Mercy Care Offers Programs For Hispanic Youth

BY PRISCILLA GREEAR

Staff Writer

ATLANTA--Hispanics, the fastest growing minority in America, also have the country’s highest fertility rate.

To reduce sexual activity and other at-risk behaviors among Hispanic youth in the Atlanta Archdiocese, Mercy Mobile Health Care of St. Joseph’s Hospital is developing family-oriented programs in the heart of metro Atlanta’s growing Hispanic population of approximately 100,000 along Buford Highway.

It is beginning a bilingual abstinence program entitled “Principios: Valores y Familia” and starting the second year of “Positive Alternatives for Youth,” a program for high school youth.

As Georgia has one of the country’s highest rates of teen pregnancy, both programs are funded by grants from the governor’s Children and Youth Coordinating Council.

Following a parent planning meeting Sept. 19, “Principios” is scheduled to begin in October at Our Lady of the Americas Mission in Doraville. The free program open to the public will be led by Hispanic resource specialist Xiomara Llaverias. It includes eight separate sessions for 20-30 parents and their children ages 9-12 and three additional combined sessions for youth and adults. Ongoing referrals and support will be offered to participants following program completion. It will be repeated in the spring.

“Principios” will address sex education, prevention of sexual, drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, teen communication with parents, school and peers, self-esteem and self-respect and goal setting in a culturally-sensitive manner in order to lower teen pregnancies and improve school performance.

“We’re going to teach them resistance skills (to) peer pressure, to teach them how to set goals in life and use resources to achieve goals...We’re going to have discussion for parents and children together just to practice the communication techniques and encourage children to talk about their feelings,” said Cecilia Galvis, Mercy Care’s family health promotion coordinator.

“We want to prevent teen pregnancy,” she said. “We want to encourage children to complete higher education and to become very productive citizens and have success in life and live on principles.”

Galvis is optimistic that Latino families at Our Lady of the Americas Mission will utilize the program, noting that the pastor, Father Carlos Garcia-Carreras, “very often received comments from parents that they wanted to do something for their children because they don’t want children to get lost...It’s a good tool to help parents that are asking for help to give them counseling and guidance while they maintain the customs from their own families and heritage.”

According to a project summary, communication skills taught in the program will allow parents to affirm Catholic and other religious beliefs, important factors in the decision of Hispanic girls to postpone sex.

Mercy Care will further promote education through the “Positive Alternatives” project at Cross Keys High School in Atlanta.

The program, which last year served 30 Hispanic youth and their families, will begin its second school year this fall. Students, who are referred for problems of absenteeism, school failure and disruptive behavior, meet twice weekly in small groups to receive HIV education and life skills training.

The program also provides assessments and referrals to youth and their families for counseling and other services, parenting classes, mentoring and support groups for those affected by AIDS. Recreational and cultural activities include making a video and writing, acting in and directing a play on the importance of positive communication and the challenges of cultural adaptation to a new country.

Mayra Oquendo, project resource specialist, said many Hispanic youth drop out of school to work and earn money for their parents and that those in school “don’t participate. We try to let them know that it’s OK to get involved (in classes)...that it’s OK to come in and talk to their teachers.”

Oquendo said the program involves entire families because Hispanic parents often don’t understand the need for participation in their child’s education.

Mercy Care notes studies showing that Hispanic teens are at increased risk for sexual activity because of poor school performance and stress of acculturation to America, as well as higher levels of poverty, substance abuse and domestic violence in their families.