Services

The Division of Child and Adolescent Health provides the following programs for Adolescents: or click here for non VDH services

Abstinence Education - This program provides grant funds for five sites to offer abstinence education to adolescents. The programs are offered during school, after school, and in communities. The goal of this program is to encourage adolescents to postpone sexual activity until marriage. The program targets girls from age 10 to 17. The HP 2010 Goal is to increase the proportion of adolescents who abstain from sexual intercourse or use condoms if currently sexually active.

Bright Futures - Bright Futures is a vision and philosophy of health care based on the principle that every child deserves to be healthy and that optimal health involves a trusting relationship between the health professional, the child, the family, and the community. The mission of Bright Futures is to promote and improve the health, education, and well-being of infants, children, adolescents, families, and communities. Bright Futures materials incorporate national guidelines for child health and are consistent with American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines.

Children with Special Health Care Needs - The six Care Connection for Children Centers provide care coordination, limited clinic services, and limited financial support for children and youth with special health care needs who have severe physical medical problems. One of the goals of the Centers is help adolescents transition from a pediatric to an adult health care system and to help adolescents reach their full physical, developmental, educational, and career potential.

Child Development Clinics - The eleven Child Development Clinics throughout Virginia offer diagnostic services to adolescents to identify behavioral, learning, or developmental problems. These services usually are coordinated with local school systems, the courts, or social services offices.

Childhood Obesity - Childhood obesity is a national epidemic. In 1999, 13 percent of children and 14 percent of adolescents were overweight. An additional 14 percent of each group were at risk for being overweight. Virginia has established a statewide task force called Virginia Action for Healthy Kids to develop a state plan to address the problem in schools. Collaborators include other divisions within VDH, the Virginia Department of Education, the Virginia Department of Social Services, School Nurses and public and private statewide organizations.

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents who are overweight or obese.
• Increase the proportion of adolescents who engage in vigorous physical activity that promotes cardiorespiratory fitness 3 or more days per week for 20 or more minutes per occasion.

School Nurses - VDH works closely with the Virginia Department of Education to provide technical support to school nurses throughout Virginia. School nurses work with children and adolescents to promote health, manage health care needs, and control disease within schools. School nurses also collaborate with VDH to promote health-related programs for children, adolescents, and their families.

Teen Pregnancy Prevention - The Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program provides grant funds for seven legislatively designated sites throughout Virginia to offer community -based programs to reduce unplanned pregnancies for teens. The Program also offers additional funds to 19 sites to support similar efforts through local coalitions. Youth targeted for this program range in age from 10 to 19. This program has been in existence since 1993.

HP 2010 Goal:

• Reduce pregnancies among adolescent females.

Youth Development - Youth Development programs focus on health promotion activities to encourage adolescents to avoid risk-taking behaviors. Research shows that alcohol use, tobacco use, unplanned pregnancies, STDs, and injuries often are interrelated and are not effectively reduced through single-issue programs. Single-issue programs also focus on the adolescent as a problem and at-risk for unhealthy behaviors.

In contrast, Youth Development programs look at the majority of youth who successfully avoid risk-taking behaviors and attempt to develop programs to promote healthy choices for all youth. In general, the programs have a positive focus, are community based, and attempt to help adolescents make healthy choices. The programs may also be called Youth Empowerment Programs.

The Youth Development program within DCAH is Right Choices for Youth. This program has been in existence since 2000 and provides grant funds to approximately 18 communities in Virginia to support Youth Development activities.

Other VDH Services - Several other Divisions within VDH provide health-related programs for adolescents:

Baby Care - The Baby Care Program, within the Division of Women's and Infants' Health, provides intensive case management services to pregnant women and infants who are at risk for poor outcomes and are Medicaid recipients. The program includes risk assessment, coordination of services, follow-up, and monitoring. The program is offered through local health departments.

Dental Health - The Division of Dental Health provides dental health education and treatment programs to help prevent oral disease. The program consists of 49 full-time dentists, 52 dental assistants, and four dental hygienists providing services to 76 localities. Almost 28,000 children were seen in 2000, consisting of over 55,600 visits. Approximately 36,700 school children received dental sealants to prevent cavities.

Eighty-one percent of Virginia's population has access to fluoridated water. Approximately 50,000 children in 48 counties without access to fluoridated community water participate in a topical fluoride mouthrinse program.

GEMS - GEMS (Girls Empowered to Make Success) is a youth development program for girls ages 9-15 who are the younger siblings or close relatives of older teens who are pregnant. Goals of this program are to encourage these girls to delay sexual activity, stay in school, and avoid drugs, smoking, and alcohol.

HIV/STD - The Division of HIV/STD works with Health Districts to provide chlamydia screening through the Chlamydia Prevention Program to all adolescents receiving pelvic examinations in STD clinics or in family planning clinics, visiting prenatal clinics, or male partners of infected females.

The Division of HIV/STD provides Health Educators within VDH Districts to counsel selected high-risk teens and locate contacts for treatment. This Division also collects and disseminates aggregate data on all reportable STDs in Virginia.

The Division also funds HIV prevention programs targeting youth. Programs include prevention education for at-risk communities and populations and 19 projects to reach racial and ethnic minority youth and other high-risk youth.

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce the proportion of adolescents and young adults with Chlamydia trachomatis infections.
• Reduce the number of cases of HIV infection among adolescents and adults.

Local Health Departments - Local Health Departments throughout Virginia offer health promotion and treatment programs for adolescents. Services vary by LHD and include comprehensive family planning services including gynecological examinations to low-income adolescents and women of child-bearing age. Local Health Departments also offer well-child physicals for school entry.

Nutrition - The Division of WIC and Community Nutritional Services promotes healthy weight among children and adolescents through the 5-A-Day nutrition program. They also support community efforts to address overweight issues among children and prepared studies of obesity among 4th grade students in 1997 and 2000. A third study is planned for 2003.

Partners in Prevention - Partners in Prevention, within the Division of Women's and Infants' Health, attempts to reduce nonmarital childbearing by increasing public awareness of the problem and developing community-based strategies and solutions.

HP 2010 Goal:

• Reduce pregnancies among adolescent females.

Physical Activity - The Division of Chronic Disease promotes physical activity programs within Virginia's communities and provides promotional information to help individuals of all ages become more physically active.

Pregnant Adolescents - The Division of Women's and Infants' Health provides programs for pregnant teens including the Resource Mothers Program, Healthy Start, and Baby Care.

Resource Mothers - The Resource Mothers Program, operated within 27 Virginia communities, provides mentoring support using community workers to work with pregnant teenagers through their pregnancy and for one year after the birth to help assure that the woman attends prenatal visits and receives available social support services. The goals of the program are to improve the health outcomes for both the mother and baby by:

• Decreasing infant mortality and morbidity
• Decreasing the rate of low birth weight babies
• Delaying repeat pregnancy
• Keeping teens in school
• Involving the infant's father in parenting his child

Sexual Violence Prevention - The Sexual Violence Prevention Program within the Center for Injury and Violence Prevention, supports community efforts to decrease adolescent sexual violence within Virginia. Programs are targeted toward middle and high school students and teach youth about healthy relationships and skills to prevent sexual violence (dating violence, sexual assault, and sexual harassment).

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce deaths of adolescents and young adults.
• Reduce homicides.
• Reduce physical fighting among adolescents.

Suicide Prevention - The Suicide Prevention Program, within the Center for Injury and Violence Prevention, offers school-based youth suicide prevention programs, gatekeeper training programs, and collaboration with the Department of Education and the Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services to provide information and community-based crisis intervention support services for children, adolescents, and their families.

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce the suicide rate.
• Reduce the rate of suicide attempts by adolescents.

Tobacco Use Control - Historically, the Tobacco Use Control Program has promoted tobacco avoidance for middle school students through community-based training programs for outreach workers including Life Skills Training and Project Toward No Tobacco Use. Tobacco Use Control also collaborates with the American Lung Association and the American Cancer Society to promote Teens Against Tobacco Use for high school students. The Tobacco Use Control Program is planning to change the focus of the program to target older adolescents (18-24) because the Tobacco Settlement Foundation has assumed responsibility for targeting younger adolescents.

HP 2010 Goal:

• Reduce tobacco use by adolescents.

Youth Violence Prevention - The Youth Violence Prevention Program within VDH addresses issues related to violence including homicide, firearms, and bullying. The Program also supports community efforts to reduce violence.

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce deaths of adolescents and young adults.
• Reduce deaths caused by motor vehicle crashes.
• Increase use of safety belts.
• Reduce homicides.
• Reduce physical fighting among adolescents.
• Reduce weapon carrying by adolescents on school property.

Non VDH Statewide Programs

Alcohol Avoidance - The following state agencies provide prevention and intervention services to help adolescents avoid alcohol use:

Please contact:

Department of Alcohol Beverage Control Enforcement
2901 Hermitage Rd.
Richmond, VA
(804) 213-4565

Department of Criminal Justice Services
805 East Broad Street, 10th floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 786-4000

GOSAP
Marilyn Harris, Director
202 N. 9th St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-5351
(804) 371-6381 (fax)

Virginia Department of Education
Office of Compensatory Programs
(Safe & Drug Free Schools)
Arlene Cundiff
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 23rd Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 225-2871
(804) 786-9769 (fax)

Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services
Hope Merrick, Program Consultant
P.O. Box 1797
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 786-0091

Virginia Department of Social Services
730 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 692-2227

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce the proportion of persons engaging in binge drinking of alcoholic beverages
• Reduce deaths and injuries caused by alcohol- and drug-related motor vehicle crashes.
• Reduce the proportion of adolescents who report that they rode, during the previous 30 days, with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.

Mental Health Services - The following state agency provides prevention and intervention services to adolescents with mental health needs:

Please contact:

Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services
Pamela Fitzgerald Cooper, MPA
Director, Child & Adolescent Services
P.O. Box 1797
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 371-2183
(804) 786-0918 (fax)

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce the suicide rate.
• Increase the proportion of children with mental health problems who receive treatment.
• Reduce the proportion of children and adolescents with disabilities who are reported to be sad, unhappy, or depressed.
• Reduce the rate of suicide attempts by adolescents.

Drug Avoidance - The following state agencies provide prevention and intervention services to help adolescents avoid drug use:

Please contact:

Department of Alcohol Beverage Control Enforcement
2901 Hermitage Rd.
Richmond, VA
(804) 213-4565

Department of Criminal Justice Services
805 East Broad Street, 10th floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
(804) 786-4000

GOSAP
Marilyn Harris, Director
202 N. 9th St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-5351
(804) 371-6381 (fax)

Virginia Department of Education
Office of Compensatory Programs
(Safe & Drug Free Schools)
Arlene Cundiff
James Monroe Building
101 N. 14th St., 23rd Floor
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 225-2871
(804) 786-9769 (fax)

Virginia Department of Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Substance Abuse Services
Hope Merrick, Program Consultant
P.O. Box 1797
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 786-0091

Virginia Department of Social Services
Cathleen Newbanks
730 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 692-2227

Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation
Marty Kilgore, Executive Director
701 E. Franklin St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 225-2271
(804) 225-2272 (fax)

HP 2010 Goals:

• Reduce tobacco use by adolescents.
• Reduce past month use of illicit substances (marijuana).

Family Life Education - The following state agency provides family life education leadership for local school divisions:

Please contact:

Virginia Department of Education
Muriel Azria-Evans, PhD
Comprehensive School Health Specialist
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
(804) 225-4543
(804) 371-8796 (fax)

HIV Prevention - The following state agency provides prevention services to help adolescents avoid sexually transmitted diseases:

Please contact:

Virginia Department of Education
Muriel Azria-Evans, PhD
Comprehensive School Health Specialist
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218-2120
(804) 225-4543
(804) 371-8796 (fax)

Insurance - The Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services administers Virginia's public insurance programs for eligible children and adolescents including Medicaid and FAMIS (the SCHIP program).

Please contact:

Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
Chris Owens, Director of EPSDT Services
600 E. Broad St., Suite 1300
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-0342

Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
Pam Howze, FAMIS Liaison
600 E. Broad St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 371-8646

School Nurses - VDH works closely with the Virginia Department of Education to provide technical support to school nurses throughout Virginia. School nurses work closely with children and adolescents to promote health, manage health care needs, and control disease within schools. School nurses also collaborate with VDH to promote health-related programs to children, adolescents, and their families.

For additional information, please contact:

Virginia Department of Education
Gwen Smith, RN, MSN
School Health Specialist - School Nursing
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, VA 23218
(804) 786-8671
(804) 371-8796 (fax)

Tobacco Avoidance - The Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation's goal is to decrease youth tobacco use and to encourage youth to live tobacco free. The Foundation will work toward this goal through extensive, statewide marketing efforts. The Foundation also provides funds for community efforts to prevent tobacco use by youth. Approximately $6 million was distributed in FY 2001-02. Grants will be used to target children from child care settings through high school and range from $12,740 to $150,000. The majority of programs are school-based. The Foundation also provides funds to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to enforce the law regarding youth access to tobacco products.

For additional information, please contact:

Virginia Tobacco Settlement Foundation
Marty Kilgore, Executive Director
701 E. Franklin St.
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 225-2271
(804) 225-2272 (fax)

HP 2010 Goal:

• Reduce tobacco use by adolescents.