Adolescent Health Gateway
The Minnesota Partnership for Adolescent Health
Equitable and Supportive Systems
Go to: Essential Themes and Priority Areas
Young people and their families need safe communities and environments, shelter, education, healthy food, a livable income, and social justice to be healthy and thrive. Yet these opportunities aren’t equally available to everyone, and disparities are clear and persistent in different populations. The systems for providing these elements are often fragmented. A more coherent, integrated approach to fostering health and wellbeing would benefit all young people.
In Minnesota, health disparities define our adolescent health challenges. The Minnesota Partnership for Adolescent and Young Adult Health recognizes the role that structural racism and bias play in these disparities. We embrace the challenge of eliminating personal and structural bias through systems reform while honoring the strengths and assets young people bring to our collective efforts.
Health Equity
Every young person in Minnesota deserves to have the opportunity to thrive.
The resources, experiences, and opportunities we provide to young people must be consistent regardless of:
- Their race, ethnicity, culture, or faith.
- The place they live.
- The economic status and health of their family.
- Their sexual orientation or gender identity.
- Their placement in a justice, foster care, or health care system.
- Their immigration status.
Research continues to document how these factors impact the health and success of young people. Disparities in Minnesota are among some of the highest in the country. The goal of this priority is to recognize the impact of structural racism and bias and to expand partnerships – in both systems and communities. Action steps propose adopting a health in all policy lens, changes to our systems that eliminate bias, reforms our work, and diversify our professional community.
Action Steps
- Intentionally recognize and address populations who are marginalized when planning any youth-focused program or policy.
- Support and promote the unique strengths, assets, and social capital of every community.
- Adopt a Health in All Policy perspective, which incorporates health considerations into decision making across sectors and policy areas affecting young people.
- Recognize and address both individual bias and racism as well as structural bias and racism in public health (and all) systems.
- Ensure staff, decision makers and leadership reflect and represent populations served.
- Ensure that basic needs and social environmental factors that negatively impact the health of young people (shelter, food security, safety, education, livable wages, and transportation) are met and promote protective factors that lead to positive health outcomes.
- Use trauma-informed care strategies to provide effective care and support when working with young people and their families.
Minnesota Responses and Resources
Hennepin Healthcare Talent Garden
Research has shown that having a health care provider that reflects the same race/ethnicity as oneself may improve health outcomes. Talent Garden is working to increase diversity in health care through an initiative designed to ignite young people of color’s interest in top healthcare careers. Youth of color, ages 12-18, from underrepresented communities attend a day-long summit where they learn about health care careers and participate in hands on activities. High school students are matched with mentors and participate in paid summer health care internships. Learn more about this program at Talent Garden - Hennepin Healthcare
- Whittier Clinic Aqui Para Ti / Here for You - Hennepin Healthcare
- St. Paul Youth Services
- Reimagine Black Youth Mental Health
- Health Equity Resource Library - MN Dept. of Health
- Health in all policies: A guide for state and local governments - MN Dept. of Health
National Resources
- The Trevor Project - For Young LGBTQ Lives
- Anti-Racism Toolkit - Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM)
Supportive Systems
Strengthen the systems and structures designed to support the health and wellbeing of young people.
Systems and structures must be well-resources and coordinated to effectively support young people. The goal of this priority is to ensure that Minnesota has a structure that supports a comprehensive network of adolescent health resources. These action steps focus on strengthening commitment to a common adolescent and young adult health agenda through agency partnerships. These actions move Minnesota from systems that foster fragmented and siloed approach to heath to one that is coordinated and comprehensive.
Action Steps
- Facilitate effective partnerships and collaborations focused on adolescent and young adult health
- Improve state-level adolescent health data through youth and community involvement
- Strengthen and align youth health policy
- Stabilize and sustain funding for youth health initiatives
Minnesota Responses and Resources
Youth Service Network
A network of organizations working together to provide services and support for young people experiencing homelessness. Their web site provides 1-click access to shelter, counseling, medical assistance, drop-in centers, education, food, employment, and more. Learn more about this program at Youth Services Network