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Adolescent Health Care Communication Program (AHCCP) The Adolescent Health Care Communication Program (AHCCP) has it roots in the Teen Outreach Reproductive CHallenge (TORCH) program in New York City. TORCH was the flagship program developed to help providers and teens work together to improve their communication and, as a result, the delivery of preventive and clinical services to adolescents. Because of its success in both educating teens and bridging the gap between teens and their health care providers, the National Institute launched the AHCCP Expansion Project to export the good work TORCH does to communities across the country. 2010-11 Grantees Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (WAWH) The Wisconsin Adolescent Health Care Communication Program (WAHCCP) had an exciting year kicking off their program, implemented by the Wisconsin Alliance for Women’s Health (WAWH). Amy Olejniczak, Project Director for WAWH, served as Program Director, and was supported by WAWH Executive Director Sara Finger. After an extensive recruitment and interview process, this program was fortunate to accept 16 teens to become peer educators, representing a broad demographic of gender, race, and sexual orientation. These peer educators attended a training retreat, which included workshops facilitated by Sex Out Loud, a university-based sexual health education resource, as well as by a community educator from Planned Parenthood and leaders from Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment (PAVE). After an initial outreach to the medical community, the WAHCCP also sought the local media as an ally, which resulted in radio interviews and appearances on the local news. While the WAHCCP peer educators were preparing their Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshops, they made sure to keep their community in mind. LGBTQ issues are surfacing as a primary interest to providers in the area, so the peer educators chose to focus on the issues surrounding transsexual health. Another concern that emerged was that of confidentiality when requesting STI testing. The WAHCCP teens were proactive in solving this concern and handed out information for a newly established STI information hotline in the community when presenting their workshops. The laudable efforts of this emergent program garnered the support of several local allies, including the Wisconsin Public Health Association, the Dane County Medical Society, and the Wisconsin Nurse’s Association. With ten Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshops under their belts, these peer educators already have 8 scheduled for the fall of 2011, and will surely continue to make an impact on adolescent provider health care communication. The Wisconsin Adolescent Health Care Communication Program (WAHCCP) recently received one of 16 Community-Academic Partnership Fund grants from the Wisconsin Partnership Program. The WAHCCP is a year-old program established to bridge the communication gap between Wisconsin teens and their health care providers. Read the full press release here. Children’s National Medical Center The Adolescent Health Care Communication Program (AHCCP) was implemented at Children’s National Medical Center under Maranda Ward, Program Director. To facilitate the program, Ms. Ward recruited 15 peer educators from TASA, or Teens Against the Spread of AIDS (another program facilitated by Ms. Ward). TASA began in 1992 in response to the AIDS epidemic as a way to inform youth about HIV, with a particular focus on prevention. Today, TASA is comprised of DC area high school students who use performance and interactive activities to reach out to audiences of teens, parents, and health care providers. TASA teens commit to weekly trainings and bi-monthly performance workshops in adolescent health education to spread the message about critical teen issues including HIV, sexuality, and violence. Peer educators presented AHCCP to a range of audiences, including residents, attendings, fellows, and medical students at Children’s National main hospital conferences, as well as smaller settings at school-based health centers. TASA also collaborated with several local partners, including the adolescent providers in-house at Children’s National, as well as the health clinics in the DC Public Schools. Existing partnerships with the Latin American Youth Center, Metro TeenAIDS, Young Ladies of Tomorrow, and the United Planning Organization were utilized to present the Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshops APCW) to health care providers at their sites. The peer educators took on the responsibility of educating their audience while making the presentation unique and engaging by adding poems to the content and handing out safer sex kits to teen audiences. Data collected from an online questionnaire for Children’s National health care providers, prior to the implementation of AHCCP, suggested a need for an interactive training using teen health educators to understand how to use clinical interviewing techniques to improve patient-provider communication. The work done by the TASA peer educators undoubtedly met this desire by reaching many patients and providers. (Adapted from the final summary of AHCCP activities at Children’s National Medical Center.) Wind Youth Services The Adolescent Health Care Communication Program at Wind Youth Services had a very successful year with 11 Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshops, reaching over 140 healthcare providers and community youth. Several Youth Health Ambassadors from Healthshack, a health and wellness program for homeless and at-risk youth, were trained to be AHCCP peer educators. Melissa Binger, the Healthshack Project Manager, led the project and worked directly with the peer educators in the development and execution of the AHCCP. The training process relied on a preexisting relationship with the UC Davis Medical Center to do a series of training workshops, which gave the teens additional information to incorporate into their workshops. There were several local adolescent health issues that were identified early on in the process of developing the workshops so the peer educators chose to incorporate them, specifically the issue of teen dating violence. They also addressed the epidemic levels of chlamydia and gonorrhea in the Sacramento region, making the program resonate directly with the community. These workshops were met with very positive feedback and were supported by several local allies, including the Sacramento City Unified School District. After the first few workshops, the AHCCP concept spread by word of mouth in the medical community, and the peer educators were soon receiving requests for workshops at both UC Davis Medical Center as well as Sacramento State University. The peer educators created skits and visual posters based on the original curriculum in the Action Toolkit, and were able to engage the audiences and create dynamic group discussions, while adapting to the specific concerns of their community. (Adapted from the Wind Youth Services Final AHCCP Grant Report.) 2009-10 Grantees The Boston Area Health Education Center (BAHEC) Founded in 1978, BAHEC is an innovative, school-to-career program whose mission is to increase the pool of minority health professionals in medically underserved areas of Boston. A part of the Boston Public Health Commission, BAHEC works with the Boston Public School system, hospitals, community-based health centers, and colleges and universities. Ninety percent of the 200 public high school students who participate are racial, ethnic, or linguistic minorities and two-thirds live in the inner-city Roxbury and Dorchester neighborhoods. BAHEC will partner with Team Mita, a peer leadership program operating in collaboration with the Southern Jamaica Plain Health Center, Hyde Square Task Force, and residents of the South Street Development in Jamaica Plain. Team Mita members are trained at BAHEC as health educators, develop their own dynamic curriculum, and offer comprehensive health education workshops to their peers on sexuality and other important health topics. Five clinical partners have agreed to participate in the Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshops or the Adolescent Standardized Patient Project: The Boston Medical Center Residency Program, Brigham and Women’s Hospital Residency Program, Southern Jamaica Plain Community Health Center, Massachusetts School-Based Health Centers, and Boston School-Based Health Center. Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon (PPSO) PPSO has been southwestern Oregon’s respected leader in providing vital health services, comprehensive sex education, and healthcare advocacy for 42 years. PPSO serves a wide range of clients throughout southwestern Oregon, from urban areas of Eugene, coastal towns, and rural areas to the south. In 2001 PPSO launched a long-term public health initiative called the new 3 R’s: Rights, Respect, Responsibility to promote healthy sexual attitudes and behaviors among Oregon youth and help adults be supportive, available, and prepared to communicate with the young people in their lives. PPSO’s Youth Action Council known as REVolution (REV) successfully implemented the pilot year of the AHCCP, provided training and standardized patient sessions for student nurses, Planned Parenthood clinic and school based health center staff, as well as “Keeping it Real with Your Doctor” programs for area high school-aged youth. PPSO will partner with OHSU, RCC and LCC Nursing Programs, OHSU Medical School (Portland), Kaiser Permanente Health Care Systems (Portland), University of Oregon Student Health Center, Federally Qualified Health Center, Public School-Based Health Centers, and La Clinica del Valle to implement the Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshops and the Adolescent Standardized Patient Project. The Division of Adolescent Medicine at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) The Division of Adolescent Medicine at CHLA provides mental health services, case management, youth development and risk reduction activities, health education, and substance abuse treatment to over 7,000 vulnerable youth ages 12 to 24 annually. These interdisciplinary services are provided in a variety of settings including the Teenage and Young Adult Health Center, the Saban Free Clinic, community-based organizations, parks, homeless youth shelters, drop-in centers, and local high schools. The Teenage and Young Adult Health Center seeks to address the unique health issues facing adolescents in Los Angeles by offering youth-specific healthcare services and providing a training site for medical residents and fellows in adolescent health. Each year, the Center provides both primary care and care for more than 1,000 youth with complex medical needs including youth infected with HIV, youth with chronic illnesses, transgender youth; youth with eating disorders, and youth with attention and neuro-cognitive disorders. The Division of Adolescent Medicine serves as the premier training location for residents in adolescent medicine for the greater Los Angeles area, and their training program meets the requirements of the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education specific to adolescent medicine training for pediatric residents. CHLA have established and maintained educational relationships with four pediatric residency programs, one family medicine residency program, and two medical schools. The goal is to educate residents and medical students about common medical issues affecting adolescents and behavioral risks and consequences for youth, and to introduce trainees to the most effective way of communicating with teens to promote risk reduction and safer behaviors. The National Institute is pleased to welcome The Division of Adolescent Medicine of Childrens Hospital Los Angeles back for a second year of funding!
2008-09 Grantees New York The Teen Outreach Reproductive CHallenge TORCH, in New York City, is a nationally recognized program that combines peer health education and leadership training of New York City youth, placing a strong emphasis on empowerment and team building. Through peer outreach, community organizing, public speaking, and addressing the critical issues of reproductive health care, young people build their self esteem, learn leadership skills, andmake responsible choices in their lives. TORCH provides young people, of both sexes, with a safe setting in which to discuss reproductive health issues and educate themselves and others to make sound and intelligent decisions.
TORCH Program peer educators
Pennsylvania The Washington Hospital Teen Outreach, in Washington, Pennsylvania, hosts a Peer Educator Program that was initiated in 1993. Since then over 4,000 young people have received facilitator training and teach with the professionals on staff. Peer Educators teach in middle schools, perform educational dramas as part of the Real Talk Performers, and create interactive learning tools. Their teens have taken first place at the state wide Coalition to Prevent Teen Pregnancy Youth Conference in Harrisburg and have presented nationally at the Healthy Teen Network annual conference. Outreach Peer Educators represent diverse racial, economic and ethnic groups. They have created and presented a county wide AIDS Awareness Day program every December 1st since 1993. Since receiving a grant from the National Institute, peer educators have been very active. Over 450 youth have been trained in “Keepin’ It Real with Your Doctor” through a series of presentations made to youth groups and schools. Under the advisement of Mary Jo Podgurksi, the motivated peer educators have adapted the workshops to meet the special needs of this rural community. In March, the group traveled to Pittsburgh to present to the Magee Women’s Hospital as well as the Adolescent Health Care Clinic.
Oregon Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon (PPSO), in Eugene, Oregon, through its YouthAction Council, is taking a leadership role in modeling the valuing and empowerment of youth by giving them a direct voice in decision-making and activism regarding sexual health issues. In three years, 34 high-school aged teens have participated on the Council, which they have named REVolution (REV). REV’s charter is to determine relevant activities and outreach strategies that help engage other teens and educate young people about making responsible decisions about sexual behavior. In addition to REV, PPSO has an award-winning Teen Theater Program, now in its 20th year. The youth are diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, and education.Joanne Alba, PPSO’s Rights, Respect, Responsibility Coordinator, will serve as the project manager for the ACHHP. Nursing student Esther Hunter, and teen educator Chelsea Litton The Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon is implementing the AHCCP in both Eugene and the Medford area. With nine teens in Eugene and 15 teens in Medford, a total of 100 student nurses received the Adolescent-Provider Communication Workshop (APCW), “Keepin’ It Real with Your Patient”. Furthermore, four Adolescent Standardized Patient Programs (ASPP) were conducted with clinicians at Planned Parenthood as well as nursing students at Oregon Health and Science University in Ashland. The Eugene peer educators are in the process of contacting four different local high schools and youth organizations to conduct the “Keepin’ It Real with Your Doctor” workshop. In April, both Eugene and Medford area peer educators will be presenting the AHCCP at the Adolescent Sexuality Conference at Seaside, Oregon!
California Childrens Hospital Los Angeles's Division of Adolescent Medicine, in Los Angeles, California, is affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, and all of their physicians are faculty. For the greater Los Angeles area, the Division of Adolescent Medicine serves as the premier training location for residents in adolescent medicine, and their training program meets the requirements of the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education specific to adolescent medicine training for pediatric residents. They have established and maintained an ongoing educational relationship with four pediatric residency programs, one family medicine residency program, and two medical schools. Their goal is to educate residents and medical students about common medical issues affecting adolescents, as well as to introduce them to the most effective way of communicating with these patients. The enthusiastic peer leaders for the Los Angeles AHCCP are based in a school health clinic at the Manuel Arts High School in South Central LA. These eight passionate students have already implemented four “Keepin’ It Real with Your Patients” workshops for school health classes, as well as two resident training programs at the White Memorial Medical Center and the LA County USC Medical Center. Currently, due to the “track system” in this overcrowded LA city school, five new peer educators have been trained and are now implementing the AHCCP. This is the last of three cycles in which youth underwent AHCCP training. Under the supervision of Dr. Diane Tanaka, twenty-four ASPP’s have been implemented, six of which have been repeat ASPP sessions with same residents in an effort to maximize the learning outcomes.
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