Youth Program Participation Form

YPR is a national nonprofit that provides peer recovery support services for youth and young adults in recovery—or who are seeking recovery—from substance use disorder. Our programs consist of community-based chapters; life-skills curriculum programs; and advocacy to reduce stigma and create more resources for recovery. By creating a national network of young people in recovery, YPR empowers young people to get involved in their communities and take charge of their futures.

YPR embraces all pathways to recovery including 12-step, faith-based, harm reduction, medication-assisted treatment, and others. YPR was formed in 2010 by young people in recovery (defined as under age 30) who wanted to help others. It was incorporated as a 501c3 effective 2013. YPR currently has 54 chapters in 19 states nationwide with new chapters launching throughout the year. Our first life-skill curriculum program, My Recovery Is EPIC, was launched in 2016. YPR now has three life-skills curriculum programs, including the Phoenix program for criminal justice-involved individuals and My Future Is EPIC for adolescents aged 14-18.

The organization is led by Executive Director Ann Herbst, YPR’s former VP of Institutional Advancement. Please complete this Youth Permission and Waiver for eachyouth prior to his/her participation in the YPR program(s) listed below (“Program”).

ABOUT THIS FORM

Parent/guardian participation is an important part of the YPR My Future is EPIC curriculum. Upon completion of the My Future is EPIC curriculum, youth can participate in a special YPR events or chapter pro-social activities, with the permission of a legal guardian. We look forward to the participation of parents/guardians in this special events as well. In the YPR community, allies including parents, guardians, siblings, and family members are an important part of what we do! As your YPR Coordinator, I am looking forward to meeting you, your youth participants, and being a part of your school/treatment community.

Please have your parent or guardian sign and return this letter to your instructor. The My Future is EPIC curriculum and materials used by YPR is provided directly by Young People in Recovery, which is recognized to be exempt from Federal Income Tax as described in Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). More information about Young People in Recovery and its mission and programs can be found at www.youngpeopleinrecovery.org.

PROGRAM INFORMATION

Welcome to Young People in Recovery's My Future is EPIC program!

The Future EPIC program is a life-skills curriculum program for 14- to 18-year-olds who are misusing substances, who are at high-risk for developing substance use disorder, or who already identify as being in recovery.

My Future Is EPIC:

“My Future is EPIC” is a life-skills curriculum program designed by Young People in Recovery for adolescents aged 14-18 who are misusing substances or who are at high-risk of developing substance use disorder due to adverse childhood events such as trauma, co-occurring mental health disorders, or family history. The program focuses on engaging participants in goal-setting in areas such as education and employment while equipping them with effective techniques to improve their skills in leadership, communications, healthy relationships, and self-advocacy. The program is available in English and Spanish. By providing young people with the tools they need to take action, the program helps students create a road map for their upward mobility, health, and wellness. No matter where they started out, their future can be EPIC!

Program Design: Future EPIC is a strengths-based curriculum that is informed by the four dimensions that the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) identifies as essential to a successful life in recovery: health, home, community and purpose. YPR has found that young people who are actively engaged in their life-planning have better outcomes in relation to drugs and alcohol and become more informed decision-makers overall. EPIC stands for: Engaged, Peer-developed, Integrated, and Community-centered. Core components of the curriculum include:

• Education
• Employment
• Healthy Relationships
• Holistic Health
• Leadership & Empowerment
• Neuroscience of Substance Use Disorder

Modules specific to recovery are also included free of charge for those who wish to implement them.

These modules are:

• Recovery Messaging
• Empowerment in Recovery

Program Implementation: YPR offers the following services to our Future EPIC program partners:

• Implementation of the Future EPIC program by YPR staff or training for your organization to implement the program with your existing staff
• The opportunity to launch a new YPR chapter in your area to provide additional peer recovery support services for youth and young adults in your community
• Supervision and support of all program implementation, data collection, and reporting
• Travel for training and implementation as needed