Six Health Clinics Earn Certification For Establishing Youth-Centered Practices For Lifelong Healthy Behaviors
Health clinics in Maryvale, Oro Valley, Peoria, Phoenix and Scottsdale have been certified for youth-centered practices designed to eliminate barriers to optimal health services for youth and empower adolescent patients to establish lifelong health behaviors.
The clinics were awarded gold, silver or bronze certification following completion of an intensive 18-month cohort for the Adolescent Champion Model, an evidence-based intervention developed by the University of Michigan and implemented through a collaboration with Arizona Family Health Partnership, Arizona’s designated Title X agency.
Clinics receiving certification as an adolescent-centered environment are:
- Adelante Healthcare, 15525 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria – Bronze
- Mountain Park Health Center, 6601 W. Thomas Rd., Maryvale – Gold
- Native Phoenix Health, Building C, 4041 N. Central Ave., Phoenix –Silver
- NOAH – Neighborhood Outreach Access to Health, Heuser Family Medicine, Scottsdale16225 N. Cave Creek Rd.- Silver
- MHC Healthcare Oro Valley Pediatrics, 1856 E. Innovation Park Drive, Oro Valley – Gold
- Phoenix Children’s Hospital, 1919 E. Thomas Rd., Phoenix – Gold
The clinics were part of the program’s second cohort. A third cohort is currently underway.
“This is a highly intensive, multi-faceted program focusing on a health center’s environment, policies and practices to ensure that all aspects of a visit are youth-centered,” said AFHP Adolescent Health Program Supervisor Tracy Pedrotti, MPA.
Requirements for certification include:
- Ensuring extended hours for adolescents including some evenings and weekends
- Posting visual cues and materials throughout the health center indicating adolescents are welcomed and valued
- Staff and provider training about confidentiality for minor patients and when parental consent is needed
- Establishing a standardized confidential comprehensive risk-screening tool for high-risk behaviors
- Establishing safe practices to screen all sexually active adolescents for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) following national guidelines
- Offering on-site integrated behavioral health services including social work or psychiatry and maintaining an updated list of behavioral health referral resources
- Yearly trainings for providers and staff to understand cultural humility and addressing sensitive topics including sexual orientation, gender identity and cultural norms specific to the population
- Regular feedback collection to improve clinic access, quality, physical appearances and services
- A system in place to provide same-day Long-Acting Reversible Contraception (LARC) insertion if requested
Primary care providers interested in participating in upcoming cohorts should contact Pedrotti at tpedrotti@arizonafamilyhealth.org or by calling (602) 688-6260.
