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This paper discusses two necessary characteristics of a group worker who is exploring issues of race and ethnicity with adolescents. These two characteristics are: (1) the knowledge and ability to explain systems of oppression, especially as they relate to racial and ethnic oppression, and (2) a secure and positive sense of self. Discussions of race and ethnicity are not exclusive to groups which have workers with these characteristics; however, groups with workers who exhibit these characteristics will engage in dialogues of greater depth, honesty, and authenticity. KEYWORDS, Race, ethnicity, People of Color, systems of oppression, positive sense of self, group work, adolescents

An estimated 14 million American youths are in danger of becoming school dropouts, drug addicts and criminals. Studies have shown that mentors can help foster self-esteem in teenagers as they go through adolescence. The elderly can serve as ideal mentors for problem youth because they already have a lifetime of experience to share with these younger people. They also have the time to give attention to these teenagers. Elders can be companions, teachers, and role models to the youth.

Adolescents have specific concerns although these may not be readily apparent to health care providers. Described here are gender, age, and seasonal variations of concerns of adolescents calling a peer-listening phone service which has been in operation in Northwest Ohio since May 1987. The data reported are from calls received between May 1, 1987 and December 31, 1992. Demographic data as well as issues discussed are recorded for each call. There were significant gender (p ≤ .001), age (p ≤ .01), and seasonal (p ≤ .05) variations when compared to the calls in total. Knowing which issues are important for adolescents may help us better elicit problems and give anticipatory guidance when seeing adolescents. Further studies will need to be done in order to determine how needs related to these issues can be best addressed., INTRODUCTION Adolescent health care providers spend a large amount of time getting to know the consumers they serve. While developing a relationship with adolescents, topics considered to be important by [...]

The Canadian child welfare system largely fails to provide adequate support for homeless adolescents because social workers are not trained to deal with adolescents' problems and needs. Some programs do exist that provide the supportive, nurturing and educational environment adolescents need such as Phoenix House and the Supervised Apartments Program. However, child welfare policy needs to be revised to increase the support and financing for programs that provide for the behavioral, psychological and emotional needs of homeless adolescents.

Admissions of children and adolescents to private psychiatric hospitals have been increasing more and more rapidly in recent years. However, the increasing use of inpatient treatment is not consistent with current theory and research about the mental health needs of children and adolescents; often inpatient treatment cannot be justified on the basis of the admitting diagnosis. Hospitalization has an array of negative effects and is less effective in terms of treatment outcome and cost when compared with community-based alternatives. High rates of admissions continue because of changes in the juvenile justice law, insurance practices, lack of legal protection for youths and children, inappropriate government policy, and the growth and practices of for-profit hospitals. Implications for social policy and social work practice are discussed., Admission rates of children and adolescents to psychiatric hospitals have been increasing since 1920 and have increased rapidly in recent years. Weithorn (1988) analyzed data from the National Institute of [...]

There continues to be an increased interest in developing community-based services for children and adolescents as an alternative to inpatient care. However, there has been much more talk than action in creating such alternatives. This paper describes the success of a crisis stabilization program for children and adolescents in a community mental health center which historically over-utilized the State psychiatric facility for youth. The Crisis Stabilization Program consists of three components: (1) a two-person crisis team, (2) a four-person on-call team for after hours crises, and (3) funds which the crisis team utilized to broker for a wider array of community-based services.

This paper focuses on the increasing need for partnership across service systems. Data are presented that show a high degree of overlap in the needs of different client bases, and this overlap points to the demand for more comprehensive programming than is feasible within any one system. The paper goes on to discuss a unique interagency partnership currently underway, and the implications this demonstration program can have for future public policy and programming.

A national sample of community health nurses were surveyed to assess their knowledge of, attitudes toward, and involvement with reproductive health services. Results indicated that slightly more than half of the nurses provided or administered contraceptive services to adolescents, although 73% worked in settings where contraceptive services were provided to adolescents. However, only 3.6% indicated that adolescents were their primary client population. The majority (64.3%) stated that they felt as prepared to work with adolescents as they did with adult clients. While 98% were aware that most adolescents are sexually active before seeking family planning services, a minority correctly answered questions about pregnancy and contraception among adolescents. Ninety-five percent agreed that contraceptives should be available to adolescents, and 90% agreed that parental consent should not be required for adolescents seeking contraceptive services. Yet only 21.5% were aware of the implications of the Adolescent Family Life Act.

Suicide-prevention programs for adolescents, most of which follow a model that considers suicide a result of stress common to that stage of life, are increasingly widespread in high school curricula. However, the effectiveness and safety of such programs need to be evaluated. To this end, the effects of two suicide programs serving high school students were assessed. Several schools without such programs served as controls. The prevention programs lasted three or one and one-half hours, and were presented by teachers who had received several hours of training. Students were given a 48-item questionnaire to complete before and after participating in the programs: the questionnaire concerned such matters as warning signs of suicide and attitudes about seeking emotional support. The controls completed a questionnaire that omitted questions about the programs. Based on consistent responses to a question regarding previous suicide attempts, students were classified as attempters (63) and nonattempters (910). Attempters were more likely than nonattempters to agree with such statements as suicide is a possible solution for someone with a lot of problems and, if depressed, it is a good idea to keep such feelings to yourself. They were also more likely to have called a hot line or telephone crisis counseling service. Reactions of 35 attempters and 524 nonattempters to the suicide prevention programs were compared; the programs seemed to have little impact on students' attitudes toward suicide. In fact, there were signs of negative effects of the programs. Attempters felt that talking about suicide in the classroom could make some people more likely to try to kill themselves. They were more upset by the programs, and were less likely to think that other students should participate in them. In summary, suicide-prevention programs for students in this age group deserve careful evaluation; the development of alternative approaches to this problem seems warranted. The authors note that the prevalence of suicide attempts was greater, as indicated by the questionnaire, than in studies based on interviews. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Few studies in counseling and psychotherapy have examined the relationship between counselees' perception of counselors' attractiveness and therapeutic outcomes using high school-age counseless in actual counseling sessions. This study investigated the extent to which perceived counselor-counselee similarity affected the counselee's perceptions of counselor attractiveness and how perceived counselor attractiveness affected the degree of counselee satisfaction with counseling. The results suggested that racial and gender differences appear not to have operated as barriers to effective counseling. The implications of these findings for counseling research and practice, in general, we well as for successful counselor-counselee interactions in a multicultural context, in particular, are discussed.

The timing of the first family planning visit for 144 female adolescents using school-based clinics in four St. Paul, Minn., high schools was studied. Mean delay time for the sample was 11.4 months and the median was 7.8 months. Almost 50% of the sample arrived within two months of either a planned onset of sexual intercourse (virgin group) or a recent start of sexual activity (short delay group). Early onset of sexual activity (v age 15) was more prevalent among long delayers (47.9%) than among short delayers (21.1%). Longer delayers were more likely to come from the lowest socioeconomic groups. Short delayers and longer delayers were equally likely to have been motivated to attend the clinic because they feared they were pregnant. Reasons for choosing this clinic over others reflected the importance of confidentiality, comprehensiveness of services, and the specific adolescent orientation of care., Teen-age sexual behavior and adolescent pregnancy continue to be major U.S. health care problems. More than 1 million teen-age females become pregnant each year. Of these, nearly 40% of pregnancies [...]

Examined a program designed to prevent adolescent pregnancy, school failure, and dropout using a process model of evaluation to assess with which groups of participants and under what conditions the program was most effective. Students in the Teen Outreach Program of the Association of Junior Leagues and matched comparison students in 35 schools nationwide participated. Sites that highly utilized a volunteer service component, and sites that primarily served older students reported lower levels of student problem behaviors at program exit, after controlling for problem behaviors at entry. These findings occured only for program youths and not for comparison youths. The connection of volunteer service to reductions in adolescent problem behaviors is interpreted in terms of helper-therapy and empowerment theories. Limitations of the analytic strategy used in this study, as well as techniques for addressing the limitations, are also discussed.

Swedish people are taking an open and positive view of sexuality to construct educational programs for helping youth identify with the information. The Ministry of Education provides schools with a reference book of methods, subjects, literature, and films about sexuality education. Sexuality education also focuses on teenagers to make them understand that the ongoing physical changes and their experiences are normal. The Swedish Association for Sex Education has opened a separate clinic for men to address their sexuality-related needs.

Since most young people who commit suicide have given warning signs to those around them, physicians are likely to have opportunities to intervene and prevent this tragedy. Many high schools now offer suicide prevention programs, but a research article in the December 26, 1990 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association questions their effectiveness. The results showed that attempters were more disturbed by the suicide prevention programs, had more negative attitudes, and were less likely to seek help or tell others about their feelings, than nonattempters. Attempters continued to believe, even after the programs, that suicide was a possible solution to their problems. Suicide prevention programs that target young people in general are probably not as effective as those that could identify youth at risk for suicide, about whom much is known. Five main risk factors have been identified, including: demographic factors (white males, Native Americans, older youth, and those who have attempted suicide, are at higher risk); presence of a psychiatric illness (conduct or mood disorders); psychosocial, personality, and environmental factors (early loss, aggression, or substance abuse); genetic or familial variables (biological relatives of adopted suicide victims have a higher rate of suicide); and biological factors (levels of serotonin, or growth hormone). Help for suicidal patients may involve psychosocial and psychotherapeutic intervention, medication, psychiatric consultation, and environmental intervention. Primary care physicians can play a pivotal role by making particular efforts, such as contacting families, helping in problem-solving, and making appropriate referrals. Public health activism aimed at restricting firearm access, improving education about the warning signs of suicide, and developing community clinics for youth at risk should be included in physicians' professional activities. Research is needed to better identify people at risk, and learn more about preventive interventions. Often, physicians see suicidal young people in their offices only days before they make an attempt. Failure to detect and intervene to prevent an attempt can lead to irreversible tragedy. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

* Literacy Projects: Grants supporting youth-led reading-related community service projects are available from the National Education Association and Youth Service America. Twenty grants of $500 each will be awarded to […]

The location, style and facilities of the New Brighton Community Library, City of Christchurch, make it very popular with local youth. This has created a conflict with the needs of [...]

Objective. To evaluate implementation of the Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services (GAPS) in Community and Migrant Health Centers (CMHCs). Design. Before and after comparison of health center policy, clinician and adolescent self-report, and chart reviews in 5 CMHCs. Participants. Eighty-one preintervention and 80 one-year postintervention providers and 318 preintervention and 331 postintervention 14- to 19- year-old adolescent patients being seen for well visits at 5 CMHCs. Intervention. Health center staff were trained to implement GAPS and were provided resource materials, patient questionnaires, and clinician manuals. Main Outcome Measures. Delivery of and receipt of preventive services and perceived access to care. Results. CMHC systems changes were related to stronger leadership commitment to adolescent care. Providers reported high levels of preventive services delivery before and after guideline implementation. After guideline implementation, adolescents reported increases in having discussed prevention content with providers in 19 of 31 content areas, including increased discussion of physical or sexual abuse (10% before to 22% after), sexual orientation (13% to 27%), fighting (6% to 21%), peer relations (37% to 52%), suicide (7% to 22%), eating disorders (11% to 28%), weapons (5% to 22%), depression (16% to 34%), smokeless tobacco (10% to 29%), and immunizations (19% to 48%). Adolescents were also more likely to report knowing where to get reproductive or mental health services and were more likely to have received health education materials. Implementation also increased documentation of recommended screening and counseling in 51 of 79 specific content areas assessed in chart reviews. Conclusion. Implementing GAPS increased the receipt of preventive services at these health centers. Adolescents received more comprehensive screening and counseling, more health education materials, and had greater access to care after implementation. GAPS implementation may help improve the quality of care for adolescents. Pediatrics 2001;107:318-327; adolescents, preventive services, community health centers., ABBREVIATIONS. GAPS, Guidelines for Adolescent Preventive Services; AMA, American Medical Association; STD, sexually transmitted disease; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus; CMHC, Community and Migrant Health Center. Many health problems of adolescents [...]

Objectives. To quantify practitioner administration of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) among adolescent patients, and to determine if such administration is associated with physician knowledge and attitudes regarding efficacy, side effects, and appropriate use. Design. Survey of pediatricians. Setting. The survey address list was generated from a database of active Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics in the District of Columbia metropolitan area. Main Outcomes Measures. Prescription of the ECP in the previous 12 months, or counseling of an adolescent patient about the ECP. Results. Of the 236 questionnaires distributed, 143 (61%) were returned and 121 (51%) were usable. Twenty-four pediatricians (20%) reported prescribing the ECP, and 29 (24%) had counseled adolescent patients about the ECP. Of the practice-related variables surveyed, both the number of adolescents seen per week and the practice setting were significantly associated with these outcomes. Of the knowledge-related variables surveyed, knowledge of the timing and the Food and Drug Administration-labeled status of the ECP were significantly associated with outcomes. None of the attitude-related variables surveyed were associated with outcomes. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that knowledge deficits, not attitude-related variables, are significantly associated with the low level of ECP administration and counseling among District of Columbia pediatricians. Because knowledge deficits are amenable to educational interventions, our data suggest that informing pediatricians about the ECP may increase its administration among their adolescent patients. Pediatrics 2000;105:954-956; emergency contraceptive pill, pediatricians, adolescents., ABBREVIATIONS. ECP, emergency contraceptive pill; FP, family practitioner; OB-GYN, obstetrician-gynecologist. Despite the 1996 approval of the emergency contraceptive pill (ECP) by the Food and Drug Administration, little is known about [...]

Hoping to tap the fountain of youth, a number of newspapers are devoting increased space to new sections created expressly for children and teenagers. The fountain of youth, in this [...]