Equal Access, Equal Say: Achieving Health Equity for All Young People

Change - the one word that perhaps best epitomizes adolescence. Changing bodies, changing schools, changing friends... but for young people today, unstable social conditions and economic turmoil magnify the typical transitions of adolescence. Tough economic realities have affected many families - creating the need to find new jobs and perhaps to move to new cities or towns, temporary housing, or even homeless shelters. And many of our young people face great risk and vulnerabilities far beyond the norm - those in child welfare and juvenile justice systems, recently immigrated and refugee youth, young people with chronic illness and disability, to name a few. What helps young people thrive in these times of change? During the 2012 Summer Institute in Adolescent Health, visit settings that are successfully supporting adolescents in times of change. Talk with young people and their program leaders along with health service providers who have walked the talk of resilience and youth development in creative and surprising ways. Learn strategies for assuring supportive environments, sustaining relationships, and creating seamless services. Gather resources and gain new skills in effectively communicating these ideas to others.