Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Community Schools: Optimal Health Initiative - To reduce teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections, our Community Schools: Optimal Health Initiative form a consortium of nine school districts including Sodus CSD (LEA) and Clyde-Savannah, Lyons, Newark, North Rose-Wolcott, and Red Creek Central School District, and Syracuse City School District and Solvay Central School District to identify and address the underlying root causes that impede the well-being of our young people in fourteen specific catchment areas. Sodus CSD is the lead for Wayne County Community Schools. Peaceful Schools leads Onondaga County Community Schools. The purpose of the project is to create culturally responsive, trauma informed community schools with the capacity to provide programming and services to support the optimal health of the students and communities in our defined catchment area. Our project is unique in its purposeful inclusion of rural, suburban and urban school districts. Through our hyper-local Community Schools framework, we will collaborate to provide evidence-based practices that fit each settings and build capacity through continual evaluation and communication. Wayne County target students indicate a lack of the five indicators of adolescent health. Nearly half (49%) of Wayne County partner school high school students reported a lack of attachment to a trusted adult and 30% of students do not feel safe in school. Wayne County ranks 59 out of 62 for clinical care resources. 1 in 6 high school students have two or more risk factors for teen pregnancy. In Onondaga County, up to 59% of residents in target Syracuse city zip codes need better access to receive health care. As many as 75% indicate a need for better access to mental health services. The goals of this project are meant to address these indicators of health and the underlying risk and lack of protective factors of teen pregnancy and STIs through strategic coordination of school and community resources and operationalize the Collabor ation ARCH- a model for organizing a person first trauma informed approach to meet the needs of individuals and families. Goal 1: Normalize collaborative cross-sector efforts focused on the need of individuals, families and communities to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs. Goal 2: Build attachment that creates trust and support so youth feel connected to their families, communities and schools to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs. Goal 3: Develop self-regulation skills for identifying and managing emotions and stress to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs. Goal 4: Develop competencies in life skills and academics to increase resiliency and for career and personal growth to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs. Goal 5: Integrate the essential components of optimal health necessary for healthy adolescent development into existing tiered support systems to prevent teen pregnancy and STIs. To accomplish these goals, we will utilize the Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports model to make data-informed decisions regarding evidence-based programs and practices. We will enhance the capacity of our stakeholders to utilize data. We will identify root causes and establish clear guidance for tiered interventions. We will organize our system of supports to optimize coordination and communication between partners. A selective toolbox of evidence-based practices will be provided for each school to consider. To make flexible fit possible, communities will determine what programs to replicate. Youth serving professionals from partner agencies will train in the same programs for consistency and sustainability. Our project expands and further integrates partnerships with out-of-school time programs, institutes of higher education, community partners and volunteers to increase protective factors. Our experience utilizing systems-level interventions will allow us to meet community needs, enhance protective factors, and reduce teen pregnancy and STIs.
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).