Teens P.A.C.T. (Positive Actions and Choices for Teens)
With support from the NYS DOH Bureau of Reproductive Health, the Teens P.A.C.T. program has been operating out of our CABS and HBA health centers since 1998. Teens P.A.C.T. provides a variety of services to NYC youth, primarily in Harlem, Washington Heights, Brooklyn, and Lower East Side.
The Teens P.A.C.T. program provides no-cost confidential health services, counseling, and education for teens between the ages of 10-21. The program’s guiding philosophy is to help young people living in our community become productive adults capable of making life-affirming decisions.
Teens P.A.C.T. program teaches adolescents skills they can use to build…
- Strong values and self-esteem
- Good communication skills
- Responsible sexual decision-making
Services available to youth between the ages of 10-21 at no-cost include…
- Reproductive healthcare and gynecological exams
- Sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention, screening and treatment
- Abstinence, contraceptives and safer sex counseling
- Pregnancy testing
- HIV counseling and testing
- Educational activities
Teens P.A.C.T. program features…
- Comprehensive health education using evidence-based curricula
- Teen employment opportunities (“Peer Leaders”)
- Learning annex
- Teen nights
- Annual youth conference
- Parent workshops (coming soon)
Comprehensive Health Education: The Teens P.A.C.T. program has recently expanded target areas and helps New York City middle and high schools meet the recently implemented mandate to teach at least one semester of sex education. Teens P.A.C.T. Health Educators have been providing sexuality education for over 10 years to NYC youth and are now delivering recommended evidence-based curricula that have been proven to reduce teen pregnancy and STI/HIV infection rates. The two evidence-based curricula offered are:
- Reducing the Risk – Building Skills to Prevent Pregnancy, STD & HIV: Teens P.A.C.T. Health Educators provide this recommended evidence-based curriculum for NYC high school students. See our flyer here for more information.
- Making Proud Choices – A Safer Sex Approach: Teens P.A.C.T. Health Educators provide this recommended evidence-based curriculum for NYC middle school students. See our flyer here for more information.
We also offer an alternative educational series during and after school:
More Than Just Sex: An alternative, non-evidence based workshop series can also be provided. Workshops in this series include topics such as self-esteem and body image, gender roles, communication skills, decision making skills, peer pressure, values assessment, and more.
Peer Leaders: Teens P.A.C.T. employs teens for leadership positions (“Peer Leaders”) within the program. Peer Leaders co-facilitate community workshops, plan and execute sustainable community action projects, develop PSAs (public service announcements), conduct outreach, and organize special projects. Peer Leaders are hired annually each spring. Each summer, new Peer Leaders are trained on a variety of topics including communication, self-esteem, relationships, STIs, and contraceptives. Peer Leaders are also provided with trainings on PSAs and community action project development. This comprehensive 8-week training provides teens with the skills necessary to be effective Peer Leaders in the Teens P.A.C.T. program and in their community. Peer Leaders are entrusted with the task of giving the young people of New York City accurate sexual health information and encouraging them to make healthy and responsible choices.
Learning Annex: Teens P.A.C.T. provides learning annexes in multiple NYC locations for high school students. The learning annex consists of a series of workshops on a variety of topics including resume writing, financial literacy, college prep, internet safety, parent-child communication, and more.
Teen Nights: Teens P.A.C.T. hosts frequent Teen Nights at four of Community Healthcare Network’s clinics – Community League Center, Helen B. Atkinson Health Center, CABS Health Center, and Downtown Health Center. Teen Nights allow adolescents to visit a clinic and meet clinic staff, receive a clinic tour, receive one-on-one health education sessions and participate in peer-led activities/educational sessions.
Youth Conference: Organized by Teens P.A.C.T, this annual, all-day, city-wide youth conference, “More Than Just Sex,” repeatedly draws over 300 youth. Specialists lead workshops on a variety of topics including condom negotiation, anatomy, HIV/STDs, and sexual decision making.
Save the date for the 7th Annual “More than Just Sex” conference scheduled for Saturday, May 21, 2011 at St. Francis College in Brooklyn. More information here.
Parent Workshops: Teens P.A.C.T. Health Educators deliver parent workshops designed to educate parents on teen reproductive health issues, increase parent-child communication, and improve awareness of teen reproductive health services. Available in Fall 2011.
Video Project
Teens P.A.C.T. has embarked on an innovative multi-media project to create a video series that speaks to the difficult choices that our youth face today. Teens wrote, produced, and acted in a powerful documentary-style film which they have entitled “Somethin’ to Think About.” These videos present four stories that address sexual health, unhealthy relationships, teen pregnancy, sexuality, and the prevention of HIV and STDs.
A facilitation guide is available for educators to help promote discussion about the videos. The New York City Department of Education has requested 100 copies of the video for use as an educational tool in city schools.
To learn more about the Teens P.A.C.T. program videos contact teenvideo@chnnyc.org, or call the Teens P.A.C.T. centers.
Watch the trailers for the Teens P.A.C.T. video series here.
Request a Workshop!
Teens P.A.C.T. Health Educators are available to present to your school or organization.
- For Harlem/Washington Heights schools interested in Reducing the Risk/Making Proud Choices, email Fabian Ferguson at fferguson@chnnyc.org.
- For Brooklyn/Lower East Side schools interested in Reducing the Risk/Making Proud Choices, email Natasha Harvell at nharvell@chnnyc.org.
- For community-based organizations interested in the More Than Just Sex curriculum, please complete the Teens P.A.C.T. Workshop Request Form (link to current workshop request form).
For further information regarding workshops, please contact Michele Perlman, Director of Teens P.A.C.T. at (718) 387-7341 or mperlman@chnnyc.org.
Teens P.A.C.T. Locations
Teens can drop-in to either of the dedicated Teens P.A.C.T. lounges located in Harlem and Brooklyn on Monday-Thursday between 3:00-6:00.
Uptown Teens P.A.C.T. (serving Harlem and Washington Heights)
81 W 115th St – Basement
Phone #: 212-360-5952
Get there by train: 2, 3 to 116th St.
Get there by bus: M102, M116, M7
Downtown Teens P.A.C.T. (serving Brooklyn and Lower East Side)
170 Broadway
# 718-486-4933
Get there by train: J, M, Z to Macy Ave
Get there by bus: B44, B46, Q54
Email mperlman@chnnyc.org for more information.
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