Submitted photo
Pictured with McFarland at the YIPA’s Youth Intervention Conference were (L-R) Doug Hovelson, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, YIPA Public Relations Committee Chair Paul Meunier, YIPA Executive Director Scott Beaty, Talia Beck, Krista McFarland.

The Minnesota Youth Intervention Programs Association (YIPA) is a statewide membership association representing providers and supporters of early youth intervention. At its statewide conference on Oct. 27, Krista McFarland, former coordinator of the Teens Against Dating Abuse (TADA) program of the Pearl Crisis Center in Milaca, received YIPA’s Friends of Youth Program Leadership award.

YIPA presents its Friends of Youth Leadership award annually to honor people that make a significant contribution and show leadership in promoting early intervention services for the youth of Minnesota. The Program Leadership award is for a program in the area of early youth intervention that has had great success working with youth and/or their families or in promoting early youth intervention.

TADA’s mission is Mille Lacs County teens dedicated to educating the community and preventing teen dating abuse. It is a teen driven group and the youth have their voices heard on the issues that affect them. Monthly meetings are held currently in three communities/schools including Onamia, Princeton and Milaca. They also have quarterly meetings for all three groups to come together for speakers and special events. These meetings are where the big group decisions are made (legislation support, fund-raisers, what issues we are facing, funding objectives, etc.) The youth are trained to be peer advocates to their peers through the TADA group as well. They are the eyes and ears and essentially voices in their schools and communities. Many members and youth who come to receive help have come because of hearing about services at Pearl through TADA events and peers already members of TADA.

TADA is involved with Teen Dating Violence Awareness Prevention Week and the Action Day to Stop Domestic Violence Against Women at the State Capitol (both are in February).  TADA members speak at area groups (chambers, churches, townships, school board, etc.) as well and have representatives at teen attended events (tailgate party-homecoming, expos, dances, etc.) TADA has also hosted a teen conference, and submitted PSAs and letters to the editors to our local papers for various areas of concern regarding teen dating abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault. 

Also receiving Friends of Youth Leadership awards were Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Doug Hovelson of Big Thunder Public Relations, Meredythe Jones Rossi of Jones Rossi Co. and Talia Beck of Target.

Editor’s note: McFarland is now the Crystal Judson Advocacy Coordinator at Pearl Crisis Center.