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of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

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    Local, state, and federal government websites often end in .gov. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania government websites and email systems use "pennsylvania.gov" or "pa.gov" at the end of the address. Before sharing sensitive or personal information, make sure you're on an official state website. 

    Adolescents encounter many barriers when attempting to get needed health care including fear of lack of confidentiality, transportation issues, and inconvenient appointment times and costs.  The BFH aims to address and eliminate these barriers through the Health Resource Center (HRC) model. HRCs are located in high schools and community-based organizations so services are easily accessible. The following core services will be provided to HRC clients:

    • sexual and reproductive health education;
    • confidential, individual-level counseling;
    • screening for chlamydia, gonorrhea and pregnancy;
    • referrals and direct linkages to core family planning services;
    • dissemination of condoms and other risk reduction tools.

    The BFH, in partnership with AccessMatters, operates HRCs in high-need areas across the commonwealth. High-need areas were determined by their high rates of teen pregnancy, gonorrhea, chlamydia, high-school dropouts and binge drinking.

    Teen Game Plan

    A Teen Game Plan, or life plan, is designed to get you to think about your future and how the decisions you make now impact your future and your ability to reach your goals.  This tool will help you think about important issues in your life. The Teen Game Plan was developed in collaboration with the following organizations: Family Health Council of Central Pennsylvania, Center for Schools and Communities and the Pennsylvania Department of Education is designed to get you to think about your future and how the decisions you make now impact your future and your ability to reach your goals.  This tool will help you think about important issues in your life.   

    Teen Game Plan Guide for Adults     

    This guide is designed for parents, teachers, coaches, school nurses or any adult who has a relationship with a teenager.  It is designed to be used with the Teen Game Plan tool and to give trusted adults the communication skills to talk about life planning and help provide information and support for youth to make healthy decisions.

    Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP)

    The Pennsylvania Department of Health is utilizing the Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funds to develop a state-wide project that will serve adolescents in:

    1. Licensed psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs);
    2. Licensed residential substance abuse treatment programs;
    3. Residential programs serving delinquent youth, which include: a. residential programs serving delinquent youth licensed by the Department of Public Welfare's Office of Children, Youth and Families (OCYF), b. OCYF Youth Development Centers and c. OCYF Youth Forestry Camps;
    4. Licensed partial hospitalization or outpatient drug and alcohol facilities; 
    5. Licensed partial hospitalization or outpatient mental health facilities; and 6.  Community-based health or human service agencies.

    Nine PREP implementation sites have been selected to provide education on abstinence, contraception, and at least three adulthood preparation subjects: healthy relationships, adolescent development, and healthy life skills by implementing one of the following curricula:  Be Proud! Be Responsible!, Be Proud! Be Responsible! Be Protective!, Becoming a Responsible Teen (BART),  HORIZONS, Making Proud Choices, Promoting Health Among Teens (PHAT), Rikers Health Advocacy Program, and Sexual Health and Adolescent Risk Prevention (SHARP).  Funds will also be used to provide PREP implementation sites with training on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) cultural competency.

    Teen Outreach Program

    The Teen Outreach Program is funded by the Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education Grant through the US Department of Health and Human Services.  The Department has selected the Wyman Center's Teen Outreach Program (TOP) for implementation to youth statewide, with a focus on 11 "priority counties" where teenage pregnancy rates for youth under age 15 and youth ages 15-17 exceed the state teenage pregnancy rate for the same groups.  TOP is an evidence-based, positive youth development program that promotes the healthy development of youth in grades 6-12 through a combination of weekly peer group meetings, an engaging curriculum, and Community Service Learning which are all facilitated by trained facilitators who build strong, supportive relationships with youth.  Six agencies will be implementing TOP, and Temple University Harrisburg will service as the TOP replication partner.

    Support. Empower. Learn. Parenting Health Initiative

    The Support. Empower. Learn. Parenting Health Initiative (SELPHI) is funded by the Office of Adolescent Health’s Pregnancy Assistance Fund.  The Department partners with Health Promotion Council (HPC) of Southeastern Pennsylvania to provide expectant and parenting teens, women, fathers, and their families with a holistic network of support services and resources to improve their health and well-being.  HPC operates in high schools, community service centers, and Institutes of Higher Education in Philadelphia.  This program provides economic and workforce development, education, transportation, food, social services, child welfare, and housing to participants.