Improving the health of youth and adolescents
Since graduating with a Master of Public Health (MPH) in 1977, alumna Judith Clark has worked to improve the health of Hawai‘i’s youth and adolescents.
Currently, she is the executive director of the Hawai‘i Youth Services Network (HYSN), a position she has held for 17 years. In her work, Clark writes and manages federal and foundation grants for runaway and homeless youth, children of incarcerated parents, teen pregnancy and STI prevention, teen dating violence, and prevention of commercial sexual exploitation of youth in Hawai‘i and the Pacific Islands.
One of the most practical lessons I have learned is the importance of involving the community in improving their own health
“One of the most practical lessons I have learned is the importance of involving the community in improving their own health,” says Clark. “People’s culture, norms, language, and practices need to become part of the change to ensure its success.”
One of Clark’s main passions is public health education. For example, HYSN engaged local youth to develop and act in youth-focused educational videos on sexually transmitted diseases and bullying. “Videos from the Continental US don’t work because the actors don’t look or talk like us,” says Judith. The HYSN videos have been recognized by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Horizon Award for Excellence in Health Education, as well as by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) with the Excellence in Community Communications and Outreach Award.
HYSN is involved in a number of projects to improve youth and adolescent health. For example, since 1981, HYSN and members have received federal funds to conduct street-based outreach and to provide shelter to runaway and homeless youth. Partners on this include Hale Kipa. Maui Youth and Family Services, and Family Support Services of West Hawai‘i. They also lead the Pregnancy Prevention Partnership of the Pacific provides teen pregnancy prevention education using the evidence-based curricula Making Proud Choices and Draw the Line Respect the Line. This work is conducted in Hawai‘i and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. HYSN also is partnering with other organizations to reduce bullying in schools and to create a culturally relevant bullying prevention video, Take a Stand, Lend a Hand.
Clark’s sense of mission comes from a deeply held desire to help others improve their lives and create opportunities for others to discover their gifts and strengths. “The MPH degree gave me good skills in grant writing and group facilitation, skills that I have used every day,” says Clark. “I liked the training because it went beyond book-learning by requiring a practicum that challenged us to solve real issues in real agencies.”