Join #TAG42mil

“The 42 million adolescents living in the United States today present 42 million opportunities to improve the health and development of a young person, not only today, but into the future.” (TAG Playbook)

Adolescent Health: Think, Act, Grow (TAG) is a national call to action, developed by the Office of Adolescent Health, Department of Health and Human Services, for adults and all organizations that serve youth to promote adolescent health. Adolescence is an important time of developmental transition, when adolescents and young adults may be more sensitive to the environmental influences around them, in their relationships, communities, and society. In other words, how and where they live, learn, and play makes a critical difference in their health outcomes.

Healthy People 2020 identifies objectives to improve the health of all Americans. Adolescents (ages 10-19) and young adults (ages 20-24) make up 21 percent of the population of the U.S. And while adolescents and young adults often experience good health at this time of their lives, there are some critical public health and social issues that can peak or begin at this stage, such as homicide, suicide, motor vehicle crashes, substance use, smoking, sexually transmitted infections (STI) including HIV, teen and unplanned pregnancies, and homelessness.

TAG is a call to action for adults and youth-supporting organizations to make the health, safety, and development of adolescents a high priority. TAG aims to support the achievement of the Healthy People 2020 objectives, and it provides a framework for action. Experts convened by the Office of Adolescent Health identified five essentials for healthy adolescents:

1. Positive connections with supportive people
2. Safe and secure places to live, learn, and play
3. Access to high-quality, teen-friendly health care
4. Opportunities for teens to engage as learners, leaders, team members, and workers
5. Coordinated adolescent- and family-centered services, as needed

So what can you do to support and empower adolescents to lead healthy and fulfilling lives?

Check out the TAG Playbook, a comprehensive guide to TAG and framework for actions that organizations and individuals can take to improve adolescent health. The TAG Playbook was developed in consultation with more than 60 organizations and experts from multiple sectors. You can download the Playbook online and/or order a limited number of printed copies.

The TAG Playbook includes tips for parents, grandparents, families, caregivers, teens, and professionals in many fields, such as health care, public health, out-of-school and community-based programs, education, faith-based communities, and social services.

To ensure a better world and future for all of us, we must foster the positive development for all young people to be supported and empowered to lead healthy and fulfilling lives. TAG embodies the very same principles Healthy Teen Network promotes through Youth 360⁰: How and Where Youth Live, Learn, and Play Matters, and we are encouraged to see this national call to action for holistic health promoted by the HHS.

For more information, resources, and to join the TAG team, go to www.hhs.gov/ash/oah/TAG. Check out the Healthy Teen Network website for more information and resources on Youth 360⁰.

We’d love to hear from you about how you are implementing TAG and Youth 360⁰…share your examples below in the comments, or complete this short survey for a chance for your outstanding work to be featured in the monthly Healthy Teen Network Spotlight newsletter.

How do you DO Youth 360⁰ and TAG?