Mission Statement

The mission of the Office of School and Adolescent Health is to improve the health of all students and adolescents in New Mexico.

For more information

on our programs, projects, the “Head to Toe” conference, and technical assistance, please contact us.

Adolescent Health

Positive Youth Development

OSAH implements strategies that encourage partnerships and strategic planning around adolescent health through the Positive Youth Development (PYD) approach. The PYD approach supports young people in building their capacities and strengths for adolescence and young adulthood. Individuals, families, programs, and institutions that provide support and opportunities for young people to grow towards positive outcomes are all involved in youth development.

The youth development approach invites youth to be involved in influencing, contributing, and designing policy, as well as, services and programs.

Main OSAH initiatives that include the PYD approach are the following:

Head to Toe Youth-Adult Partnership Track

Illustrating how young people and adults can work together to create solutions to adolescent health issues and improve the health and well-being of New Mexico youth. Youth/ Adult sessions will be interactive and feature both youth and adult presenters. For more information or to register for the conference go to Head to Toe 13 : A conference on School and Adolescent Health

Youth Leadership Forum

This year's Youth Leadership Forum is hosted in collaboration with New Mexico Civic Engagement Partnership, The New Mexico Youth Alliance, and the Albuquerque Partnership. This annual event brings together youth from throughout the state whom participate in community based organizations. The goal is to allow youth to network, share experience and concerns, develop a statewide youth agenda, all while receiving valuable tools to achieving articulated concerns. Contact: Tessa Medina-Lucero, Adolescent Health Coordinator - (505) 222-8681

Natural Helpers

Natural Helpers is school-based peer support program based on a simple premise: Within every school, an informal "helping network" already exists. Students with problems naturally seek out other students — and also adults--whom they trust. Goals of the program are:

To help young people develop the capability to prevent some of the problems of adolescence
To help young people develop the capability to intervene effectively with troubled friends
To help young people develop the capability to choose positive ways of taking care of themselves., and:
To help young people develop the capability to improve their school and community.

Natural Helpers®: A Peer Helping Pro - Sponsored by Michigan State University 4-H Youth Development

Adolescent Health Strategic Plan

The Office of School and Adolescent Health initiated a DOH Adolescent Health System Capacity Assessment in 2006. This process created momentum for developing the Adolescent Health Strategic Plan (AHSP) 2008-2010. The overall process was to create a system that utilizes the expertise and innovation within New Mexico in more efficient ways, thereby, strengthening the public health system to address the needs of adolescents in New Mexico. The AHSP focuses on the following capacity areas:

Youth Development
Commitment to Adolescent Health
Partnerships
Planning & Evaluation
Policy & Advocacy
Education & Technical Assistance
Surveillance & Data System

In addition, the NM Adolescent Health Data Report (2008) was developed to provide a comprehensive overview of adolescent health needs in a variety of health focal areas. This report is being distributed as a companion document to the AHSP. For more information on the AHSP or to view any of these documents, please go to the YouthHealthLink Website

The purpose of the YouthLink website is to fulfill the commitment goal of the AHSP. This communication tool is designed to enhance Youth Health through coordination, advocacy and leadership at all levels of NMDOH and other private & public agencies. Contact: Tessa Medina-Lucero, Adolescent Health Coordinator - (505) 222-8681.

“Combining great minds is youth-adult partnership!

--Tessa Medina-Lucero, Coordinator, OSAH