Talk:CITE

Youth to Youth in Health

Mission:

Jodrikdrik nan Jodrikdrik ilo Ejmour (Youth to Youth in Health) is dedicated to young people throughout the Marshall Islands. We promote health, culture, and spiritual wellbeing through training, outreach, collaboration, respect, and pride. Our ultimate goal is behavior change for a better quality of life.

Organization History

Youth to Youth in Health was established in 1986 as the promotional arm of the Family Planning Program of the Marshall Islands Ministry of Health and Environment. As envisioned by its founder, Darlene Keju-Johnson, Youth to Youth in Health was originally formed to address the rapid urbanization of the islands. Unique to this program was its focus on youth education and participation, not only in terms of targeting youth to teach them core lessons of family planning, but also utilizing youth in spreading the messages to the community and local schools through peer education. The program gradually expanded to incorporate issues of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (e.g. teenage pregnancy, STIs, HIV/AIDS, and contraceptive use), substance abuse, and suicide. Using a combination of clinical interventions, counseling, peer education, and community health promotion, Youth to Youth in Health has made a tremendous and unprecedented impact on the lives of youth and communities on the islands.

Youth to Youth in Health is unique in that it is staffed and run almost entirely by Marshallese youth. The energy, commitment, and empathy for their peers that these youths bring to their work are part of what makes the program so successful. YTYIH uses drama, skits, songs, music, and dance promoted via radio program, video productions, and school/outer island/community outreach initiatives to engage Marshallese youth and spread its messages in a creative and entertaining manner. This novel approach to health education has ensured the success of the program in delivering effective programs targeted at Marshallese youth. The success of the program is its youth membership and the program’s ability to tap into their experiences, knowledge, and creativity, to present a variety of programs utilizing these elements.

Since its establishment, Youth to Youth in Health has proven itself a pioneer in the field of health education and youth empowerment. The organization is well-known among the youth of the Marshall Islands and many acknowledge its positive influence on their behavior and lifestyle. Community leaders and NGOs continue to seek out its innovative outreach programs to engage youth in the often-challenging issues of sexual health and substance abuse. Youth to Youth in Health skits, songs, and dramas are a prominent feature of almost every community event in Majuro and Ebeye. Virtually all of the organization's current staff first became involved as young peer educators, giving Youth to Youth in Health an institutional memory unique in the realm of Marshallese organization.

SERVICES Life Skills Services

Youth to Youth in Health was originally formed to address the rapid urbanization of the islands. Unique to this program was its focus on youth education and participation, not only in terms of targeting youth to teach them core lessons of family planning, but also utilizing youth in spreading the messages to the community and local schools through peer education. The program gradually expanded to incorporate issues of adolescent sexual and reproductive health (e.g. teenage pregnancy, STIs, HIV/AIDS, and contraceptive use), substance abuse, and suicide. Using a combination of clinical interventions, counseling, peer education, and community health promotion, Youth to Youth in Health has made a tremendous and unprecedented impact on the lives of youth and communities on the islands.

SERVICES STI/HIV/AIDS COUNSELING

Provide Safer Sex Intervention(SSI) Counseling: is an individualized STI intervention program aimed at sexually active young women, ages 13-23, who have been diagnosed with an STI. The SSI framework is grounded in social Cognitive Theory, the Trans-theoretical Model of Behavior Change, and Principles of motivational interviewing. The overall goals are to reduce high risk behaviors, increase condom use and prevent the recurrence of STIs among sexually active young women. SSI was developed as a single-session intervention specifically for young women that would:

(a) capture their attention:

(b) deliver safer sex information; and

(c) promote attitudinal and behavioral changes.

PSYCHOLOGICAL FIRST AID (PFA)

Provide Training on PFA to support following a disaster. it aims to reduce stress symptoms and assist in a healthy recovery following a traumatic event, natural disaster, public health emergency, act of terrorism, or personal crisis

PFA Basic

Traumatic Stress Reaction

Interracting with the Survivor

When & Where to Refer

Responder self-Care

SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT COUNSELING

Youth to Youth in Health’s Substance Abuse Prevention & Treatment (SAPT) Program provides prevention and treatment services for adolescents, youths, and adults. SAPT Program services are available in Majuro at Youth to Youth in Health Office from Monday to Friday, 8:30am-5:30pm. SAPT Program’s goal is to prevent and reduce the issue of substance use and abuse in the Marshall Islands. Also, the program offers treatment services to any referred or walk-in clients who needs help with behavioral change for healthier lifestyle. Treatment services that are offered to at-risk clients includes: counselling therapies (Behavioral Enhancement Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), mutual support groups, and referrals for further treatment services. Counselor(s) are required to assure to the clients their rights including confidentiality before proceeding with treatment.

SCHOOL INTERVENTION

Coordinate and taught an original health education program for students grade six through ten.

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 1 LEADERSHIP TRAINING

Every summer, Youth to Youth in Health conducts a Summer Youth Health Leadership Training Seminar for youths ages 15-25. SYHLTS is open to youths who are interested in learning the importance of health (ejmour), Marshallese culture (manit), and spirituality (mour in jetob) in which are aspects of healthy living within the Marshallese people. Youth participants receives important lectures from visiting organizations on the mentioned topics, do group works and presentations. They attend educational field trips on Majuro to obtain first-hand experience, visualization, and understanding of lectures. Also, they are trained on dramas/plays for their “Show Time” event which will be opened for the public to enjoy.

           Overall, SYHLTS is a great and fun tool to engage the youths.  It offers them the opportunity to be interactive and productive over their summer break.  It benefits the youths because they learn new and important lessons and experience new things such as site visiting; building confidence in speaking and performing in front of many people; building teamwork and communication skills; building drama and music skills; networking and building relationships with peers and service providers. 

2 COMMUNITY OUTREACH

AND ADVOCACY

Reaching out to school and community is one our main priorities to the organization. We visiting school in Majuro and the outer islands to deliver presentations to students about how to prevent teen pregnancy and HIV and sexually transmitted infections, and how to deal with substance abuse issues.

Partners

Republic of the Marshall Islands

-Ministry of Health and Human Services -Ministry of Cultural and Internal Affairs

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-Public School System                                                       -National Training Council         

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-Kwajalein Atoll Local Government -Majuro Atoll Local Government

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-Waan Aelon in Majol -Women United Together Marshall Islands

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-International Organization for Migration -Kumit Bobrae Coalitions

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-Youth Services Bureau -Kwajalein Atoll Women's Club

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-Marshall islands Red Cross Society -Kwajalein Diabetes Coalition

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-Cancer Coalition -Marshall Island Epidemiology Initiatives

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-Brighten the Rainbow LGBTQI+ — Preceding unsigned comment added by Youthtoyouthinhealth (talk • contribs) 00:17, 2 September 2019 (UTC)