Announcing the Blaine County Well-being Ambassadors Program

Communities for Youth (C4Y) Blaine County and the Blaine County Mental Well-Being Initiative (MWBI) are excited to announce the launch of the Blaine County Well-being Ambassadors program. This program will support prevention across the Wood River Valley by focusing efforts and attention on the power of connection.

“The mission of the C4Y Blaine County Initiative is to advance upstream prevention so that young people living in Blaine County grow up in an environment that is rich in protective factors. The Blaine County Youth Well-being Survey revealed that social connection was one of the key drivers of depression for our kids, so this program is one approach we are taking to meet this need,” says Sarah Seppa, Blaine C4Y Community Lead and St. Luke’s Community Health Manager.

Well-being Ambassadors will work together and within their own local communities and neighborhoods to build connections and positive relationships that will promote well-being for youth and adults living in Blaine County. “Goal 1 of the MWBI plan is about increasing connection, that’s why we are excited to partner with C4Y to build out the Well-being Ambassadors program,” says Jenna Vagias, MWBI Director.

Well-being Ambassadors will engage in activities such as:

• Brainstorming and planning activities and community events that help build people’s feelings of connection to peers, family, non-parent trusted adults, and the larger community.

• Educating community members and community leaders on the importance of youth well-being and the importance of upstream prevention approaches to youth well-being.

• Sharing local resources, events, & opportunities with friends and neighbors that support well-being in Blaine County. 

• Working with staff and other volunteers from the Mental Well-Being Initiative and Communities for Youth Blaine County to ensure alignment.

Well-being Ambassadors will meet every other month to come together as a group and discuss the needs of their communities and the connection activities that are working for them. Ambassadors can decide how involved/engaged they want to be based on other commitments. MWBI and C4Y leaders will support well-being ambassadors with education, connection activities, and other fun activities.

Sign up for an upcoming Informational Meeting to learn more about how you can make a difference as a Well-being Ambassador in your community:

English Information Session – November 17

Spanish Information Session – December 9

Flyer for Well-being Ambassadors Program.

Benefits of Becoming a Well-being Ambassador

• Help your community thrive.

  • Using your time to serve as a Well-being Ambassador is an excellent opportunity for individuals who value a strong sense of community and want to get involved in promoting well-being for all.

• Meet new people with the common goal of improving well-being across the lifespan.

  • Well-being Ambassadors will meet every other month to discuss resources, best practices, and to connect as a larger community of ambassadors.

• Gain new skills!

  • Ambassadors will receive a comprehensive training on well-being, upstream prevention, and other topics and will be provided with a variety of resources and tools for their use. 

• Getting social protects YOUR health and well-being.

  • Research shows that when people are more socially connected, they are healthier and happier.

Interested community members are invited to attend either the English informational meeting on November 17 or the Spanish informational meeting on December 9, or contact Sarah Seppa (seppas@stlukeshealth.org) for more details. There are no strict eligibility requirements to participate, just a willingness to help improve community well-being.

If you would like to learn more about the work of the Communities for Youth Blaine County Initiative, please contact Community Lead Sarah Seppa at seppas@slhs.org.

For more information on the Communities for Youth Boise Initiative, please visit our main page or sign up for our newsletter.