2019 Annual Report CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF #STANDINGSTRONG A web version of this report with links to relevant sources is available at www.HealthyTeenNetwork/annual-report.org. About Healthy Teen Network Founded in 1979, Healthy Teen Network fosters a national community where all adolescents and young adults, including youth who are pregnant or parenting, are supported and empowered to thrive. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, we serve as a leading national membership organization (501c3) for adolescent health professionals and organizations, promoting a unique and holistic perspective—we call it Youth 360°—to improve the health and well-being of young people. Vision Healthy Teen Network envisions a world where all adolescents and young adults lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Mission Healthy Teen Network promotes better outcomes for adolescents and young adults by advancing social change, cultivating innovation, and strengthening youth-supporting professionals and organizations. Our Guiding Principles Rights: A more just and equitable world supports Evidence: Evidence-based strategies and and empowers all adolescents and young adults— approaches are effective and efficient ways to including young people who are pregnant or achieve positive outcomes. parenting—to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Innovation: Innovation is a critical component of a Individuality: All adolescents and young adults, comprehensive strategy to respond to the dynamic including young people who are pregnant and lives of adolescents and young adults. parenting, deserve respect, appreciation, and acceptance for their unique strengths, talents, and Access: All adolescents and young adults have potential. a right to comprehensive, developmentally and culturally appropriate, confidential support and Youth Centered: Youth-centered strategies and services, including contraceptive services, and if approaches are critical to empower young people. pregnant, to full options counseling and services. Youth 360°: How and where youth live, learn, and play matters…and needs to be addressed to achieve better outcomes. 2 Letter from the President & CEO Healthy Teen Network is celebrating 40 years of promoting better outcomes for adolescents and young adults. I feel fortunate to have joined Healthy Teen Network during this milestone year. Over the past 40 years, many Board members, staff, professional members, and donors have contributed to our successes. Like so many of us who give our time and resources to mission- driven work, I am passionate about making the world a better place for all of us to live, learn, and grow. I’ve already been so inspired by Healthy Teen Network’s accomplishments, and I look forward to all that we can do together to build on our progress and ensure that all young people may thrive. James B. Smith, PhD This annual report celebrates our more recent accomplishments, but I’d also President & CEO like to take a moment to reflect on our first 40 years and all there is to celebrate. Reflecting Back on Our First 40 Years We strengthen professionals. We stand with all young people. We lead in evidence & As a membership organization, We have been the voice for innovation. we understand the importance inclusion because all young We have led the field in using of being both responsive to people, including those who may evidence and innovation to the needs of youth-supporting be pregnant or parenting, have support and empower young professionals, as well as a right to respect. From day one, people. Over the past 40 years, serving as a visionary that when we were founded in 1979 we have honed our approach, leads our members to the next as the National Organization using lessons learned and advancement. We are the go- for Adolescent Pregnancy and evaluation results, to continuously to trainer and resource hub Parenting (NOAPP), we have not improve and deliver the most because our members know only affirmed but often been the effective training and resources we work collaboratively to meet lone voice standing with young to support high quality, evidence- their needs and build their skills. families. And we’ve continued based, and innovative programs This is so important because to push the field to embrace and services for youth. No matter we know when professionals sexual and reproductive health the political climate, we champion are better prepared, we see as a social justice issue with evidence over ideology because increased positive outcomes for public health impacts. Over young people have a right to young people. Capacity building the decades, we’ve built on quality sexual health education has always been the heart of our our legacy of standing with all and services. Today, we have mission, and we will continue young people, such as youth in a wealth of research to inform ensuring our members have the foster care or LGBTQ+ youth, how we can best achieve our skills and information they need and moved beyond prevention goals, and we’re continuing to provide quality sexual health in support of health promotion. to build on the evidence with education and services. We continue #StandingStrong new innovations, grounded in because all young people have a research, to meet the dynamic right to a healthy future. needs of young people and improve outcomes. 3 We have reason to celebrate, and we’re not done yet. What’s next for Healthy Teen Network? Well, we will continue with our successes, first and foremost, but we know we must continue to grow and push forward, both ourselves as an organization, as well the visionary leader for our members. Looking Forward to Our Next 40 Years We must be holistic in our We must leverage technology & We must support & empower approach, addressing social innovation to improve access. all young people to thrive. determinants of health. Technology opens doors and has Our legacy, since our We call this holistic approach the potential to expand access foundation in 1979, is Youth 360°, and while it may exponentially. “mHealth” may include #StandingStrong with all young not be a new concept, it apps to access reliable information, people. Our nation’s young continues to gain traction in our online games that serve as sex ed people face more and more field. Since 2013, we have been programs, telephone services to adversity in today’s increasingly leading the field in integrating provide consultations from healthcare hostile political climate. The a Youth 360° approach to providers, or prescriptions by mail. rights of LGBTQ+ youth are address health disparities and We already have many initiatives under attack. Young people achieve equity. This will not leveraging technology to improve who may be undocumented change, but we need more of access, such as Crush, the first and face uncertainty every day. it. Our members need us to only smartphone-based digital tool Youth involved in systems continue helping them make proven effective at increasing young of care, such as foster care these systemic changes in their women’s sense of control to make or juvenile justice systems, organizations and communities, decisions regarding their sexual face challenges accessing to establish new and diverse behavior. And we’re helping our quality, consistent health care partnerships, and to leverage members to do the same, through and sexual health education. each other’s resources to capacity-building events, such as the We will continue our efforts better meet the many different Design Challenge at our conference. to ensure all young people needs of all young people. We are continuing this important are included, and never work, using human-centered design stigmatized, in all our efforts. thinking and rapid prototyping to develop creative solutions that can be implemented today to ensure every young person has improved access to quality sexual health education and services. Thank you to all of our supporters who have been a part of our accomplishments. Please join us in our ongoing efforts to support and empower all young people to thrive www.HealthyTeenNetwork.org/donate( ). In solidarity, James B. Smith, PhD President & CEO 4 Board of Directors Chair Treasurer Valerie J. Parker, MA, LMFT, LCSW Nadine Finigan-Carr, PhD Anthony Vela Executive Director, Young Families Research Assistant Professor, Project Manager, US Department of of Indiana Network, Health and University of Maryland, School of Labor Hospital Corporation of Marion Social Work County Members-at-Large Vice Chair Brina Bolden, JD Shannon Rauh, MEd, AASECT Jenifer DeAtley, LMSW Contracting Officer, Department of Certified Sexuality Educator Nonprofit Management and Veterans Affairs Senior Consultant, JSI Research Leadership Consultant and Training Institute Monica Faulkner, PhD, LMSW Secretary Director, Research Associate Kimberly Zouzoua Rhoda Smith, PhD Professor, Foster Care Liaison Principal, Wassia Consulting, LLP Assistant Professor, Springfield College Justin Floyd, JD Associate, Ropes & Gray LLP Staff Deborah Chilcoat, MEd Janet Max, MPH, CHES Nicholas Sufrinko Senior Manager, Capacity Building & Vice President Digital Health Communication Evaluation Specialist, Innovation & Research Carol Partonen Gina Desiderio, MA Administrative Associate, Finance & Shanise Taylor Director, Communications Operations Administrative & Executive Coordinator Milagros Garrido, MS Bob Reeg, MPA Associate Director, Innovation & Program Development & Policy Allison Tomai Felsen Research Consultant Manager, Communications Dawn Ireton Valerie Sedivy, PhD Minyan Watson-Faulkner Director, Finance