Thrive Inc

WE ARE BUILDING A MOVEMENT TO IMPROVE SEXUAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH.

THRIVE: SEXUAL HEALTH COLLECTIVE FOR YOUTH LEADS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION COLLABORATION WITH A COMMON AGENDA OF REDUCING TEEN PREGNANCY IN CENTRAL OKLAHOMA. THRIVE'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, MOMENTUM MATTERS, LAUNCHED IN OCTOBER 2019 CONTINUES TO GUIDE THE ACTIVITIES OF OUR COLLABORATION TO MEET THE BOLD GOAL OF REDUCING THE TEEN BIRTH RATE IN OKLAHOMA COUNTY BY AN ADDITIONAL 25% BY 2025. ALTHOUGH THE TEEN BIRTH RATE EXPERIENCED A SLIGHT INCREASE IN 2020 DURING THE PANDEMIC, OKLAHOMA COUNTY SAW A 6.7% DECREASE FROM 2020 TO 2021. TO CONTINUE TO SHOW THE GROWTH OF THE COLLABORATION, THRIVE USES AN INVENTORY DATABASE CALLED THE CHANGE AGENT INVENTORY TO IDENTIFY INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS INTERESTED IN ENGAGING AS PARTNERS AND TO LEARN WHERE AND HOW THEY WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE ON THIS ISSUE. TO DATE, MORE THAN 95 INDIVIDUALS AND 38 ORGANIZATIONS ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN OUR NETWORK. THRIVE CONTINUES TO WORK WITH PROFESSIONALS AND THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCES THROUGH OUR ACTION TEAMS. THRIVE'S PREVIOUS ACTIONS TEAMS HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK TOWARD THEIR GOALS WHILE ALSO ENSURING FURTHER COMMUNITY RECRUITMENT. THE PRIORITY POPULATION ACTION TEAM CONCLUDED BY MEETING ITS GOAL OF CREATING DETAILED ZIP CODE PROFILES FOR HIGH PRIORITY AREAS AND WAS REPLACED WITH A NEW ACTION TEAM CALLED FACTS AND RESOURCES THAT WILL FOCUS ON CREATING A SERIES OF FACT SHEETS AND RESOURCES CONNECTING THE ISSUE OF TEEN PREGNANCY TO OTHER COMMUNITY ISSUES. IN JULY 2020, THRIVE WAS ONE OF ONLY 13 ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE TO RECEIVE A TIER 2 INNOVATION AND IMPACT NETWORK GRANT FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, OFFICE OF POPULATION AFFAIRS. THIS GRANT HAS ALLOWED THRIVE TO RECRUIT TWELVE ORGANIZATIONS OVER A TWO YEAR PERIOD TO CREATE INNOVATIVE AND PERSON-CENTERED SEXUAL HEALTH PROJECTS FOR THE CAREGIVERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. CAREGIVERS FOR THIS GRANT ARE LOOSELY DEFINED AS ANY TRUSTED ADULT IN A YOUTH'S LIFE SUCH AS PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, FOSTER PARENTS, FAITH LEADERS, COMMUNITY-BASED STAFF, ETC. NOT ONLY HAS THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF THIS GRANT BEEN FELT BY THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THE FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE GONE THROUGH A RIGOROUS CAPACITY BUILDING TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDING HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, ADOLESCENT BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, 2SLGBTQ+ RESOURCES AND CARE, GENERATIONAL COMMUNICATION AND SO MANY MORE. ADDITIONALLY, AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS GRANT, THE FUNDED ORGANIZATIONS HAVE REPORTED INCREASED COLLABORATION, INFORMATION, AND RESOURCE SHARING WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY. THESE PROJECTS WILL CONTINUE TO GROW IN THE UPCOMING GRANT YEAR BY ALLOWING THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAD PROMISING DATA FOR THEIR PROJECT TO BEGIN REPLICATION IN THE COMMUNITY WITH SIMILAR ORGANIZATION TO FURTHER DEMONSTRATE THE QUALITY OF THE PROJECT. FURTHER FOCUSING ON OUR MISSION TO BUILD A MOVEMENT TO IMPROVE SEXUAL HEALTH OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED A NUMBER OF TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PARTNERS THIS PAST YEAR, RANGING FROM SEXUAL HEALTH 101, TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE, POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, HEALTH EQUITY, SYSTEMS-THINKING, AND HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN. WE KNOW THAT TRAINING AND EQUIPPING OUR NONPROFIT AND GOVERNMENTAL PARTNERS IS PART OF SUSTAINABLY CHANGING THE CULTURE AROUND SEXUAL HEALTH AND HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS. AS THRIVE CONTINUES TO INVEST IN OUR TRAINING AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR THE COLLABORATION AND OUR COMMUNITY, THRIVE SOUGHT OUT AND RECEIVED FUNDING TO LAUNCH TWO FOCUSED TRAINING PROGRAMS, PROJECT EQUIP AND PERSON-CENTERED FAMILY PLANNING. PROJECT EQUIP WILL PROVIDE TRAINING, EDUCATION, AND RESOURCES TO YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONALS, PARENTS, AND OTHER CAREGIVERS INVOLVED IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM. THIS PROGRAM WILL BUILD THEIR CAPACITY TO HAVE MEDICALLY ACCURATE AND SUPPORTIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOUTH ABOUT SEXUAL HEALTH, INCLUDING HOW TO ACCESS SEXUAL HEALTH CARE SERVICES, ESPECIALLY BIRTH CONTROL (INCLUDING LARC). THE PERSON-CENTERED FAMILY PLANNING PROJECT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HEALTH ALLIANCE FOR THE UNINSURED WILL PROVIDE TRAINING THAT WILL FOCUS ON EXPANDING AND IMPROVING PERSON- CENTERED FAMILY PLANNING HEALTHCARE SERVICES AND REFERRALS FOR TEENS AND YOUNG ADULTS. FINALLY, THRIVE CONTINUES TO HAVE A FOUNDATIONAL FOCUS ON EQUITY AND AUTHENTIC COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. ONE WAY THAT THRIVE WORKED TO CENTER THE COMMUNITY'S VOICES WAS THROUGH LISTENING SESSIONS AND COMMUNITY ASSESSMENTS. ELEVEN LISTENING SESSIONS WERE CONDUCTED TO FOCUS ON HEARING THE NEEDS AND BARRIERS OF CAREGIVERS AND YOUTH AROUND SEXUAL HEALTH AND ACCESS TO MEDICAL HEALTH SERVICES. ADDITIONALLY, A CAREGIVER COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT WAS CONDUCTED REACHING 1,759 OKLAHOMANS WHICH PROVIDED EXTENSIVE INFORMATION ON OUR COMMUNITY'S PREFERRED METHODS OF RECEIVING RESOURCES, TYPE OF RESOURCES NEEDED, AND BARRIERS AROUND ACCESS TO PERSON-CENTERED HEALTH SERVICES. WE KNOW THAT IN ORDER TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM WE HAVE GAINED WITH REDUCING THE TEEN BIRTH RATE, WE WILL NEED TO FOCUS ON PRIORITY POPULATIONS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BASED ON DISPARITIES FOUND IN OUR OKLAHOMA COUNTY DATA. OUR APPROACH IS SYTEMS-LEVEL AND HUMAN-CENTERED, PUTTING THOSE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE AT THE CENTER OF OUR WORK.