Shift Nc

LEADING NORTH CAROLINA TO IMPROVE ADOLESCENT AND YOUNG ADULT SEXUAL HEALTH.

ALAMANCE YOUTH CONNECTED (AYC) IS A COMMUNITY-WIDE INITIATIVE IN ALAMANCE COUNTY THAT ENGAGES THE COMMUNITY, SCHOOLS, PARENTS, HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS, AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN A COLLABORATIVE, SYSTEMS-CHANGE APPROACH TO HELP INTEGRATE PROVEN STRATEGIES TO CREATE OPTIMAL HEALTH, INCLUDING SCALING UP EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAMS AND LINKING YOUTH TO SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY. PROJECT STAFF PROVIDED 35 HOURS OF CAPACITY-BUILDING TRAININGS TO SIX PARTNERS TO EQUIP THEM FOR IMPLEMENTATION. AYC'S EVIDENCE-BASED PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS REACHED 73 YOUNG PEOPLE AND RETAINED 35 YOUNG PEOPLE (OR 48% OF YOUTH REACHED) WITH MAKING PROUD CHOICES: FOR YOUTH IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE (MPC+). AYC'S IMPLEMENTATION PARTNERS HAVE ALSO LINKED YOUTH PARTICIPANTS TO THE FOLLOWING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES: 1 REFERRAL TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES, 2 REFERRAL TO EDUCATIONAL SERVICES, 3 REFERRAL TO VOCATIONAL OR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS. FIFTY-SEVEN YOUNG PEOPLE ALSO RECEIVED KNOWLEDGE TO ACTION: LINKING TEENS TO HEALTH SERVICES, A SUPPLEMENTAL LESSON AIMED AT HELPING TEENS ACCESS HEALTH SERVICES IN THE COMMUNITY.

ALL TOGETHER NOW (ATN), IS AN INITIATIVE TO PROVIDE TRAINING, TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND COACHING TO HELP PUBLICLY FUNDED HEALTH CENTERS IN DURHAM, NC ADOPT BEST PRACTICES IN TEEN HEALTHCARE AND IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY, QUALITY, AND YOUTH-CENTERED SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE SERVICES. AS A RESULT, ATN DEVELOPED A COORDINATED NETWORK OF HEALTHCARE CENTERS AND YSO PARTNERS IN DURHAM COUNTY THAT RESULTED IN TEENS RECEIVING SERVICES AT PARTNER CLINICS, A 19% INCREASE IN CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE, AND A 31% INCREASE IN STI TESTING, COUNSELING, OR TREATMENT FOR YOUTH AGES 15-19 IN DURHAM, NC. THE ATN PROJECT ENDED AND WAS CLOSED OUT ON DECEMBER 29, 2020.EVERY TEEN COUNTS (ETC) IS AN INITIATIVE TO BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC CAPACITIES OF THE NC FOSTER CARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS TO IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS (EBP) WITH YOUTH. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, ETC STRENGTHENED THE CAPACITY OF 7 LOCAL DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES AND JUVENILE JUSTICE PARTNERS RESULTING IN STAFF PROVIDING OVER 75 HOURS OF VIRTUAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 33 SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS IMPLEMENTING AN EBP VIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSON WITH APPROXIMATELY 79 FOSTER CARE YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE NORTHEASTERN, EASTERN AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF THE STATE. HEALTHY TOMORROW ALLIANCE (HTA) IS A COLLABORATIVE OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS, AND THE CONE HEALTH FOUNDATION TO CONNECT YOUNG PEOPLE AND THEIR FAMILIES TO HIGH-QUALITY, TEEN-FRIENDLY HEALTH CARE SERVICES IN GREENSBORO. HTA SERVED SEVEN HEALTH CARE PARTNERS AND CONTINUED TO WORK WITH TWO YOUTH-SERVING ORGANIZATION PARTNERS. TEEN PREGNANCY RATES CONTINUE TO DECLINE THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THIS PROJECT, FROM 26.3% IN 2016 TO 20.5% IN 2019, AND 17.6% IN 2021. ALL CLINIC PARTNERS IMPLEMENTED AT LEAST 21 OF THE 29 RECOMMENDED TEEN FRIENDLY CLINIC BEST PRACTICES. NC A&T PEER EDUCATORS HOSTED CAMPUS STI TESTING DAYS TO EDUCATE PEERS ON CONTRACEPTIVE METHODS AND CLINIC PARTNERS. A NEW E-LEARNING PLATFORM WAS LAUNCHED TO MEET THE REMOTE LEARNING NEEDS OF OUR CLINIC PARTNERS. 64 PARTICIPANTS COMPLETED AT LEAST 1 TRAINING COURSE USING THIS E-LEARNING PLATFORM. IN ADDITION TO THE PRERECORDED WEBINARS THE FOLLOWING TRAININGS WERE MADE AVAILABLE TO THEM VIA THE E-LEARNING PLATFORM: ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT, MINORS' RIGHTS, AND CONNECTING TEENS TO CARE. DIGITAL ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS FOCUSED ON PROMOTING TELEHEALTH AND KEEPING YOUTH CONNECTED TO HEALTHCARE IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. INSTAGRAM AND SNAPCHAT ADS PRODUCED 1,392 VIEWS TO THE GREENSBORO LANDING PAGE ON THE PLAYBOOK WEBSITE.LAUGHING GULL FOUNDATION: SHIFT NC COLLABORATED WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO IMPLEMENT THREE VIRTUAL FOCUS GROUPS (FGS) WITH RACIALLY AND GENDER DIVERSE LGBTQ+ STUDENTS THROUGHOUT NC. WE ANALYZED DATA AND SUMMARIZED FINDINGS IN WHITE PAPERS THAT REPORT STUDENTS' RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SEX ED, SCHOOL POLICIES, EDUCATOR RESOURCES, AND RESPONDING TO ANTI-LGBTQIA LANGUAGE IN THE CLASSROOM. WE BEGAN TO DISSEMINATE FINDINGS. WE UPDATED A RESOURCE LIST FOR LOCAL LGBTQ+ YOUNG PEOPLE AND PROVIDED RESOURCE REFERRALS/RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SHIFT NC PROJECT PARTNERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS STATEWIDE WHO INQUIRED ABOUT TOPICS SUCH AS FINDING A LGBTQIA-COMPETENT THERAPIST FOR CHILDREN OR EMERGENCY HOUSING FOR TRANS YOUTH. WE UPDATED MATERIALS IN A LGBTQ+ TERMINOLOGY LEARNING ACTIVITY THAT IS UTILIZED IN OUR TRAININGS; AND FACILITATED AN INTERNAL TERMINOLOGY LEARNING SESSION WITH STAFF. WE DEVELOPED/REVIEWED LGBTQIA CONTENT FOR VIRTUAL TRAININGS WITH HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, YOUTH EDUCATORS, AND CHILD CUSTODY SYSTEMS.

TEMPORARY ASSISTANCE FOR NEEDY FAMILIES (TANF) IS AN INITIATIVE TO BUILD ORGANIZATIONAL AND PROGRAMMATIC CAPACITIES OF THE NC FOSTER CARE AND JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEMS TO IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE BASED PROGRAMS (EBP) WITH YOUTH. OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, TANF STRENGTHENED THE CAPACITY OF 7 LOCAL DEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES AND JUVENILE JUSTICE PARTNERS RESULTING IN STAFF PROVIDING OVER 75 HOURS OF VIRTUAL TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 33 SYSTEM PROFESSIONALS IMPLEMENTING AN EBP VIRTUALLY AND IN-PERSON WITH APPROXIMATELY 79 FOSTER CARE YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE NORTHEASTERN, EASTERN AND CENTRAL REGIONS OF THE STATE.

TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION INITIATIVES (TPPI): THROUGH THIS FUNDING SHIFT NC PROVIDED INFORMATION, EDUCATION, RESOURCES, CONSULTATION, AND TRAINING TO PROFESSIONALS AND STAKEHOLDERS WORKING TO REDUCE TEEN PREGNANCY IN THE STATE, SERVING 160 PROFESSIONALS THROUGH IN-PERSON AND ONLINE TRAININGS AND WEBINARS. WE DEVELOPED A DRAFT RESOURCE ON EFFECTIVE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCILS (CACS) FOR TPPI-FUNDED INITIATIVES, SURVEYING THEM AND INCORPORATING THEIR FEEDBACK ON THE FINAL DOCUMENT. WE ALSO: PROVIDED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 18 AGENCIES AND/OR INDIVIDUALS, DISTRIBUTED OUR MONTHLY DIGITAL NEWSLETTER TO AN AVERAGE OF 2,500 PEOPLE, AND CONTINUED OUR DEVELOPMENT OF A YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL (YAC). YAC ACTIVITIES INCLUDED HIRING A YOUTH ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, WHO: CREATED A RECRUITMENT PLAN, IDENTIFIED CURRICULUM RESOURCES, CREATED A TIMELINE FOR THE YEAR, AND DEVELOPED FORMS FOR THE SMOOTH RUNNING OF THE YAC (PARTICIPANT EXPECTATIONS/AGREEMENT/PARENTAL CONSENT FORM, CONFIDENTIALITY FORM, CODE OF CONDUCT, EMERGENCY CONTACT, ETC.); AND DEVELOPED A POST-YAC EVALUATION AND ASSESSMENT TO EVALUATE PROGRESS OF COUNCIL AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED. RECRUITMENT AND INTERVIEWS OF CANDIDATES YIELDED SEVEN YAC MEMBERS, WHO PARTICIPATED IN FIVE YAC MEETINGS, FIVE WORKSHOPS ON SEXUAL HEALTH TOPICS, TWO GRANT WRITING SUBCOMMITTEE MEETINGS TO AID SHIFT NC STAFF IN DEVELOPING A GRANT PROPOSAL, ONE KEYNOTE PRESENTATION AT SHIFT NC'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN MAY 2021, AND ONE FEEDBACK SESSION ON SHIFT NC'S TEEN-FOCUSED WEBSITE.