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Outside of the box: Intervention strategies for working with pregnant and parenting adolescents

Loral Patchen, CNM, Director, TAPP, Division of Women's Services, Washington Hospital Center, 100 Irving Street, NW, East Building G105, Washington, DC, DC 20010, (202) 877-7128, Drcat20910@aol.com, Stacy Y. Coates, MA, Program Coordinator, TAPP, Division of Women's Services, Washington Hospital Center, 100 Irving Street, NW, East Building G105, Washington, DC, DC 20010, and Barbara W. Sugland, MPH, ScD, Center for Applied Research & Technical Assistance, Inc., 1800 N. Charles Street, Suite 902, Baltimore, MD 21201.

Current research suggests that effective teen pregnancy prevention programs are those that build intensive, reliable and consistent relationships with adolescents as early as possible during their pregnancy; offer comprehensive services beyond clinical care; support teens in setting and meeting attainable goals that are important to them; and that provide access to therapeutic, and reproductive health services.

The Teen Alliance for Prepared Parenting (TAPP) is a subsequent pregnancy prevention program located in three community sites in the District of Columbia. TAPP involves targeted case management to identify, link, and coordinate clinical, social service, education/employment referrals, and group activities for pregnant and parenting teens. Participants receive comprehensive prenatal care and delivery services; parenting classes; preventive and well-child care; family planning and reproductive health counseling, and individual and group support to build life skills. TAPP provides services from pregnancy through at least 24 months postpartum. A competency-based approach is used to guide the program model.

TAPP, based at Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC, is located in an urban setting and offered at three different locations in the Washington, DC community. The target population includes 100 pregnant and parenting adolescents <=17 annually, of whom over 98 percent are either African American or Hispanic/Latino. The TAPP model employs the premise that subsequent pregnancy prevention is more likely to occur within the context of health services and an appropriate mix of social services and competency building activities.

Learning Objectives:

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Pregnancy

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: Employment as Director of Teen Alliance for Prepared Parenting (TAPP)

Barriers to Care and Evidenced Based Research in Maternity Health Services

The 132nd Annual Meeting (November 6-10, 2004) of APHA