Visual Map of Youth Sexual Health Resources located across Colorado

Expanding Trailhead’s Youth Sexual Health Resource Map

In 2018, Trailhead integrated the Youth Sexual Health Program formerly housed at Colorado Youth Matter (CYM) into our larger scope of work after CYM announced it would be closing its doors in December of 2017. We began this process by initiating a comprehensive, multi-sector environmental scan in January of 2018 that engaged stakeholders, organizations and young people most connected to and impacted by the youth sexual health field. We used this scan to determine how to move the work forward in Colorado, identifying numerous priorities among which included the need for a centralized repository of youth sexual health resources and clinical and community services available across the state.

Heeding this need, Trailhead’s Senior Program Manager, Adrienne Gomez, spearheaded the creation of a Youth Sexual Health resource map in 2019 with collaboration from members of the Youth Sexual Health Alliance who provided valuable input when determining screening criteria and resource recommendations.

This summer, Adrienne and Trailhead had the immense pleasure of working with Emily Roderick, a graduate student at Southern New Hampshire University, as she completed a practicum towards her Masters in Public Health. Over the past three and a half months, Emily’s work with the Youth Sexual Health Program has focused on expanding the number of community partners represented on the mapping resource with particular focus on rural areas to ensure resources are available to more Colorado communities interested in improving youth sexual health education. In total, Emily identified 49 new potential partners operating across the state and conducted outreach inviting these prospective partners to become a part of the Youth Sexual Health Resource Map. New resources will continue to be added to the map on a rolling basis as we continue dialogues with prospective partners and continue the momentum of Emily’s work.

Explore the Youth Sexual Health Mapping Resource

Summary of Mapping Updates

Graph of potential new resources outreached to for the Youth Sexual Health Resource Map

  • Northern and southeast Colorado were identified as target regions for research due to existing gaps in mapped resources
  • 48 existing partners contacted for local resource referrals
  • 49 potential new partners identified and invited to complete the Youth Sexual Health Resource Map Google form
    • 16 resources recommended by existing partners
    • 17 resources identified through Title X recipient research
    • 16 resource identified through general research for target regions (Northern and Southeast Colorado)
  • 9 new partners and 18 new sites/locations added to the Youth Sexual Health Resource Map
  • GIS data layers added to enable filtering by county and/or school district

About Emily

While completing her internship with Trailhead and working towards her MPH at Southern New Hampshire University, Emily is also working full time for National Geographic in their maps division. Prior to working for National Geographic, Emily received a B.S. in Food Science & Human Nutrition from Colorado State University and has experience working in nutrition counseling and community programs.

Recommend a Resource

The Youth Sexual Health mapping resource features youth-positive comprehensive sex education, training and resources as well as youth sexual health services across the state. This resource aims to strengthen coordination between schools, clinics and communities. If you are interested in adding your organization to this resource, please fill out this form or contact Adrienne Gomez at agomez@trailhead.institute for information regarding criteria.

Submit a Resource

The Youth Sexual Health Alliance

In 2018, Trailhead joined forces with organizations in the field of youth sexual health to coordinate existing efforts and re-build a statewide Youth Sexual Health Alliance of community-led organizations including educators, district administrators, health care providers, local public health departments, advocacy groups and other key stakeholders. Through this partnership, the Alliance became a stronger unified effort for members to coordinate initiatives across the state and increase referral linkages between schools, clinics and communities. These coordinated efforts around youth sexual health include but are not limited to sex education and community engagement best practices. For more information regarding membership criteria and involvement with the Alliance, contact Adrienne Gomez at agomez@trailhead.institute.

Informing Our Work

Our Youth Sexual Health Program operates and implements programming based on the belief that every young person has the right to receive medically accurate information so that they are empowered to make informed decisions about their own sexual health. Included below are a growing collection of resources that  have been developed through or in collaboration with Trailhead’s Youth Sexual Health Program and inform our programming across the state

WISE Colorado Case Study

Working to Institutionalize Sex Education (WISE) is a national initiative dedicated to advancing school-based sex ed programs and expanding the field’s body of knowledge through community engagement. This approach guides the work of our Youth Sexual Health Program. Learn more the resources button below.

Explore Our Resources
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