Strategies

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

Engage professional or lay health workers to provide education, referral and follow-up, case management, home visiting, etc. for those who experience barriers in accessing health care; also called promotoras(es) de salud or community health representatives

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

Position registered nurses within a parish or similar faith community, or in a health care system to serve as a liaison to congregations; also called parish nursing or congregational nursing

Increase support for non-profit health care organizations and deliver comprehensive care to uninsured, underinsured, and vulnerable patients regardless of ability to pay; often called community health centers (CHCs)

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.

Use traditional and digital media to disseminate information about safe sex