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Home My WebLink AboutAgenda - 10-03-2000-5dORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: October 3, 2000 Action Agenda Item No. SUBJECT: TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program DEPARTMENT: County Manager PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No ATTACHMENT(S): Letter 8~ Information from Planned Parenthood INFORMATION CONTACT: Sharron Hinton ext. 2300 Resolution TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To approve a resolution endorsing the expansion of the TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program in Orange County. BACKGROUND: In March 2000, Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Counties (PPOD) initiated a pilot program in Durham County. This program, TEEN VOICES, is an adolescent pregnancy prevention and youth development program. The purpose of the program is to provide adolescents with medically accurate and factual information to empower them to make responsible choices based on their own ethics and values. TEEN VOICES involves Durham County high school students engaged in a 40-hour training program. The training program includes infom~ation and skill development related to a variety of teen health issues. The TEEN VOICES Peer Educators receive training on the issues of sexuality, healthy relationships, abstinence and contraceptive options, suicide prevention, body image and eating disorders, communication and decision making skills, job skills, higher education and goal setting. PPOD plans to train 45 Peer Educators between March 2000 and March 2001. The TEEN VOICES Peer educators-will potentially educate 1350 members of the Durham community. PPOD is currently applying for funding from the North Carolina Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program to expand the TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program to Orange County. Currently, the program only serves Durham County. As a part of the grant application process, it is necessary for PPOD to seek endorsement from the Orange County Board of Commissioners. A resolution supporting the expansion of this program is attached. Robyn Schryer from the Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Counties is attending the BOCC meeting to answer any questions. FINANCIAL. IMPACT: None - no county funds are requested or required as a match for the receipt of grant funds. RECOMMENDATION(S): The Manager recommends that the Board approve the resolution and authorize the chair to sign. 3 Planned Parenthoodw Sip ~ ~ ~~~~ of Orange and Durham Counties, Inc. _ September 18, 2000 RE: Resolution for Endorsement of TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program John M. Link, Jr. County Manager P.O. Box 8181 Hillsborough, NC 27278 Dear Mr. Link, Per our phone conversation I have enclosed a DRAFT resolution to be considered by the Orange County Boazd of Commissioners at the October 3rd Board Meeting. I have also enclosed a program fact sheet for the Commissioners' review. I will attend the October 3rd meeting to answer any questions the Commissioners may have. Planned Pazenthood of Orange and Durham Counties (PPOD) is currently applying for funding from the North Cazolina Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program to expand our TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program to Orange County. Currently the program only serves Durham County high school students. As part of the grant proposal process, it is necessary for PPOD to seek endorsement from the Orange County Board of Commissioners. Specifically, the grant proposal is required to provide 1) documentation the project was placed on the Board's agenda; and 2) project endorsement (in the form of resolution or letter) reflecting an official act resulting from formal consideration by the Board. Thank you for your assistance in facilitating this process. Please contact me if you have any additional questions or concerns. I can be reached by phone at (919) 286-1770 or via email at RQb~ S~ chrye a~7 nfa.org. cerel , Robyn c r Peer Education Coordinator Enclosures (2) P.O. Box 3258 Chapel Hill, NC 27515-3258 (919) 929-5402 942-7762 FAX (919) 933-5271 820 Broad Street Durham, NC 27705-4198 (9191 286-2872 FAX (9191 7RF,-7n~7 TffN VOi(fS PEER EDUCRiiON PR04RM~ Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Counties Fact Sheet For more information: Robyn Schryer 820 Broad Street Durham, NC 27705 (919)286-1770 Robyn_Schryer@ppfa.org TEEN VOICES is the adolescent pregnancy prevention and youth development program of Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Counties (PPOD). By providing adolescents with medically accurate, factual information, TEEN VOICES empowers teenagers to make responsible choices based on their own ethics and values. • TEEN VOICES involves Durham County high school students in a 40-hour training program that provides information and skill development related to a variety of teen health issues. Peer Educators have the opportunity to cam up to $300 by successfully completing the program. • TEEN VOICES Peer Educators receive training around the issues of sexuality, healthy relationships, abstinence and contraceptive options, suicide prevention, body image and eating disorders, communication and decision making skills, job skills, higher education and goal setting. • PPOD plans to train 45 Peer Educators between March 2000 and March 2001. The TEEN VOICES Peer Educators will potentially educate 1,350 members of the Durham community. • PPOD has partnered with 15 other Durham community organizations to provide TEEN VOICES training. Training partners include Durham County Health Department, North Carolina Lambda Youth Network, Rape Crisis of Durham, and the Yellow Ribbon Youth Suicide Prevention Program. • TEEN VOICES began in March 2000 with funding from the North Carolina Department of Social Services Workfirst Pilot Projects and the Fox Family Foundation of Durham. Peer Education works! Numerous studies show that peer education is an effective way to help youth develop healthy behaviors not only in sexual health but also in violence prevention and substance abuse prevention. (Advocates jar Youth, 1997) • Trained Peer EducaWrs can be a more credible source of information than adult educators. They communicate in a language that is more likely to be understood and serve as positive role models to dispel the normative misconception that most adolescents are engaging in high risk behaviors. (DicIemente, RJ. "Confronting the Challenges of AIDS among adolescents: Directions for Future Research." Journal ofAdolescent Research, 1993) Peer Educators themselves benefit from programs. One study showed clear benefits, such as increased knowledge of HIV,_ an increased comfort discussing sensitive issues, and an appreciation and tolerance of difference life styles for peer educators themselves. (Park 51ope Project Reach Youth, Inc. and Hunter College Center on AIDS, Drugs, and Community Health. Final Report an Project SAFE Evaluation Study, August 1992) What are the numbers?? Although teen pregnancy and birth rates have steadily been declining through the 1990s, 4 out of 10 girls still get pregnant at least once before the age of 20 in the United States. The U.S. still has the highest rates of teen pregnancy and birth of any industrialized country. (The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy) • From 1993-1998 Durham County's adolescent pregnancy rate far 15-19 year olds was higher than the state average 5 out of 6 years. In 1998 Durham County's teen pregnancy rate was 87.3 (per 1,000), while the state average was 85.5. (NC Center for Health Statistics, Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Carolinal s Orange County Board of Commissioners Resolution far Official Endorsement of the TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program WHEREAS, the TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program is an adolescent pregnancy prevention and youth development program, sponsored by Planned Parenthood of Orange and Durham Counties; and WHEREAS, TEEN VOICES empowers teenagers to make responsible choices based on their own ethics and values, by providing them with medically accurate, factual information; and WHEREAS, TEEN VOICES Peer Educators receive 40 hours of training on a variety of teen health and social concerns, and then shaze this information with friends, family, and community members; and WHEREAS, TEEN VOICES began as a pilot program in Durham County, training 45 Peer Educators who will potentially educate over 1,350 members of the community between March 2000 and Mazch 2001; and WHEREAS, Planned Pazenthood of Orange and Durham Counties is now applying for funding from the North Cazolina Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program to expand peer education programming to Orange County; and WHEREAS, Planned Pazenthood of Orange and Durham Counties hope to partner with other Orange County human services organizations in providing Peer Educator training and referrals; and WHEREAS, the United States still leads the industrialized world in teen pregnancy and birth rates, despite recently declining rates; and WHEREAS, adolescent pregnancy in North Carolina cost North Cazolina taxpayers $807,800,000 in Fiscal Yeaz 1997; and WHEREAS, Orange County's 1999 rate of adolescent pregnancy per 1,000 15-19 year old girls was 35.9, according to the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Coalition of North Cazolina. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Orange County Boazd of Commissioners endorses Planned Pazenthood of Orange and Durham Counties' proposal to the North Carolina Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Program, because the TEEN VOICES Peer Education Program will serve our high school students and partner with azea human services organizations in an effort to continue reducing the rate of adolescent pregnancy in Orange County. This is the 3`~ day of October 2000. Moses Cazey, Jr. Chair