The Community & Adolescent Health Program provides education support to schools and community organizations to help youth make informed decisions about their sexual health. Our approach affirms students’ cultures, is LGBTQ-inclusive and age-appropriate.
Our work aims to help trusted adults (parents, teachers, coaches and staff) feel more comfortable talking with youth about sexual health.
We work with school districts and organizations in Multnomah County, as well as residential treatment and juvenile detention centers.
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Services for Schools
Our Course Curriculum
- Is medically accurate
- Meets specific Oregon Health Education Standards for high school students
- Has evolved from more than 20 years of working with staff, students and families
Our trained health educators use a fun, interactive teaching style that keeps kids and parents engaged.
Districts We Work With
- Portland Public
- David Douglas
- Reynolds
- Gresham-Barlow
- Centennial
- Parkrose
We also work in residential treatment centers.
Middle and High School Presentations
Our health educators can come to your school to teach students about healthy relationships, and how to prevent sexually transmitted infections and unintended teen pregnancies.
We can come to any middle or high school in Multnomah County. There is no cost and all materials are provided.
What's Covered
- Communication and refusal skills
- Pregnancy prevention
- Gender identity and sexual orientation
- STI/HIV education
- Abstinence
- Reproductive health
- Adolescent development
- Sexual health rights and gender equality
Scheduling
Presentation time and commitment varies, based on the curricula being used. Programming can be adapted to fit regular class schedules. Staff are available Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm.
Sexuality Education Support
Our health educators can come to your school or organization to train and coach school teachers and staff (grades 7-12) on our sexual health curriculum. Our curriculum supports teachers to teach evidence-based sexuality education.
There is no cost for our services. To have us come to your school, email cahinfo@multco.us.
Workshops for Parents and Caring Adults
Our workshops for parents, foster parents and other caring adults can help you to talk to young people about sex, sexuality and healthy relationships. You’ll explore ways to have successful conversations with your child about healthy sexuality and relationships.
You’ll also get to practice skills needed to work with young people with a variety of different life experiences, including foster youth who have experienced abandonment and other trauma.
Workshops are facilitated using popular education teaching methods. The facilitator and participants work collectively to complete various activities.
What’s Covered
- What is healthy sexual development for children and young people?
- How do we talk about sexuality and values with young people?
- How do we talk to teens about healthy friendships and romantic relationships?
- What do lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer youth need to know about healthy relationships and sex?
- How do we talk to young people about preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections?
To schedule a workshop for your school or church parent group, email cahinfo@multco.us.
Health Fairs & Events
Contact us to have our health educators table at your next health fair or community event. Email cahinfo@multco.us.
Resources
Puberty Education Kits
Changes! Puberty can begin between the ages of 8-16, and with it can come many changes to a person's body, feelings and relationships.
We know it can be hard to find inclusive and affirming materials. So we put together some puberty education kits with tips, books and activity ideas to help support:
- Black and African American youth
- Latine youth
- Autistic youth
Kits are available by hold at Multnomah County libraries »
Everyone is welcome to use these kits! If you don’t live in Multnomah County you can print some of the materials.
Sexual Health Protection Flashcards
Use these fun, interactive cards to teach methods for preventing pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
- Spark conversations
- Play games
- Learn at your own pace
Youth Health Resources
For Parents
- Centers for Disease Control/Healthy Youth
- Fostering Media Connections (Raising Foster Youth)
- Portland PFLAG (Raising LGTBQ Youth)
- Planned Parenthood - Tools for Parents
Good Reads
- The Rational Enquirer Publication, by Oregon Public Health
- Fault Line, by C. Desir
- Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
- What We Saw, by Aaron Hartzler
- Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape, by Peggy Orenstein
About Our Staff
Our trained health educators love interacting with youth and engaging parents in meaningful ways. They use their experience working with youth and public health backgrounds to help people get the information, skills and tools they need to achieve their health goals.
We are passionate about working for the community, deeply committed to advocacy, and to engaging, educating and empowering communities of color.
*Disclaimer: Content created in support by HHS Office of Population Affairs grant #TP1AH000243-01. Contents are the sole responsibility of the authors, and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the Office of Population Affairs.