# Martin Rafferty > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martin_Rafferty > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martin_Rafferty.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Rafferty > Source revision: 1342654838 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Martin Rafferty** is an American activist and philanthropist who is the founder and executive director of the non-profit organization Youth ERA (formerly known as Youth Move Oregon).[1] ## Early life Rafferty lived through a period of homelessness when he was 12.[1] He is an adoptee.[2] ## Career Rafferty founded Youth ERA in Eugene, Oregon under the name Youth Move Oregon (Youth MVO) in 2009, when he was 22 years old.[1][3][4] Youth ERA provides youth mental health services in areas such as [peer support](/source/Peer_support),[5] crisis response,[6] and suicide prevention.[7] Rafferty was named the 2013 Children’s Mental Health Advocate of the Year by the Oregon Council of [Child & Adolescent Psychiatry](/source/Child_and_adolescent_psychiatry).[8] Rafferty was one of eight individuals profiled in the 2017 exhibit titled “Inspiring People & Projects” at the [Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation](/source/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_Foundation)’s Discovery Center in [Seattle, Washington](/source/Seattle,_Washington).[1][9] Rafferty was also named one of Rising Business Stars’ 20 Under 40 in 2018.[10] In 2020, Rafferty and Youth ERA opened a youth drop-in center known as the Eugene Drop in Eugene.[11] Rafferty and Youth ERA also collaborated with Oxford University to develop the pilot event Uplift in 2020, which taught participants how to exercise [self-care](/source/Self-care) and help prevent child abuse.[4][12] Rafferty also partnered with Oxford University on a research project centered on online peer support, co-developing the peer support training program used in the project.[13] ## References 1. ["The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Honors Martin Rafferty's Inspirational Life Journey"](https://theoptimisticadvocate.com/rafferty-youthera/). *The Optimistic Advocate*. 2015-06-08. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20221114032708/https://theoptimisticadvocate.com/rafferty-youthera/) 2022-11-14 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. ["Helping Lane County youth overcome suicidal thoughts: 'You can create a better life'"](https://kval.com/news/local/helping-lane-county-youth-overcome-suicidal-thoughts-you-can-create-a-better-life). *KVAL*. 2019-09-12. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. Pate, Natalie. ["New youth center creates safe, social place for Salem-area teens"](https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/education/2018/04/06/salem-drop-youth-center-creates-safe-social-place-area-teens/487758002/). *Statesman Journal*. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. ["Virtual 'Uplift' event helps teens manage mental health"](https://www.kgw.com/article/news/community/virtual-uplift-event-helps-teens-manage-mental-health/283-5ac2bd41-4e03-4674-8cd9-ff6c57b83e65). *kgw.com*. March 10, 2021. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. Carey, Erin (7 November 2022). ["Local program Youth ERA aims to help youth struggling with suicide and trauma"](https://www.dailyemerald.com/news/local-program-youth-era-aims-to-help-youth-struggling-with-suicide-and-trauma/article_650cc2ac-6c81-11e9-ab56-3b13eaa92ae8.html). *Daily Emerald*. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. Oregonian/OregonLive, Melissa Binder | The (2014-08-09). ["Oregon school shooting: Tech fair starts long-term effort to help Reynolds students recover"](https://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/2014/08/oregon_school_shooting_tech_fa.html). *oregonlive*. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. Bulletin, Markian Hawryluk • The (24 May 2019). ["Suicide prevention groups turn to social media to save lives"](https://www.bendbulletin.com/localstate/suicide-prevention-groups-turn-to-social-media-to-save-lives/article_49941479-20f9-5af5-8b6f-2f1fa4f43911.html). *The Bulletin*. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. ["Annual Awards"](https://www.occap.org/annual-awards.html). *Oregon Council of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. Rendleman, Raymond (25 November 2017). ["Milwaukie youth organization honored by Gates Foundation"](https://pamplinmedia.com/cr/24-news/379001-264671-milwaukie-youth-organization-honored-by-gates-foundation). *Clackamas Review*. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. ["Martin Rafferty"](https://20under40awards.com/martin_rafferty/). *20 Under 40*. 2018-11-21. Retrieved 2022-11-26. 1. ["Youth Drop-In Center to Open in Eugene, Provide Resources for Underserved Students"](https://www.klcc.org/education/2020-12-23/youth-drop-in-center-to-open-in-eugene-provide-resources-for-underserved-students). *KLCC | NPR for Oregonians*. 2020-12-23. Retrieved 2022-11-14. 1. Pavarini, Gabriela; Reardon, Tessa; Hollowell, Anja; Bennett, Vanessa; Lawrance, Emma; Brooks-Hall, Ellie; Foster-Estwick, Ashley; Juma, Damian Omari; Lewis, Peter; Power, Lucy; Rogers, Maia; Pinfold, Vanessa; Singh, Ilina (2022). ["Online peer support training to promote adolescents' emotional support skills, mental health and agency during COVID‑19: Randomised controlled trial and qualitative evaluation"](https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00787-021-01933-0.pdf). *European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*. **32** (6): 1119–1130. [doi:10.1007/s00787-021-01933-0](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01933-0). [PMC 8853257](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8853257). [PMID 35174419](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35174419) 1. Pavarini, Gabriela; Reardon, Tessa; Hollowell, Anja; Bennett, Vanessa; Lawrance, Emma; Pinfold, Vanessa; Singh, Ilina (2022-02-17). "Online peer support training to promote adolescents' emotional support skills, mental health and agency during COVID-19: Randomised controlled trial and qualitative evaluation". *European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry*. **32** (6): 1119–1130. [doi:10.1007/s00787-021-01933-0](https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01933-0). [ISSN 1018-8827](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/1018-8827). [PMC 8853257](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8853257). [PMID 35174419](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35174419) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Martin Rafferty](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Rafferty) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Rafferty?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.