Services and Opportunities for Youth in CAPP Projects
Positive sexual health arises from all kinds of conditions: social acceptance of our gender and sexual identities; people in our lives who model and offer good communication and relationships; accessible, confidential health care services in our communities; partners who strive for healthy relationships; and a personal skill set that we develop over time through new experiences and opportunities — just to name a few!
The positive youth development (PYD) framework reminds us that programs can't meet all of a young person's needs. Comprehensive, evidence-based sexual health education is essential for adolescents who are or will become sexually active, but as the list above suggests, risk and protective factors for adolescent health have been identified in every domain and setting of life. All youth need and deserve the services, opportunities, and supports that create the conditions for healthy development and fulfilling lives. That's why the CAPP model embraces a PYD approach, emphasizing family support, community connection, youth engagement, and developmental opportunities.
Elements of this approach are found in both CAPP Components 1 and 2 (C1 and C2).
CAPP Component 1: Parent-Child Communication
In addition to Component 1 evidence-based sexual health education, CAPP projects may choose to implement parent education strategies to improve parent-child communication on sexual health topics.
CAPP Component 1: Access to Sexual Health Care
Projects are required to demonstrate direct linkages with family planning service providers in their region.
CAPP Components 1 and 2: Referrals to Youth Services
Projects aim to advance adolescent wellness, including promoting and facilitating routine well visits, sexual and reproductive health care, oral health, and behavioral health as well as meeting special needs. While these services are outside the scope of the CAPP initiative, CAPP projects foster wellness by creating relationships in the community and developing mechanisms for referrals.
CAPP Component 2: Positive Youth Development Programming
In this round of the CAPP initiative, all CAPP projects are required to implement youth programs based on PYD principles. Programs should be evidence-informed and involve young people in the planning stages.
