In 1997, through a statewide competitive process, the California Department of Health Services funded 112 Community Challenge Grant (CCG) programs to provide a focus for departmental efforts to reduce California’s high rates of adolescent pregnancy. CCG emphasizes community collaboration as an important strategy for involving diverse groups, including a full range of ethnic communities, in developing and implementing locally responsive programs for presexually active (85%) and sexually active teens (83%). During the first funding cycle, 45% of participants were Latino; 25% were white; 14% were multi-ethnic; 9% were African-American; 5% were Asian; and 3% were American Indians. Data about collaborative partners and activities were collected with a written survey of project directors (n=80) and follow-up telephone interviews.
Nearly 1,000 collaborators, including community based organizations, public health departments, and faith-based agencies, implemented one or more of the following four approaches to adolescent pregnancy prevention: Youth Development (75%), Comprehensive Family Life Education (74%), Parenting Skills (68%), and Abstinence (63%). While collaboration improved service delivery throughout California, ethnically and culturally diverse collaboratives more effectively addressed core values, while adding and strengthening services. They facilitated institutionalization of community involvement in adolescent pregnancy prevention, more effectively strengthened community support, more frequently involved adolescents in leadership and service delivery roles, and more efficiently used available resources to reduce adolescent pregnancy.
Learning Objectives: At the end of the session, participants will be able to: 1) Identify two collaborative strategies that enhance the cultural/ethnic appropriateness of adolescent pregnancy prevention programs 2) Discuss two culturally-related programmatic outcomes associated with collaborative involvement 3) Describe the role of cultural assets in implementing adolescent pregnancy prevention collaboratives in diverse communities
Keywords: Adolescent Health, Collaboration
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Statewide Evaluation Director, Community Challenge Grant Program