Strategies

Match disadvantaged or at-risk youth with volunteer mentors in school or community settings

Combine academic, mental and physical health, and social service resources in schools for students and families via partnerships with community organizations; also called community learning centers

Provide information about contraception and protection against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in classroom or community settings

Provide condoms free of charge or at a reduced cost in community and school-based settings

Provide outreach and support to assist those whose employers do not offer affordable coverage, who are self-employed, or who are unemployed

Increase patients’ health-related knowledge via efforts to simplify health education materials, improve patient-provider communication, and increase overall literacy

Coordinate efforts to reduce risky sexual behavior among adolescents with work, vocational training, or sports

Delay school start times for middle and high schools to better align with adolescent sleep-wake cycles; often until after 8:30 or 9:00 a.m.

Regulate mental health insurance to increase access to mental health services, including treatment for substance use disorders

Support initiatives that combine multiple components such as education, skills building, and contraceptive promotion to reduce pregnancy among youth