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Statewide Youth Health Council

CALL FOR YOUTH LEADERS AGES 15-19: APPLICATION FOR OREGON HEALTH AUTHORITY YOUTH ADVISORY COUNCIL

Do you want to help youth and schools recover from COVID-19?

Vea la “Convocatoria Para La Solicitud Del Consejo Asesor De Jóvenes Del Oregon Health Authority" en español: Aquí.

Background

Oregon Health Authority (OHA) is looking for youth leaders to help invest $1 million in helping youth and schools recover from COVID-19.  Oregon youth and their schools are taking on a lot – among other impacts, the pandemic has:  

  • Disrupted youth’s lives in their communities, schools, and activities - causing a lot of stress, trauma and pain
  • Created the need for remote learning and changes to in-person learning – bringing new challenges and leaving some youth with unmet needs
  • Decreased in-person social interaction
  • Impacted mental health
  • Created financial burden

In order to support these needs, OHA is accepting applications from youth and youth serving community-based organizations to serve on and/or support a statewide youth advisory council.  This council will make decisions on how to invest $1 million to increase capacity in schools and communities to better serve youth and schools as they recover from the pandemic.    

OHA’s Commitment to Health Equity

OHA is committed to seeking participation on this council from youth from communities most impacted by COVID-19 and health inequities, including youth of color, youth from tribal communities, youth with disabilities, youth experiencing housing instability, youth from immigrant communities, and youth who are LGTBQIA2S+.  OHA will provide the youth advisory council with the overarching goal to advance health equity through their work.  OHA defines health equity as:  

“Oregon will have established a health system that creates health equity when all people can reach their full health potential and well-being and are not disadvantaged by their race, ethnicity, language, disability, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, social class, intersections among these communities or identities, or other socially determined circumstances. 

Achieving health equity requires the ongoing collaboration of all regions and sectors of the state, including tribal governments to address: 

  • The equitable distribution or redistribution of resources and power; and 
  • Recognizing, reconciling and rectifying historical and contemporary injustices.” 
Youth are encouraged to apply here by March 31.

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are encouraged to propose how they can support the council here by March 31. 

Apply Here!

Youth are encouraged to apply here by March 31.

Se les motiva a los jóvenes a mandar su solicitud aquí antes del 31 de Marzo.

 

Community-based organizations (CBOs) are encouraged to propose how they can support the council here by March 31.

Organizaciones comunitarias (CBOs en inglés) se les anima a proponer cómo pueden apoyar al consejo aquí antes del 31 de Marzo.

 

Microsoft Word (.doc) Version:


Questions/Preguntas? Contact:
adolescent.program@dhsoha.
state.or.us 

NOTE: There will be an online question and answer session for both interested youth and community based organizations on March 16th at 4pm. Register here.


A youth advisory council (YAC) is a youth-led decision-making and service body that helps an organization make decisions affecting youth.  YACs can have different structures, compositions, and decision-making authority – but the goal is to empower youth to lead policy and program development. Here are a couple of short videos describing example YACs across the state and country:

​ ​

 OHA will appoint 20 youth to serve on a YAC from March 2022 to June 2023 (15 months). Youth will be expected to: 

DEDICATE TIME:  Contribute your valuable experience and expertise: 

  • Attend a once monthly 2-hour YAC meeting. 
  • Spend about 3 additional hours a month on council activities. Attend two half day (4-hour) retreats.   
  • All meetings and retreats will be virtual attendance in the initial months of the council. This may change  based on feedback from youth council members and changes to health and safety protocols.   

DEFINE: Work together to define what it means for schools and communities to recover from COVID-19: 

  • Define what recovery looks like and the values of recovery  
  • Identify needs and health inequities that are priorities for youth  
  • Have discussions about health equity and community engagement  
  • Talk about what is already happening 

INVEST: Work with OHA staff to invest $1 million in projects and programs that address the values and needs identified by the YAC.  

IMPROVE: Help OHA understand what actions, policies, and practices OHA can take to improve youth engagement for the state.  
  • Any youth aged 15 to 19 at time of application  
  • Must live in Oregon  ​

Youth who serve on the Youth Advisory Council will receive:  

  • $45/hr stipend for all time spent on council activities.  Youth will have a choice of direct deposit to a bank account, or selection of gift cards.  Please note that OHA will require tax forms (W-4).   
  • Community service hours – youth may receive community service hours in place of funding/compensation if they prefer, and/or if they are unable to receive funding/compensation for participation.  
  • Mentorship from state public health officials and adult community partners 
  • Trainings on youth-adult partnership and health equity.  
  • Learning opportunities and professional development related to public health, education, and community support.  
  • The chance to make a positive difference in the lives of Oregon youth.


​Community-based organizations (CBOs) have several options for supporting the work of the youth advisory council. CBOs are eligible and can apply for up to $10,000 to support any of the activities below: 

  • Identifying and supporting a youth to serve on the council.  We encourage youth representing youth-serving community-based organizations to apply. Support could include outreach to youth to apply, providing technology or space to do work outside of the council, alleviating barriers to serve on the council, etc.  
  • Providing one or more youth council members with mentorship. OHA is looking for organizations to provide mentorship both formally and informally to the council.   
    • ​Adult mentor council seats:  OHA is looking for 3-5 adult mentors to sit on the council in the initial months (Summer 2022) to provide allyship and mentorship to youth members.  Adults would not have decision making authority but would provide support as the council forms.   
    • ​​​“Offline” mentors: OHA is also looking to support organizations as they mentor their youth representatives outside of council time. OHA would look to keep these mentors in the loop of all council proceedings and invite them to a once quarterly meeting to discuss progress. This could be two to four hours a month of support time.  
  • Supporting additional engagement activities. 20 youth council members cannot speak to every experience faced by youth in Oregon. CBOs can support the council by providing learnings from engagement with youth in their community.  OHA will look to support CBOs doing external engagement on COVID-19 recovery and recovery-related topics, including defining recovery and values around recovery, recommendations for investments in schools and youth, and recommendations for improved youth engagement. This could include support for engagement done in the recent past. OHA could support: 
    • ​Focus groups or listening sessions 
    • Surveys  
    • Summits  
    • Other methods defined by organization.  



February 28th: Applications Open

March 31st: Applications Close

April: Appointment Notices and Notices of CBO Partnership Funding Sent

Mid to Late April:  First meeting of the Oregon Health Authority Youth Advisory Council