Overview of a multi-component, community-wide approach to teen pregnancy prevention in 10 communities as part of the Office of Adolescent Health's Tier 2 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program

Despite recent declines in the teen birth and pregnancy rates, the United States continues to have one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among developed nations. The Teenage Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program, administered by the HHS Office of Adolescent Health, is one of six major evidence-based policy initiatives currently funded across the federal government. Under Tier 2 of the TPP program, in 2010, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) embarked in a partnership with the Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) to implement the 5-year cooperative agreement, Teenage Pregnancy Prevention: Integrating Services, Programs, and Strategies through Community-Wide Initiatives. OAH funded eight community-based organizations and CDC funded five national training organizations Additionally, the Office of Population Affairs funded a Title X partner to implement the community-wide initiative. The purpose of the community-wide initiatives is to reduce teen pregnancy and birth rates in communities with rates above the national average, with a focus on reaching African American and Latino/Hispanic youth aged 15–19. This presentation will provide an overview of the community-wide initiative; describe the five key components of the community-wide initiative: evidence-based programs, clinical services, stakeholder education, community mobilization and working with diverse communities; and present the training and technical assistance framework adapted for this initiative. Best practice strategies from each of the key components will be presented and the process for implementing these strategies in the funded communities will be shared. Key successes, challenges and lessons learned in the planning and implementation of the community-wide initiatives will be discussed.