Maricopa County Department of Public Health’s
Family Health Partnerships (FHP) department coordinates the Teen Outreach Program (TOP). TOP is an evidence-based curriculum taught in three Maryvale high schools. Classes take place weekly during the academic calendar year.
This program is comprised of three components:
- Classroom-based activities
- Student volunteerism and service
- Learning/reflections on the empowering experience of volunteerism
The Maryvale neighborhood, located in west central Phoenix, was chosen for this program due to its high rate of teen pregnancy.
Parents
Parents’ involvement with their teens is a vital component to reducing teenage pregnancy. FHP reaches out to parents of teens to assist them with:
- Understanding adolescent development
- Learning about positive and risky youth behaviors
- Improving connections with their children
- Promoting family cohesiveness
- Providing parental guidance and limit setting
- Understanding ways to encourage positive attitudes and behaviors in teenagers
Community
FHP is collaborating and gaining assistance from partners in the community. Our goal is to reduce teenage pregnancy in Maryvale with expertise from local community mobilizers and organizations from various sectors of the community.