Family Involvement

Title X 2008 national priorities require, “Encouraging participation of families, parents, and/or legal guardians in the decision of minors to seek family planning services…”

As family planning providers, clinicians may have the opportunity to have both adolescents and their parents as clients. Both parents and adolescents feel uncomfortable with the idea of talking to each other, and both want to! Parent involvement is first and foremost about confidentiality. It is about creating an environment where families can come together to express opinions, ask questions, get help and develop understanding.

Not all parents will read information on how to talk to their adolescents about sexuality. They may or may not be Internet savvy. We do know that under all the discomfort, they love their children and want what’s best for them. How can providers help involve parents in their child’s life? First, realize that families are extremely diverse and may include one or more parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, guardians and sometimes more than one home, or no home at all. The fact remains that all of these people are or can be the primary sex educators of their children.

Activities to improve “family involvement” (FI) in clinics and in the community:

1. Staff development – Conduct a needs assessment to find out staffs’ skills, knowledge and comfort level. Include annual training to improve communication, documentation and tools for talking to both parents and teens.
   
2. Community education – Conduct ongoing community education sessions or support groups that address FI. Teaching parents that “having the talk” is not a one-time event. Nor does it start at puberty. Some possible topics for education in schools, community and clinic are:
   • The natural process of puberty,
   • Issues of body image,
   • The damages and links between alcohol, drug use and sex,
   • Understanding peer pressure
   • Understanding the consequences of sexual behavior,
   • That adolescents WANT to hear about parent values and opinions,
   • Abstinence, and
   • Where to go for assistance (your clinic, hotlines, websites, etc.)
     
3. Documentation – Clinics are required to perform activities that encourage participation of families, parents, and/or other trusted adults acting in the role of parents in the decision of minors to seek family planning services. Documentation in client and educational records provides necessary proof to determine if an agency is meeting the requirements and agency goals.

Parents need to know that sex is everywhere and if they aren’t talking to their young people, the media and peers are and young people are listening. Family Planning staff can provide support and needed information to parents that they do not necessarily get anywhere else.

Visit http://www.centerforhealthtraining.org or contact the Center for Health Training at 512-474-2166 for help with your training needs.

For More Information Regarding This Article Contact:
Alex Fisher , Program Specialist
Preventive and Primary Care Unit
ph. (512) 458-7796