Outreach that targets teens

Getting teens in the door is an easy task if the type of outreach addresses teens' concerns and issues.

Face to face outreach by a clinic staff person tends to be most successful when first marketing your services. If a teen meets someone from the clinic and feels that the person is friendly, respectful, and trustworthy, the teen is more likely go to the teen clinic. To reach as many teens as possible, presentations to large groups of teens like in classrooms and youth groups are the best use of time. One-on-one outreach may be necessary as well to reach teens who are not linked to community resources and institutions, particularly out of school or homeless youth.

Creating a strong community referral network can help to increase a teen clinic's client base. Outreach should target community providers that teens trust such as school counselors, school nurses, school teachers, youth service providers, teen center staff, social workers, drug and alcohol counselors, etc. Community providers distribute teen clinic outreach materials which they can give to teens. Teen clinics should also add their clinic hours and locations to community resource lists and referral phone lines. Consider inviting community providers to tour your facility and meet clinic staff.

Teens who receive good service at a clinic will tell their friends about the clinic. Often, teens accompany a friend to the clinic for support, then return to the clinic for services on their own. When a client gives you positive feedback about your services, encourage them to tell a friend.

Public Health found that misinformation and lack of knowledge about available services on publications about teen clinics prevented access. Instead, printed outreach materials should include information about:

• Free or low cost services -- "sliding scale" is a confusing term
• Confidential services
• Consent for reproductive services by teens -- e.g. No parental consent required for birth control or STD services.
• List of services offered, for example:
  • Pregnancy testing
  • STD testing
  • Birth Control
  • Encouraging them to bring a friend

Outreach materials should be easy to read and to carry. Also, list the name, address, and phone for the clinic. Some providers like to include a map and the bus routes to the clinic. Wallet cards are good for confidential services; teens can discretely pick them up and keep them in their wallets.

A convenient wallet card for teens listing clinic services and hours.	A clinic flyer given to teens	An outreach flyer given to teens at clinics.

A plastic wallet card including information on teen clinics on the back handed out to local area high schools in King County.