News/Announcements
Adolescent Health, Teen Pregnancy Prevention, and Youth Engagement are the themes of the March/April issue of AMCHP's Pulse Newsletter! Read about innovative programs and stories from across the country, updates from federal partners, and new resources.
Adolescent Health Podcasts: Check out these podcasts from the Office of Adolescent Health, particularly the conversation featuring the work of the National Network of State Adolescent Health Coordinators and the roles and functions of Adolescent Health Coordinators in the states! Other topics include Strategies for Reducing Teen Dating Violence and Sexual Assault, and Engaging Teen Fathers. Transcripts are also available for each podcast.
Overview
Adolescence and young adulthood are crucial developmental periods characterized by physical, emotional and intellectual changes, as well as changes in social roles, relationships and expectations. Adolescents include youth between the ages of 9-18, while those between the ages of 19-25 are described as young adults. These are times of growing independence and discovery and a period when behaviors are established that can have an impact on both immediate and ongoing health outcomes.
Thus one of the most important commitments maternal and child health programs can make to improve the quality of life for maternal and child health populations is to address the health and developmental needs of its young people to promote positive health, education, social, and economic outcomes.
AMCHP identifies adolescent preventive health as a focus area for special attention. Adolescent preventive health is defined as promoting the health of adolescents by helping states build partnerships and strengthen their capacity and address adolescent health from a resiliency/asset approach and to prevent risk-taking behaviors.
With funding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent School Health, and the Health Services and Resources Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, AMCHP works with maternal and child health professionals to achieve the following adolescent health goals:
- Improve the health of women, children, youth, families and children and youth with special health care needs through the promotion of a lifecourse framework
- Promote the health of adolescents by strengthening state-level capacity to develop, implement and evaluate effective adolescent health public health interventions, programs and policies
- Pursue the elimination of health disparities and inequities, particularly among racial and ethnic groups
- Advance leadership practices that ensure strong leadership for MCH at the national, state and local levels
Programs
Adolescent and Young Adult Health National Center: AMCHP is supported by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau to assist its members and affiliates in developing improved approaches for delivering adolescent and young adult public health programs at the state level. The primary goal of the funding is to promote the importance of, and strategies for, investing in adolescent and young adult development, health, safety, and well-being among state-level officials and administrators whose programs serve youth and their families. AMCHP's activities provide support, resources, tools and technical assistance to state health department personnel, administrators and officials such as State Maternal and Child Health Directors/State Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs Directors, and State Health Officials, as well as other relevant state officials seeking to develop and enhance adolescent and young adult programming in their states.
Adolescent Sexual Health, HIV/STD Prevention, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention: AMCHP is supported by CDC's Division of Adolescent and School Health to build the capacity of state education and health agencies related to sexual health including HIV, other STD, and Teen Pregnancy Prevention.
Key Publications
Making the Case: A Comprehensive Systems Approach to Adolescent Health and Well-being