Adolescent Health Initiatives
Working to Provide Comprehensive Care to Adolescent Patients & Their Families
Our Adolescent Health Education Initiative focuses on the development of educational tools, resources and outreach materials for providers that see adolescents throughout Illinois. With these physical, emotional and social developmental resources, we hope to aid clinics and practices increase their overall adolescent well-visits and help adolescents and their families access quality adolescent-friendly care.
Explore Our Support Resources
Annual Adolescent Health Mini Conference
Each year, the ICAAP Adolescent Health initiative hosts a virtual mini-conference dedicated to improving practices in adolescent care. These conferences include presentations and talks led by expert MDs and can be accessed for professional development at any time.
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Adolescent Health Virtual Mini-Conference
Substance Use & Prevention
Mark your calendars to join our subject matter experts as they share new data and trends in adolescent substance use and prevention strategies. Build your capacity for diagnosis, treatment, and referrals while earning CME!
May 9, 2025
Zoom
8am - 12pm
Event Structure:
- Three one-hour sessions
- Full panel discussion with presenters
The Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics is accredited by the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics designates this live conference for a maximum of 3.75 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, and Medical Assistants can submit Certificates of Attendance to their accrediting board to claim credit for participation in the live conference.
Explore Past Conferences
2024 Adolescent Health Virtual Mini-Conference
Explore three key presentations in best practices for adolescent care, patient confidentiality, empowering patients, and strategies for supporting the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.
2023 Mini Conference Materials
Explore three key presentations in best practices for adolescent care, patient confidentiality, empowering patients, and strategies for supporting the transition from pediatric to adult healthcare.
Improve Adherence to the Teen Well-Child Visit Schedule
Resources and Outreach to Share with Teens & Their Guardians
As kids get older, it may be more difficult for their parents or guardians to schedule their routine well-child visits, but we can help. Use our resources below to help educate your patients and their families on the importance of teen visits to improve patient exam adherence.
Parent/Guardian Flyers
These easy-to-download, patient-facing flyers can be printed directly on your office printer and can be hung in heavy traffic areas or provided to patients before, during, or after their appointment.
- Tackling Tough Topics Together
Share important information on how teen well-child visits are just as important for parents and guardians as they are for teens themselves. Remind parents or guardians that you can help them tackle tough topics like relationships, anxiety, social pressures, school performance, sex, substance use and more together.
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- Understanding the Teen Well-Visit Schedule
Help set expectations and build the value of teen well-visits with your patients by sharing more details about what happens at well visits between 11 and 14, 15 and 17, and 18 to 21 years of age.
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Teen Well-Visit Social Media Toolkit
Help reach parents and guardians at home with our easy-to-use, downloadable social media toolkit. Simply download the folder, find the post you want to share to your social media platforms, copy the post text and download the corresponding graphic, and post to your platform of choice! These tailored social media messages cover key topics like the teen well-visit schedule, why visits are important for teens and parents/guardians, transitioning to adulthood, and more!
Helping Parents Address Media Use Clinical & Parental Guidance Using the 5c's
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has developed The 5 C’s of Media Use to help parents and guardians, and pediatric health care providers, with simple, quick ways to discuss digital media with families. Join our team as we review the 5c's with actionable steps you can take to better support your patient families.
AAP's Bright Futures
Prevention and Health Promotion for Infants, Children, Adolescents, and Their Families
Bright Futures is a national health promotion and prevention initiative led by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The Bright Futures Guidelines provide theory-based and evidence-driven guidance for all preventive care screenings and well-child visits. Explore Bright Future resources to address behavioral, social, and environmental determinants of health below:
Bright Futures Website for Health Professionals
Explore innovative content designed to optimize public health programs like home visiting, childcare, school-based health clinics, and many others. Materials developed especially for families are also available.
Bright Futures Social Media Toolkit
ICAAP has created social media graphics for health professionals to promote Bright Futures resources and tools.
Resources for Families Developed by Bright Futures
As parents and guardians, you play a special role in the healthy development and growth of your adolescent children. For additional support and guidance, explore these helpful resources that tackle topics like:
What to Expect at Well-Visits | Milestones in Growth | Family Support & Well-being
2023 Adolescent Health Webinars
Stay up-to-date on the latest information related to adolescent health topics (ex. mental health, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), emotional well-being, tobacco and substance use, violence and injury prevention, sexual health and healthy relationships, and physical health and health promotion). Receive information to also help increase adolescent well-care visits at your practice and explore practical tools for providing adolescent-friendly care.
Adolescent Mental Health and Collaborative Care
Increasing Access to Psychiatric Services in Academic Pediatric Primary Care Clinics: Two Education Driven Collaborative Care Models
Jeanne Greenblatt, MD, MPH
Ann & Robert H. Laurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
January 27, 2023
Health Equity & the Impact of Race and Racism
Define & explain the concept of health equity, discuss how racism prevents health equity, how to center health equity in pediatrics and adolescent health
Nia Heard-Garris, MD, MSc, FAAP
March 24, 2023
2022 Adolescent Health Webinars
The Mental Health of Adolescents: During COVID-19 and Beyond
January 27, 2022
The Value of Nutrition and Healthy Habits During Adolescence
February 25, 2022
Health Equity and the Impact of Race and Racism in Adolescent Care
March 25, 2022
Adolescent Health Toolkit & Resources
For providers and their patients & families
Adolescent Health Toolkit
ICAAP developed this two-part toolkit for pediatric providers, adolescents, and parents/caregivers to support adolescent-friendly well-visits. This toolkit includes tools and resources on adolescent health issues, health equity, the impact of COVID-19, and implementation strategies to empower youth to take control of their health care.
Positive Youth Development
Positive youth development (PYD) is not a specific curriculum but a model that can be used to enhance any youth-serving program. Youth-serving professionals should follow eight key practices to effectively incorporate PYD into their programs.
The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know
Explore key information about the important changes happing in the brain during adolescence.
Children & Mental Health Fact Sheet
How can you tell the difference between challenging behaviors and emotions that are a normal part of growing up and those that are cause for concern? In general, consider seeking help if your child’s behavior persists for a few weeks or longer; causes distress for your child or your family; or interferes with your child’s functioning at school, at home, or with friends.
Confidentiality Resources
Online confidentiality resources for adolescents, young adults, and parents.
AAP Clinical Report: Suicide and Suicide Risk in Adolescents
Explore the Academy’s new clinical report, as published in the January 2024 edition of Pediatrics to enhance your capacity to recognize risk factors associated with suicidality in at-risk adolescents. The clinical report highlights strategies to improve screening techniques and leverage new interventions for patients with suicidal ideation and associated behaviors.
AAP: Juvenile Justice
About Our Adolescent Health Initiative
ICAAP has been awarded funding to support adolescent health from the Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Women’s Health and Family Services (OWHFS), Maternal Child Health (MCH Title V Block Grant) for the last five years.