Staff

Ruth York is the Executive Director of the Idaho Federation of Families. Ruth is married with two children, now young adults. She received a Masters Degree in Public Health from Columbia University early in her career. Prior to taking this position with the Federation, she was privileged to lead a wonderful staff at St. Luke’s Health System focused on supporting the needs of families with children who have complex health issues.

Ruth says that the Federation feels like a great fit for her because she knows she wants to be part of improving the overall health and well-being of families in Idaho.  Her particular passion is to focus on helping families support the mental health needs of their children, while also finding adequate supports for the whole family.

Ruth is passionate about supporting families in their journeys with kids challenged by emotional and behavioral health issues.  She has experienced these challenges in her own family and has felt the isolation the journey can result in, and the gaps in services that made it hard for her to find supports for both the adults and children in her family.

Her recreational interests include: Nature, hiking, biking, yoga, travel, music, food, friends.

Pat Martelle is focused on system change in children’s systems of care as youth and families speak to what those changes need to be. Her background is in clinical social work, public health and policy development. She gets her inspiration from the youth who are currently speaking out globally about public health issues.

Michelle Batten’s life experiences of growing up in a home with foster siblings and an adopted sister motivated her to learn more about the impact of early abuse and neglect. Her studies in human development and Trust Based Relational Intervention, and her experience as a parenting coach, provide her with the foundation of her understanding of mental health needs in youth and the support families need in their journey. During her off time you can find her on a river paddleboard in summer or downhill skiing in winter.

Jennifer McNealy started her young career in Idaho in senior care in order to offer compassionate care and programming to Idaho’s aging population. After moving to Montana where she secured a job with a program for teen moms, she realized her passion was working with teens dealing with life-altering events and mental health challenges. She has moved back to Idaho to work with Youth MOVE Idaho as the Program Coordinator. This position includes providing leadership and mentoring to youth in our programs.  Jennifer’s passion comes from her own lived experience as an adolescent and her personal knowledge of overcoming significant challenges to create a meaningful and rewarding life.