74. The Importance of Linking Youth on Probation to Clinical Services: A Partnership Between UT Teen Health and Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department

Purpose: The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Teen Health) has entered into a cooperative agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health/ Office of Adolescent Health to decrease initial and repeat teen births, and mobilize the community to sustain teen pregnancy prevention. UT Teen Health is working with local clinical providers, community-based youth-serving organizations (CBYOs), and 5 school districts. Youth on probation or in detention are at-risk youth that often do not seek health care; developing partnerships among clinic providers and CBYOs is crucial to raise awareness and increase linkages and referrals for reproductive health services. Methods: Program Description: UT Teen Health is partnering with the CBYO Bexar County Juvenile Probation Department (BCJPD) to address and reducehealth disparities amongyouthonprobationor in detention. This includes raising awareness, building partnerships, improving linkages and referrals for reproductive health services, and implementing evidence-based programs. In 2011, BCJPD had 5,283 total unduplicated juveniles (Women: 1,740 and Men: 3,543) of which 464 juveniles were from the catchment area. Action Steps: Focus on Programmatic Efforts ● 5 focus groups to assess need for clinical services: o Girls in Placement o Boys in Placement o Girls on Probation o Girls and Boys on Probation o Parents of Teens on Probation ● Support the design and implementation of evidence-based program Reducing the Risk (RTR).Raise Awareness ● Educate over 400 employees of the BCJPD to build their organizational capacity on anatomy, puberty, STDs, contraceptives and clinic referrals.Build Partnerships ● Set up ‘Meet andGreet’with the Bexar County Juvenile Board Chair, local Judge, Chief Probation Officer, and Nurse Manager of University Health System (UHS) South Flores, to strengthen and sustain partnerships in order for probationers to receive health services. ● Invite a UHS clinic nurse to ”awareness” trainings tomeet the BCJPD employees and assist them in establishing a direct link to UHS clinics. Results: Lessons Learned: ● Talking to parents about sex and relationships is rare; youth on probation or in detention would rather talk to another trusted adult (aunt or an older sibling). ● Teens want the option to go to a clinicwith someone other than their parents (e.g friend or a probation officer). Conclusions: Next Steps: The health disparities in the catchment area result from multiple factors including: inadequate access to health care, educational inequalities, poverty, and individual and behavioral factors. ● Link juvenile probation youth to healthcare services. ● Work with clinics at the detention center to become teen friendly, offer contraceptive education, and link to clinical services. ● Teach evidence-based curricula RTR to give students an opportunity to visit a clinic, learn refusal skills, and obtain knowledge on contraceptives. ● Transport students while on probation to clinics for contraceptive and reproductive health care. Sources of Support: Focus Group, April 2012 DataBexar County Juvenile Probation, 2011DataCenters forDisease Control andPrevention, Health Disparities, Adolescent and School Health Action Steps 2011.