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Health Education

The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center (MSAHC) health educators are trained mental health and medical professionals who provide educational workshops on topics such as life skills, healthy eating, and sexual and reproductive health. The Health Educators also train, educate and mentor high school age youth to become peer educators through the S.P.E.E.K. (Sinai Peers Empowering Education through Knowledge) program.

S.P.E.E.K. is a multifaceted program that includes a peer education training program, evidence-based health education workshops and services for local middle schools, high schools and community based organizations, and the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center’s Community Mapping Project with MAPSCorps.

Health Education Workshops

The Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and our team of trained Health Educators are excited to partner with local organizations and schools to reach New York City’s youth with the following services and educational sessions.

To schedule any of the following services, or if you have any questions, please contact Arlette Louden, S.P.E.E.K Program Coordinator, via email: arlette.louden@mountsinai.org or phone: 212-426-3752.

Introduction to the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center

Usually lasting 30-60 minutes, our trained Health Educators can come to your school or organization and provide an introduction to the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center, including a review of its history, mission and all programs and services provided. Partners and youth participants will be provided with pamphlets and cards with contact information for the Center. In addition, Health Educators can conduct an optional sexual and reproductive health education activity including but not limited to:

  • Condom Demonstration—Health Educators discuss and display the proper steps to using a condom and provide young people the opportunity to practice placing a condom on a penis model.
  • S.P.E.E.K. “Jeopardy”- Health Educators divide the group into teams and lead them through a competitive game of “Jeopardy” focused on sexual and reproductive health topics including but not limited to: birth control methods, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, puberty and anatomy, pregnancy, and safer sex.

We can provide Introduction Presentation Sessions for groups of all sizes during our hours of operation: Monday-Wednesday (8:00am- 5:00pm), Thursday (12:00pm-5:00pm), Friday (8:00am-5:00pm), and Saturday (8:00am-4:00pm).

Evidence-Based Programs

Our team of Health Educators is trained to facilitate Evidence Based Programs (EBPs) to promote sexual health and prevent sexual transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and unplanned pregnancy. EBPs have been shown to be effective in reducing certain sexual behaviors that lead to pregnancy and/or HIV/STIs. By offering young people the opportunity to learn about sexual health, ask questions, and practice prevention skills (such as ways to refuse sex), schools and community based organizations can play a critical role in a community’s larger prevention effort.

Our team strives to contribute to prevention efforts by facilitating EBPs for youth in communities where there are higher-than-average teen pregnancy and/or STI rates.  Our team of Health Educators facilitates the Be Proud! Be Responsible! EBP at local schools, community-based organizations, and at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center.

Be Proud! Be Responsible! is a seven-part curriculum (eight-part for middle-school aged youth) that provides adolescents with the knowledge, motivation, and skills necessary to change their behaviors in ways that will reduce their risk of pregnancy, and  contracting HIV and other STIs.

If you are interested in the Be Proud! Be Responsible! program, please review the Be Proud! Be Responsible! Description and Guidelines document and contact us directly to schedule your sessions. We are happy to provide any additional information or answer any questions you may have.

Tabling for Health Fairs and Community Events

Health Educators can share information on the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center and the services we offer at events during our hours of operation: Monday-Wednesday (8:00am- 5:00pm), Thursday (12:00pm-5:00pm), Friday (8:00am-5:00pm), and Saturday (8:00am-4:00pm).

Clinic Tours

Usually lasting 30-60 minutes, our clinic tours are an introduction to the Center: a review of its history, mission and all programs and services provided under our roof. Visitors gain a better understanding of the clinic and what it would be like to receive free, confidential services here.

We can provide tours to groups with up to 30 participants. We can gladly schedule tours during our hours of operation: Monday-Wednesday (8:00am- 5:00pm), Thursday (12:00pm-5:00pm), Friday (8:00am-5:00pm), and Saturday (8:00am-4:00pm).

Peer Education

The S.P.E.E.K. peer education program has been in existence for 30 years. The program recruits a diverse group of motivated, responsible, and committed young people, generally ages 16-19, interested in sharing health information with their peers and serving as advocates for youth. Over the course of the 11-month program, the peer educators are trained in leadership skills, public speaking, adolescent sexuality, HIV/AIDS, STIs, birth control, and the available resources at the Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center. Later they apply the skills and information they gained by hosting events for NYC youth, engaging young people directly as they receive services in the clinic, serving on the MSAHC youth advisory board, and leading advocacy and action projects during our summer community mapping program with MAPSCorps.

If you are interested in the S.P.E.E.K. program please contact Arlette Louden, S.P.E.E.K. Program Coordinator, via email: arlette.louden@mountsinai.org or phone: 212-426-3752.

Mount Sinai Adolescent Health Center’s Community Mapping Project with MAPSCorps

MAPSCorps NYC is a dynamic program that encourages teens and young adults to become future health advocates.

Since 2014, the MSAHC has led a Community Asset Mapping initiative, serving as a MAPSCorps NYC HUB site. MAPSCorps is a non-profit organization based in Chicago that promotes health and economic vitality by producing an annual census of high-quality data that anyone can use. As a HUB site, the MSAHC coordinates NYC asset mapping efforts, engages youth participants, and serves as liaison between MAPSCorps Central and local partners. Community asset data can then be used by residents, doctors, nurses, social workers, community planners, teachers, and government institutions. This project complements the mission of the MSAHC by engaging youth in community leadership and health advocacy through a youth development lens.

Each summer, high school and out-of-school youth (Community Mappers) are trained to use tools to identify all public-facing operating businesses and organizations across all sectors in a community. They then use these data to address community concerns, with the ultimate goal of developing tangible solutions which they can advocate for. Community Mappers are also led by college students (Field Coordinators), who supervise Community Mappers in morning fieldwork and facilitate afternoon workshops rooted in positive youth development. Both Youth Mappers and Field Coordinators work together to build trusting relationships, enhance learning objectives, provide academic and professional guidance, and to ensure a meaningful overall experience. Most Youth Mappers live in the zip codes they survey, providing a unique perspective on how the structure of public space can impact the health outcomes of a community.

Check out the interactive map of community services our young people mapped in 2018.

If you or an organization you know are interested in serving as a Host Site, Youth Mapper, or Field Coordinator please contact Arlette Louden, S.P.E.E.K Program Coordinator, via email: arlette.louden@mountsinai.org or phone: 212-426-3752.