Program Purpose:
To develop a program that assesses the preventive health issues of adolescents and the development of strategies designed to reduce health risks of all adolescents within Marquette County. In addition, strategies that reach high-risk youth must be implemented.

Target Population:
All adolescents within Marquette County and especially targeting high-risk youth.

Description of Services:
This project is conducted under two subcontracts. One with the Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) that funds two-thirds of the cost of the project and one with the Ishpeming - Negaunee - NICE Community Schools that funds one-third of the project. This collaborative effort allows us to reach all adolescents within the county and reach high-risk youth at North Star Academy, an alternative high school. The project specifically works in seven primary areas:

• Assessment of adolescent health needs and satisfaction of service
• Outreach to enroll adolescents within existing health systems
• Incorporation of abstinence messages/activities into services and
• Counseling
• Pregnancy prevention activities
• Activities to assist teens to enroll in Medicaid or assistance in using their managed care provider
• Tobacco prevention activities
• Development of health promotion/risk reduction activities

Benefits of Services:
The project is a true "primary" prevention project in that it is designed to work with teens before they enter into risk taking health behaviors. It also is designed to strengthen existing community health programs by education teens on the availability of services as well as to identify gaps in service. We are also working directly with high-risk youth at the alternative high school. This assists the school be developing healthier, more responsive students. The primary goals are to reduce negative health behaviors (statistics) as well as to improve health behaviors (health promotion).

For more information on this program, please contact:

Holly Pavloski
Health Educator

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Marquette County Health Department
184 US Highway 41 East
Negaunee, Michigan 49866
(906) 475-7848 (phone)
(906) 475-9312 (fax)