For over 20 years, SAHRC has served as a technical assistance and training resource for Title V/Maternal and Child Health (MCH) programs, state adolescent health coordinators (SAHCs) and other state level public health professionals focused on adolescent and young adult health.
New SAHC orientation
If your state-level public health role relates to adolescent health, we are your people:
- SAHRC works with AYAH-NRC partners to provide an annual new SAHC orientation and training.
- This New SAHC Orientation Guide can help you get started and serve as a reference between in-person orientations.
- Our biennial survey of SAHCs and other key state level AYA focused professionals keeps us up-to-date on state-level contexts, challenges, funding sources, and priorities. We adapt TA and training offerings to meet SAHCs’ stated needs, summarized in State Adolescent Health in Focus, 2021.
State-specific technical assistance
SAHRC is here to help state adolescent health coordinators with initiatives like strategic planning and youth engagement: we offer expertise on a variety of topics.
Community-building
SAHRC also powers and provides infrastructure for the National Network of State Adolescent Health Coordinators (NNSAHC), a professional membership network led by state-level volunteers. Through meetings, listserv conversations, and steady connection to technical assistance and resources, NNSAHC gives designated state adolescent health professionals a place to convene, share information, set priorities, and build community.
Up-to-date resource library
SAHRC works with its national partners to create tools and resources that help state level public health professionals build their capacity to champion young people. We curate the best resources in the field, and connect SAHCs with each other and with other federal programs and initiatives focused on AYA health and positive youth development.
Theoretical frameworks and field-shaping tools
SAHRC and its partners develop (and continually update) the core resources used by the state adolescent health field:
- Conceptual Framework for Adolescent Health (2005, under revision) is the theoretical basis for integrating adolescence and adolescent health into the MCH life course and programming.
- System Capacity for Adolescent Health: Public Health Improvement Tool (2005, under revision) is a set of evergreen tools to help state MCH programs assess capacity in six areas to support effective state adolescent health programs.
- Improving the Health of Youth, Adolescent Health Strategic Planning Guide for State MCH Programs is the first and only guide of its kind, developed with extensive input from state adolescent health coordinators and MCH programs.
- SAHRC's Index of State Adolescent Health Strategic Plans & Products compiles examples of AH strategic plans and products from more than 20 states from 1994-2018.
SAHRC provides logistical support to NNSAHC for leadership team calls and activities, regional calls for state adolescent health coordinators (SAHCs), content development and management for nnsahc.org, and administration for the NNSAHC listserv for SAHCs.
