Building networks of services for youth: Community collaboration to ensure

healthy adolescent development

Heidi Winig, MPH, MEdFamily, Maternal and

Child Health ProgramsContra Costa Health

Services

Objectives

• To discuss how a county MCH department has implemented a plan for comprehensive adolescent health

• To share creative strategies for 1) providing direct services, 2) fostering community collaboration, and 3) assessing community strengths and needs

Contra Costa County, Northern CA

• 9th largest population in CA

• Very diverse ethnically, SES, rural and urban, immigrant status

• 7.6% of the total population lives at or below 100% of the federal poverty level, most of which are concentrated in eight ZIP code areas

Rate of Births To Teens Aged

15-17, 1990-2002

44.246.5 45.6 45.8 45.2

42.9

38.3 36.732.6

30.127.2

24.4 24.427.1

29.826.0 26.3 26.5 25.0

22.9 23.220.8

16.6 15.3 15.4 14.8

0.05.0

10.015.0

20.025.0

30.035.0

40.045.0

50.0

19901991 1992 19931994 1995 19961997 19981999 2000 20012002

Rate

per

1,0

00 fe

male

s

California

Contra Costa

Rates of Chlamydia, by Age Group, 2001

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

0-9 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-34 35-44 45+

Age Group

Rat

e per

100,0

00 p

opula

tion

FemaleMale

TeenAge Program (TAP)

•Mission: To empower teens to take responsibility for their own health

•Founded in 1977

TAP Philosophy

Trained Health

Facilitators

Youth-FriendlyClinicalServices

Youth Developme

nt and Mentoring

Health Education

Presentations

Healthy Youth

Youth will:• Acquire

important life skills

• Gain knowledge about their health

• Make healthy decisions

• Access health services

• Be involved in their communities

• Know where to get support

Clinical Services

• School Based Health Center– Richmond High School

• Clinic Navigator Program

• Condom Availability Project (CAP)– Education, clinic outreach and

distribution

Youth Development

• Designed to build youth competencies to become successful adults

• Positive development approach views youth as resources and builds on their strengths and capabilities

• Programs aim to mobilize communities to create positive goals and outcomes for all youth

Youth DevelopmentProjects

• Empowerment Through Action– Two high schools and two middle

schools– More than 60 youth involved in 2003-

2004

• Bridge to Power– In 2003-2004, the project reached 45

youth

Mentoring Projects

• Strengthen the relationship between adult volunteers and participating youth to develop personal, academic, or career growth

• Projects:– Pegasus– Teen Health Council– Junior Health Facilitators

Over 150 youth per year reached through these projects

Health Education

• Presentations:– High schools and middle schools– Juvenile Hall– Group homes– Programs and schools for pregnant

and parenting teens– Foster care centers

Other Strategies for Improving Adolescent

Health• Alliance for Healthy Adolescents- AHA

• Community Youth Focus newsletter

• Youth-Full Government

• Picture This photovoice project

• Providing technical assistance to schools and other community partners through “train the trainer” workshops

Alliance for Healthy Adolescents (AHA)

1) 1998 — FMCH Programs assembled the Community Health Assessment and Local Planning Committee to conduct the MCH Community Health Assessment and develop a Five-Year Local Plan

1999 — Renamed the FMCH Community Coalition, began implementing various projects countywide around teen pregnancy prevention

Alliance for Healthy Adolescents (AHA)

2) AHA serves as a forum for inter-agency networking and information-sharing

3) Guest speakers at each meeting present on adolescent health issues in which the group has expressed interest

Accomplishments

• May 2000 — Coalition hosted “Meet and Greet Forum” for agencies working with pregnant and parenting teens

• Based on forum, developed and distributed a resource guide of services for pregnant and parenting teens

History of AHA

• 2002 Planning Retreat — 20 community-based and county agencies working with adolescents participated.

• One main goal that emerged was “to increase youth participation in local governance and public policy”

Current Activities of AHA

• Trainings for community partners

• Youth involvement

• Work groups focused on:– Youth Development– Health Education/School Based

Services– Clinical Services/Outreach

Community Youth Focus

• A quarterly newsletter published by AHA

• Two pages, includes articles about key adolescent health issues, current adolescent health data, a “Teen Corner,” and a listing of print and online resources

Youth-Full Government

• In December 2002, the California Center for Civic Participation and Youth Development awarded Contra Costa County six scholarships to attend its Youth-Full Government (YFG) Academy from February 8-11, 2003

• This four-day training provided youth and adults with skills in youth development, advocacy, local public policy, project planning, and adolescent health issues

Picture This: A Snapshot of Community Health

• Key Component of the Community Health Assessment

• A six-week documentary photography project at Pittsburg High School

• Nine youth were given disposable cameras and encouraged to photograph pressing health issues that they felt affect young people in their community

Picture This (cont.)

• The youth discussed and wrote stories about the photos they took at the weekly, two-hour sessions

• We developed and printed a 16-month calendar (September 2004-December 2005) of the pictures

“Colorful Graffiti”

Erika McCauley, Age 17

Two junior high students are posing proudly in front of their colorful wall. The wall is a beautiful example of positive graffiti found in the community. It stands out! Not all graffiti is negative. Positive graffiti is not only 'cool' for students to looks at but its also eye-catching. Positive graffiti leaves no room for tagging. The picture, hopefully, will encourage more positive graffiti throughout the community.

“Roots”

Alana Gauthier, Age 17

The roots of this tree have come up out of the grass. It represents the past- so much unknown history that we have yet to discover. It is symbolic. The tree lets us know we can’t forget our past and where we come from. This picture can provide opportunities for youth everywhere to embrace their past and prepare for the future.

Major Themes from Picture This

• Urban development– More growth, more

people, more overcrowding in schools, more kids after school with nothing to do

• Teen recreation center needed

• Promoting healthy eating and healthy living

• Recognizing hazards to our health

• Educating youth

• Why graffiti is art

Evaluation

• Process evaluation

• Pre/post tests and student feedback forms for class presentations

• Database — to compile numbers on TAP activities

• AHA member feedback forms

Funding

• State MCAH Branch — State General Funds, with matching federal/Title V funds.

• County funding

• Small grants for special projects — Picture This, Junior Health Facilitators, Empowerment Through Action

Adolescent Health Priorities for 2004-2009

• Teen pregnancy among Latinas

• Chlamydia rate increasing among teens, with disparities across race and gender

• Maintaining basic adolescent health services

Adolescent Health Priorities for 2004-2009

• Strengthening a network of existing coalitions

• Securing funding from local foundations to provide trainings to adolescent health projects

• Educating policymakers about the importance of adolescent health