This page lists resources on the school-based and school-linked delivery of sexual health and related services.

Overview

Referral and coordination with service providers

Support for pregnant students/new parents

Support for students living with HIV


Clinic/physicians working with schools

School-based clinics

Role of Sexual Health Educators

Role of public health nurse





According to the policy statement “School-based and School-linked Sexual Health Education and Promotion in Canada” (Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2003) “research on school-based or school-linked health clinics clearly shows that by making adolescent health services convenient and friendly to youth, access and use of those services increases, health improves, and socio-economic costs decline.”

The following provides examples of services that are school-linked and in rare circumstances school-based and/or are often promoted through schools (e.g. help lines, counselling services).

In Manitoba there are currently three school-based health centres with approximately 5 more currently in development. Most of these clinics serve youth (loosely defined at 12-21) although 2 clinics only serve the school population. The clinics are administered through a partnership between the primary care provider (usually a community health clinic or regional health authority), the school and the funders. In the case of Manitoba the provincial government (Healthy Child Manitoba) currently funds two clinics and is developing another two that will be open for service in 2007/08. The regional health authorities fund some and some community health centres allocate a portion of their general operating budget for teen clinics. Healthy Child Manitoba is currently undertaking a comprehensive evaluation of our funded teen clinics. As the evaluation is not complete I don’t have anything to share at this time. Healthy Child Manitoba through its Healthy Adolescent Development Strategy is currently in the process of completing a Teen Clinic Services Model Manual that includes a literature and best practices review of teen clinic services. Further information on these, as available, will be incorporated in to this inventory.

Windsor-Essex County area of Ontario has a number of school-based health clinics. In one case a community health centre operates out of a school. For more information visit: http://www.wechealthunit.org.

The Halifax Regional District School board has Youth Health Centres in all 18 high schools. There is a YHC Coordinator assigned full time for each YHC and they have responsibility for their high school and junior high feeder schools. Public Health Services (Capital Health) entered into a partnership in 2003 with the Halifax Regional School Board to have a YHC in each high school (and have since worked with the other two school boards in the health district to establish YHCs in their schools too). Find out more at: http://www.hrsb.ns.ca/content/id/223.html.

Saskatchewan Teen Wellness Centres have been developed in various locations, several in schools, throughout the province to improve the health and wellness of youth and provide education, information and services around a variety of topics and issues. The establishment of Teen Wellness Centres began in 1995 following an extensive literature review and a community grant initiative that indicated a need for such centres. To date, nine wellness centres that received their initial funding from the Advisory Committee on Family Planning (ACFP) are functioning in Saskatchewan.

The Canadian Federation for Sexual Health is a national network that takes leadership in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights in Canada and abroad through:

• Public education and awareness
• Support for the delivery of programs and services in Canada
• Advocacy
• International projects and liaison with the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF)

For 40 years, CFSH has worked nationally and internationally to ensure that people have access to universal, reliable information and services in order to make informed decisions related to their sexual and reproductive health. CFSH is a pro-choice organization. Twenty-two independent member associations in more than 60 communities across Canada provide clinical services, education, and counseling. The following are a sampling of the types of services and supports available:

Options for Sexual Health (a CFSH affiliate) offers a series of services and programs, including:

http://wontgetweird.com – a website that links people to a network of BC (and AB) organizations to those who provide related services and supports.

For Professionals: a section will be for health professionals, educators, and all others interested in current and emerging issues in sexual and reproductive health. It includes Curriculum and protocols...provides files of lesson plans, resources, and ideas available for downloading and ii) Things to read and study provides access to Options for Sexual Health and other print resources as well as links to the best reproductive health websites.

For Youth: common Q and A’s online; the Facts of Life Line is a confidential phone line staffed by registered nurses and trained volunteers. They are available to answer your questions about birth control, STDs & HIV, pregnancy options, sexual and/or gender identity or anything to do with sexuality or reproductive health.

For Parents: a dedicated section that provides resources and answers to many of the questions parents might have including:

• Ask Joy! for answers to common questions about how to talk to your kids about sexual health. Check out our comprehensive Just the Facts! section for information on birth control, STDs, and sexuality. We have also provided an extensive list of external resource links that expand on the information we provide.
• The Safe OnLine Outreach Society (SOLOS) and the McCreary Centre Society have teamed up to produce a CD called “You, The Web and Sex: A Teen’s Guide to Managing Sexuality Online”. The CD is also a valuable primer for parents. For more information go to www.safeonlineoutreach.org.wionsforsexualhealth.org

Sexuality Education Resource Centre Manitoba: provides a variety of resources including: Workshops for Teens, Parents and Educatorsincluding:

Teen Talk is an established Youth Health Education Service based out of Klinic Community Health Centre. It provides services from a youth-friendly perspective to youth in school, youth at risk and service providers. Help Your Friends. The S Team is a group of youth formed through the "Empowering Rural Youth Towards healthy Sexuality" Project headquartered in the SERC Brandon office.

The S-Team offers peer educatoin workshops to rural youth on sexual health, drug an alcohol use, and HIV/DTI prevention. For a listing of the workshops offered, go to S Team Workshops. Workshops for parents, teachers, counsellors, community educators, and other service providers on the following topics:

• Sexuality Policy and Guidelines
• Sexual Development
• Adolescent Sexuality
• Birth Control Options and Issues
• Reproductive Health
• Adolescent Pregnancy
• Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Date Rape Awareness
• Intercultural Awareness and Communication
• Culturally Sensitive Programming
• Working with a Health Interpreter
• Relationships and Decision Making
• Family Sexuality Education
• Sexuality and Developmental Disabilities
• Teaching / Facilitation Skills

The Little Black Book (LBB) is a resource developed by youth for youth. It increases young people's ability to access information and community resources. The LBB addresses a range of topics including job safety, tobacco use, drinking and using drugs, budgeting, suicide prevention and sexual health. The book is intended for students in Grade 9 to 12. In addition, SERC offers a wide variety of resources (many available in several languages) including newsletters, teacher training, pamphlets and fact sheets are also available, including: Abstinence: Postponing Sexual Intercourse; Male Childhood Sexual Abuse; Tips for Toys; What You Should Know About HIV/AIDS


Think Again Campaign (MB):This project began in 1998 to help to address the issue of teen pregnancies in Manitoba. The Manitoba Association of School Trustees (MAST) invited community agency and parent representatives to discuss a campaign concept. Other key partners in the development of the Think Again initiative included Klinic, Sexuality Education Resource Centre, and the Government of Manitoba. In 2005, the Think Again Committee began the process of updating the existing facilitator resource, pamphlet and website. Maintaining a harm reduction approach, and based upon feedback from youth and educators, the Committee moved toward updating the resources with a more positive, current look. The focus of information continues to be sexual decision making, pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections. While the pamphlet and website do not address all information available on these issues, they do provide an introduction to key issues and information, plus referrals to other service providers for more personal support and to other sites for more detailed information.

Planned Parenthood Edmonton offers a variety of services to teachers, youth and schools, including:

• Are We There Yet? interactive theatre presentations and workshops on setting boundaries and sexual decision making for Junior High students.
• Workshops on sexual decision making for Senior High students.
• Training peer educators from 30 schools through the Expecting Respect Peer Education Program
• One on one support and referrals to students regarding a range of sexual health issues.
• Outlines for classroom presentations, resources, and referral
• Program planning and problem solving consultations
• Teacher and post-secondary student training in sexual health

Newfoundland Labrador Sexual Health Centre offers a series of materials, a phone line, workshops on LBGT and Sexual Health; Sexual Health and Persons with Disabilities; Menopause; How to Speak to Youth About Sex; and we've provided training for outreach professionals, and extensive Sexual Transmitted Infection training for the new Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. Local health authorities have a number of resources to teach healthy sexuality to all age groups. These include both videos and kits. Topics covered are puberty, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, decision-making and relationship skills. In addition, some Public Health offer youth clinics outside of schools and school hours – some of these like an initiative from Vancouver Coastal Health include school-based services.

City of Toronto Public Health also offers a variety of services for young people, including:


Community Health Centres for Teens
Toronto Sexual Health Clinics
Phone Lines
Free Counselling Services

YouthCO AIDS Society (BC) is a non-profit organization building capacity with youth between the ages of 15-29 throughout BC to reduce vulnerability to HIV, AIDS and Hepatitis C through peer support, peer education and shared leadership.

Island Sexual Health Society offers sexual health clinics and sex education programs in Greater Victoria, BC. They also have a lot of online sexual health information and offer teacher training related services.

www.planetahead.ca is an interactive web site related to sexual health designed for youth by youth.

www.ayn.ca is the Aboriginal Youth Network site designed for Aboriginal youth. It includes a variety of content areas related to health including sexual health.

www.spiderbytes.ca is a service of the Teen Sex Information Program, a program of Planned Parenthood of Toronto and is funded by the United Way of Greater Toronto. It is designed to respond to questions about sexual health issues and to provide current information, links and referrals on a range of topics pertaining to healthy sexuality.

Calgary Outlink offers a variety of services to the general public and members including: peer support; front-line help service for GLBT individuals and their family and friends, or anyone questioning their sexuality; a crisis support line that offers 24/7 support; 24 hr. info line; library, drop in centre and a peer-facilitated youth group for GLBTQ under 25. The group aims to let youth know they are not alone, and to connect them with their peers.

http://www.mindbodysoul.gov.uk is a UK based web site developed/funded by the Department of Health. It is youth friendly and includes sections on a variety of health issues including sexual health. It also includes a section for teachers that is linked to the health related education curriculum.

http://www.sexetc.org/ is a US based, university linked web site designed for youth by youth. Its content includes a variety of health and social issues, including sexual health. Kids Help Phone: http://www.kidshelpphone.ca – a national help line that operates 24/7 365 days a year, have introduced brand new in-school materials designed to let students know they have a place to turn for free, professional counselling, 24hrs a day, 365 days a year. Click on Order Free Materials to find out how you can order Kids Help Phone posters, brochures, or wallet cards for your school.

http://www.teenwire.com is the Planned Parenthood of America's teen web site which contains a wide range of information on sexual and reproductive health, much of it written by youth. The 'Ask the Expert' section contains answers to frequently asked questions by teens. The answer to 'Am I Ready?' (search using that title) provides information for people deciding whether or not to become sexually active.


Egale Canada advances equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified people, and their families, across Canada. Recognizing the need to protect and include ALL students, Egale has launched its Safe Schools Campaign.

Parents, Families & Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG) is a (US) national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States From Our House to the Schoolhouse: Tools for creating safe schools and responding to harassment and bullying are at the center of these programs.

Canadian Health Network’s sexual and reproductive health section offers information for youth and parents about how to prevent sexually transmitted infections, birth control information and protecting your fertility. Canadian HIV/AIDS information gateway site CONNECT is a union catalogue. You can use it to search the library collections of the five largest HIV/AIDS libraries in Canada. That's a combined collection of over 67 000 books, videos, DVDs, journal articles, and other resources on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and legal/ethical issues, among many other topics. http://www.iwannaknow.org from the American Social Health Association provides a safe, educational and fun place for teenagers to learn about sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and their sexual health. It also includes a section for parents.

Additional items of interest related to services:

Sexual and Reproductive Health Counselling Guidelines (2004) from the CFSH is Canada's first Sexual and Reproductive Health Counselling guidelines. Based on the experience of key informants working in the field, the guidelines can be used as a tool to improve support skills, train staff or provide additional information for clients in a clinical, community or educational setting. The guidelines cover the following 5 areas: sexuality, pregnancy options, safer sex, abuse and violence, and STI/HIV testing.

The “Clinic Assessment of Youth Friendly Services: A Tool for Rapid Assessment and Improving Reproductive Health for Youth” was developed to facilitate the rapid assessment of youth friendly characteristics, providing the basis for developing and implementing a comprehensive action plan. Among the key issues assessed are provider attitudes, privacy and confidentiality, access to service, supportive policies and administrative procedures.

Standards for Youth Health Centres in Nova Scotia from the Nova Scotia Department of Health