About the Washington Youth Sexual Health Innovation and Impact Network
What We Do
The Washington Youth Sexual Health Innovation and Impact Network (WYSHIIN) partners explore, develop, and evaluate interventions that improve access to and experience with sexual health care and services, with a focus on Two Spirit, LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC youth. The eleven Network partners use innovative approaches to improve youth sexual health services, educate youth about sexual health services, and reduce barriers to accessing care. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) and Northwest Portland Area Indian Health Board (NPAIHB) co-lead WYSHIIN, and aim to nurture an interdisciplinary, statewide collaborative to address systemic issues that contribute to adverse sexual health outcomes among historically marginalized youth. Their approach aims to honor and uplift the lived experience of young people and the community leaders who work with them.
Reports
Centering Youth in Sexual Health Services & Education: Partner Insights Report
Evaluators at DOH wanted to better understand Network partners’ experiences exploring, developing, testing, refining, and evaluating youth-centered sexual health programs in the first two years of Network partnership, and prepare to better serve partners in the final grant year. Evaluation staff completed eleven virtual key informant interviews with program leaders and facilitators working directly with youth. This report discusses interview themes and their implications for practice.
Innovative Strategies to Address Systemic Inequities in Youth Sexual Health Programs: A Preliminary Program Evaluation (Sattler et al. 2023)
WYSHIIN partners at Washington State University College of Nursing led a peer-reviewed article published in the Journal of Family & Community Health. The paper explores six themes identified by youth-serving community partners related to improving youth access to and experience with sexual health care.
Citation: Sattler, Victoria P. PhD, MN, BSN; Courtney, Kristin E. EdD; McCray, Celena J. MPH; Burlingham, Bonnie S. MPH; Casanova, Nicole L. MPH; Klos, Bradley J. MSPH; Ghaffar, Rabeeha MPH. Innovative Strategies to Address Systemic Inequities in Youth Sexual Health Programs: A Preliminary Program Evaluation. Family & Community Health 46():p S74-S79, October/December 2023. | DOI: 10.1097/FCH.0000000000000381