On July 6, 2015, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Adolescent Health announced that Health Care Education and Training (HCET), based in Indianapolis, Indiana was awarded funding for Evidence-Based Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs in Clinton County, Indiana.
This project, Youth RISE! (Responsible, Involved, Supported, Educated) was a partnership with HCET, Healthy Communities of Clinton County, Purdue Extension, The Learning Network, and the IU School of Medicine – Section of Adolescent Medicine. This project implemented evidence-based adolescent pregnancy prevention, youth development, and parent/guardian/caregiver education in Clinton County through June of 2021.
During this time over 6,000 participants were served and the teen birth rate decreased significantly. In 2013, the teen birth rate (ages 15-19) in Clinton County was 46.2, significantly higher than the overall teen birth rate (30.3 per 1,000 births) across the state. In 2019, the teen birth rate in Clinton County dropped significantly to 23.7 per 1,000 births.
These efforts continue to be sustained in Clinton County. Evidenced-based curriculum continues in the schools. The Youth RISE! Youth Leadership Council youth development program continues at Healthy Communities with funding from the United Way of Clinton County. Parenting programs continue through Healthy Communities, Purdue Extension, and The Learning Network. Support for this project was provided to Health Care Education and Training, Inc. (HCET) through the HHS Office of Population Affairs Grant # TP1AH000115 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program CFDA 93.297.