Project SOS
Michell Long of Project SOS (Strengthening Our Students) provided the following information on her program:
· SOS started in St. Johns County in 1993, have expanded into Duval County and are sometimes invited by teachers in Clay County. The program is also available in Nassau County but parents must “opt-in” their students.
· SOS is sanctioned by the St. Johns and Duval County Public Schools to teach from grades 7 through 12 in Duval and 6 through 12 in St. Johns.
· They have a wide range of instruction — including abstinence, because it protects physically and mentally. Because of the statute they are relevant to the schools but do not discuss religion. They teach students that they have options and try to balance the message the media sends them (about sex).
· Since 1998 (when Title V funding began, which supported SOS), teen birth rates have dropped in most counties in Florida
· To receive permission to teach in the schools, they present their curriculum to the school board, get letters of acceptance, meet with the board regularly and are usually contacted directly by teachers. They have not received any complaints from teachers so far
· Their educational sessions last one hour per day for a week and are free to the school boards. It is typically taught during physical education, health and HOPE classes. Two topics from the curriculum are taught per day. The presentations are interactive and include activities and videos. Teachers can also request just one topic to be taught instead of the entire curriculum.
· SOS has four instructors: a white female, a black female, a white male and a black male. All have bachelor degrees except for one. They receive extensive training, shadowing other teachers for at least a year before teaching on their own.
· The top issues they encounter with teens are substance abuse and pornography. Students do not ask them about safe sex or where to get contraception; Ms. Long said the students already know about safe sex and where to find contraception.
· SOS lost their funding from the federal CBAE (community-based abstinence education) in September and funded now solely by private donations.
· Parents have been identified as an important population when it comes to teen pregnancy prevention. SOS offers a 1.5 hour class for parents.
The Way Free Medical Clinic
Christy Fitzgerald, executive director, and Jeannie Gallina, founder and development director, provided the following information about their program:
· The Way began in 2006 after Ms. Gallina discovered there was a significant need in the community for affordable health care for the Hispanic migrant population. In response, she wanted to put together an ad hoc clinic open one Saturday a month.
· Initially, The Way utilized the Clay County Health Department’s Ed Stansel Clinic. On the first day open, they saw 35 clients.
· Eventually they moved to a free standing clinic and expanded to two Saturdays per month. They partnered with a Seventh Day Adventist church to operate on Sundays also.
· The primary care clinic is open four days a month and offers comprehensive medical exams, lab testing, imaging, prescriptions and specialty references. Vision is Priceless sets up an ophthalmology clinic once a month. OB clinics are available Mondays (for Medicaid clients) and Thursdays (for the uninsured). A midwife practice volunteers time for those clinics.
· All services are free. The clinic can assist with Medicaid applications or PMAP applications.
· All funding for the clinic is private donations, except for a small stipend from the Clay County Commissioners. Approximately 92 percent of the funding goes to direct services.
· Initially, the clinic served mostly Hispanic clients. Now 48 percent of the clients are Hispanic. The demographics changed in part once the CCHD closed some of their clinics, including the OB clinic. It has shifted to Hispanics, Caucasians, blacks and growing Asian and Creole populations.
· The Way has served approximately 24 pregnant teens over 18 months. Teen pregnancies are only covered under the Medicaid OB clinic. Many start care late due to delays in receiving Medicaid. The youngest patient was 14 years old. Most of the teens — despite what ethnicity they are — have no resources or family support system and tend to experience complications like toxemia and high blood pressure.
· Sexually transmitted infections are very common and are treated often in both the primary care and OB clinics.
· Men typically are not engaged in the lives of the pregnant women served at the Way.
· If women that are served at the Way want contraception, the nurse midwife who volunteers at the OB clinics will provide it at her office or they are referred to the county health department. No contraception is provided at the clinics though, and not purchased by the Way.
