Program Director - Flathead Youth Home

(406) 755-4622 // lmadden@youthhomesmt.org

The 20 years I’ve worked for Youth Homes have been filled with a myriad of opportunities for growth, laughter, heartbreaking sadness, humility and courage.  I have found places within myself that I never knew existed; places needing to be excavated to discover personal gems and the gems that lie within others.  I became the Program Director of the Flathead Youth Home a year and a half ago and it felt like coming home, as it took me back to the beginning of my relationship with Youth Homes and the work this organization does.  I am no stranger to emotional pain, including feelings of inadequacy and being profoundly alone in the world, all of which are things the youth in our care have experienced.  It is my goal and passion to provide a space in which the kids that come through our door are seen and heard, no matter what.  Trauma is not what happens to you. It is what you feel because of it.  It’s what happened internally as a result of what happened externally.  Ultimately, I want our kids to know they are not a product of their story.  They are so much more and we’re here to help them discover all the little gems that lie within.
When Lori is not working, you can find her lost in a book, walking her dog, Sawyer, or spending time with friends and family. She can identify most birds of Northwest Montana by song or sight.