Stop The Stigma

What Is Stop The Stigma Week?

Stop the Stigma is a week-long event in its fifth year. This event strives to stop stigmas associated with addictive disorders & mental health issues. In 2021, the focus will be on rejuvenating mind, body & spirit.

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Stop The Stigma Week 2021

Stop the Stigma Week 2021 is offered entirely FREE to the public. Many sessions will be offered virtually, recorded and shared on the Alliance for Youth YouTube channel following the week of events. Certificates of attendance will be provided to attendees the week following the events for CEU purposes. Thank you to our incredible partners and sponsors for making this year possible!

Recovery Run

Please join us for the Sober Life Recovery Run on Friday, September 17th, at West Bank Park, 1600 4th St NE, to celebrate recovery, support those who are struggling and honor those we have lost.


This FREE event will kickoff at 4:30pm and the 10K will start at 5:00pm, the 5K at 5:15pm and the 3K at 5:30pm. FREE food, music and family-friendly games and activities will be available throughout the event. All race participants will receive a FREE Recovery Run T-Shirt.


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Tales to sobriety

Tales To Sobriety

If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, you know the devastation it causes and how difficult it is to take the path to sobriety.


Join us Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU on Tuesday, September 21st, at 6pm for this powerful open mic night event in which individuals in recovery share their journeys out of addiction and into sobriety in a creative and inspiring way.


If you have lost all hope, this event will help you find it and inspire anyone who is struggling to take the first step towards healing and wholeness.


Event also will be streamed on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7395353598


Unpacking The Dilemma

When the documentary “The Social Dilemma’ premiered on Netflix, it made headlines because of its disturbing expose’ of the impact social media has on humans. If you are concerned about how technology is influencing your family life, this documentary is a must see!


The movie will be shown in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU on Tuesday, September 22nd, starting at 4:30pm. A panel discussion follows at 6:30 p.m. with experts from the fields of education, law enforcement and mental health who will address common concerns and provide strategies for regulating the impact social media has on day-to-day life and relationships.


Event also will be streamed on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7395353598


Resilient Compassion : A Workshop for Educators

Resilient Compassion: A Workshop for Educators

Educators work hard to care for the well-being of others, yet commonly report difficulties in extending themselves the same kind of care. By working with one’s caring instincts, compassion offers a path for preserving the upsides of putting others first, while decreasing the downsides for one’s own well-being. This is because compassion works directly to transform unconscious expressions of caring into more conscious forms of relating. Each time we choose compassion, we decrease the likelihood of personal overwhelm, empathic distress, and burnout. In this workshop, we will explore how compassion reframes care from an either/or into a both/and, acknowledging that the most compassionate way of being is one that dynamically balances care for oneself and others. With this view in mind, on Thursday, September 23rd, from 12:15-2:15pm in Heritage Hall at Great Falls College MSU, Dr. Jordan Quaglia and Charlotte Rotterdam will explore compassion through the lenses of modern neuroscience and ancient wisdom traditions, combining cutting-edge science, experiential practices, and discussions on how to invite more compassion into the classroom. FREE LUNCH WILL BE SERVED. 


Event also will be streamed on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7395353598


Jordan Quaglia, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology, Director of the Cognitive and Affective Science Laboratory, and Research Director of the Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education at Naropa University. His research, supported by funding from Mind and Life Institute and John Templeton Foundation, has been featured in leading scientific journals and books, and relies on a range of tools, from neuroscientific measures to virtual reality, to study topics such as mindfulness and compassion. For more about Jordan: www.JordanQuaglia.com


Charlotte Z. Rotterdam, MTS, is the Director of Naropa University’s Center for the Advancement of Contemplative Education and an Instructor in Naropa’s Core College, Graduate School of Psychology and Graduate Religious Studies Department. Charlotte directs Naropa’s Compassion Initiative and co-developed and co-teaches Naropa’s Mindful Compassion Training. She consults with the University of Colorado’s Institute for Behavioral Science to integrate compassion practices into their RISE (Resilience in Schools and Educators) program.


www.naropa.edu/cace 

www.skymind.us

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Loneliness and Compassion Resilience & Tools for Self-Compassion

Thursday, September 23rd, from 6-8-pm in Heritage Hall at Great Falls MSU.


Loneliness and Compassionate Resilience with Jordan Quaglia, PhD


Most people agree that healthy relationships are an essential part of a “good life.” Yet many struggle to initiate and maintain strong, mutually-beneficial connections with others, contributing to our modern epidemic of loneliness. This talk considers this dilemma in relation to key findings from scientific research on both loneliness and compassion, with particular emphasis on how compassion can help to foster more genuine connection in modern life.


Tools for Self-Compassion with Charlotte Rotterdam, MTS


Offering kindness and compassion to ourselves can be a challenge. Even as we support those around us, we can be far more critical of ourselves than of others. Yet compassion is like an infinity loop that moves between others and ourselves continuously. Establishing a ground of self-compassion provides resilience and inner resources for engaging with the complexity of our lives with greater ease and joy. In this session, you’ll be introduced to some basic tools for cultivating self-compassion in everyday life.


Event also will be streamed on Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/7395353598



Positive Psychology

Positive Psychology-Learn it! Practice it! Do it!

Friday, September 24th, from 9am-4pm in the Gathering Hall at Alliance for Youth, 3220 11th Ave. S.


Positive psychology is all the rage in the therapy world, but do you really know what it entails? In this event you’ll learn what positive psychology is and is not, and you’ll discover your strengths and how they can improve your everyday life. Learn and experience hands-on, practical strategies to use in your personal and professional life. FREE CEUs available.


FREE LUNCH WILL BE SERVED

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Central Montana Out of the Darkness Walk 2021

Please join us for the 2021 Central Montana Out of the Darkness Walk in Gibson Park. Walker check-in will start at 12 p.m. A small presentation will begin at 1 p.m., followed immediately by the walk. Resources from the community will also be available.


We are excited to continue to improve the walk experience and look forward to returning to 300+ walkers join us in community to raise hope, awareness, and funds to support suicide prevention, awareness, education and advocacy.


If you're looking to get involved in our planning committee or have interest in becoming a walk sponsor, please email Tiffany at [email protected]

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