Note: The following item was posted by Northwest Georgia Public Health on social media. – KtE

Six Northwest Georgia high schoolers and recent graduates, four from Bartow County, two from Floyd, comprise the first youth cohort in the state to complete certification for the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Community Health Worker Training for Adolescents Program.

The program is administered by the state’s Adolescent Health and Youth Development (AHYD) office. The six were recently recognized by state and district public health officials at a reception and dinner at Georgia Highlands College in Cartersville.

(l-r) Carson Robinson, Tripp Chitwood, Jezel Wiggins, Phillip Oliver, state AHYD program manager, Christa Gilmore, AHYD coordinator, Shyla Crenshaw, Health Educator, Dr. Gary Voccio, GDPH Northwest Health District Health director, Demari Benham, Emmalee Collins, and Hayden Welch.

The program is based on the Positive Youth Development Approach recommended by the Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Positive Youth Development approach engages youth within their communities, schools and organizations, peer groups, and families in a productive and constructive manner. It uses and recognizes young people’s strengths and promotes positive outcomes for young people by providing opportunities, fostering positive relationships, and furnishing the support needed to build on their strengths. Like DASH, AHYD aims and works to prevent HIV, STDs, and pregnancy among all youth.

The AHYD program is administered by Youth Development Coordinators (YDC) at the local level. The YDCs coordinate efforts between the public health district and county health departments. Youth Development Coordinators form critical partnerships with schools, afterschool programs, and community-based organizations, holding workshops with parents, faith-based institutions, and public health leaders to foster collaboration around key adolescent health and youth development issues.

A portion of the AHYD work plan requires YDCs to implement evidenced-based risk reduction strategies addressing teen pregnancy prevention. These evidenced-based, skill-building activities include communication, goal setting, decision making, and assessing the benefits of abstaining from risky behaviors.

The AHYD program aims to support adolescents to develop healthy, educated, and employable lifestyles as adults and keep adolescents connected to their families and communities.

For more information about the AHYD program, visit Adolescent Health and Youth Development | Georgia Department of Public Health or contact Christa Gilmore at 706-802-5828 or christa.gilmore@dph.ga.gov