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New Partnership Announcement: ITVAP Joins Forces with NCMEC to Promote Online Safety for Youth

The Indiana Trafficking Victims Assistance Program (ITVAP) is proud to announce our official partnership with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) as a Community Education Partner. Through this partnership, ITVAP is now authorized and trained to deliver NetSmartz® presentations—NCMEC’s premier online safety program.
As children and teens continue to spend more time online, their exposure to risks such as online enticement, cyberbullying, and inappropriate content increases. This partnership allows ITVAP to offer free, age-appropriate, evidence-informed educational presentations to students in grades K–12, as well as workshops tailored for parents, guardians, community members, and child-serving professionals.
Topics Covered in NetSmartz Presentations Include:
● Online Enticement

● Cyberbullying

● Sexting & Inappropriate Content

● Online Privacy & Digital Boundaries

These sessions are not only engaging and informative but also empower young people and the adults in their lives to recognize, avoid, and report potential exploitation and unsafe online behaviors.
Why This Matters
This partnership strengthens our ongoing anti-trafficking efforts by addressing online exploitation at its roots—through education, awareness, and community connection. By equipping Indiana’s youth and families with critical knowledge, we aim to reduce vulnerability and create safer digital environments.
Schedule a Presentation
ITVAP is currently booking NetSmartz presentations statewide. If your school, organization, or youth-serving group is interested, please contact:
📧 jgreenlee@indysb.org
🌐 Learn more: missingkids.org/NetSmartz
Together with NCMEC, ITVAP is committed to building a safer future for Indiana’s children—online and beyond.

Register Now: 2nd Annual Rediscovering Resilience Conference – Deadline May 31st.

The ACEs Indiana Coalition and IYSA present: 2nd Annual Rediscovering Resilience Conference 

This two-day conference intentionally focuses on educating individuals at all levels of their trauma-informed/healing-centered journey. This conference will dive deeper into topics like neuroscience, our nervous systems, the ACEs study, Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), epigenetics, fostering resilience, healing-centered practices, and building a resilient community. You will hear from leading experts and change makers in the field, including our two keynote speakers, Donna Jackson Nakazawa (author of Childhood Disrupted and, Angels and Assassins) and Rick Griffin (Community Resilience Initiative). Attendees will also have the opportunity to engage with leaders and experts, learn about new research, make connections with other professionals, and learn new practices to help care for others. (Registration Flyer PDF)

June 16th and 17th, 2025
Indiana Memorial Union
900 E. 7th Street,
Bloomington, IN,
Alumni Hall

REGISTRATION LINK

Deadline to register is May 31st.

Senate Bill 74 passes through the senate.

January 28th, 2025, IYSA and its Make Good Decisions Program, which aims to increase awareness of Indiana’s Lifeline Law, saw SB 74 pass through the senate on third reading. Cheers to Senator Alting, Jim Merritt, and student government leaders from universities throughout the state, who are leading this effort to save young Hoosier lives!

Annual IYSA Statehouse Day

On January 14th IYSA hosted our IYSA Statehouse Day and it was a huge success! This event included networking and celebrating Youth Services Bureaus, youth workers and students. We are grateful for the legislators who attended this event to honor the award winners:

  • 2024 YSB Program of the Year Award – Youth Service Bureau of La Porte County
  • 2024 Indiana Safe Place Program Award – Youth Services Bureau of Monroe County County, Bloomington
  • 2024 YSB Community Education Award – Moorhead Community Resource Center
  • 2024 Indiana Anti-Trafficking Achievement Award – Megan Jessup-Smyth and Megan McGuire from Accent 21
  • 2024 Make Good Decisions Community Awareness Award: Jason Packard and Rebecca Siener, Purdue University
  • 2024 Indiana Youth Worker of the Year Award – Dr. Deborah Getz Indiana University
  • 2024 Indiana Community Impact & Youth Empowerment Award – Richard Dixon, NAMI Indiana
  • Lifetime Achievement Award: Jan Williams, YSB Huntington
  • Legacy Award: Nikki Wielgos

Congratulations to our winners – well deserved!

IYSA 2020 Awards Announcement

Indiana Youth Services Association hosts an Annual Business Meeting. Unfortunately, this past year’s event in December had to be canceled due to safety and city restrictions around COVID-19 in Indianapolis, IN. During this event IYSA’s award recipients were announced and recognized. Although the event had to be cancelled, IYSA still wanted to recognize the award winners. Each winner was presented their award and video tapped to capture their reactions. Each person receiving an award has gone above and beyond to help achieve their agency’s mission during one of the most challenging times in history. These men and women deserve far more than an award for their hard work. Please accept our gratitude, praise, and acknowledgement, as a small token to say’ Thank you!’

Thank you to all that helped get the awards to the winners and helped tape the videos!

Indiana Youth Services Association 2020 Awards

Full Awards Presentation Video can found HERE

2020 YSB Program Award
Montgomery County Youth Services Bureau

The YSB Program award is presented to the agency serving a significant number of youths in their service area through quality prevention programs that deliver strong positive outcomes for youth served.   

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 Indiana Safe Place Program Award
Clark County Youth Shelter and Family Services, Johanna Miller and Ashley McIntyre

The Indiana Safe Place Program award is presented to the Safe Place agency excelling in quality program implementation in the areas of outreach, youth served, community support and involvement and program evaluation.  The agency selected surpasses the implementation standards of National Safe Place Network, provides consistent quality services to young people, and is a respected and well-known program in the service area. 

 Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 Community Education Award
Chuck Kime, Foundation for Youth

The Community Education Award is presented to the agency or person making the most significant impact in the state through educating the community about issues impacting the lives of youth and their families in Indiana. 

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 Business Award
Favorite Part of My Day

The Business of the Year Award is presented to individuals, clubs, or organizations that volunteer their time, energy, and resources to promote Indiana Youth Services Association and to further our mission.

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 Lifetime Achievement Award
Bruce Daggy

The Indiana Youth Services Association Lifetime Achievement Award goes to someone that has spent their life dedicated to service impacting kids, teens, and youth in their community.

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 Indiana Anti-Trafficking Achievement Award
Yvonne M. Moore, MSW LSW

The Indiana Anti-Trafficking Achievement Award is presented to an individual or organization who has demonstrated leadership in the anti-trafficking movement and/or innovation in services to individuals who have been trafficked. 

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 Make Good Decisions Education Award
Shelly and Tim Brugh

The Community Education Award is presented to the agency or person making the most significant impact on their community through supporting educating young people about the Make Good Decisions program. 

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 IYSA Youth Work Supervisor of the Year
Ashley Jones

This award honors a supervisor who serves as a guide or mentor to staff and encourages the growth and development of individual youth workers as they grow and develop innovative programs to best meet the needs of young people.

Click here to view the video presentation.

 2020 IYSA Youth Work Supervisor of the Year
Jessica Kleffman

 This award honors a supervisor who serves as a guide or mentor to staff and encourages the growth and development of individual youth workers as they grow and develop innovative programs to best meet the needs of young people.

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 IYSA Youth Work Newcomer of the Year
Caryn Davis

This award recognizes those new (less than 5 years in the field) emerging leaders in the field of youth work. Their passion and contributions have made a positive impact to the lives of youth and families, or their co-workers, programs, or agencies.

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 IYSA Youth Work Newcomer of the Year
Ryan Sheibley

This award recognizes those new (less than 5 years in the field) emerging

leaders in the field of youth work. Their passion and contributions have made a positive impact to the lives of youth and families, or their co-workers, programs, or agencies.

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 IYSA Youth Work Advocate of the Year
Heather Carson

This award recognizes an individual who gives voice to the needs of youth and families, or their co-workers, programs, or agencies. This professional serves as an advocate and has provided unselfish service to the youth and field of youth work.

Click here to view the video presentation.

2020 IYSA Youth Work Advocate of the Year
Aaliyah Stewart

This award recognizes an individual who gives voice to the needs of youth and families, or their co-workers, programs, or agencies. This professional serves as an advocate and has provided unselfish service to the youth and field of youth work.

Click here to view the video presentation.

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