Collective STEP for Youth is a group of professionals and community members who are passionate about building the capacity of organizations serving youth 10-19 to prevent teen pregnancy and enhance adolescent wellbeing.
COALITION NEWS
 
Thank you for a great turnout at the September 6th meeting. Many thanks to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metropolitan Phoenix
for hosting! It was a very productive meeting with coalition members voting on Work Groups that will support the efforts of the capacity-building services provided by STEP. The following Work Groups (WGs) were selected:  
  1. Ongoing and Robust Professional Development focuses on ensuring professionals working with youth continue to strengthen their skills to enhance adolescent welling by providing learning opportunities, which include conferences, training, workshops, and webinars.
  2. The HUB is an online clearinghouse of information to support youth-serving organizations in Maricopa County.  The HUB will house resources that enhance adolescent wellbeing, such as training materials and webinars, research and data, a database of vetted trainers, and more.  

In addition, there will be a Collaboration and Grants WG, which will be supported by the Steering Committee.  This WG will address the immediate need to sustain the coalition, as well as support partners who may also need funding and partnerships.  

 
Please join us for the next STEP Coalition meeting to discuss WGs goals and objectives!

Wednesday, October 4th  
1:30pm-3:00pm  
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS
Located in the Parsons Center for Health & Wellness
1101 N Central Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85004
 
For more information, please contact Carla Pelletier at 602-359-2433 or [email protected].

EVENTS, OPPORTUNITIES & RESOURCES
EVENTS
Beautifully Bipolar: An Inspiring Look into Mental Illness, hosted by MIKID, will be held Saturday, September 16 at 1:00pm-4:00pm at the McGee Auditorium Flagstaff Medical Center. Tickets are $10, scholarships are available and RSVP is required. Register here. 
 
The 8th Annual Kaity's Way Step Against Dating Violence Fundraising Event will be held September 23 at Black Canyon Conference Center in Phoenix, Arizona. $75 per person or $125 a couple. Register here.  For more information, please contact Bobbi Sudberry at [email protected]. 

College Bound, an event for high school girls ages 14-18 will be held on Thursday, September 28 from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Register here.  For more information contact Keisha Jean-Baptiste at [email protected].

The Phoenix Police Explorer Program Recruitment Meeting will be held Tuesday, October 17 from 6:30pm-8:00pm. For more information, contact David Barrios at [email protected].
 
Kaity's Way Relationship Violence Diversion Workshops will be held the second and third Saturday of every month from 10:00am-12:00pm. RSVP no later than the Wednesday before the workshop.  There is no charge for the general public. Please contact Bobbi Sudberry at 602-740-2734 or email [email protected]. 

The Signs of Suicide (S.O.S) prevention program, hosted by Mentally Ill Kids in Distress (MIKID), uses an evidence-based curriculum that addresses suicide among adolescents. This is a free 45-50 minute program offered to youth in 7th-12th grade. If you are interested and would like to learn more about how to schedule a class, contact Timesha Moore-McHarris at 480-435-5876. 

OPPORTUNITIES
You are invited to join a Community Health Improvement Plan workgroup! The Health Improvement Partnership of Maricopa County (HIPMC) is a collaboration of more than 130 public and private organizations who are working together to increase Access to Care, Access to Healthy Foods, and to improve Early Childhood Development in Maricopa County. The HIPMC will be hosting workgroups to design the Community Health Improvement Plan which will lead the HIPMC's and the county's work for the next 3 years. Your unique expertise is important to this process! For more information, go to HIPMC Workgroups or if you have any questions, please contact Seth Fritch, Strategic Initiatives Coordinator at [email protected].

Whole Kids Foundation supports edible educational gardens located at schools or non-profit organizations. Learn more about grant opportunities here.

Tolleson School District will be providing a free training, Youth Mental Health First Aid USA on October 10. It is an 8-hour public education program which introduces participants to the unique risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems in adolescents, builds understanding of the importance of early intervention, and teaches individuals how to help an adolescent in crisis or experiencing a mental health challenge. Participants must be 18+. Space is limited to 30 participants. RSVP no later than Friday, September 29, 2017, with Mrs. Lynn at [email protected] or (623) 203-7024.

Chicanos Por La Causa Maryvale Community Center is searching for partnering organizations who are interested in manning a resource table at their first annual Fall Resource Fair on October 28th. Download the application of interest here.
RESOURCES
September Awareness Campaigns
Here is a free toolkit from Mental Health America for parents and students. It aims to increase emotional intelligence and self-regulation through materials for parents, school personnel, and young people. Learn more here.

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention offers a variety of resources, including information and personal stories related to suicide prevention and helping the campaign #StopSuicide. Learn more here.

American Association of Suicidology provides links to resources, prevention materials and training for professionals. Learn more here. 

ETR's Program Success Center offers a number of free tools to help plan for and select the best evidence-based program for teen pregnancy, HIV, STD prevention.

We can help you spread the word!
Please fill out the Events, Opportunities & Resources (EOR) form here.
Submit EOR forms the first and third Monday of the month to be included in the newsletter.


ENCOURAGING NEWS
Last week, the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee passed their version of the FY 2018 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS) Appropriations bill by a bipartisan vote of 29-2. The bill would provide level funding for the TPP Program and the Title X Family Planning Program, and also includes language requiring that these programs be administered as they were in FY 2016.
See The National Campaign's statement for more details.
ADOLESCENT WELLBEING MESSAGING LIBRARY
 

Sex Education Based on Abstinence? There's a Real Absence of Evidence
Read here about research done on abstinence-only education and evidence-based Teen Pregnancy Prevention programs. Feel free to share it with your networks. 
 
Teens, say no to sex, Trump officials say. But that advice don't work    
Read more here about what health experts worry that the Trump administration's promotion of abstinence-only programs will reverse dramatic improvements in the teen birth rate.     

An Assault on Efforts to Prevent Teenage Pregnancy   
Read more here about teen pregnancy prevention cuts and how they will impact programming throughout the country.
 
Preventing Sexual Violence Starts with What We Teach Our Boys   
Read this blog from Child Trends that looks at some current sexual violence prevention programs for boys and young men - programs that challenge gender norms and stereotypes of masculinity.   

Collective STEP for Youth shares resources for adolescent wellbeing as a service to its partner community.  
Any questions about a resource shared here should be directed to the organization it came from.
The project described is supported by Grant Number TP1AHOOO129 from the Office of Adolescent Health. 
Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.