The Prevention Platform

Welcome back to another episode of The Prevention Platform! It is October, which means fall is officially here. Crisp air, cozy sweaters, and best of all, it is National Book Month. To celebrate, we are diving into the heart of our local community's reading world. Our guest today has been leading the helm at the Hellertown Area Library for the past two years. But her journey with books and community spans way beyond our local stacks, with experience across a wide range of library systems, including time spent serving readers down in Atlantic City. So excited to welcome Ali Finkbeiner, who is the director of the Hellertown Area Library, to our podcast today.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

The Youth Education Program is funded in part by the Lehigh County Department of Drug and Alcohol. Their commitment to prevention efforts across Lehigh County allows us to produce this podcast.

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Welcome back to another episode of The Prevention Platform! September is National Yoga Awareness Month, and we are going to roll out our mats, quiet the noise and connect back to ourselves. In honor of this important month, we are joined by Jena Radcliffe, an Education Specialist in our Youth Education Program (YEP) here at Valley Youth House. Jena is a certified Yoga and Mindfulness Practitioner. As a former elementary classroom teacher, she saw the impact the the pandemic had on mental health and now owns Mindful Little Yogi, which provides yoga and mindfulness tools in local schools and organizations to children as young as 2, and up to their teenage years.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

The Youth Education Program is funded in part by the Lehigh County Department of Drug and Alcohol. Their commitment to prevention efforts across Lehigh County allows us to produce this podcast.

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Welcome back to the Prevention Platform! August is National Road Victim's Month, a time dedicated to saving lives behind the wheel. In this episode, we are joined by Bill McQuilken, who is the Trauma Prevention Coordinator for Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest. Bill shares often overlooked driving safety tips that every parent and driver should hear.

Information about the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety can be found here.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

The Youth Education Program is funded in part by the Lehigh County Department of Drug and Alcohol. Their commitment to prevention efforts across Lehigh County allows us to produce this podcast.

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June 30th is Social Media Awareness, and if you have been listening to The Prevention Platform, you know this is a topic that keeps coming up. From stress, to mental health to prevention, social media and technology are always part of our conversations, so we wanted to take a deeper dive!

In this episode, we are joined by Kirstin McGowan, a parent advocate and co-lead of PA Unplugged. As a mom of 2, a co-lead of the Wait Until 8th Central Bucks Chapter, and a leader of statewide advocacy efforts, Kirstin brings a practical, data-driven perspective on helping kids thrive socially, emotionally and academically in a tech heavy world.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

The Youth Education Program is funded in part by the Lehigh County Department of Drug and Alcohol. Their commitment to prevention efforts across Lehigh County allows us to produce this podcast.

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Celebrate National Physical Fitness & Sports Month with us this May!

We’re sitting down with Jordan Legath, a Health and Physical Education teacher with over 18 years of experience mentoring youth. In this session, we’ll explore the role that movement plays in our daily routines, the link between exercise and mental well-being, and practical strategies for families to stay active together.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

The Youth Education Program is funded in part by the Lehigh County Department of Drug and Alcohol. Their commitment to prevention efforts across Lehigh County allows us to produce this podcast.

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Welcome back to The Prevention Platform! This April, in recognition of Stress Awareness Month, we're taking a look at stress in young people: what does it look like, where does it come from, and how the adults in their lives can make a real difference.

We're joined by Justine McAllister, who is a School-Based Therapist with Valley Youth House. She has over 15 years of experience in the mental health field, including as a Family Therapist.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

The Youth Education Program is funded in part by the Lehigh County Department of Drug and Alcohol. Their commitment to prevention efforts across Lehigh County allows us to produce this podcast.

Follow Us on Social Media!

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Welcome back to the Prevention Platform Podcast!

March is National Nutrition Month, and today we are talking about the powerful role that nutrition plays in prevention, from supporting physical growth to strengthening focus, mood, and overall resilience.

In this episode, we are joined by Alexandra Evans and Kelsey Henry, registered dietitians on the Health Promotion and Wellness team at Capital Blue Cross. They spend their time helping families make realistic, sustainable choices when it comes to food and health, and will share practical strategies on how to help young people in your life develop positive and healthy relationships with food.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

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In honor of Healthy Relationship Month, we are talking about how adults can guide young people toward safe, respectful and healthy relationships, especially when it comes to teen dating and navigating social media.

We are joined by Geraldine Infante, Children's Advocacy Director at Turning Point of the Lehigh Valley. Geraldine works with youth and families to provide trauma-informed prevention programs focused on healthy relationships and violence prevention.

In this episode, Geraldine shares practical strategies for parents and caregivers to start important conversations, spot early warning signs and support teens in building healthy connections.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

Follow Us on Social Media!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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In honor of January being Wellness Month, we are joined by Britani Harrison, MSW, a Wellness Educator at Valley Youth House's Achieving Independence Center in Philadelphia. In this episode, with talk with Britani about practical ways families, caregivers and schools can support the wellbeing of children and teens. We cover what areas of wellness to focus on, how to spot early warning signs of struggle, simple habits for managing stress and emotions, ways that caregivers can model healthy practices (even when they're busy), and community resources that can help.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

Follow Us on Social Media!

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Welcome back to The Prevention Platform! As we close out another year, many of us are feeling that pull to slow down, reflect and think about what we want the next year to look like, for ourselves and for our families. Instead of jumping straight into resolutions that fade by February, what if we approached the New Year with purpose and intention? In this episode, we are joined by Kellyn L., a Life Coach based in Los Angeles, who grew up right here in the Lehigh Valley. Kellyn specializes in helping people live with clarity and direction, and she's passionate about guiding them toward more intentional, value-driven lives. We talk about how to start the New Year with focus and meaning, and how choosing a simple "Word of the Year" can serve as a powerful compass for your family's journey ahead.

About Valley Youth House:

Valley Youth House does more than just provide homes for youth in Pennsylvania who are experiencing abuse and homelessness. We partner with thousands of individuals each year to build a solid foundation for young people and their families. With dedicated street outreach, housing, counseling, skills training, health, prevention, and intervention services, we empower resilient young people in establishing promising futures.

Follow Us on Social Media!

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