Saturday, November 23, 2024
11/23/2024
The Fulton County Board of Health (FCBOH) proposes an adolescent health/ youth development project, Skills, Knowledge and Youth Empowerment (SKYE), for African American youth ages 15-19 and their parents/caregivers who reside in dual zip codes, 30315 and 30318. SKYE aims to increase adolescent knowledge about sexual health, build assertive communication skills, and affect adolescent behavioral change—reducing teen pregnancy and STIs, narrowing the gap of health disparities, and promoting optimal adolescent health. ¿ Certain social determinants of health such as high unemployment, low education attainment and poverty are associated with high rates of teen births; and taken together with lack of resources and access to health services create a breeding ground for health inequities. Social pressures from peers and media to be carefree, and adolescent struggles with depression and anxiety only muddle the road to young adulthood. ¿ These are circumstances FCBOH is familiar with in their adolescent health programming, and the impetus to forge the SKYE project for a coordinated response to reduce teen pregnancy rates and optimize the potential for healthy adolescent development. Health educators will replicate the evidence-based Positive Preventive Plus (PPP) curriculum based on social cognitive theory as intervention to elevate teens knowledge of sexual health, learn ways of developing healthy relationships, use their voice assertively in sharing their desires and setting personal boundaries, and know where to access teen-friendly community resources. The SKYE project will use a systems-thinking approach to implement the following strategies (1) coordinate among multiple community partners; (2) offer youth programing for 755 youth/755 parents annually (three-year totals = 2265 youth and 2265 parents), and infuse the youth voice in planning and implementation through a SKYE Council and SKYE Captains; (3) provide a mechanism for parent programming to st rengthen communication between youth-parent about sexual health issues; (4) extend an learning and capacity building collaborative for youth-serving organizations to undergo a policy and practice review of positive youth development principles [SKYE Lab]; (5) deliver training to youth-serving professionals on trauma-informed care, positive youth development, and youth mental health first aid; (6) coordinate referrals for behavioral health services to youth with expressed or observed behavior health needs; and (7) provide youth with a community health resource guide of teen-friendly clinics and resources for contraceptive counseling/methods, pregnancy testing and sexually transmitted infection exams including confidential HIV testing. FCBOH will use an external evaluation team from Georgia State University to conduct a monitoring, evaluation and improved plan with published results at the conclusion of the three-year performance period ending June 30, 2023. FCBOH respectfully requests OPA funding to create the trajectory of adolescent health outcomes for African American youth.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
