Committee on Adolescent Sexual Health (CASH)

 

A Resource for Parents: The National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy https://thenationalcampaign.org/featured-topics/parents

 

 

To decrease the occurrence of teen pregnancy and STIs in Calhoun County by building a unified effort to influence values through education, awareness, and ensuring access to services.

Committee on Adolescent Sexual Health (CASH)

Organizational Values

  1. Non-ideological to reduce the conflict that too often has impeded action on this issue.
  2. Support practical, evidence-based and/or promising practices and policies that advance our mission.
  3. Ensure the voices of young people are involved in the work.
  4. Be all inclusive and recruit partnerships and memberships from community members who are engaged and/or passionate about the mission.
  5. Recognize the importance of non-gender specific intervention when addressing adolescent sexual health.

Organizational Goals

  1. Reduce the number of teen pregnancies in the Calhoun County region.
  2. Reduce the number of repeat teen pregnancies in the Calhoun County region.
  3. Postpone the age of sexual debut among teens in the Calhoun County region.
  4. Increase the number of teens who are choosing to abstain in the Calhoun County region.
  5. Increase the use of contraceptives among teens who are sexually active in the Calhoun County region.
  6. Decrease the rate of STIs in the Calhoun County region.

Definition of Sexual Health

The integration of the physical, emotional, intellectual and social aspects of sexual being in ways that are positively enriching and that enhance personality, communication and love. Sexual health includes not only the physical aspects of sexual development and reproductive health, but also valuing one’s own body, developing interpersonal skills to achieve meaningful relationships, interacting with others in a manner that reflects respect and equality, and expressing love and intimacy.

Action Plan (Created in 2015)

  • Recruit new CASH members.
  • Empower young people to serve as powerful advocates in their own neighborhoods/communities.
  • Serve as a resource for schools.
    • Develop a referral guide for schools to use to refer teens to support systems and resources in the community.
    • Develop a pilot plan for one school in Calhoun County that includes a comprehensive approach to preventing teen pregnancy and STIs and to ensure that they are aware of resources and best practices currently being used or instituted by other Calhoun County or Michigan school districts. Bring a variety of individuals and organizations to the table who are involved and passionate about working on these community issues related to teens.
  • Work with the community (i.e., schools, Sex Education Advisory Board members, churches, parent groups, community organizations) by providing them with the latest information, research, and statistics.
    • Approve and disseminate a wide range of materials— (i.e., research, posters, postcards, public service announcements and a host of cutting-edge digital activities.)
      • Members of CASH will bring information to the group to approve and aid in dissemination throughout the community.
      • Find a teen forum to partner with to provide teen-focused/community- specific information.
      • Engage community stakeholders on the critical role and impact teen pregnancy and STIs have on the health outcomes of Calhoun County.
  • CASH will serve as an advisory board to evaluate grant-funded programs focused on the same goals as CASH.