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Training Spotlight

Training Spotlight

Adolescent Health

TeensThese learning opportunities are intended to assist maternal and child health (MCH) professionals in promoting the health and wellness of adolescents.

Adolescents are resources to cultivate, not a problem to fix!
          —Karen Pittman, Forum for Youth Investment

Framework. Adolescent health and youth engagement are broad subjects spanning physical health, mental health, risk reduction, and systems integration—all wrapped within a public health approach to providing seamless care, health care approaches that are tailored to this population, and transition to adulthood. To put a conceptual framework on these large topics, the following learning opportunities have been organized by a crosswalk of the Bright Futures Topic Areas for Adolescents and the National Network of State Adolescent Coordinators Topic Areas.

Table of Contents

LEAH programThis training spotlight has been developed in collaboration with the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) programs, funded by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau.

Trainings from the MCH Navigator

Featured Trainings

Trainings Organized by Topic Area

  1. Physical Growth and Development: Physical and oral health, body image, healthy eating, physical activity.
  2. Social and Academic Competence: Connectedness with family, peers, and community; interpersonal relationships; school/job performance.
  3. Emotional Well-Being: Coping, mood regulation and mental health, sexuality.
  4. Risk Reduction: Tobacco, alcohol, or other drugs; pregnancy; STIs.
  5. Violence and Injury Prevention: Safety belt and helmet use, substance abuse and riding in a vehicle/driving, guns, interpersonal violence (fights, dating violence, stalking), bullying.
  6. Adolescent Health Systems Building and Transition to Adult Care: Assessing, strengthening and and coordinating systems for adolescent health at the state level.
  7. Frameworks: Theories that apply a holistic view and resiliency thinking to adolescent health.
    • Adolescence: Preparing for Lifelong Health and Wellness. Year Developed: 2015. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Health Grand Rounds). Presenter(s): Stephanie Zaza, MD, MPH; Patricia J. Dittus, PhD; Shannon L. Michael, PhD, MPH; Claire D. Brindis, DrPH. Type: Webcast Archive (Video) and Handout. Level: Introductory. Length: 1 hour. Also posted to YouTube.
    • Beyond the Data (Same page as above; see second tab on web page). Year Developed: 8/18/2015. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Health Grand Rounds). Presenter(s): Phoebe Thorpe, MD, MPH; Stephanie Zaza, MD, MPH. Type: Recording Archive (Video). Level: Intermediate. Length: 10 minutes.
  8. Adolescent Health Care: Transforming health care and public health systems to better serve adolescents and young adults.
  9. Strategic Planning: State adolescent health strategic plans and products.
  10. Youth Engagement

For additional learning opportunities in topics not listed here, see the Search page to search by competency or keyword.

Resources from NCEMCH

Adolescent Health: Training Spotlight
Draft 4: August 2016
Authors: Jolene Bertness, MEd, CHES and John Richards, MA, AITP, MCH Navigator

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UE8MC25742; MCH Navigator for $180,000/year. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.