Author: Jutta Dotterweich

Moving to Virtual Implementation of EBPs?

In recent months we have talked a lot about virtual implementation of evidence-based programs. Re-opening plans for schools and community-based youth organizations have been varied and challenging. Conditions have changed frequently and at times abruptly.

To address these complexities, and with fidelity and quality delivery of EBPs in mind, we have developed implementation strategies and tools that will help you plan and prepare for a successful virtual implementation.

Steps to consider

  1. Investigate what the implementation conditions are at the implementation site – use the preparation checklist to plan and prepare for virtual or hybrid implementation.
Virtual EBP Implementation–Preparation ChecklistDownload
  1. Use the EBP templates to develop your virtual presentation. Templates have just been updated. Find the template for each synchronous module below:
Making a Difference: Template for Synchronous Learning (script)Download
Making a Difference: Template for Synchronous Learning (slides)Download

Visit the website for information about how to access and use the asynchronous templates.

  1. Complete the virtual implementation plan to document how you modify the program and adapt to specific site conditions. You may have to do a different plan for each site.
Virtual Implementation Plan: MADDownload
  1. Send the virtual implementation plan to your ACT TA provider for review and discussion.

  1. Once approved, you can start implementing and refer to the virtual implementation plan when you enter cycle data into the ORS.

Virtual presentations are quite different from in-person presentations.

In our recent virtual presentations skills workshops we identified and discussed lots of potential technical and personal delivery issues. We highly recommend that presenters prepare thoroughly and practice.  Consider building in time for an extra introductory session with young people to do warm-up or team-building activities and practice the interactive features of the platform you are using. Young people may not be familiar with some of these features. Interacting and communicating via technology may take more time than you may expect. We recommend adding 2-3 extra sessions to your EBP implementation schedule.

Here are two additional tools to help you plan and prepare:

Virtual Training Preparation ChecklistDownload
Virtual Training TipsDownload

Let us know if you have any questions.

~ Jutta

Regional Provider Meetings

We are changing it up!

Over the past months many of you have participated in various work groups and ACT virtual training events and explored online platforms and material. As we are all learning, to stay alert and engaged online you have to change things up–so that’s what we’re going to do!

In October we will be hosting regional provider meetings. This idea actually came from you. In recent weeks several providers suggested organizing virtual regional provider meetings. ACT will host the meetings but the agenda and discussion will be set by you. This will be an opportunity to discuss outreach efforts, implementation challenges, and working with schools and community-based organizations in this new era of COVID-19. And you can talk about specific regional issues that impact your work. You can share successes, resources, and challenges and engage in joint problem solving.

Participation is voluntary. CAPP, PREP, and SRAE educators and supervisors are welcome. We have divided upstate into three groups and downstate into five groups (see regional meeting groups document below), although if you feel a stronger affinity with another region (especially upstate) you are free to join another provider meeting.

We scheduled all provider meetings on Fridays. The reading club will be on hold for the month. Let’s see how this works. After the first round the regional groups may decide on different times and days.

Start-up will be October 9!

Regional Meeting GroupsDownload

Jutta Dotterweich

~ Jutta

Shared Resources from Component 2 Work Group, June-September 2020

June 22

Work group meeting – June 22 (recording)

Virtual life skills training
Shelby Cusson, Julianna Duca, & Chase Cramer, AIDS Community Resources
Presentation starts at 4:27

Virtual Life Skills (slides)Download

Activities and lessons plans for social and emotional core competencies
Anne Garno, North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council
Jutta Dotterweich, ACT for Youth
Presentation starts at 24:06

SEL Activities and Lesson Plans (Word)Download
SEL Resources (Word)Download

July 6

Work group meeting – July 6 (recording)

Youth engagement using interactive technology
Meena Ardebili & John Jones, Family Health Centers at NYU Langone
Presentation starts at 3:58

Using interactive technology to engage students (slides)Download

July 20

Work group meeting for July 20 (recording)

Summer Programming: Night Owls & Babysitting Certification Training
Anne Garno, Amy Beauchamp & Kathryn Ripstein, North Country Prenatal/Perinatal Council
Presentation starts at 4:52

Night Owls and Babysitting Certification (slides)Download

August 10

Work group meeting for August 10 (recording)

Teen Reality Theatre
Anthony Alcocer, Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York
Presentation begins at 4:00

September 8

Work group meeting for September 8 (recording)

Genesis Ramos presented on Component 2 activities for Hudson River Health Care.
Presentation begins at 4:50

September 28

Work group meeting for September 28 (recording)

Stacey Richards presented for Planned Parenthood of Central and Western NY.
Presentation begins at 4:49

Thanks to all of our presenters!

Virtual Implementation of EBPs: Clarifying a Few Points

Many of you joined us for our web meeting last week on virtual implementation of EBPs. At this point there is still a lot of uncertainty about whether and how we can reach young people to engage them in sexuality education. School re-opening may look very different in each community or city borough. It is also not certain that school staff, administrators, or teachers, are interested in working with you this school year given the complexity of re-opening schools safely. However, together we are moving ahead with planning virtual implementation so that we will have something to offer young people and teachers soon.

Asynchronous vs. Synchronous Learning

We will form work groups for three EBPs used by SRAE or CAPP and PREP: Be Proud Be Responsible, Making Proud Choices, and Making a Difference. (TOP and Project AIM developers have provided us with virtual implementation guidelines and material. We will be meeting with providers who selected TOP and Project AIM separately.)

We propose to develop one template for asynchronous learning and one for synchronous learning.

  • Asynchronous learning refers to providing curriculum via platforms such as Google Classroom or Schoology where young people will study online following teacher instructions. They can do this individually at their own pace, working and submitting responses online using the platform.
  • Synchronous learning refers to providing curriculum live online via platforms such as Zoom or Skype where young people sign in at the same time and participate in activities online.

The material we develop in the work groups will be available on the website. Once you know if and how you can access young people in schools or through community-based organizations, you can tailor these materials for your site. We will develop fidelity guidelines and will ask you to submit your online curriculum for review before you implement.

Develop online EBP material on your own?

You are welcome to work with your local project team to develop online material for any of the EBPs you usually implement. As mentioned above we will develop fidelity guidelines and ask you to submit your online curriculum for review.

Documentation in the ORS? Entry and exit surveys?

We are still working on adjusting the Online Reporting System (ORS) to the different virtual implementation processes. Similarly, we are still discussing how to administer the entry and exit surveys required for PREP contracts.

Incentives for virtual implementation?

At this time incentives are not allowed in the SRAE initiative. We will advocate for incentives for virtual implementation for SRAE contracts.

Continue current virtual efforts (non EBP-based)?

You can continue your current social media efforts to engage youth with sexual and reproductive health and healthy relationship information as well as continue Component 2 virtual programming. Again, we recognize that some of you may not be able to work with the schools to deliver EBPs virtually. Schools may set different priorities at this time.

ETR Resources

Online learning requires different techniques to keep young people engaged and motivated to learn. ETR, the purveyor of many EBPs including Making a Difference, has made available a set of resources / tip sheets to guide the translation of EBPs to virtual platforms.

Adapting Teaching Strategies for a Virtual Environment

Adapting Trauma-Informed Practices to a Virtual Environment

Alternative Video Guidance

Jutta Dotterweich smiling

~ Jutta

Positive Youth Development 101 Web Series

At a time when face-to-face trainings are not feasible, please join us for a series of webinars exploring positive youth development (PYD) and its core principles and strategies. Drawing from the PYD 101 training curriculum we will introduce updated material and new resources. Although the PYD 101 training was developed with professionals new to the field of youth work in mind, it may serve as a good refresher for experienced youth work professionals.

July 7 at 10:00AM – PYD I: Foundations

In this webinar we will define positive youth development and explore key theoretical frameworks and research findings. We will also summarize the current understanding of adolescent development.

Register for PYD I here.

July 10 at 10:00AM – PYD II: Positive Youth Development Outcomes

One important principle of PYD is to focus on building positive youth outcomes instead of preventing or fixing problematic behavior. We will take a look at different outcome models. In addition, we will discuss and practice strategies for building positive outcomes through a strength-based approach.

Register for PYD II here.

July 14 at 10:00AM – PYD III: Youth Voice and Engagement

Another key principle of PYD is youth voice and engagement. We will explore ways to provide young people with meaningful roles and responsibilities. Authentic youth engagement, however, does not happen without addressing barriers such as adultism and other forms of adult resistance.

Register for PYD III here.

July 21 at 10:00AM – PYD IV: Youth Development Programming

In this final webinar we will review features of effective youth development programming, reflect on inclusive program environments, and explore youth-centered learning approaches and resources.

Register for PYD IV here.

Jutta Dotterweich

~ Jutta

Shared Resources from the SRAE Work Group

In April and May, SRAE providers presented on material they have developed and material they are still working on. Since SRAE is still a fairly new initiative, work group meetings also offered providers the opportunity to introduce themselves, their agencies, and the services they provide. Thanks to all for sharing ideas and resources!

April 20

Work Group meeting – April 20 (recording) 

Jennifer Quick, City of Rochester, presented a plan for a pilot “Caregiver and Me Circle,” a small group of caregivers and youth coming together and discussing puberty and other challenging topics. Several video clips and written material were explored.

Pilot: Caregiver and Me CircleDownload

Kerslie Valerio, BronxWorks, presented a video she produced for young people on keeping your mind active (during quarantine and other times).

Ways to Keep Your Mind Active (video)

April 27

Work Group meeting – April 27 (recording)

Marissa St.Onge, Caitlyn Miller, and Tyler Julian of Oswego County Opportunities presented on their SRAE work in rural Oswego County. They also shared material they developed for several social media platforms.

Oswego County Opportunities SRAE ProgramDownload

May 11

Work Group meeting – May 11 (recording)

Vickie Allen, Najua Baaith-Mercado, and Victor Norflee of Action for a Better Community in Rochester presented on their current virtual group meetings, including a gardening group.

ABC: Connecting VirtuallyDownload

May 18

Work Group meeting – May 18 (recording)

Elafteria Kopanos and Amrita Seegobind of the Leadership Training Institute presented on their virtual group meetings and topics, introducing a new virtual platform: ClassDojo.

Leadership Training Institute: SRAE InitiativeDownload

May 26

Work Group meeting – May 26 (recording)

Keila Jimenez, Committee for Hispanic Families and Children, discussed their virtual weekly meeting schedule, highlighting partnerships such as a collaboration with a local bodega to provide food supplies for a weekly virtual cooking class.

Changes to the Training Calendar Start in June

Starting June 1 the training calendar will look a little different. First, we’ll launch a few new work groups and move all work groups to a bi-weekly meeting schedule. We will also offer one of our regular one-day trainings, Introducing a Trauma-Informed Approach, online via a series of webinars.

New Work Groups

Peer Educator Training: As a follow-up to Teresa Casullo’s webinar Growing Youth Educators, this work group will focus on developing training material for youth peer educators, sharing and refining training materials already developed, and contributing to a training manual. Teresa Casullo and Michele Luc will host this work group.

Practicing Social Media Platforms: This work group will provide a forum for providers who are exploring and beginning to use virtual meeting and social media platforms. It will give participants an opportunity to practice basic functions of various virtual meeting/social media platforms and obtain insights and advice from more experienced peers. This work group will be hosted by Heather and Marisol.

Component 2 (SRAE & CAPP): This work group will focus on developing and sharing workshop material dedicated to Component 2 programming. Topic areas may include life skills, financial literacy, career exploration, digital literacy, citizenship, and relationship and communication skills. This group will also explore how programming can be done virtually since youth summer programs will be closed. The work group will be hosted by Jutta.

Existing work groups will continue on a bi-weekly schedule. The current SRAE work group will merge with the Component 2 work group.

Moving Trainings Online

Usually, in June we offer a one-day training: Introducing a Trauma-Informed Approach. Since we are not able to do any face-to-face trainings for a while, we are creating a virtual training, a series of 3 webinars beginning June 16. Please join us for:

  1. Understanding Trauma and its Impact
  2. Principles of a Trauma-Informed Approach
  3. Integrating Trauma-Informed Care into Organizational Practice.

Registration

Remember to register for any meeting or webinar you want to attend. You’ll find the registration links on the training calendar.

Any additional ideas for online trainings?

Please get in touch with us if you have any ideas or recommendations for additional online training topics. Thanks.

Jutta Dotterweich smiling

~ Jutta

May 2020 Calendar

The full May Training Calendar is now online, chock full of selections for your professional development during quarantine. Register through the calendar by clicking on any event that catches your eye.

I want to highlight a special web meeting that will presented for us by Regina Firpo-Triplett of dFusion/ETR: Introducing SkillFlix. SkillFlix is a web-based application specifically designed for educators who teach sexual health to adolescents. It is centered around a streaming library of brief videos that model critical educator skills and micro-skills using real-life scenarios. The scenarios focus on answering sensitive questions and being inclusive of LGBTQ youth. This virtual professional development tool will be made available to SRAE, CAPP, and PREP, from mid-May through mid-July only. Register for the May 14, 2pm Introducing SkillFlix meeting to find out more and learn how to access this excellent—but time-limited–resource.

Also, the popular Reading Club is back beginning May 15. We will post reading selections (and sometimes a video) each Monday on the blog. If you have articles to suggest, please let us know any time!

Jutta Dotterweich smiling

~ Jutta

First Week of May: Virtual Provider Meeting!

We had to postpone this year’s provider meeting in Albany, but thanks to your colleagues’ willingness to step up we are bringing you a Virtual Provider Meeting! During the first week in May, everyone is welcome to choose from any of the offerings below, or come to them all. There is no limit on the number of staff who may participate. (With so many other choices, there will not be a meeting of the reading club this week.)

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

9:30 AM

Findings from the Adolescent Sexual Health Research Study

Presented by Amanda Purington, ACT for Youth
Join Mandy for a deep dive into what we learned from young people and practitioners in New York State.

Register here for Findings from the Adolescent Sexual Health Research Study.

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

9:00 AM

ACEs and Resiliency

Presented by Jutta Dotterweich, ACT for Youth
The Adverse Childhood Experiences study (ACEs) changed how we think about trauma and support for people who have experienced or live with trauma. Similarly, resiliency studies have altered how we understand people’s ability to overcome adversity. In this webinar we will draw on key findings of both investigations to identify themes and strategies that will help us support young people as they navigate the traumatic experiences of living through the COVID-19 crisis.

Register here for ACEs and Resiliency.

10:30 AM

Self-Care and Other Things You Don’t Have Time For

Presented by Heather Wynkoop Beach, ACT for Youth
In the everyday world, self-care can easily become an afterthought. Seven weeks into a global pandemic, it is right up there with food, shelter, and Netflix. Spend an hour with us learning small–and maybe even some unconventional–self-care strategies to help you make it through.

Register here for Self-Care and Other Things You Don’t Have Time For.

2:00 PM

Panel: Current Social Media Outreach Efforts

Presented by staff from Community Health Care Network, AIDS Community Resources, St. Lawrence Health, and Center for Community Alternatives
Find examples of how providers are using social media here: https://bit.ly/capp-prep-social-media

Register here for Current Social Media Outreach Efforts.

Thursday, May 7, 2020

9:00 AM

Growing Youth Educators: Teaching Beyond the “Manual”

Presented by Teresa Casullo, CAPP Manager Planned Parenthood of Greater New York Region 2 (formerly Hudson Peconic)
The goal of the session is to provide professionals who work with peer educators or youth groups the space to learn how to deepen training and support for our most valuable resource: young people, and adequately prepare them with the skills and confidence to respond to the broad range of informational and value-based questions they may encounter. Both seasoned and new youth group leaders are welcome to learn and share experiences.

Register here for Growing Youth Educators.

10:30 AM

Talking Pleasure: Creating Opportunities in Sex Education to Incorporate Pleasure

Presented by Ema Eyasmin (she/her), Youth Programs Coordinator, and
Dolores Polanco (she/her), Senior Sexuality Educator,
Planned Parenthood of Greater New York
This workshop will share innovative strategies Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Education and Training Department has used to create spaces outside of traditional workshop settings for meaningful discussions about pleasure. We will share how activities, such as interactive games, and programming, such as our “pop-up”-shops-styled outreach and our TED-talk-styled college tours allowed us to engage youth in pleasure and sexual health conversations. Participants will also develop one idea to incorporate pleasure into their own programming.

Register here for Talking Pleasure.

2:00 PM

Building Bridges: Fostering Positive Youth Development Through School and Community Engagement

Presented by Genesis Ramos and Margot Balzer, Hudson River Health Care
Positive youth development requires a multidimensional and interdisciplinary approach in order to close gaps and create enabling environments. In this workshop the importance of school and community engagement will be discussed, as well as best practices in achieving successful engagement. Ways to be responsive during COVID-19 will be discussed as well. Participants will also explore why working together enhances programmatic outcomes beyond grant requirements and organizational missions.

Register here for Building Bridges.

Introducing Work Groups and Reading Club

Since we are all working from home and much of our regular work is suspended for the time being, we have a rare opportunity for professional development and collaborative work. So at the all-provider learning community meeting this past Tuesday, the TA Team introduced new vehicles for moving forward: online work groups and a book/article club.

In the learning community meeting Heather also went over basics for Zoom meetings from the perspective of participants (00:53 – 08:07) and Michele reported on the results of last week’s survey (08:44 – 22:34). Here is the recording, and here are the PDF slides – you’ll also find them on the Shared Resources page.

What is the SRAE Work Group?

The goal of the SRAE work group is to collaboratively prepare for future programming. The SRAE work group will meet weekly with Jutta facilitating. Participants will work on projects in between sessions and present their work the following week. We are starting with one group for SRAE, but if there is interest we could split into additional topic areas.

You can register for group meetings directly from the training calendar.

The work group is voluntary, but we hope you’ll actively join in! If we can judge by the chat response at our recent meeting, folks seem enthusiastic about taking this on.

What is the Reading Club?

On Fridays we would like to introduce a new professional development opportunity: a book/article discussion group open to SRAE, CAPP, and PREP. We’ll send articles around and facilitate a discussion on the readings. We won’t present on or review the material—we ask you to read the articles first, then we’ll use our time on Friday to discuss how it applies to our work. If you have an article you’d like to share, please let us know! Check back here for links to the first readings.

ACT for Youth Training Team: Jutta, Michele, Marisol, and Heather

~ The TA Team: Jutta, Michele, Marisol, and Heather