HiTOPS is expanding its efforts to provide risk reduction, prevention education and health services to two high-risk and vulnerable youth populations: incarcerated youth and youth at risk for out-of-home placement. HiTOPS was awarded full funding from Princeton Area Community Foundation's 2010 Spring Greater Mercer Grant to support planning, assessment and delivery of services to these adolescents.
With this funding, HiTOPS is using the summer months to prepare for its ninth and most extensive year of programming for incarcerated youth in four counties. Staff and peer-educators will provide risk reduction and prevention education on the following topics: HIV education, pregnancy prevention, dating violence prevention, homophobia reduction, STD prevention and date rape prevention. In addition, this year, education staff will meet with staff from six different juvenile justice sites to learn more about the specific needs of each site, and develop relationships and programs that will support prevention education for youth.
The Greater Mercer Grant also supports HiTOPS’ ability to respond to a newly identified need in the community. Capitol County’s Children’s Collaborative (CCCC) is an independent, nonprofit care management provider in Mercer County, who came to HiTOPS requesting sexual health education, and specifically reproductive health and healthy decision-making for their adolescent population. CCCC serves children with moderate and high need mental health and behavioral challenges, and works to link them to resources and supports in the community. HiTOPS will be able to work with CCCC case workers to help them address the sexual health needs of adolescent clients and provide youth with health care vouchers for services in HiTOPS comprehensive adolescent health center. In addition to workshops and training for case workers, HiTOPS will be working with CCCC- affiliated parents and youth directly to encourage risk-reduction and health enhancing decision-making and behaviors.
HiTOPS is grateful to Princeton Area Community Foundation and its pool of donors who provide valuable support where the need is greatest. For more information about the program, email elizabeth@hitops.org.
