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Domestic Violence Hotline in Multiple Languages
1-800-978-3600
If you practice in Southern California, you may find this hotline a useful one to share with your clients who need to find a safe way out of their abusive environments. This toll-free service routes Southern California victims of domestic violence directly to trained shelter personnel in Los Angeles County.
The hotline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Callers can get help in eleven languages -- English, Spanish, Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Cantonese, Tagalog, Khmer, Japanese, Thai and Armenian.
Your Role in Preventing Suicide
Did you know that suicide is the third-leading cause of death for young people ages 10 to 24? Even teens who seem fine on the surface may be considering suicide. Most people won’t tell you that they are thinking of harming themselves. Instead, they often describe their concerns in terms of physical and mental symptoms. Ask them questions like:
- Have you felt depressed lately? Does it seem like you want to sleep a lot? Have you lost interest in things you normally enjoy doing?
- Do you use alcohol or other drugs? Do you feel that your drug or alcohol use hampers your life or your relationships in any way?
- Have you felt like withdrawing from friends or family?
- Some kids really struggle in trying to figure how whether they are gay or straight. Is this something you’re dealing with?
- Are you dealing with an unplanned pregnancy?
- Do you feel yourself getting angry a lot? Have you been getting into fights lately?
The fact is that depression and suicidal feelings can be treated. Sometimes all it takes is one trusted adult making a connection with that teen. Show them that you want to know how they are feeling and that you won’t judge them. Make sure they know that there are many adults who care – their parents, teachers, aunts or uncles, school counselors or even hotline counselors.
Let all of your clients, especially teens, know about the free National Girls and Boys Town hotline at 1-800-448-3000.
Click here to download free posters and wallet cards for your waiting area and exam rooms.
Help Families Talk During "Let's Talk" Month
Did you know that October is “Let’s Talk” Month? This month is also known as “National Family Sexuality Education Month.” Each year, over 50 national organizations celebrate this month with campaigns to help families talk about sex.
During October, encourage your patients to talk! Parents and teens can use this month as an excuse to start conversation. They could say: “I heard that October is 'Let’s Talk' Month. It’s all about helping parents and teens talk about sex. There’s even a website called 'TalkWithYourKids.org'. Have you heard about it?”
October is Health Literacy Awareness Month
California Family Health Council is celebrating Health Literacy Awareness Month by making two evaluation tools available to health care providers coming to www.healthed.org. You know it's important to evaluate the health education materials you use with your health care clients. But where can you start?
Most patients like concise, easy-to-read, and attractive health education materials. And most people read comfortably at the 5th grade level or lower, especially when it comes to health care information. It's important to check the health education materials you plan to use with your clients for reading level. Click here for the Fry Graph and Instructions for evaluating the reading level of your document.
Once you've found out that the material is easy enough for most of your clients to read, then take some time thinking about other issues. Is it culturally appealing to your population? Is the print size big enough to read easily? Is there plenty of white space to draw the reader into the document? Use CFHC's easy-to-use Checklist for Evaluating Health Education Materials to help guide your decision-making process.
By the way, all the materials in CFHC's Online Database has already been evaluated by a professional health educator. Don't miss this great online resource to help you find the best client education materials available. Click here to access the Online Database.
Free Info on Breast Cancer during October
In honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, encourage all your female clients to screen for breast cancer. This includes young women, too. Over 10,000 women under the age of 40 are diagnosed with breast cancer every year.
During October, California Family Health Council is making available a free copy of “We’re Taking Care of Our Lives.” This pamphlet, which we developed for Susan G. Komen Foundation, includes step-by-step instructions on breast self-exam for young women. Your clients can email resources@cfhc.org to get a free copy.
Here are some other ways to get involved:
- Teach young clients to do self-breast exam once a month.
- Remind them to come in once a year for a clinical breast exam.
- Tell your clients to start getting mammograms at age 40 (or age 35 if there’s a family history of cancer).
- Keep teen-friendly materials about breast care in your waiting area and exam rooms.
For more information on National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, click here to visit the official website.
Alcohol & Other Drugs Lead to Risky Sex
Everyone knows that abusing alcohol and other drugs is bad for adults and teens. Car crashes involving alcohol are the number one killer of teens in this country. But, do your clients know that using alcohol and other drugs can lead to risky sex? Teens who use alcohol and other drugs are more likely to make decisions about sex that aren’t safe.
• They are more likely to put themselves in a dangerous situation.
• They are more likely to have unplanned sex.
• They are more likely to have sex without birth control.
• They are more likely to have sex without condoms. Teens who use alcohol and other drugs have higher rates of HIV and other STDs.
Ask all your young clients about their alcohol and other drug use. Provide information in your waiting area on drug use & sex. Provide referrals to these helpful hotlines:
• 1-800-448-3000 (the Girls and Boys Town National Hotline)
• 1-800-NCA-CALL (National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence Hopeline)
Sex Ed 101 Conference
Come to the Center for Family Life Education’s yearly conference, SEX ED 101: The Basics & Beyond. The conference is set for November 1, 2007 in Somerset, New Jersey. Topics include using the Internet and Hip Hop to reach youth and much more. Attendance is only $100 before October 12. For more information, see the conference program by clicking here.
Sex::Tech Conference "Focus on Youth"
Come to the 2008 Sex::Tech Conference “Focus on Youth.” The conference will be in San Francisco on January 22-23, 2008. It will explore sex education for youth using the Internet and other technology. Attendance is only $20 for students and $100 for professionals. For more information, visit the conference website by clicking here.
Family Relationships Make Teens Happy
When you think about what makes teenagers happy, what do think is at the top of the list? In a recent survey of 1,280 young people by the Associated Press and MTV, spending time with family was the number one answer. Next was spending time with friends, followed by spending time with girlfriends or boyfriends.
What about sex? According to the survey, having sex makes 13-17 year olds less happy. For 18 to 24-year olds, sex might lead to happiness in the moment, but not in general.
Ask your teenage clients about what makes them happy. Encourage them to talk and spend time with their parents. The bottom line is that parents make a big difference in keeping their kids safe and healthy.
For more results from the AP/MTV survey, click here.
Reaching Out for Success
This helpful report on improving your community outreach efforts in general contains helpful suggestions for enhancing your family planning services to men. Developed for the California Family PACT program, the principles and suggestions presented here will certainly help you in your efforts to reach out to men wherever you practice.
Download this useful report here.
National Men's Health Week
As a health professional, you know that many men don’t visit the doctor unless they feel sick. They don’t always know that some diseases, including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), may not have signs or symptoms.
June 11-17 is National Men’s Health Week. You can help raise awareness of preventable health problems. Encourage men and boys to seek early detection and treatment of disease.
You can also:
- Advertise National Men’s Health Week to your colleagues and ask them to promote it.
- Host a men’s health fair or other event in your office or community.
- Ask your male clients to come in for regular check-ups.
- Put male-focused health education materials in your waiting area.
To get free sample copies of CFHC’s booklets “What Men Want to Know about Sex and Birth Control” or “Two Heads Are Better Than One” go to samples@cfhc.org or call 1-800-428-5438 or visit our online store.
For more ways to get involved, click here to visit the National Men’s Health Week website at www.menshealthweek.org.
Inservice Videos on Health Literacy
The American Medical Association Foundation has two excellent video resources for training your staff about Health Literacy. Check out "Low-health literacy: You Can't Tell by Looking" and "Health Literacy: Help Your Patients Understand."
Parent-Child Connectedness and Communication
Check out CFHC's website Talk With Your Kids for great resources for health professionals. You can make a difference in the lives of the families you serve. Find the information you need to create exciting programs for parents as well as teens.
HPV and Cervical Cancer Recommended Resources
Our Resource Center health educators have come up with a list of practical, up-to-date information on HPV and Cervical Cancer for your staff and your clients. Read the helpful articles on this important topic. Use the easy-to-read and accurate patient education materials we have evaluated. Check out the websites that your staff and your clients are sure to find useful.
Click here for a list of resources for you and your patients (PDF).
Talking with Teens and Preteens: Helping Your Child Make Healthy Choices
Distributor: Channing Bete
Reading Level: 7th
This pamphlet is a great resource for parents who are trying to start talking with their teens and preteens. It has engaging photos and helpful tips for parents. Specific topics include how to talk about sex, limits, and drugs as well as violence. An excellent resource for your clients who are parents! Available in English.
Click here for the distributor website.
Educator Training Assessment Tool
The Educator Training Assessment Tool from the Association for Sexuality Education and Training (ASSET) is a great resource for anyone who supervises health educators. This tool breaks the assessment of health educators into four categories: setting the stage, methodology, delivery, and content. These simple lists flow like a health education session and contain insights that are tailored to reproductive health and sexuality topics. Use this handy tool to assess yourself, another individual, or your staff!
