Youth Development

American Indian Health Services of Chicago, Inc’s Youth Development Program (YDP) provides services and programing to: urban, Native identified youth (ages 13 through 24 years of age), living in Chicago and the Chicagoland area.  AIHSC’s Youth Development Program strives to be a safe and inclusive environment for Native youth. As a result, AIHSC’s Youth Development Program welcomes: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ) Native youth of Chicagoland.

AIHSC’s Youth Development Program has one purpose: Exchanging Risks for Resiliency.  As a result, AIHSC’s Youth Development Program has three program pillars:

• Emotional Resiliency
• Health Resiliency
• Cultural Resiliency

All programming and services provided by AIHSC’s Youth Development Program, incorporate elements from all three of these pillars.  As a result of these pillars, AIHSC’s Youth Development Program assists Native youth with accessing all services offered by American Indian Health Services of Chicago, Inc. AIHSC’s Youth Development Program is funded through the Indian Health Service (IHS) Methamphetamine and Suicide Prevention Initiative (MSPI)- purpose area 4. For more information on MSPI-purpose area 4, please see this link:  https://www.ihs.gov/mspi/aboutmspi/

The Youth Development Program Team

• Bobbie Bellinger, BS, MNPA, Director of Administration

Youth Development Programs and Services

AIHSC’s Youth Development Program provides services to both incarcerated and non-incarcerated, urban Native identified youth, living Chicago and the Chicagoland area.  Services include:

• One on one case management for youth
• Referrals to AIHSC’s Medical and/or Behavioral Health services and patient care
• Alcohol and Substance abuse counseling provided by AIHSC’s Chemical Dependency Counselor
• Resources from AIHSC partner agencies, with a focus on: employment, expungement of juvenile criminal records, social services and other legal services.
• Referrals to from AIHSC partner agencies, with a focus on: employment, expungement of juvenile criminal records, social services and other legal services

AIHSC’s Youth Development Program’s include:

• Weekly therapeutic groups
• Community education, particularly on healthy living, suicide prevention and violence prevention
• Academic support in order to achieve educational and professional goals