Sanchez KC; International Conference on AIDS.
Int Conf AIDS. 2002 Jul 7-12; 14: abstract no. WePeB5897.
University of Miami School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, Miami, United States
ISSUES: Adolescents (thirteen through twenty-one years of age) should be guided through their developmental passage into adulthood as young as possible. Little attention is given to the fact that youth are actively engaged in adult behaviorand practices (e.g. drug use, employment, sexual activity, childbearing, etc.). The lack of poor role-modeling and the absence of adult support enhances their vulnerablility. Through youth-focused interventions, many adolescents can have the opportunity to develop healthier, more productive lifestyles. Poverty, hunger, poor education, violence in the neighborhood and home, and single-parent households are some of the variables that may contribute to a young adults' obstacles towards establishing themselves as a productive member of society. DESCRIPTION: At the University of Miami School of Medicine Special Adolescent Clinic (for HIV infected and at-rsk youth) the social workers developed a 10-week program targetting adolescents living in the Miami-Dade County community. This ten week course is holistic in nature focusing on an enriched didactic, experiential two hour intervention session with an unlimited number of participants, that allows them to put into practice what they have learned. The topics include communication and problem-solving skills, job-readiness, human sexuality, health, nutrition, and independent living. A Manual contains lesson plans that help guide the facilliatators through classroom activities and homework assignments. At the successful completion of the 10-week series, all participants receive a certificate of completion upon "graduation". LESSONS LEARNED: The key to the success of this model is in the high engagement of client participation, providing token incentives, and keeping the lesson plan simple. RECOMMENDATION: This low-cost/high-return intervention model can be easily replicated by any organization for use with urban/inner city youth.
Publication Types:
Keywords:
- Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Communication
- Curriculum
- Demography
- HIV Infections
- HIV Seropositivity
- Health Planning
- Helping Behavior
- Humans
- Poverty
- Sexual Behavior
- Survival
- Violence
- education
- methods
Other ID:
UI: 102249892
From Meeting Abstracts