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Youth qualify for this program if they are:
Youth who do not qualify for this program include:
Resources include:
TTYAS requires a one-to-one, youth to device ratio. As long as youth have access to headphones, a device that connects to Zoom, and a private space, they can participate.
The California Social Work Education Center (CalSWEC) has a number of resources on SB 89 that may be helpful for preparing to talk to youth about their participation in the Teen Talk Youth in Alternative Settings (TTYAS) program.
Often, school based email addresses automatically filter out emails from outside your school district, meaning you may not receive important information from us, such as series reminders or the webinar link to join.
You will receive the webinar link, by email, the Friday before the session starts and again the morning of the first day of the series in which you are enrolled.
Youth are required to provide us with the name, organization based email and phone number of their social worker, lawyer or group home staff. If someone cannot provide us with this information, they cannot gain access to the webinar.
No, once the enrollment form for each series is closed, we cannot accept any more enrollments. But, you are welcome to join us for a future series.
The series is presented in zoom webinar format, meaning that participants will not be able to turn their camera on, or see who else is in the room with them in a participant list. This is an interactive webinar, and youth have the option to participate through polls, chats and unmuting. If youth would like to remain completely anonymous, they can change their name in the webinar so that it does not appear if/when they utilize the chat function. However, educators will reach out during the session for their legal name so that we are able to track their attendance.
The Powerpoint for the webinar is here
Teen Talk Foster Youth (formerly known as Teen Talk Youth in Alternative Settings (YAS)) is a free virtual comprehensive SexEd curriculum created by RHEP partner, Health Connected, based on Health Connected’s acclaimed Teen Talk series used in many California schools. It complies with state curriculum laws, SB 89 requirements, and has been vetted for medical and legal accuracy. It has also been reviewed and tested by former foster youth for appropriateness and fit for youth in care.
Health Connected is a health education nonprofit with a 25-year track record of developing and implementing sexual health education that is responsive to local community needs, best practices in sexual health education, and legal requirements. Their instructional, training, and caregiver support programs are estimated to have impacted over 400,000 youth across California (CA). Health Connected has developed five nationally distributed sexual health curricula–Puberty Talk for 5-6th graders, Teen Talk Middle School for 7-8th graders, Teen Talk High School for 9-12th graders, Teen Talk High School Refresher for 11-12th graders, and Teen Talk Adapted for All Abilities for students with special needs. Most recently, Health Connected developed its newest curriculum–Teen Talk YAS–based on its acclaimed Teen Talk Middle School and Teen Talk High School curricula.
With the passage of the California Healthy Youth Act in 2016, every public and charter middle and high school in California must provide medically accurate and age-appropriate sexual health education to students. (California Education Code §§ 51930-51939). The curriculum offered must provide pupils with the knowledge and skills to prevent HIV, STIs, and unintended pregnancy; to develop healthy attitudes concerning adolescent development, body image, gender, and sexual orientation; and to promote healthy, positive, and safe relationships and behaviors. Instruction must address healthy decision-making, negotiation and refusal skills, information about sexual safety (assault, abuse, intimate partner violence, and human trafficking), and facilitate opportunities for students to communicate with parents and trusted adults.
Recognizing that too many youth in foster care were not getting the sexual health education they need, the Legislature passed the California Foster Youth Sexual Health Education Act in 2017, making child welfare social workers and county agencies responsible for connecting youth to a CHYA-compliant sexual health education provider. If youth have not received a compliant education program in school by the time they are graduating middle school and again at high school graduation (WIC § 16501.1(g)(20)) receipt of sexual health education at these points must be documented in the state online case management system.
Health Connected is offering a train the educator program for Teen Talk YAS. This training is designed to provide program providers working with youth in foster care with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to deliver legally-compliant, trauma-informed and healing-centered sexual health education. See Health Connected’s website for more information.
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