Aqu Para Ti

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Aquí Para Ti Here For You
Healthy Youth Development Verónica Svetaz MD,
MPH, Jennifer Treviño, Mónica Hurtado, Mariella
Rivera, Blanca Svedberg, Cheryel Perez La Clinica
en Lake/West Side Community Health Services. La
Oportunidad. CLUES (Chicanos and Latinos United
in Service). MOAPPP (Minnesota Organization for
Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention and Parenting)
U of MN
Introduction To strengthen the assets of the
Latino youth and families served in a culturally
appropriate systemic framework and to develop a
plan for comprehensive care in a clinical setting
in Minneapolis.
Program/Project Description Aquí Para Ti (Here
for you) is a collaborative multidisciplinary
bicultural/bilingual youth program. It is
supported by funding provided by the Health
Disparities Initiative launched by the Minnesota
Department of Health. The program serves Latino
youths ages 11 to 24. The clients are referred
by other providers or they individually schedule
their visits/appointments. Patients are
encouraged to come with their parents or a
significant adult but emphasis is always put on
providing confidential care. Both teens and
parents receive a complete explanation of the
program by the staff regarding their rights and
scope of confidential care. The youth fills out a
questionnaire about the main domains of their
development. The significant adult, if present,
is interviewed about the teen and the family.
Based on this data, the five Latino providers
(family practice physician, health educator,
family educator, mental health liaison, program
coordinator) design a strategy to provide care
for the teens most urgent needs
(intervention-prevention) and set up a follow-up
plan to achieve short and long term goals.
Results The program has served a total of 268
youths, 165 females (61), 103 males (39) of
those, 160 were teenagers (11 to 18 years old)
and 108 young adults (19 to 24 years old).
Parental satisfaction with the program reached
99. The high volume of patients that have come
with a significant adult reflects how an
ecosystemic approach can coexist with teen
confidentiality strengthening the relationships
in the family unit. One of the most important
challenges that our teens face is not only their
own developmental transition but also the many
different layers of transition that the
acculturation process entails ( as reflected by
the high incidence of emotional issues affecting
our teens and their families). Family planning
and life goals are also challenges for our
population. School safety surprisingly was
highlighted as one of the main concerns of those
teens attending school.
May 2004 N 268 Youths
Life Factors
Conclusions Aquí Para Ti stresses the
importance of an ecosystemic approach with
Hispanic youth where family values are so
important. The success in reaching both females
and males may be the result of providing safe
confidential culturally appropriate care.
West Side Community Health Services La Clínica en
Lake
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West Side Community Health Services