Teen health has been a concern for many communities. This paper describes how community- focused nurses approached involving a whole community with teen health and promoted coordination and collaboration between parents, teens, agencies, and community leaders. This town of 10,000 residents is home to a citizenry diverse in income, culture, and language. It includes a large Latino population, many of whom work in the area’s large mushroom industry. The added layer of complexity faced by the Latino teen attempting to bridge two cultures was of particular concern. Information on teen health from focus groups with Latino teens and parents along with other assessment data confirmed that problems noted by Latino teens were similar to those of all teens, with additional cultural barriers. To address noted issues, a series of “Bridging the Community Around Teen Health” workshops were held. Teens, parents, community agencies and leaders, and interested area residents were invited. The first workshop focused on learning from the community its perceptions, concerns, strengths, and approach to care for teens. It was successful enough that participants started focusing on initiatives that would make a difference. Planned follow-up contacts revealed that a number of these initiatives had begun. Several have received grant funding or commitment from agencies and citizens for the necessary resources. These successes lead to a second workshop. In this workshop, four initiatives developed in the first workshop were presented as works in progress, and additional networking and collaboration were sought. A third workshop is in the planning phase.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, the learner will: 1. identify two health issues faced by Latino Teens 2. describe the process used to focus the community on teen health issues 3. describe two projects initiated by community member participants to deal with teen health concerns
Keywords: Vulnerable Populations, Adolescent Health
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Project Salud, Chester County Health Dept., Southeast PA Area Health Education Center
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.