Engaging for Community Action on Teen Sexual Health

Springfield Adolescent Sexual Health Advisory (SASHA)

Development of an advisory group

In response to the high number of births and sexuality transmitted infection (STI) rates among youth in the City of Springfield, Mayor Sarno commissioned an advisory board to develop recommendations that would lead to a response to decrease the rates of teen pregnancy and STIs.

S.A.S.H.A.
Mission To build community capacity and engage parents, teens and policymakers in preventing unintended teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Vision To engage the community in a coordinated effort to decrease the teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections resulting in increased opportunities for adolescents in the city of Springfield.

Too-early pregnancy and parenthood can interfere with educational attainment. As educators strive to improve graduation rates and help students succeed academically, it is important that school leaders, local health departments, and other agencies work together and leverage their expertise and resources in a way that can address both teen pregnancy and school completion. In other words, anyone interested in improving graduation rates should also be interested in reducing teen pregnancy. This is particularly important in low performing school districts.

A child has a 27% chance of growing up in poverty if the mother gives birth as a teen. If the mother also does not have a high school diploma or GED the chance of child poverty increases 42%

Objectives
1. Select and implement a science based comprehensive sex education curriculum in public schools. 2. Empower parents and communities to address teen pregnancy and STIs. 3. Mobilize the medical community to increase access to and improve reproductive health services for youth.

4. Engage the business and philanthropic community to support initiatives that reduce the teen birth rate in order to develop a future ready workforce.

Framework

Community Engagement

Community mobilization

Strategic Partners

Behind the Story

Springfield task force

2009 Comprehensive sex education approved and implemented in HS & Middle School. 2012 School Committee approved a new Reproductive Health Policy & Implementation of condom availability program.

MA birth rate among girls 15-19

100 87.5 45.5 15.6

Births per 1,000 Women Ages 15 -19

80 60 40 20 10.4 White nonHispanic 25.8 Black nonHispanic

2010

2000

19.2
49.3 8.3 Hispanic

Asian

250
Births per 1,000 women 15 19 years old

Teen Birth Rate: 2001-2010

MA Springfield Holyoke

200

150

100

50

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2010 Teen Birth Rates Births/1000 girls aged 15- 19 yrs old
34
54.3 54.3 83.6

17.1

USA

Massachusetts

Springfield

Holyoke

2010 TBR across race & ethnicity

100 80 60 36 40 16 99.3

MA

Springfield

Holyoke
84

43

20
0 10.4 White nonHispanic 25.8

49.3

Black nonHispanic

Hispanic

5000 Cases per 100,000 teens 15-19yo 4500

4000
3500 3000

4,693

4,771

2500
2000 1500 1000 500 0 1,310

MA
Springfield Holyoke

350 Cases per 100,000 teens 15-19yo 300 250 306

200
150 100 50 0 76

93

MA
Springfield Holyoke

SASHA Recommendations
Objective 1: Select and implement an evidenced-based comprehensive sex education curriculum in public schools.
A. Evaluate the current curriculum (FLASH) in comparison to other promising practice or evidence based curricula to ensure implementation of a comprehensive sex education curriculum that is progressive, culturally, linguistically and age appropriate, is inclusive of all sexual orientation and include a broad health overview. B. Annually obtain and monitor statistics on middle school and high school sexual activity through tools such as YRBS and PNAS. C. Those who are assigned to teach any portion of sex education curriculum will be trained to teach the full sex education curriculum. D. City and school administrators and school committee will provide visible participatory support for Sexual Health Education in the schools and the community. E. Obtain feedback from teachers, school nurses, and counselor on the implementation process for sexual health education curriculum through survey by 2014. F. Develop an integrated decision-making team that includes the Mayor, School Committee, the School Department, and SASHA for coordinated decision-making on sex education in Springfield. G. Facilitate collaboration between the Springfield Public Schools and CBOs working with Pregnant & Parenting Teens to create a process to ensure maintenance of current educational levels with goal of returning to SPS.

 City and school administrators and school committee will provide visible participatory support for Sexual Health Education in the schools and the community. Develop an integrated decision-making team that includes the Mayor, School Committee, the School Department, and SASHA for coordinated decision-making on sex education in Springfield.

SASHA Recommendations
Objective 2: Empower parents and communities to address the high rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections among youth. A. Encourage community partners to provide parent(s) and/or caregiver(s) workshops that build their capacity and or skills to discuss sexual and/or behavior with their child/children. B. Ensure that the parent component of FLASH curriculum is implemented. C. Provide key stakeholders (i.e. athletic organizations, faith based organizations and male involvement interest groups) with teen pregnancy prevention tools they can use to increase awareness among their stakeholder group. D. Establish a process for Springfield Public Schools to collaborate with CBOs who can provide sexual health services, including STI testing with support services and sexual health education in the Springfield Public High Schools. E. Develop a resource guide of sexual health programs and clinical services for youth in springfield and distribute the guide at point of entry where youth engage in activities (schools, after school programs, libraries, PVTA, DMW, athletics etc.). F. Support Youth First awareness campaign by facilitating distribution of campaign materials in the SPS to teens and parents, such as distribution of Youth First campaign book covers in middle and high schools.

 Encourage community partners to provide parent(s) and/or caregiver(s) workshops that build their capacity and or skills to discuss sexual and/or behavior with their child/children.

Establish a process for Springfield Public Schools to collaborate with CBOs who can provide sexual health services, including STI testing with support services and sexual health education in the Springfield Public High Schools.

SASHA Recommendations
Objective 3: Mobilize the medical community to increase access and improve reproductive health services for youth.
A. Springfield Health & Human Services, in conjunction with interested providers will convene a meeting exploring reopening of School based clinics. B. In light of the absence of SBHC, collect and analyze existing data to determined where teens are receiving medical services to determine utilization & gaps. C. Collect and analyze existing data on what teens experience as barriers to accessing medical and educational services, including teens in traditional and nontraditional settings, to determine if gaps exist. D. School physician convenes a meeting with area medical providers and school nurses to strengthen the relationships and partnership to improve the delivery of sexual health services for adolescents. E. Improve access to sexual healthcare for teens by encouraging existing providers of adolescent sexual health services to deliver health care through nontraditional settings including mobile medical services. F. Encourage the Springfield Public Schools to streamline the process to allow medical providers to deliver health services to Springfield Public Schools students. G. Encourage providers of sexual health services to collaborate on utilization of innovative strategies including social media to increase awareness of existing medical and educational resources that address adolescent sexual health. H. Encourage and promote best practices amongst providers of sexual health services that improve teen sexual health.

 Improve access to sexual healthcare for teens by encouraging existing providers of adolescent sexual health services to deliver health care through nontraditional settings including mobile medical services. Encourage providers of sexual health services to collaborate on utilization of innovative strategies including social media to increase awareness of existing medical and educational resources that address adolescent sexual health.

SASHA Recommendations
Objective 4: engage the business and philanthropic community to support initiatives that reduce the teen birth rate in order to develop a future ready workforce. A. Encourage the business community to give opportunities to Springfields youth. B. Engage the business community in developing positive public service announcements on the value of youth in the workforce.

General Recommendation

Encouraging Springfield Public Schools to develop an internal structure that allows nursing, counselors, and educators to collaborate on sexual health policy and curriculum development.

Questions ?

Discussion