funds as we move forward with foster care,” she said.

Event Details: June 2, from 4 – 10 p.m. The 200 block of South Montana Street will close to traffic. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m., with family-friendly games at Depot Park. At 6 p.m., guests can purchase food, drinks and hear live music inside Beaverhead Brewing Company. One dollar for every drink the brewery sells, as well as proceeds from the Branding Iron’s barbeque sales, will be donated to YBGR Dillon’s CBS program.

So, visit downtown Dillon, Friday evening, June 2, for a night to support the cause of helping kids and families!

It’s been 60 years since Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) opened its doors to troubled kids and over 40 since it changed from the Ranch to a treatment facility. But farm work has always been a cornerstone of life at the Ranch.

In the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s “there were limitless chores to do, including everything from gardening, to caring for the animals, to helping out in the kitchen, to lending a hand on the various construction projects that always seemed underway” wrote YBGR founder Franklin Robbie in his book, “A Legacy of Caring.” But lately, in addition to working with cattle, horses, and testing their green thumbs, the Ranch’s kids are farming honeybees.

Yellowstone Academy’s (YA) bee program, new this spring, is run by vocational education teacher Jim Klempel. Klempel said he has been hoping to start a bee program for over 10 years and is happy to see it happen. With eight hives to fill, Klempel set off in late April to pick up his first batch of bees from Fort Shaw’s Treasure State Honey, a family-owned beekeeping business. Klempel has filled two beehives with this batch and, in mid-May, will travel a short trip from Billings to Sunshine Apiary in Columbus, Mont. to pick up the rest, which will fill four more hives.

Klempel explained that the kids in his program have been preparing for their new flying friends by helping to assemble the bee boxes, painting them and situating them in a small, Ranch-owned field.

Klempel joked that he has learned most of what he knows from YouTube, but he has been researching their care and behaviors, and educating YBGR kids about honeybees since last winter. By the end of this summer, the kids will understand the fundamentals of beekeeping, such as how to prepare their hives, feed them, and understand the social system of bees.

Once Klempel’s second bee batch arrives, he said they will have nearly 4000 bees, a number that will grow to more than 15,000 at summer’s end.

But it won’t be until next year that the Ranch’s kids get to taste the sweet fruit of their labors. Klempel said that although the bees will begin producing honey this summer, that honey will stay in the hive for the bees to eat during winter. Next summer, kids will learn to extract the honey from the hives’ combs and will sell it to the public.

The beekeeping program teaches kids a useful trade that can help them further their employment opportunities after they graduate or once they leave the Ranch. The kids learn how to nurture and care for another living organism—the hive. Caring for the hive also allows the kids to understand the relationship that the nucs, worker bees, and the queen bee have to maintain.

“The bees provide an avenue for YBGR staff to engage youth in discussions about relationships and interactions, which promotes self-awareness and reinforces other therapeutic interventions that youth receive at YBGR,” said Mike Chavers, YBGR’s CEO.

Klempel said that the class has to keep a close watch on the hives when they introduce the two groups to see whether they are interacting positively. They will also watch the queen bees when they are integrated into the hives, because if the worker bees reject the queen, they’ll harm her.

He said the kids will help split two of the hives to make two more, filling all eight hives. The kids will monitor the behavior of the bees during the transition.

Klempel and the kids’ favorite thing to do is watch the bees. He and his class will put on bee suits or coveralls and trek across Hesper Road, down the winding grass path, and up to the field to observe the bees buzzing around.

Still in the process of setting up, Klempel said that, at one point, 30 bees we’re trying to squish through a hole the size of a thumb, so he’s cut one larger. He said the bees are not bothered by their visits, but if kids start waving their hands around or interrupting them, they might get stung.

“It’s a quick lesson in respecting Mother Nature,” Klempel said. “No one likes the pinch of a bee sting.”

The bee operation is one of many vocational education specialties at the Ranch that teach youth technical and trade skills. Others include welding, woodworking, arts and crafts, pottery, gardening, and small machining.

To learn more about how integrating vocational programs into behavioral treatment and juvenile justice programs impacts the outcomes of youth, visit the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention or see a report at https://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/litreviews/Vocational_Job_Training.pdf.

Yellowstone Academy has a K-12 program accredited through AdvancED and a K-8 elementary district accredited through Montana’s Office of Public Instruction. YA is located on Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch’s residential campus, a nonprofit organization trusted nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families.

Did you have the chance to see Mike Chavers, YBGR’s CEO, and Jennifer Reiser, the Billings Chamber of Commerce’s COO, live, on air with KTVQ’s Ed McIntosh? The trio discussed this Friday’s upcoming Billings Chamber of Commerce’s annual Agriculture Tour, in which the Ranch will host breakfast.

Inside the Ranch’s Equestrian Arena, tour members will get a hearty pancake and egg breakfast served with coffee and orange juice, along with a horse therapy demonstration from the Ranch’s EAGALA-certified equine specialist, and the chance to check out hand-made items from YBGR’s Vocational and Agriculture program.

Ticket sales are closed, but to learn more about the Ag Tour and other stops this year, check out: https://www.billingschamber.com/events/other-events/.

(Billings, Mont.) May 4, 2017 – Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) has a new executive director of residential services, Dr. Taylor Mayer. Mayer, though new to his position, is not new to YBGR. He began his career in the field of mental healthcare with the Ranch more than 23 years ago, and since, has acquired a lengthy professional portfolio in the field of counseling and psychology.

Mayer first joined YBGR in December 1993 as a Mental Health Worker after he completed his undergraduate degree In Psychology at the University of Montana. He obtained his graduate degree in Rehabilitation Counseling at Montana State University – Billings in 1994 and continued as a therapist at YBGR. Mayer completed a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 2005 from Walden University and, in 2011, transferred to YBGR’s Community Based Services to the role of Regional Area Clinical Supervisor.

After leaving YBGR in December 2014, he returned in the role of Executive Director of Residential Services in 2017. He is licensed as a Professional Counselor in Montana and Wyoming, and he is a Diplomate of the American Psychotherapy Association.

This past weekend, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) shared an eventful experience that will not soon be forgotten. Generous donors of the Yellowstone Foundation joined together in support of YBGR’s Spiritual Life Program for an event to celebrate the Ranch’s 60 year legacy of faith, hope and love.

View a video of the Spiritual Life Program below and read more on the Yellowstone Foundation’s website: http://www.yellowstonefoundation.org/category/whats-new/.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CJkv_nzwpE

(Billings, Mont.) April 25, 2017 – Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) has been asked for advice on national policy regarding juvenile justice. Regularly, the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice (FACJJ) consults organizations such as YBGR and the National Center for Youth Law to compile research, findings, and guidance which are consolidated and reported to the Office of Juvenile Justice Delinquency Prevention, and subsequently the President of the United States and Congress.

“It’s a great success for YBGR to be recognized as a national leader in the field of children’s mental health and juvenile justice,” said Mike Chavers, YBGR’s CEO.

 
Through a phone conference on April 21, Chavers presented to the FACJJ about juvenile justice and child welfare, detailing his recommendations, based upon experience in the field and knowledge of the juvenile justice system. Chavers discussed his previous work in the state of Illinois, his implementation of youth and community engagement approaches and the current work of YBGR to implement a coordinated continuum of services to obtain sustainable positive outcomes for youth.

 
He discussed the importance of educational and vocational training for youth, which has shown to significantly improve long-term outcomes and mitigate the costs of incarceration or other forms of support or welfare. He also emphasized the implementation of collaborative trainings and education on an ongoing basis, and increased enumeration for direct-care staff who work with youth.

 
Chavers input was well-received by the advisers and law practitioners that make up the FACJJ. Additionally, he was asked to continue communication and feedback as they look to develop and advance juvenile justice approaches and strategies on a federal level.

 
More information of the FACJJ and their Annual Reports can be found at: https://facjj.ojp.gov/annual-reports.

(Livingston, Mont.) April 4, 2017 – Livingston and surrounding area, join us this weekend, April 7 and 8, 2017 for the Empowered to Connect Conference Live Simulcast, hosted by YBGR in partnership with Child Bridge, Montana. In an effort to help equip families, churches and professionals to better serve children impacted by foster care and adoption, the conference will focus on the “Trust-Based Relational Intervention” methods as developed by Dr. Karyn Purvis and Dr. Davis Cross from the TCU Institute of Child Development.

The event will be held at the Livingston Christian Center, 1400 Mount Baldy Drive in Livingston, MT 59047, Friday, April 7 and Saturday, April 8 from 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. There will be a break for lunch on your own each day with an optional half-hour discussion time following lunch.

Workbooks for the Conference should be printed ahead of time by each participant from a link that will be provided to all who register.

To register or get further information, contact the Livingston office at 406-222-6492, or e-mail hollyk@ybgr.org or tlujan@ybgr.org.

Check out the event at:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/empowered-to-connect-live-simulcast-livingston-mt-tickets-31467093925?utm_source=eb_email&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=new_event_email&utm_term=viewmyevent_button

https://www.facebook.com/events/1255139661206652/

Learn more about Child Bridge here: http://www.childbridgemontana.org/

(Billings, Mont.) March 31, 2017 – Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) is happy to name Terrill (Terry) Moore as a returning member of YBGR’s Board of Directors. Terry has served on the boards of both YBGR and YBGR Foundation, most recently serving at the Ranch from 2010 to 2015 and currently on the Investment Committee for YBGR Foundation.
“I learned a long time ago that when you serve, you need to serve where your passion is,” Moore said. “My heart goes out to children and those who are in such desperate need. This is a way that I can serve an organization that is helping them.”

Moore retired from First Interstate Bank (FIB) in July, 2014 following 35 years of service. Moore was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at FIB and provided financial oversight, including merger and acquisitions. He is currently the Board Chairman for Montana Family Foundation, and has previously served as a director at St. Vincent Health Care and on the boards of Montana Board of Investments, La Vie, and Billings West Rotary.

(Billings, Mont.) March 30, 2017 – Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR) is expanding its services to children and families in Montana. Their Community Based Services (CBS) Therapeutic Foster Care (TFC) program is expanding from locations in and around Billings and Livingston, Mont., to also include Dillon and surrounding area.
“We’re at the point where we want to grow the program,” said Charise Lemelin, YBGR’s CBS Clinical Director.
Lemelin said that she has a dream to acquire 15-20 foster care placements in the Dillon area. Funding for the program would create two new positions – a family resource specialist and a treatment manager.

“When you hear times of children in crisis having to sleep overnight in their social workers’ offices and in shelter care settings, or that current foster families are having to accept more kids into their homes than the recommended amount to keep kids safe, it speaks volumes to the need and crisis in this state,” said Kim Chouinard, YBGR’s Executive Director of CBS.
“If we have families ready to license, we can get started with families right now,” Lemelin said. “A piece of it, too, is having respite care available so that when foster families get stressed out or just need a weekend, it’s there for them.”
The organization serves 23 families between the Billings and Livingston locations and works with Child Bridge on programs which assist with TFC families.
“Part of this initiative is to create more placements in Livingston as well,” Lemelin said. “We know there is a need in Montana and we want to do our best to fill it.”
The first foster parent informational meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 19, from 6 – 8 p.m. in the Dillon Elementary School Board Room. Contact YBGR’s offices at 406-683-0416 in Dillon, or 406-222-6490 in Livingston for more information and upcoming pre-service dates.

Check out at article written by The Billings Gazette highlighting kids’ education of Youth Mental Health First Aid and the Heads Up Behavioral Health Careers Camp, sponsored in part by Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

Read the Article

(Billings, Mont.) February 11, 2017 – Thanks to generous donors of the Yellowstone Foundation, Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch’s (YBGR) Young Life kids’ camp is back again! Kicking the day off with Club worship, Billings Young Life youth ministry had begun the first day of a three-day winter camp for YBGR youth. Close to 55 of the 65 residents in treatment at YBGR had attended the spiritual-based camp on the first day.

“This is the second time Young Life has been out to host a camp with our kids… and to see the kind of participation where nearly all of our kids want to be here… it’s awesome,” said John Dailey, YBGR’s Director of Spiritual Life.

Young Life volunteers providing entertainment for outside activities

The day began in chapel worship with Billings’ Young Life volunteer, worship team. Staff and kids sat, stood, danced, hugged, sang, and watched as the Young Life performers poured melodious, Christ-centered hymns and songs into the room.

“It’s amazing to see some of the most shy kids open up. Our kids have such diverse pasts of trauma, depression, anxiety, and just situational obstacles. To see them dancing and swinging around – just being kids— that’s the gift that the Spiritual Life program and this camp brings,” said Dailey.

The camp included evening entertainment from Dailey, Keith Dow (Billings Young Life Area Director), and camp volunteers. With weather in the 40’s, the kids participated in outdoor games like playing with a giant “Zorb” ball, knocking over giant “Jenga” blocks, and running in sled relays. They also participated in the rock wall, bowling, and much more. Sunday evening will end with an opportunity for youth to express personal devotion to Christ and an outdoor bonfire.

“As always, our partnership with Young Life is a blessing,” said Dailey. “The community involvement and growth in these kids’ personal relationships with individuals in the community and with Christ is what this is all about.”

(Billings, Mont.) February 9, 2017 – Yellowstone’s staff Training Center is up and running with new office equipment. A portion of a Cognitive Behavior Therapy grant provided in late 2016 by PacificSource Health Plans funded the new upgrades for the two staff on-boarding and training rooms. Totaling nearly $10,000, the new tables, chairs, and two televisions are needed upgrades for the rooms that were ready for new equipment.

“As the training coordinator for YBGR, I am thrilled to have new office equipment for staff to use,” said Jessica Rouix, YBGR’s Training Coordinator. “Having an environment that people want to spend time learning in makes the process much more enjoyable.”

(Billings, Mont.) February 3, 2017 – All staff of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, Yellowstone Academy, and the Yellowstone Foundation received employee appreciation sweatshirts for the meaningful work they do for the youth of YBGR, living the mission each day. With over 220 staff members facilitating mental health services in Montana, staff work to provide youth, families, and communities we impact with a variety of treatment options.

“We are proud to ‘live the legacy’ of sixty years of caring,” said Mike Chavers, YBGR’s CEO.

Christmas for emotionally troubled youth served by Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch on campus, in group homes and foster homes, and even living at home, can be a lonely time.  We want to give our heartfelt thanks to all our friends in the community who supported Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch Foundation this year with your time, talents and treasure.

Next year, YBGR will celebrate 60 years of serving emotionally troubled children in our community!  Each day, YBGR serves more than 600 emotionally troubled children.  Its residential program hosts children on the original 410 acre working ranch between Billings and Laurel.  Its community programs are based out of Garfield School on Billings’ south side, providing therapeutic foster homes, school based therapy, and family therapy and support throughout southern and eastern Montana.  Yellowstone Academy, an accredited public K-8 and private high school, provides special education to YBGR’s residential children and day school students from our community and surrounding communities.

As we head into YBGR’s 60^th year, we are also thankful for the board members, volunteers, and 325 employees of YBGR and Yellowstone Academy who selflessly help these emotionally troubled children day in and day out . . . and especially at Christmas.

Sincerely,

By Morgan Tuss

One step, two step, three step… Stop! Justin Bieber’s famous tunes cut short by the swift finger-press of the contest moderator, Vanessa Grossman. Pause! The kids halted to a hop and stumble, each landing on a numbered square. Eyes looked left and right and torsos wobbled as they waited for their fate.

…And then there were nine. Survivors of the elimination sighed a breath of relief and stood by for the “go-ahead” to walk the circle again. The finger pressed play and Bieber belted on.

Trays of Rice Crispy treats and brownies; baskets of candies, bags of cookies, and plastic encasings of cupcakes agonizingly delicious looking, but all unmistakably overshadowed by mouthwatering rows of colorful, green, orange, and brown cakes topped with marshmallows, chocolates, Gummy Worms, and technicolored candy sprinkles.

Certainly enough cake for a cake walk… or a cavity.

In the midst of a fall evening, the dining hall glowed from the outside in, lit with bustling activity from all sides of the room. Kids hurried from station to station testing out each game and competing with their peers. In costume and garb, staff and guardians watched-on, attending to the party-goers needs and encouraging Halloween spirit.

The youth toiled over who was next in line and how many turns the person had in front of them. Gladly, they accepted candy as a satisfactory reward for each finished game.

Moving on from one station to the next, the youth looked for opportunities to high-five friends and steal successful techniques.

John Dailey’s “Just Dance” with the Wii attracted the kind of partiers who weren’t afraid to bust a move. They watched the screen closely, flicking their wrists, waving their arms, dipping and kicking their legs out, and shuffling their feet—buoyant with the rhythm of the on-screen dancer. If focus could be measured, this game would take the win.

At different stations, party-goers took turns throwing footballs into holes, mowing down towers of red SOLO cups and monster bowling “pins,” blindfolding each other and pinning the wart on the witch, tossing bean bags into a coffin-shaped Cornhole game, and participating in other carnival games decked-out in spooky, orange and black decor. It was clear that each lodge put a lot of thought into their station, making each of them the engaging and inviting booths that they were.

The hall was hung with jack o lanterns, ghosts, ghouls, spiders, and skeletons and featured a traditional centerpiece with straw bales, corn, pumpkins, a rooster, and a scarecrow.

Some staff brought their spouses and kids, and wore costumes to match the fun. Anya Mohr dressed as the Victorian Queen Anne and served punch until the ladle ran dry. Rishay Watson, PRTF Executive Director,  and Dr. Chandra Perez, YBGR’s clinical director, brought over their kiddos and Jeff Seeley brought his son too.

Every person eyed the cakes, treats, and goodies on the way in and out—even the youngest of us.

A Halloween Poem

Without a doubt, the ghouls, goblins, and ghosts galore would’ve been dancing in their skeletons to be at our door.

But, the biggest scare is yet to come. Not Halloween, the presidential election, or your mum…

Lurking in the backdrop of one of these photos is the iconic reminder of the day that comes only but once a year: The holiday that children dream of and the one that parents fear—Christmas!

By Morgan Tuss

The Billings Police Department (BPD) has reported an increase in calls that involve mental illness, within the last two years. The latest report showed that crime involving mental illness cases are up 9.35% from 984 reports, in 2014, to 1076 reports, in 2015. These statistics do not include incidents involving individuals with undetermined illnesses, which BPD said could significantly add to those numbers.

This week is Mental Illness Awareness Week – an appropriate time to take a closer look at mental health issues and treatment in our community.

Increasing Incidents

Lieutenant Neil Lawrence of the BPD offered insight into how the department handles mental illness. He said that Billings officers regularly encounter individuals who struggle with mental illness.

“At least on a daily basis, you’re going to have contact with someone who is attached to a mental illness,” said Lawrence.

He said that police awareness and capability to handle mental illness has increased since the time that he was hired by the department, 22 years ago. He explained that each officer undergoes Crisis Intervention Training which incorporates scenarios of common disturbances and skills on how to deescalate situations. He also said that officers often work with local agencies like Tumbleweed to help find placement and treatment for troubled individuals.

“If we can get them the help they need then we’re certainly going to try to help,” said Lawrence.

Treating Those in Need

There are a number of organizations in Billings which treat individuals struggling with psychiatric and mental health needs. Two of them are Tumbleweed and Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch (YBGR).

Tumbleweed provides overnight, drop-in care; outpatient and crisis counseling for families and individuals; and counseling services within two of the Billings high schools. Jamie Rettig, the Lead Counselor at Tumbleweed, reported that during the fiscal year of 2015, they impacted 482 individuals through their drop-in care and 558 individuals through crisis counseling and family mediation. They also average 227 calls per month on their crisis line.

“The need has increased. I definitely have seen that,” she said. “I think there are some great gaps that can be filled.”

She also recognized the importance of reaching youth and families sooner in their life rather than later.

“We need to be catching kids earlier… By the time they see these places their issues are usually much more compounded,” said Rettig.

Like Tumbleweed, YBGR offers care within schools as well as outpatient child and family counseling, but also offers other services such as residential treatment, Home Support Services, Targeted Case Management, school-based Behavior Support Specialists, Supported Employment for youth seeking jobs, and Therapeutic Foster Care.

“We are committed to building new solutions, adapting existing services, and partnering with others to address these growing needs,” said Mike Chavers, CEO of YBGR.

Chandra Perez, the Clinical Director for YBGR, said that one of the difficulties of treating mentally ill patients is trying to find the balance of properly treating them in their environment of choice.

Perez said, “When kids move to a different environment, there’s a sense of trauma, anxiety—stress for the kids. Because of that research, people want to try everything they can to keep the child in the home.”

She said that while in-home treatment is the first choice, it may not always be the right approach.

Tumbleweed and YBGR both treat many kids suffering from past trauma.

“Many of our kids come from a background of trauma, either in their home of origin or throughout the foster care system. So, them staying in that trauma and chaos isn’t necessarily the most healthy,” said Perez.

Perez also said that the problems associated with individuals’ unwillingness to seek treatment for mental illness are the stigmas attached to them and a lack of education.
“More than half of the population at some time throughout their life has some diagnosis of mental illness, so chances are that other people won’t be judging you. The nice part, also, about mental health services is that they’re typically confidential,” said Perez.

Billings-native and graduate psychology student Alexa Huschka is trying to combat that exact issue—a lack of education. Huschka studies school psychology at the University of Oregon and said that erasing the stigma behind mental illness comes from being informed and understanding.

“It’s really important for people to learn about mental illness and how sometimes, it’s something that can just happen. No one is less of a person because they have a mental illness,” she said.

Her education consists of identifying student learning disabilities, behavior support, and collaborating with parents and teachers to help the student succeed.

“For students struggling with a mental illness, receiving help in any form is taking control and fighting for a better life,” said Huschka.

Orchard Elementary is taking a charge on implementing positive thinking. YBGR Behavior Support Specialist, Breanna Maples said there is a motto that they use to encourage staff and students at the school—“It takes a village.”

And Billings is just that.

For more information about Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch visit ybgr.org, e-mail info@ybgr.org, or call 1-800-726-6755.
For more information about Tumbleweed visit tumbleweedprogram.org or call their 24-hour crisis counseling hotline at 1-888-816-4702.

Students at Yellowstone Academy will be wiggling around their classroom nonstop this fall. However, their teacher isn’t worried. In fact, she’s excited to teach them in a new state-of-the-art classroom that was designed specifically for their needs.

“They’ll now have a desk where they can sit and bounce and pay attention,” said Prudence Lybeck, the special education teacher for kindergarten through third grades at Yellowstone Academy. “The new classroom will really add to the sensory-based teaching I already incorporate into their learning activities.”

Lybeck will teach about five high-needs students in the self-contained, special education classroom this fall. They will enjoy new carpeting and paint, as well as ergonomic furniture pieces that include swinging footrests, bouncing seats, and easy-to-move desks. The classroom remodel was made possible by partnerships with 360 Office Solutions, A-line Drafting and Design, Pierce Flooring and Cabinet Design, and Sherwin Williams.

“We hope that after they’ve had a chance to use the furniture, they will see a positive change in the kids,” said Frank Cross, an owner of 360 Office Solutions. They donated about $15,000 worth of time and materials.

Pierce Flooring and Cabinet Design donated antimicrobial Millikan carpet tile and installation at a value of $3,000. “We strongly believe in the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and have for years,” said Jon Pierce, the general manager of the flooring division. “We love giving back to our communities that help drive our business, as well.” The Pierce family of businesses also includes Pierce Homes, Pierce RVs, and Pierce Leasing.

As Lybeck prepared for the school year in a classroom under construction, she said she appreciates the generosity of the community. “We are so grateful that these companies have created a sensory learning environment to help our students continue to grow in a safe place,” she said.

Yellowstone Academy is a fully accredited K-12 program through AdvancED Accreditation and an accredited K-8 elementary district through Montana’s Office of Public Instruction. It is located at the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, a nonprofit organization that is trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. YBGR has impacted more than 10,000 youth and their families since 1957 through Residential Services in Billings, Community Based Services throughout Montana, and the Yellowstone Academy in Billings.

The Billings DeLorean Club will be showing off their wheels at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch for the first-ever Back to the Future Back to School Car Show.

“Our club usually participates in parades and local car shows, so a back to school event is something new for us,” said Justin Voeller, who plans to dress as the character, “Doc”, from the Back to the Future movies. “I enjoy seeing others get the same amount of enjoyment as I do out of the car.”

DeLoreans were produced from 1981 until 1983. They feature a signature stainless steel body and gullwing doors.

“We are ecstatic about bringing these retro cars to campus for our kids,” said Gillette Vaira, the director of public relations at YBGR. “The back-to-school spirit is alive at the Ranch, and the DeLoreans will make this time of year even more special.”

Close to 60 youth who live on Yellowstone’s campus will be turning out for the show the evening of their first day of school. They’ll be watching Back to the Future movies prior to the event to get into the 1980s groove.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is expanding its services within Billings Public Schools. The growth of the program is a result of an increase in mental health needs among students in the school district.

“We are seeing a higher demand for mental health services for our young people,” said Terry Bouck, the superintendent of Billings Public Schools. “Working with YBGR helps us to meet the needs of students and their families.”

Yellowstone has provided Comprehensive School and Community Treatment services for School District Two since 2014. CSCT teams, which include a master’s degree level therapist and bachelor’s degree level behavior specialist, provide mental health therapy and behavior interventions to students while they remain in their regular school environments.

YBGR is recruiting four therapists and four behavior specialists to create the additional teams. With these new employees, YBGR will have will have an additional team at Lewis and Clark Middle School, two teams at Medicine Crow Middle School, and one team  at Frameworks, an alternative classroom at the Lincoln Center. Once the four new teams are operating, YBGR will have 12 total teams in Billings Public Schools. YBGR also offers CSCT services in Dillon, Shepherd, Laurel, Lewistown, and Lockwood, as well as Elder Grove and Independent Elementary Schools.

“We are proud to work with schools throughout Montana to meet the mental health needs of youth and families,” said Kim Chouinard, the executive director of YBGR’s Community Based Services program. “We are excited about expanding our services within School District Two and are honored to continue working with all of our school partners across the state. It is a great program that provides hope for children and families.”

Billings Public Schools enrolls more than 16,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The district has 22 elementary schools, five middle schools, three high schools, and a Career Center. School District Two employs about 1,400 full-time equivalent positions.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, a nonprofit organization, is trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. Each day, YBGR’s employees across the state work with close to 600 youth who struggle with controlling emotions and behaviors. YBGR has impacted more than 10,000 youth and their families since 1957 through Residential Services in Billings, Community Based Services throughout Montana, and the Yellowstone Academy in Billings.

By Morgan Tuss, Public Relations Intern

The kids squirmed in their seats wondering what was in those three containers. Troy Paisley of Zoo Montana opened up the first container and pulled out a terrarium. Its contents—a Madagascar Hissing Cockroach!

The kids rustled in their seats; some stood up and groaned, “Ew,” or “Cool!”

As Troy stood at the front of the Chapel, he explained that animals have tools and adaptations which help them survive in their environments. He held the bug in his hands and explained how cockroaches hiss like a snake when they feel threatened. He explained that without cockroaches, we might not have vanilla or chocolate ice cream… That’s right! This particular species of cockroach originates from the same forests where vanilla and cocoa beans were first found. Without the forest cleaning and maintenance work that cockroaches provide, these beans might not grow!

With the cockroach safely put away, Troy unlatched the next container and introduced Bambi, the Three Banded Armadillo.

“Aw,” said some of the girls. Eyes bulging, their hands sprung up. “Can I touch it?”

Watching the armadillo wiggle, the kids were dazzled. Troy explained that this armadillo is different from other species because of the unique tri-banded armor on its back. This trait gives the armadillo the ability to flex and wiggle— just as it was doing. He brought the Armadillo around for the kids to see. They giggled at its hairy tummy.

“It’s almost like it hasn’t shaved,” said Troy, jokingly.

After watching Bambi explore the floor for food, she was returned to her traveling crate.

The kids knew there were three animals, so what was next? Troy stretched his gloved hand into the covered enclosure and pulled out Gabel, the Great Horned Owl.

The kids’ eyes glowed as they admired the large bird. In awe, they watched as he stretched out his wings.

The kids learned that Gabel is named after Gabel Road in Billings, where he was hit by a car. His injuries resulted in an amputation of his right wing. Troy explained that because of this, he could not be returned to the wild and landed a permanent home at ZooMontana. He also clarified that owls cannot turn their heads all the way around, but that they do have twice the amount of vertebrae in their necks as humans. This allows them to turn their heads a great deal further than us.

At the end of the presentation, the kids were excited when Troy offered them to properly pet the back of the armadillo, while of course, sanitizing their hands after. Lined up, the kids walked up one by one to pet it.

Some of the girls couldn’t decide whether their favorite animal was Gabel or Bambi, but it’s certain that they had a hoot!

Summer school may not be appealing to the average student, but it gets cooler with ExxonMobil’s weekly summer science lessons at Yellowstone Academy.

“It’s a great way to help students see how science impacts everything we do each day,” said ExxonMobil’s Dan Carter, who leads interactive lessons about everything from rocks, minerals, and geology to chemistry and engineering.

About 40 students in kindergarten through 12^th grades are enrolled in YA’s summer school program, which is part of a trimester school year. In addition to Carter’s lessons, YA offers vocational programming, art and music classes, and a full range of academic services to assist special education students.

“We’re trying to help these kids with mental health so we can send them back to their districts and they can be successful academically,” said YA superintendent Mike Sullivan.

Students’ home school districts place them at YA through an Individual Education Plan process. The home districts, which are located within an hour’s distance from YA, pay for the placement of their students at the Academy.

“These kids can be successful, but they just need the right setting,” Sullivan said. “We’re the right setting for them.”

The YA day treatment educational model involves collaboration among educators, therapists, and behavioral specialists to help kids work on social and emotional deficiencies. Classrooms have four adults and eight to 10 students. Teachers fill students’ days with group projects and interactive activities, like Carter’s science lessons.

“Every kid I’ve ever met is curious about the world around them,” Carter said. “I just try to show them a new way of looking at it.”

YA is a fully accredited K-12 program through AdvancED Accreditation and an accredited K-8 elementary district through Montana’s Office of Public Instruction. It is located at the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, a nonprofit organization that is trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. YBGR has impacted more than 10,000 youth and their families since 1957 through Residential Services in Billings, Community Based Services throughout Montana, and the Yellowstone Academy in Billings.

The Montana native, hit band, Repeat Offenders, will play at the Josephine Crossing Summer Concert on Tuesday, July 12 from 5 to 8:30 p.m. The event supports Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

The band’s bass player, Steve Shelton, was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and struggled with social and behavioral obstacles. He said he feels this event is a fitting way to support kids with similar challenges.

“Anything anybody can do to help kids out, I think, is very, very cool,” Shelton said.

The Josephine Crossing subdivision, developed by McCall Homes, is hosting the concert series for the seventh year. McCall Homes Marketing Director Kelly Smith works and lives in the community.

“I’m a neighbor myself,” Smith said. “I can pack up my red wagon with camp chairs and a picnic blanket, and we can go and have great entertainment, really, in our backyard.”

The concert will raise cash and check donations, which will support YBGR’s treatment programs. YBGR also accepts donations at www.ybgr.org/donate/.

“We are thrilled to partner with the Billings community and the Repeat Offenders to support our kids,” said Morgan Tuss, the public relations intern at YBGR.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, a nonprofit organization, is trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. YBGR has impacted more than 10,000 youth and their families since 1957 through Residential Services in Billings, Community Based Services throughout Montana, and the Yellowstone Academy in Billings.

Listen to YBGR Public Relations Intern Morgan Tuss and Kelly Smith with McCall Homes speak with the Breakfast Flakes about the event!

Listen to YBGR Director of Public Relations Gillette Vaira interview with Livin’ Large Larry about the event!

As told by Lisa Frazier, Therapeutic Recreation Supervisor

In 1982, fresh out of college, I began working at Yellowstone. I spent the majority of my time with kids in the Uihlein Recreation Center, taking them on biking, camping, and sledding adventures. My mentor, Bob McFarlane, one of the three founders of Yellowstone, taught me how to establish relationships through hard work and play. Of course, we never know how our actions and words will impact young people. But we hope that our advice will stay with them throughout life. That’s what happened with Adam Garrigues.

I met Adam in 1983 when he arrived at Yellowstone at 15 years old. By that time, he had plenty of run-ins with the law. He ran away from home, skipped school, smoked, drank, and did drugs. He also ran away from the Casper Children’s Home at age 13. Later, he stole a car and robbed houses, landing him in the Wyoming Mental Hospital and the Wyoming Industrial Institute for Boys.

When he came upon his fourth felony in three years, he knew his next stop was Yellowstone… or prison.

“The judge told me flat out, ‘This is your last chance,’” Adam said.

Adam lived at the Ranch for more than three years, and he was actively involved. He played on the Mustangs basketball team and won Defensive Player of the Year. Later, Adam told me he behaved well so he could participate in recreational programming.

“It kept me focused to do what was being asked of me or I might miss the big game that night,” he said.

Adam was eager to assist staff, as well. I remember when he helped me take a group of young kids on a camping trip.

“I was the pack mule,” Adam said. “After day four, my legs went numb, but I kept going. Now that builds character.”

Other aspects of his Ranch experience were impactful, as well. Adam remembers a staff mentor, Jerry, asking him to look up the word, “empathy”, and use it in a sentence. That assignment stayed with him.

“Later in life, it was just that little voice in the back of my head: ‘Be nice to people. You don’t know where they came from and they don’t know where you came from.’ When I would do something I knew I shouldn’t be doing, I heard a staff member or counselor saying, ‘You might not want to make this choice.’”

Adam wanted to have a chance to be one of those voices for kids currently in treatment at Yellowstone.

In 2015, he began coaching our youth in bowling. He teaches bowling basics, etiquette, and respect for equipment. But he gives advice about more than just bowling.

“This is not a game,” he has told them. “You have to make good decisions.”

The conversations they have about the future bring him back to his past.

“You can talk to them and you see yourself back in those days. It’s been an emotional rollercoaster since I’ve been coming back here, to be honest,” he said.

Now 48, Adam works as a welder for WBI Energy. He and his wife also started a food truck and catering business. He runs a youth bowling league in Billings and enjoys spending time with his wife, three children, and six grandchildren. But even as he enjoys his successful adult life, the Ranch continues to be a part of him.

“The voices of YBGR are still with you,” he said.

And now, his voice is with the kids of Yellowstone.

Written by Public Relations Intern Morgan Tuss

Fourteen-year-old Avery* was struggling with suicidal thoughts, depression, anger, and sadness. In desperate need of help, her family decided the best place for her to find hope was 3,000 miles away at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch in Montana.

“I’m a long ways from home,” she said, thinking of her 5,000-person hometown in Alaska.

When Avery first arrived on Yellowstone’s campus, she felt overwhelmed.

“At first it was kind of scary being in a new place. But you get the feeling that people care about you.”

Avery had a warm and cozy treat when she first checked into YBGR. She was able to choose a hand-made quilt to keep her company during her stay at Yellowstone.

“I was actually really surprised,” she said. “I thought, ‘That’s really cool.’”

Avery chose a quilt that is scattered with earthy tones, moose, and trails like the Iditarod.

“When I’m missing home, I can see it and it makes me feel better.”

Avery’s quilt was made with love by three quilters from St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Harlowton, Mont. They make dozens of quilts each year for the youth of Yellowstone.

“Those kids, some of them come with absolutely nothing,” said Sue Fortune, one of the quilters. “It really just tugs at your heart.”

Fortune estimates their quilting group has made more than 1,300 quilts for Yellowstone’s kids since 2005. However, keeping up with the amount of quilts needed for incoming YBGR kids is tough. The group started with 22 volunteers, but now just three ladies participate.

“It takes a lot for the three of us to turn out the quilts we do,” Fortune said.

They also rely on donations for materials from generous church members and others in the community. Fortune said she wouldn’t want a YBGR kid to go without one.

For Avery, receiving a quilt helped her settle into her life at the Ranch and heal from wounds of the past. Starting at age seven, Avery endured abuse. She was then diagnosed with posttraumatic stress, major depressive, and generalized anxiety disorders.

“I thought that I would never want to live or enjoy living.”

But the Ranch has given her life again. She has found purpose with various work crews on campus. She earns money by cleaning dishes and tables in the dining hall. She also works by tagging, branding, feeding, doctoring, and cuddling the Ranch’s calves.

“It’s really fun,” she said.

Her time at the Ranch has changed her.

“I’ve been able to do things for myself and helping myself allowed me to help others,” she said. “It’s gotten better since I’ve been at the Ranch, which I never thought I’d get to say.”

And as for Avery’s quilt, you won’t find it bundled in a corner or strewn on the floor. It is proudly displayed across her bed in the lodge, ready to keep her warm at night.

Please call Sue Fortune at 406-632-4204 if you are interested in quilting with or donating to the volunteers at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church.

*Name changed to protect client confidentiality

The Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch board of directors has appointed Mike Chavers as the permanent chief executive officer, effective August 1.

“I am honored to be offered the opportunity to serve as the CEO of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch and to be a part of the incredible history and mission of the agency,” Chavers said. “I look forward to helping YBGR continue to make a positive impact in the lives of youth. As a native of the west, I am grateful for the opportunity to continue my career in an area which I still call home.”

Born and raised in Idaho, Chavers pursued his education and career in Illinois. He has worked at Indian Oaks Academy, Nexus, for the last 22 years. Most recently, he has served as executive director of the organization.

Chavers holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Olivet Nazarene University and a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the Moody Bible Institute. He is a fellow at Georgetown University’s Center for Juvenile Justice Reform.

The Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch board of directors has elected officers for 2016-2017. The board re-elected Dr. Ronald Sexton as the Chairman. In addition, members elected Chip Youlden as Vice Chairman and Bob Carr as Secretary/Treasurer.

The board renewed the appointments of Sexton and Youlden, along with Stella Ziegler and Dr. Bob Wilmouth. In addition, the board welcomes a new member, Perry McNeese. The slate of nine members also includes Ken Woosley, Bill Goodwin, and YBGR’s chief executive officer.

YBGR’s board members consist of professionals from communities across Montana who volunteer their time to serve Yellowstone. They support YBGR’s employees, who work with children who struggle with controlling emotions and behaviors.

Close to 45 youth at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch are starting their summer break by acting, splashing, sliding, dirt biking, baking, and bouncing throughout campus this week.

“One game the kids will love is called Splatter Ball,” said YBGR Spiritual Life Director John Dailey. “They will toss a whiffle ball filled with shaving cream at one another. That’s one sticky game!”

The activities are a part of a three-day summer camp, hosted by Yellowstone’s spiritual life program and the Young Life organization. The camp aims to connect YBGR youth with Young Life volunteers, who are positive role models for the youth. Young Life, a globally-recognized organization, helps young people grow in their faith.

“The kids get to do things they normally don’t get to do in a controlled and structured setting with adults who care about them,” said Keith Dow, the area director for Billings Young Life.

Dailey and Dow said the kids will eventually wash away the shaving cream, but hopefully not the memories, connections, and hope for the future.

Sifting through used clothing and shoes doesn’t bother members of the Billings Optimist Clubs. In fact, they thrive on it, especially since they’re helping kids.

“It’s a little different project than what we’ve done before,” said Roger Gravgaard, a 10-year member of the Heights Business Optimist Club.

Gravgaard rallied members of the Heights Business Optimist Club, the Big Sky Optimist Club, and the Magic City Optimist Club to clean and sort the clothing rooms at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch. The clubs are a part of a worldwide volunteer organization whose members strive to bring out the best in children, in their communities, and in themselves.

“We are able to provide clothes and shoes to youth in need because of generous donations from community members,” said Gillette Vaira, the director of public relations at YBGR. “Maintaining the clothing rooms can be challenging, but they’re in great condition with the support of our dedicated volunteers.”

“I think everybody has really enjoyed the time out there,” Gravgaard said. “It’s been a really good experience.”

The Billings Police Department teamed up with Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch to raise awareness about the active role law enforcement officers play in our community.

“We continually strive to develop positive relationships with the youth of Billings,” said Thomas Keightley, the public relations officer for the Billings Police Department. “This is one way to demonstrate to the kids how much we care about them and their families.”

Officers Keightley and Fishbaugh showed YBGR youth a police car, bullet proof vest, helmet, shield, and handcuffs. The youth also met Kooko with the K9 Unit! The event took place during National Police Week, which recognizes the service, sacrifices, and contributions made by U.S. law enforcement officers.

“Our organization is grateful for the Billings Police Department,” said Gillette Vaira, the director of public relations at YBGR. “This event will not only help our youth better understand the law enforcement community, but it may also open their minds to future career possibilities.”

The Billings Police Department consists of 142 sworn police officers who patrol within the Billings city limits. BPD is committed to improving the quality of life through a customer service, problem solving partnership with the community.

Each year, organizations across the country celebrate National Volunteer Week in April. Let us introduce you to some of the volunteers who come back to the Ranch week after week to help us keep it running smoothly.

Wayne Harsha treks nearly 70 miles roundtrip to volunteer regularly at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch.

“I love coming here. Love it,” he said. “You kind of have to decide what’s important in life. Family is important. Doing something like this is important.”

Wayne has compiled data and statistics for YBGR for more than two years. He learned of the opportunity through his son, Tom Harsha, who is a mental health worker at the Ranch.

“I like to be able to make some contribution to help out,” Wayne said. “I can’t do what Tom does, but if I can take the time to help the Ranch with data to make better decisions, then I can give back.”

Wayne also likes to interact with Yellowstone’s youth whenever possible. Once, he brought flowers to the Ranch, and he, his wife, and Tom planted them with the kids.

“I’m doing it for the kids and so (Tom) can have a better chance to do what he does best,” Wayne said. “I would do it even if he wasn’t here, but it was a connection that brought us together.”

Wayne served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1968 until 1991. He has worked as a professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University since 1988. He adopted four of his five children, including Tom. Having lived in Japan, Germany, and several states, he now lives with his wife in Columbus.

After raising six kids and now two grand-puppies, you might think sorting clothes would sound dreadful. But Malinda Rickman, a new volunteer to YBGR, spends an evening each week in our clothing room doing just that—sorting clothes.

“After having so many kids, I don’t mind laundry,” she said. “I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment when I can see some of the progress and helping somebody that needs it”.

Malinda previously worked in clothing retail, so sorting the clothing room seemed like an easy way for her to get involved in the community.

“It’s nice to be able to branch out and give back,” she said. “The people I’ve met are just wonderful. I just really enjoy it.”

Malinda has always lived in Billings and owns the Continental Gate Company with her husband. An avid runner, she doesn’t mind running across town to work in the clothing room. With all of her sorting, she said she is at a point where she is starting to “make it pretty.”

Longtime YBGR volunteer Gail Norman has a heart for kids and the people who help them.

“I like what the Ranch does and I feel like maybe I’m contributing a little to that,” she said.

When asked how long she has volunteered at the Ranch campus, she joked, “I was afraid you were going to ask me that.” For about seven years, she has filed for the Fiscal Department and has helped with setting up filing systems. When she has time, she now helps with other clerical tasks and fills in at the reception desk.

“[The staff are] always very appreciative I’m there,” she said. “Everyone is very, very happy to see me. It makes you feel good.”

Gail is usually only able to volunteer at the Ranch with short notice since she also works regularly as a substitute teacher at the Billings Career Center. In her spare time, she also enjoys reading sometimes several novels a week, caring for her acre large yard she jokingly calls “the plantation”, staying healthy, and spending time with her two grown sons and six grand kids.

Anyone who walks into the Garfield Center on a Tuesday has a high chance of running into volunteer Dorothy Jensen. There, she helps with filing, data entry, and as she called it, “odds and ends that help out the staff.” In May, she will be celebrating her third year as a volunteer of YBGR.

“It gives me something to look forward to,” she said. “(The staff) are very welcoming, pleasant, and friendly.”

Dorothy was a registered nurse before she retired. She had enjoyed volunteering in her hometown in Iowa. In 2013, she moved to Billings to be closer to one of her two sons, and she caught the volunteer bug again. She quickly discovered the volunteer opportunity at YBGR through Adult Resource Alliance Center of Yellowstone County. She said she is thankful for the experience because she enjoys being out and meeting new people at YBGR.

“Even though it might seem like a minor thing, it takes a load off of their jobs,” she said. “They’re always really grateful for everything”.

Dorothy enjoys visiting her granddaughter, who is also a nurse. She also appreciates cross stitching, reading, meeting with a weekly quilting group, and volunteering at Adult Resource Alliance.

Judy Watson-Goldsby has always helped children. She raised four daughters and took in three foster care children. Now, she’s impacting youth in another way… by volunteering at Yellowstone.

“I’ve been aware of the Ranch ever since I was in high school,” she said. “I had never really been on campus. Now that I’ve seen how big it is, it’s very impressive. I wasn’t aware of how far-reaching this is and what they do.”

Judy volunteers weekly at Yellowstone by filling in at the administration building reception desk and helping with paperwork. She started in this role in April.

“Somebody got my name and called me and said, ‘Hey, you like to volunteer.’”

Judy is on the Laurel City/County Planning Board, serves as the chairperson for the Laurel Urban Renewal Agency, works as secretary/treasurer of the Laurel Revitalization League, and delivers meals for the Laurel Meals on Wheels program. She said her most significant passion is conducting genealogy research at the Laurel Library. But volunteerism, in general, fuels her.

“It really gives me a reason to get up in the morning to know that I have something to do to keep me busy and make me feel good.”

Having previously worked in the insurance industry, Judy also owned an auto repair shop in Laurel. She retired in 2014.

John’s* 11 months at Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch were truly a life-changing experience.

“I am very grateful for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch,” he said. “I probably wouldn’t have been alive if it weren’t for it.”

The 17-year-old traveled to the 410-acre ranch in Montana from his home in Chicago.

“When I came here, I was a complete mess and had more things to work on than I like to admit,” he said. “I had really low self-esteem and a negative perception of who I was as a person.”

He and his family hoped staff at YBGR would help him with depression and bipolar disorder.

“One thing I had hidden from everybody for a while was that I also had a problem with drugs,” he said. “But that secret lasted only a few months.”

Once he opened up about his challenges, John said he began to focus on his treatment. This led to opportunities for him.

“During the summer, the kids in my lodge and I dedicated our time to bucking and stacking hay,” he said. “From this, I learned how labor-intensive farm work is. At the end of the summer, we calculated that we stacked over two tons of hay!”

John’s adventures didn’t stop there. He participated in hiking, fishing, swimming, and billiards, as well.

“All of this sounds like just fun and games, but there is therapeutic value to everything we do here,” he said. “Once I started to become a more social person, I became more physically active, as well. I lost a much-needed 50 pounds from my daily activities, which helped me grow even more confident with myself.”

John said he began to imagine what life could be like after YBGR.

“The guidance counselor at YBGR has helped me tremendously with my future,” he said. “She helped me prepare for both my first and second ACT test, and also helped me decide which colleges to send my scores and apply to.”

Now, back at home in Chicago, John plays the trumpet in his school’s band and has joined the ceramics club. He graduates from high school in June and has aspirations to go to college. No matter where he goes next in life, John said he’ll keep YBGR with him.

“The real me took a lot of hard work and coaxing to come out of his shell, but my team and I accomplished it,” he said.

*Name changed to ensure client’s confidentiality

Michael’s* start in life wasn’t ideal. His 16-year-old mother knew she couldn’t provide for him, so she gave him up for adoption. That’s when Michael’s new parents found him, trying desperately to make up for his rough beginning.

“I was a spoiled little brat. I wanted everything and I got everything I wanted,” he said. “As I got older, money got tighter. Stuff I wanted couldn’t be bought. I guess that’s kind of why I started not listening.”

That’s when the problems arose.

“I was running away. I was doing any drug I could get my hands on,” he said. “(I was) constantly at my girlfriend’s house. I didn’t listen to anyone at all.”

Michael and his girlfriend used methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana.

“(My parents tried to) stop me and save me, but I didn’t want to listen because I was so focused on my next fix.”

Drugs led Michael to dangerous situations.

“I was in a bad drug deal and I had a gun to my head,” he said. “(My parents) always say, ‘If we lose you, that would be the end of us.’ I always think, ‘What if they lost me right then and there?’”

Although Michael knew he was on the wrong path, he couldn’t stop his destructive decisions. One day, he was punching the wall, and his father tried to stop him. That’s when Michael kicked his father in the face.

“I was high on meth,” Michael said. “I felt so bad and I still feel bad about it. I was tearing the family apart.”

Then Michael ran away.

“I was scared of myself because I never thought I would ever hurt my father, ever.”

Soon after, he went to a treatment center. But he ran away from the facility with another resident.

“We ended up in the ghetto of LA,” he said.

They were doing drugs and stealing cars. He remembered hot wiring a black Mercedes-Benz.

“The dude had left his license in there and he looked like me, so I took his license, too,” Michael said. “I drove it for like five blocks and then I got out because it was a stick shift and I really couldn’t drive it.”

Days later, he returned to the treatment center, enraged.

“I started breaking stuff,” he said. “I kicked the door down. I punched a hole through the door and a couple holes through the wall. I hit and hurt so many people and myself. I think I gave myself a concussion (because) I hit my head on the wall so hard.”

Michael was then transferred to another treatment facility. He was becoming accustomed to being locked up.

“I had gotten used to it, almost too used to it. It was scary. It didn’t bother me at all.”

But then, he arrived on the campus of Yellowstone.

“Every time I got tired of a place, I would just try to do something so crazy, so stupid that they wouldn’t want me here,” he said. “But they made me stick it out and this place wouldn’t let me leave. They didn’t send me away. And that’s when I started shaping up, honestly, because I knew they wouldn’t give up on me.”

Michael also knew that after Yellowstone, his next stop would be jail. So he tried to make a home for himself in Fortin Lodge. But his first months at Yellowstone weren’t without struggles.

“I was always on consequence.”

He had chores, writing exercises, workout regimens, and limited privileges. But over time, he started developing relationships with staff and earning their trust. That’s when he began to work with animals, and he even formed a special connection with a horse named “Lina”.

“I honestly love this horse,” he said. “Whenever I got mad, I would talk to her like she was a regular human being. If I’m upset, she’ll lean her head in and give me a big fat hug. If I’m happy, she’ll lean in and give me a big fat hug.”

Soon, Michael was helping Yellowstone’s farm and ranch director, Gary Adams.

“He taught me how to brand and tag. I wanted to do it by myself right away, but he wanted it done right. It took a year before I could brand on my own.”

But his time with Gary wasn’t just about working with cattle.

“He’s also taught me some life lessons. He’s said a lot of wise things,” Michael said. “He pulls me aside after we’re done working and we talk for a little bit, whether it be about God or just how good we did.”

Michael started to become a leader on campus. He mentored younger residents and worked several jobs on campus. He participated in individual, group, and family therapy sessions. After a year and a half at Yellowstone, he feels ready to return home.

“I’m going to tackle my brother when I first see him and give my mom a big hug; my dad, too.”

As a graduate of Yellowstone Academy, Michael plans to move directly toward his career goals. He wants to earn a scholarship to go to a fire academy and then become a fire fighter. Although his goals are set, he said he knows temptations will follow him.

“I’m always going to have problems. The drugs are always going to be there. Old friends are always going to be there,” he said. “What I do and what choices I make are going to determine how I am and the person I’m going to be.”

But he said the lessons he has learned at the Ranch will guide him. And he won’t forget that Yellowstone saved him when he couldn’t save himself.

“It feels so good to know that I can go home and be a sane person and have a normal life.”

*Name changed to protect client’s confidentiality

The Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch will be a little brighter, a little louder, and a lot busier on April 10. The Muscle Car Club of Billings and Magic City Street Cars will be displaying about 20 cars and one tow truck for the youth who live on campus.

“We enjoy any opportunity to share our cars with young people,” said Rick Boyce, the vice president of the Muscle Car Club of Billings and president of Magic City Street Cars. “We have a great time visiting with them, too.”

The clubs aren’t only showing off their wheels. Some members feel a direct connection with YBGR’s kids due to their childhood experiences, and they’ll be offering their advice.

“This is an opportunity to help our youth grow and learn about possibilities,” said Gillette Vaira, the director of public relations at YBGR. “We’re thankful that these groups want to share their time and their beautiful cars.”

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, a nonprofit organization, is trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. YBGR has impacted more than 10,000 youth and their families since 1957 through Residential Services in Billings, Community Based Services throughout Montana, and the Yellowstone Academy in Billings.

About 15 youth from Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch are delivering meals to those in need on Easter Sunday as a part of the Montana Rescue Mission’s meal delivery program.

“We try to get the kids out there to see that there are people less fortunate than they are and give back to the community,” said John O’Dea, a mental health worker at YBGR. “Oftentimes, the kids are a little humbled and happy that they could help somebody.”

O’Dea has made it possible for YBGR youth to deliver Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter meals for close to 10 years. The youth involved are between the ages of 12 and 17.

“We enjoy having the young people of Yellowstone get involved with our program,” said Denise Smith, the public relations manager at Montana Rescue Mission. “With the help of volunteers, we are able to provide a happier Easter to folks in need throughout Billings.”

The Montana Rescue Mission was organized in 1955 for the poor and homeless in Billings and throughout the greater Yellowstone County area. The MRM provides emergency, temporary care, and rehabilitative services to those seeking help and solutions. Learn more at http://montanarescuemission.org/.

As Dr. Seuss said, “The more that you read, the more things you will know.” That’s why students at Yellowstone Academy are looking forward to reading with volunteers from Phillips 66 to celebrate National Read Across America Day on March 2.

“Our students love meeting people from the community,” said Prudence Lybeck, Yellowstone Academy’s teacher for kindergarten through third grades. “They’ll be reading Dr. Seuss books and engaging in a variety of activities as they develop language and social skills.”

“Our employees jump at the opportunity to get involved with youth in the community,” said Bonnie Burks, the public relations coordinator for Phillips 66 Billings Refinery. “We enjoy partnering with Yellowstone to help kids.”

In addition to the Dr. Seuss festivities, the Texas Roadhouse will be serving a free lunch for the students, staff, and volunteers involved in the event.

“We’re thankful to have such strong community support,” said Gillette Vaira, Yellowstone’s director of public relations. “Phillips 66 and the Texas Roadhouse have gone out of their way to create a positive experience for these students, and we’re grateful for their time and energy.”

Close to 40 students in kindergarten through 12th grades participate in Yellowstone Academy’s day school program. The youth travel to and from YBGR’s 410-acre campus each day from their homes. YBGR, a nonprofit organization, is trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families.

Shopping for clothes can sometimes become an unpleasant experience for young people. But for some of the youth served by Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, it may feel like an unattainable feat.

“Some youth arrive at Yellowstone with just the clothes on their backs or maybe a plastic bag full of belongings,” said Megan Olszewski, the marketing coordinator at YBGR. “Many of the youth we serve come from families who do not have the resources to help them meet basic needs.”

YBGR depends on volunteers to sort donated clothing in its clothing rooms, where youth can shop for clothes for free. Students from Montana State University Billings are sorting the clothing rooms on February 25 at 3 p.m.

“Organizing the clothing and shoes at Yellowstone is a direct way for us to help kids,” said Kristen Wederski, one of four resident assistants at MSUB who has helped to organize the volunteer event. “It’s the perfect service project for our students.”

About 65 children between the ages of 10 and 18 live on the 410-acre working ranch west of Billings. The youth live on campus year-round to receive mental health treatment. The clothing room is available to youth enrolled in YBGR’s mental health programs who may not have adequate clothing, who are preparing for job interviews, or who lose a significant amount of weight with effective medication management.

Five psychiatric providers from Montana Psychiatry are joining the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch’s medical team as independent contractors, effective January 6.

Erin Amato, MD, a child psychiatrist, will serve as the Ranch’s medical director. She has double board certification in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Deborah Malters, MD, and Belinda Hartley, MD, will also be practicing at the Ranch. The three psychiatrists are replacing Dr. Stephen Mandler, who left YBGR as the medical director on January 5.

“I’m looking forward to leading such a dynamic psychiatric team at YBGR,” said Amato, a Billings native. “Early diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders is essential in promoting healthy development. That’s what we’ll strive to do for the youth of YBGR.”

The Ranch is also welcoming Kelli Begley, a family psychiatric nurse practitioner, as well as Pat Francisco, a psychiatric physician’s assistant. Both Begley and Francisco are members of the Montana Psychiatry group.

“We are excited to bring on board such highly qualified, caring medical staff,” said Kevin Miller, the interim CEO of YBGR. “Families send their children to YBGR from all across the United States. We will continue to provide nothing but the best psychiatric treatment for them.”

Montana State Fund is presenting Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch with a dividend of $95,279.68. The check is being presented to YBGR as a result of proven results by implementing a successful culture of safety during the 2013-14 policy year.

“The safety of youth and employees at YBGR is our utmost priority,” said Sally Venard, the safety director at YBGR. “Reflective care and regular training in de-escalation techniques are major contributing factors to fewer injuries on our campus.”

Montana State Fund, the largest workers’ compensation insurance carrier in Montana, declared a record $35 million dividend in November. The dividend returns a portion of premiums back to those policyholders who have made a commitment to provide a safe workplace for their employees and, in turn, lower injury rates. Since 1999, MSF has returned more than $141 million to policyholders through the dividend process.

Seven-year-old Jacob Studer isn’t just an entrepreneur; he’s also a philanthropist.

“I started my own business,” Jacob said. “Too young for it? Doesn’t matter.”

Jacob, a second grade student at Elder Grove School, raised $121.50 for Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch by selling artwork and raking his grandpa’s yard.

“I said $1 per pile of leaves, and I did five piles of leaves,” he said. “He made me do some other chores that got me $5.”

His grandma and aunt also made donations. The money went to Elder Grove students enrolled in YBGR’s Comprehensive School and Community Treatment program, a division of YBGR’s Community Based Services in Billings.

“We plan on taking a group of clients to the Festival of Trees, and we’ll use the rest of the money for art supplies and snacks for our kids,” said Lauren Poss, the YBGR behavior specialist at Elder Grove. “We are so thankful for Jacob’s compassion for the youth of our program.”

Jacob modestly described his efforts as a way to “help some kids that need it.” He added, “I just think it’s a good cause.”

Some friends recommended he spend his earnings on toys. But Jacob isn’t one to be swayed easily.

“He loved the idea of helping kids,” his dad, Luke Studer, said.

One of Jacob’s classmates lives on the YBGR campus, as his father works at the ranch. Jacob told him about his fundraiser.

“(He) was amazed because it went right to his neighborhood,” Jacob said.

Now that Jacob has donated to YBGR, he is onto his next campaign, Billings Best Hiking Sticks.

“He has his business plan,” said his mom, Anna Studer. “He hasn’t decided who to give it to.”

Jacob has made 14 hand-decorated walking sticks. For “grownups”, the walking sticks sell for $7 apiece. Youth can purchase them for $5 each.

His five-year-old sister, Delaney, is involved, too.

“I just hired her to hold up a sign that just said what my business was about,” he said.

His parents and grandpa help with the business, as well, but he’s keeping his costs low.

“I think they’re just being volunteers,” Jacob said.

“(There is) no family discount here,” his dad said. “He tells us we don’t get these for free.”

Jacob sells the sticks every Friday afternoon in his driveway.

“I know how to be a salesman,” he said.

Jacob’s charity-minded work didn’t just begin this year. In preschool, he donated money from his piggy bank to the Montana Rescue Mission.

“He’s always had a big heart for giving,” his dad said. “(We’re) just so proud. It’s all driven by him. He really does most of this on his own.”

Meanwhile, the Studer parents continue to talk with their children about helping those in need.

“We encourage it,” his dad said. “Whenever we can give, we give.”

Read about former youth Kristen Kroonenberg in the Foundation’s latest letter.

Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch is welcoming their new chief financial officer, Dick Reich. His appointment became effective September 9, 2015.

“We are delighted Dick Reich will be joining the YBGR executive leadership team,” said Shawn Byrne, the chief operating officer of YBGR’s Community Based Services division. “His professional knowledge of financial analysis, strategic planning, accounting, budget development, and cost-effective management of resources will serve us well.”

Prior to joining YBGR, Reich was the president of Reich Accounting Services, a professional firm that provided consulting and direct services in various financial areas to Billings-area public school districts. Reich was also previously the executive director of finance for Billings Public Schools.

“I look forward to joining a team of professionals who have dedicated their careers to providing help, hope, and healing to children, youth, and their families,” Reich said. “I am eager to be part of the team that will continue moving YBGR forward as we strive to provide the best mental health care to children and youth.”

Reich has a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Eastern Montana College.

YBGR is a nonprofit organization trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. YBGR staff impact approximately 650 youth each day through the residential psychiatric treatment facility in Billings and Community Based Services throughout Montana.

The Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch board of directors has appointed Kevin Miller as the interim chief executive officer of Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch, effective September 8, 2015.

“We are delighted to welcome Kevin Miller to the YBGR family and look forward to the contributions he will make,” said Ron Sexton, the chairman of the YBGR board of directors. “He brings to YBGR a wealth of executive-level leadership and management experience in health care, including mental health, after serving in leadership positions at several prominent organizations.”

Miller served most recently as the president and chief executive officer of Hutchinson Regional Healthcare System in Hutchinson, Kansas. He retired in June 2015.

“I am honored to accept the opportunity to lead this extraordinary organization through the transitional period in preparing for a permanent chief executive officer,” Miller said. “YBGR has a tradition of excellence in providing help, hope, and healing to youth and their families. Thousands of lives have been touched because of dedicated, passionate, and well-trained staff. I look forward to working with the board of directors, our staff, community and state leaders, and others as we strive to provide the best mental health care youth.”

As part of the executive team of Cleveland Clinic Health System, Miller served as the president and CEO of ACMC Healthcare System and Ashtabula County Medical Center in Ohio. He also served as the president and CEO of Medical Center of Southern Indiana. Miller worked in senior-level management positions at Charter Medical Corporation, the nation’s largest investor-owned behavioral healthcare provider, in addition to BroMenn Healthcare, Inc. and St. James Hospital in Illinois.

Miller is board-certified in health care management as a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. He holds a Master of Science in Health Services Administration from the College of St. Francis and a Bachelor of Science in Medical Records Administration from Illinois State University. He is a Registered Health Information Administrator.

Miller replaces Shawn Byrne, who on July 6, 2015, was asked by the board of directors to serve as acting CEO until an interim CEO could be appointed. Byrne will return to his position as the Chief Operating Officer of Community Based Services for YBGR.

YBGR is a nonprofit organization trusted locally and nationally as a leader in the field of mental health care for children and their families. YBGR staff impact approximately 700 youth each day through the psychiatric residential treatment facility in Billings and Community Based Services throughout Montana.

Close to 100 Faith Chapel members will be volunteering at the Yellowstone Boys and Girls Ranch as a part of their weekly Tuesdays on the Town summer service project. The group will be painting buildings, landscaping, and making repairs across the 410-acre campus west of Billings.

“It’s exhilarating to see how we at Faith Chapel can directly impact our city,” said Ryan Gomendi, the event organizer. “It’s especially great knowing that our volunteer work is positively affecting youth at YBGR.”

Tuesday, July 28 marks the third time the group has donated their efforts and resources to help YBGR spiff up their campus.

“We are delighted to host Faith Chapel, and we’re thankful for their generosity,” said YBGR Chief Development Officer Christi Beals. “It’s folks like them who continue to make YBGR a beautiful place for youth to heal.”