Our Story Isn't Over Youth MOVE PA

Conversations with Paolo del Vecchio, Director of the Office of Recovery at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), delve into various topics including his personal recovery journey, youth mental health, and the significance of peer support. Paolo elaborates on SAMSHA's key priorities concerning youth mental health.


SAMHSA’s National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification | SAMHSA


Youth and Young Adults | SAMHSA


Youth MOVE National Peer Center – Motivating Others Through Voices of Experience (youthmovepeercenter.org)
Peer Recovery Center of Excellence (peerrecoverynow.org)

In this episode we meet Mandie and Dan, two trainers from Youth MOVE PA's Sources of Strength program. Sources of Strength is a school-based upstream suicide prevention program that is evidence-based, strengths-based, and...well...just pretty based in general!

Through our discussion we learn about the post-traumatic growth, the strengths wheel, and some fun stories about how Sources of Strength is changing the way schools approach mental health amongst students.


Dan Krupinsky entered the behavioral health field in 2023 when he became a Certified Recovery Specialist and, shortly thereafter, a member of both PMHCA and PaPSC. As a proud graduate of Penn State’s Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, he is excited to use the skills that he has gained and honed over years of working with and in front of the public to do good and make a difference in his home state of Pennsylvania. Despite entering the behavioral health field as a professional relatively recently, he has years of experience working with children and young adults in various volunteer positions and is thrilled to finally be able to do it full-time. In his free time, Dan loves being active, exploring new places and attending live shows (especially music and comedy), as well as reading and watching too many TV shows and movies. 


Mandie Burgess-Gonzalez worked as a physical therapist assistant in nursing homes from 2008-2020. Mandie started her bachelor’s degree in public health at Cedar Crest College because she felt she needed a change, but still wanted to work in a field that is helpful to others. She completed her bachelor’s degree in 2023 while working at Lowe’s regional distribution center. After finishing her degree, Mandie became a part-time substitute teacher for the local school districts and enjoyed working with youth and young adults. Mandie is currently working toward a master’s degree in public health at Chamberlain University. In her free time, she spends time with her two children, her parents, her poodle, and her cat. She also likes travelling and watching old television shows. 

To learn more about Sources of Strength, visit our website OR email us at ympa@youthmovepa.org

Sign up for our newsletter and become a Youth MOVE PA member today!

In this episode we get to know one of Pennsylvania's coolest youth, Brody Valentin! We talk about what emotions are to us, how overwhelming emotions impact us, and shed some light on the age at which youth are beginning to understand their emotions. You don't want to miss this one!



Brody is a 16-year-old 11th grader from Pennsylvania. He has struggled a lot with mental illness over the years due to parental abuse and having separated from his abusive mother at a young age. Growing up without a mother and living with an abusive father, Brody learned how to deal with heartache early. After losing his father to an asthma attack one September morning, he had to grow up fast, learning how to cook and use tools on his own. He had a difficult time in school due to being bullied and in 7th grade he experienced his first hospitalization. Thus began his journey to mental health recovery. Brody has been in and out of the psychiatric hospital over 10 times, been in partial programs 3 times and was placed in a residential treatment facility once. In residential, he experienced having his life threatened and was the victim of physical and sexual assault. Things became more challenging after he discovered he was gay in the 8th grade, but that didn’t stop Brody from finding his strength. This past summer he spoke at a conference where he had the chance to share his story with many people, during which he ended up meeting Youth MOVE PA. Now, Brody is very excited for what the future may hold.

Want to be a guest on OSIO? Email me at: chris@pmhca.org

Become a Youth MOVE PA member for free!

In this episode we are introduced to two of Youth MOVE PA's newer staff! We discuss who we are, how we find our identities, the complicated feeling of loneliness and what we might really mean when we say, "we hate people".



This episode's guests:


Tyanna Marge is Youth MOVE PA's Administrative Support Coordinator for Sources of Strength
Zoe Small is Youth MOVE PA's Community Outreach Coordinator



Other stuff:


"When the lonely feels just like the problem and the cure" - Click HERE for the poem by Javon Johnson referenced in this episode
Become a member of Youth MOVE PA for free today!

In this episode we geek out with Keith Karabin, a Licensed Professional
Counselor with nearly 30 years of experience walking alongside people of all ages as they overcome a host of challenges. He has a passion for wellness and is known for using humor, grit and creativity to assist clients in creating their most enjoyable life possible, no matter the situation. He specializes in anxiety and stress management and has been certified in many modes of therapy such as: Trauma Focused Cognitive Therapy, Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Ecotherapy.

Keith can be found as the Outreach and Intake Specialist-Counselor of Child and Family Focus’s “On My Way” Program, in private practice, serving in county Mental Health work groups, and online at www.keithkarabin.com

Check out Child and Family Focus's "On My Way" program HERE!

In this episode we hear from Ryan Coffman about his experience in the world of Tobacco Recovery.

Ryan is the Tobacco Policy and Control Program Manager for the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. In this role, he oversees several tobacco control and policy initiatives within the Division of Chronic Disease Prevention.  These initiatives include the prevention of youth initiation, promoting tobacco-free environments, mass media campaigns, tobacco control policy, and tobacco treatment services.  He is committed to serving vulnerable populations disproportionately impacted by the effects of tobacco use.

Previously, Ryan provided inpatient, outpatient, and community tobacco use disorder treatment in hospital, behavioral health, correctional, and substance use treatment settings. He acquired his Masters in Public Health (MPH) degree at Tulane University and has certifications in health education, tobacco use disorder treatment and global tobacco control. Ryan first became committed to tobacco control in 2003 while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya and continues to provide tobacco treatment services Health Center 2 in South Philadelphia. 



Check out the resources mentioned in this episode!


Pennsylvania Free Quit Line: 1-800-7848-669 (Website found HERE)
This is Quitting: If you're a young person trying to quit vaping, click HERE
My Life My Quit: For Pennsylvanian Teens - Quit when you want, how you want by clicking HERE



Youth ages 16-29 can register for Wellness Days HERE!