District of Columbia Department of Health (DC Health) is a lead agency for Adolescent Health efforts in the District and believes that convening, coordinating, and integrating a multitude of programs and services in the District is critical to achieving District-wide impact.
The Adolescent Health Programs within the Community Health Administration (CHA) is a consortium of community-based organizations, school-based programs, and place-based care settings funded through DC Health to deliver evidence-based practices and innovative programs for adolescents in the District of Columbia to be healthy and able to thrive in the transition from childhood to adulthood. Members of the Child, Adolescent and School Health (CASH) Division within CHA provide technical assistance and oversight for the coordination of community-wide Adolescent Health Programs through which providers implement evidence-based or evidence-informed curricula and programs in a variety of settings for elementary, middle, and high school youth, ages 6-21.
Current Areas of Focus
Pregnancy Prevention in Adolescents
Goals:
- Promote educational success
- Achieve a reduction in unintended pregnancies
- Improve prenatal and postnatal health
- Improve parenting skills
- Increase access and utilization of health services
Partners:
- Crittenton Services of Greater Washington – SNEAKERS (Self-efficacy, Nurturance, Expectations, Assertiveness, Knowledge, Empowerment, Responsibility, Success) and PEARLS (Parenting, Education and Responsive Life Skills)
Mental Health including Grief and Trauma-Informed Care
Goals:
- Increase adolescents’ knowledge and access to services
- Provide mental health screenings
- Provide individual or group therapy to
- Engage in service coordination within the District
- Provide training, consultation, and support on trauma and bereavement to key partner staff
Partners:
- Children’s National Medical Center – Project Linking Adolescents To Educational Resources (LATER)
- Wendt Center for Loss & Healing – Resilient Scholars Project
Positive Youth Development
Goals:
- Enhancing positive youth development for adolescents to decrease high-risk behaviors
- Increase adolescent engagement in programming on health and life skills topics
- Amplify youth voice in Adolescent Health programs across the District
- Engage in youth violence prevention activities
- Teach and promote youth advocacy in subject areas such as community safety, medical care and transitioning to adulthood.
- Train adolescents to offer peer-to-peer support
- Promote and facilitate health literacy
Partners:
- Healthy Babies Project, Inc. – Life Empowerment Program
- Men Can Stop Rape – Positive Youth Development through WISE + MOST Club
If you are interested in receiving more information on a specific program, please complete our Partnership or Program Host Interest Survey.
For more information, please contact us via email at [email protected] or via phone at (202) 442-5925.