Youth First Inc.

“The organization adheres to a robust internal review process for the form 990. The draft document is thoroughly reviewed by the president/ceo and vice president of operations, followed by a final, comprehensive review and approval by the board of directors prior to signing and filing.”

“Youth first maintains a comprehensive, written conflict of interest policy to safeguard the integrity of its operations and decision-making. All board members and officers are required to sign this policy annually. Consistent monitoring and enforcement of this policy is a routine, high-priority function of the board, ensuring any potential conflicts are managed with transparency and in the best interest of the organization.”

“Board members determine ceo and all otehr key employee salaries. Comparability data is reviewed and contemporary substantiation of the deliberation and decision via the annual review forms with the salary adjustment form signed by the board chair.”

“In the interest of transparency and public accountability, youth first's governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and annual audited financial statements are made available to the public upon request.”

“All other requested public disclosures are made available upon request.”

“Youth first strengthens youth and families by delivering evidence-based, school-based prevention and early intervention programs that address youth mental health needs, promote healthy behaviors, prevent substance use, and support student success across southwestern indiana.”

“Youth first operates a comprehensive student assistance program that transforms school systems into mental health safety nets, bypassing community waitlists and removing barriers to care. We achieve this by embedding highly trained, master's-level mental health professionals directly within school buildings to deliver an evidence-based, multi-tiered system of support. During the 2024 to 2025 academic year, youth first partnered with 119 public, private, and charter schools across 14 indiana counties (daviess, dubois, gibson, greene, knox, lawrence, martin, morgan, orange, perry, posey, spencer, vanderburgh, and warrick). This footprint ensured that 53,510 k-12 students had daily access to professional mental health support. At the universal prevention level, youth first provides school-wide educational presentations designed to build foundational coping skills and resilience. For students requiring selective intervention, our mental health professionals lead evidence-based small groups that provide targeted support to youth with an elevated risk of substance misuse while building social and communication skills. Participants demonstrate measurable outcomes, including reduced binge drinking, reduced marijuana and e- cigarette use, improved mood and stress management, stronger school connection, and decreased truancy. At the indicated level, our mental health professionals provide intensive, individualized casework to highly at-risk students through ongoing one-on- one and family sessions. Many of these youth face complex challenges, including abuse history, family substance misuse, or suicide risk. Independent evaluations confirm statistically significant improvements in students' school adjustment, resilience, and mood management, alongside a decrease in problematic behaviors and the intensity of individual concerns. In the broader community, youth first deploys social marketing campaigns that generate millions of digital and outdoor media impressions. By sharing ongoing prevention content through our website, social media channels, and regional newspapers, we normalize help-seeking behaviors and reinforce resilience messaging that strengthens the entire youth ecosystem. To sustain these improvements at home, youth first engages parents and caregivers through consultations and community education to strengthen family connections and promote healthier, more supportive home environments for youth. Youth first recognizes that student mental health is one of the greatest pressures facing school leaders and teachers. To address this, we provide ongoing consultations that equip educators with trauma-informed strategies to navigate classroom challenges and better support student learning. In addition to daily one-on-one consultations, we provide ongoing professional development to teachers and school faculty throughout the academic year, delivering training on suicide prevention (qpr), trauma-informed practices, grief support, mandated reporting, and educator self-care and stress management. By empowering educators with behavioral and crisis response tools, youth first helps schools identify struggling students early and intervene quickly while enabling teachers to reclaim instructional time that might otherwise be lost to discipline and classroom disruptions. Outcomes remain highly positive, with the vast majority of faculty reporting that a youth first partnership benefits their school. Measurable outcomes continue to demonstrate statistically significant improvements in student well-being, including stronger attendance, increased classroom participation, and reduced behaviors such as aggression and poor attention spans.”

“Net change in beneficial interest in trust 893”

“The finance committee is responsible for the oversight of the audit and selection of the independent auditors.”