Virtual SIG Meetings
Virtual SAHM Special Interest Group (SIG) meetings were hosted via Zoom. A list of SIG meetings is listed below with a link to their recording.
- IAHW SIG
- Male Health SIG
- Juvenile Justice SIG
- Adolescent Nursing SIG
- Eating Disorders SIG
- Ethics and Legal SIG
- Adolescents with HIV/AIDS SIG
- Contraception SIG
- Violence Prevention SIG
- Peace, Armed conflict and Adolescents SIG
- STI SIG
- Mental Health SIG
- The Power of One SIG
- Advocacy SIG
- Internists in Adolescent Medicine
- LGBTQIA SIG
- Early Career Professionals SIG
IAHW SIG
Monday, February 28, 2022 – 10:30 11:30 am EST
View the Recording
International Adolescent Health Week from 2020 to Today
Session Leaders: Wendy Ehiemere, Preeti Galagali, Nahed Jaber
Current and new International Adolescent Health Week SIG members are invited to join us as we share successes and challenges from the past few IAHWs, which have been shaped by the Pandemic.
Session Leaders: Session Leaders: Noah B. Weatherton, DNP-PMHNP, ARNP, University of Washington; Gabriela Vargas, MD, MPH, Boston Children’s Hospital
Juvenile Justice SIG
View the Recording
Managing Substance Use Disorders and Withdrawal
Session Leaders: Rebecca Beyda, MD, MS, McGovern Medical School, Ann Sattler, MD, MAT, University of Massachusetts Medical School; Do-Quyen Pham, MD, MPH, University of Washington/Seattle Children’s Hospital ; Melanie Baca, MD, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center; Jennifer Maehr, MD, FAAP, Maryland Department of Juvenile Services
Youth in the juvenile justice system often struggle with substance use disorders. With increased treatment options available, we have the opportunity to assist youth during detention. During our SIG, a panel of physicians will briefly present strategies for managing withdrawal in the detention setting and medication for opioid use disorder. Members of the SIG will contribute policies enacted in their facilities and discuss collaborations with community partners. Discussions will be interactive, aimed to solicit feedback and impressions. The SIG will conclude with a discussion on relevant juvenile justice topics. SAHM provides an opportunity for those caring for youth in the juvenile justice system to review best practices and support one another in clinical work, advocacy, and research.
Adolescent Nursing SIG
Tuesday, March 1, 2022 – 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST
Recording Unavailable
The Adolescent Nursing SIG provides a forum for nurse leaders in SAHM to meet and share their clinical and research interests and areas of focus, and creates an opportunity to build stronger professional relationships and support the growth and development of SAHM nursing professionals.
Eating Disorders SIG
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 – Noon-1:00 p.m. EST
View the Recording
New Models for Caring for Adolescents with Eating Disorders
Session Leaders: Jennifer Carlson, MD, Stanford University
The Eating Disorders SIG provides a forum to discuss the management and research affecting young people with eating disorders. It fosters connections between a diverse, international group of expert clinicians, researchers and advocates. In addition, it is a place for clinicians with less experience in the field to participate and connect with potential mentors and colleagues.
With this year’s theme being, “Caring for Adolescents in a Post-Pandemic World”, we will devote part of the meeting to the presentation and discussion of new models (such as telehealth) for management of patients with eating disorders. We aim to learn from each other’s pandemic experiences and approaches for delivering care in innovative ways. The remainder of the meeting will be for discussion of topics of interest to the group; participant feedback will be elicited prior to the SIG meeting.
Ethics and Legal SIG
Wednesday, March 2, 2022 – 3:00-4:30 p.m. EST
View the Recording
Approaching COVID-19 vaccine hesitation and refusal to comply with public health mandates
Session Leaders: Mary Ott, MD, MA, Indiana University; Abigail English, JD, Center for Adolescent Health and the Law, Sharon Enujioke MD, MPH, Uniformed Services University and the Naval Medical Center – Portsmouth.
The Ethics and Legal Issues SIG provides a safe space for sharing experiences and perspectives on some of the complex ethical and legal issues related to the health and health care of adolescents and their families. The format is a case-based discussion, facilitated by SIG leaders. Participants are encouraged to bring their own cases and experiences. Over the past year, COVID-19 vaccine hesitation and refusal to comply with public health mandates such as masking and social distancing have become divisive public health issues. On a broader social level these behaviors are caught up with the extreme political polarization of the past 2 decades and experiences of racism and medical mistrust. However, as professionals and advocates for adolescent health, we must negotiate these topics on an individual level. For this Ethics and Legal SIG discussion we invite participants to share experiences and successes in negotiating refusals and hesitation related to COVID vaccination and public health mandates across different contexts and with different populations.
Adolescents with HIV/AIDS SIG
Thursday, March 3, 2022 – 12:30-1:30 P.m. EST
View the Recording
Adolescents with HIV/AIDS
Session Leaders: Samantha Hill, MD, MPH, The University of Alabama at Birmingham; Uri Belkind, MD, MS, NYU Grossman School of Medicine; Yzette Lanier, PhD, NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing;
This Special Interest Group (SIG) provides an opportunity for researchers and health care providers working with HIV-infected and at-risk adolescents and young adults to network and share experiences. Information regarding regional, national, and international activities impacting the care of these populations will be discussed, as well as issues related to collaborative research, health policy, ethics, and advocacy. Young people who are living with or at-risk for HIV continue being disproportionately affected by the HIV epidemic, while also belonging to populations that have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. In spite of this, young people living with or at-risk for HIV are better positioned to take advantage of changes in care that have been adopted as a result of the pandemic (e.g. telemedicine, adaptable service hours, home-based STI testing). Therefore, consistent with the conference theme, this SIG will focus on caring for AYAs living with or at-risk for HIV post-pandemic. Specific emphasis will be placed on making up lost ground due to limited access to healthcare and the lasting impact of COVID-19 on AYA mental health, physical health, and emotional development; as well as how to incorporate new technologies (e.g. COVID-19 vaccine; telemedicine, home-based STI testing). We will focus on how to care for young people during the continually changing nature of the pandemic and brainstorm ways to strengthen care beyond the pandemic. We will identify resiliency factors impacting the wellness of these AYAs, with a focus on identification of innovative strategies that reduce risk behaviors, promote well-being, and improve outcomes related to viral suppression and HIV prevention. Participants are invited to present work that highlights their research or quality improvement initiatives.
Contraception SIG
Monday, March 14, 11-Noon EDT
View the Recording
Session Leaders: Shannon Fitzgerald, MD, MPH, Boston Children’s Hospital; Frinny Polanco-Walters, MD,MPH, Boston Children’s Hospital; Brittany Thomas, MD, Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital
Adolescents have the highest rates of mistimed pregnancy than any other group. Contraception can be used to prevent mistimed pregnancy, as well as treat many other medical conditions. However, pediatric and adolescent providers often encounter challenges while using contraception in this population. Guidelines for medications use in adolescents are sparse and indications for contraception can change rapidly. The Contraception Special Interest Group (SIG) is an interactive session which will provide a forum for providers to discuss contraceptive options available for teens. We will cover methods of birth control, indications for use and how to provide adolescents with appropriate preconception counseling. Participants are encouraged to bring challenging contraceptive cases and questions for discussion. We also review the most up to date literature on contraception for adolescents. Educational Objective 1: Review the most up to date literature on contraception for adolescents and provide updates on new options Educational Objective 2: Facilitate a discussion of contraceptive options available to adolescents, title X funding status, and other confidentially concerns (specifically in setting of CARES act) Educational Objective 3: Describe challenging cases and personal experiences using contraception with teens.
Violence Prevention SIG
Tuesday, March 15, Noon-1:15 pm EDT
View Recording
The role of school and family connectedness in promoting well-being and preventing violence among adolescents.
Session Leaders: Natalie Wilkins, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nicole Liddon, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
This SIG meeting presentation will focus on the role of school and family connectedness in promoting well-being and preventing violence among adolescents within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. It will begin with a brief overview of the evidence supporting the role of connectedness. Researchers from the CDC’s Division of Adolescent and School Health will then talk about ways schools, health care providers, and communities can build family and school connectedness to promote resilience among adolescents and reduce youth violence. The second half of the session will focus on a facilitated conversation about the implications of this research for the ways participants work to support youth, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, to promote their well-being and prevent violence.
Peace, Armed Conflict and Adolescents SIG
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 – 8:00-9:00 a.m. EDT
Recording unavailable
Promoting positive interventions for adolescents coping in a world turned upside down by warfare and political change.
Session Leaders: Dina Birch, MBBS, DCH, FRCP, FRCPCH, MSc, MD, Youth Support Charity; Curran Warf, MD; MSed; FSAHM, Vancouver Children’s Hospital (retired); Evelyn Eisenstein, MD, FSAHM, Clinica de Adolescentes
SAHM members hold the health and welfare of young people and children as of the utmost importance and those of us who have worked with adolescents in war zones will know of the hardship borne by many youngsters having to face an adult world in turmoil without the power and ability to do so. The sudden, disorganised of foreign forces from Afghanistan left vulnerable youth unprotected and exposed to reprisals for being allied with foreign troops and aid organisations. Adolescents are a group who are at a stage of life when they are developing physically and mentally and they are vulnerable to psychological and emotional trauma which inhibits their normal developmental processes and causes PTSD which can accompany them well into adult life and compromise the wellbeing of the next generation. We intend to discuss the special needs of adolescents in such situations and how we might publicise their needs and effect positive interventions.
STI SIG
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 – 2:00-3:00 p.m. EDT
Tricks of the Trade: A Discussion on Implementation Challenges and Nuances of the 2021 CDC STI Treatment Guidelines.
Session Leaders: Dina Romo, MD PhD, RN/NP, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi; Alwyn Cohall, MD, Columbia University Medical Center
Adolescents and young adults are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections, often due to a combination of biopsychosocial factors. The CDC has updated their new treatment guidelines for 2021, with some new guidelines posing some concerns for its application in the adolescent population (adherence in treatment, screening among high risk patients and expedited partner therapy). In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate the needs of vulnerable populations at risk for acquiring STIs and further presented several challenges in carrying out STI screening, testing and management. The Sexually Transmitted Infection Special Interest Group (STI SIG) consists of clinicians who have an interest in addressing the sexual health needs of adolescents and young adults. We aim to lead an interactive session and provide a forum for providers to network, exchange best practices, and discuss trending topics facing adolescents and young adults. In this session, we will create a dynamic and interactive opportunity for providers who are interested in adolescent sexual health to come together and exchange ideas regarding best practices for the prevention, as well as testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections in adolescents and young adults in various settings according to the new 2021 CDC treatment guidelines. Participants are encouraged to bring their knowledge, experience, challenging cases and questions to generate an active discussion with colleagues. In addition, participants are invited to contact the facilitators ahead of time with any topics of interest which they wish to include in the SIG.
Mental Health SIG
Wednesday, March 16, 3:00-4:30 pm EDT
View Recording
Training the Future: Exploring Methods to Teach Future Practitioners on how to Assessing and Manage Adolescent Emotional Health within Primary Care Settings
Session Leaders: Michael D. Colburn, MD, MEd, FAAP, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital; Brian H. Pitts, MD, FAAP, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus; Jasmine M. Reese, MD, MPH, FAAP, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital
The COVID-19 Pandemic has shown just how limited mental health resources can be for adolescents and young adults (AYAs). Training the future provider workforce to be competent in mental health screening, assessment, and management within the primary care setting is a necessity, not a luxury. This year the Mental Health SIG annual meeting will explore ways to support, strengthen, and standardize healthcare trainees learning on adolescent mental health care. Together we will explore strategies to practice crucial hard-to-learn skills, utilize patient simulation, and foster artificial continuity during non-longitudinal rotations. Through small group discussion attendees will share how mental health education is currently being addressed in their institution/program, brainstorm ways to strengthen/advance mental health education within their field of control (clinic, rotation), and address anticipate barriers with such strategies. Goals for Session: 1. Foster collaboration, with potential for cross-institution projects/curriculum sharing and 2. Create a member generated list of strategies to support, strengthen, and standardize the mental health training of future providers to AYAs.
The Power of One SIG
Wednesday, March 16, 8:00-9:00 pm EDT
View Recording
Growing the Power of One
Session Leaders: Lonna Gordon, MD, PharmD, Nemours Children’s Health; Paul Benson, MD, Oklahoma University Health; Holly Gooding, MD, MSc, Emory University
This SIG is designed for adolescent medicine providers who practice in divisions with between 1-3 providers. This group allows us to acknowledge the unique challenges that balancing administrative, clinical and educational mandates of Adolescent Medicine as a small division. As well as the isolation this experience can bring. The session this year will focus on 1) Best strategies to gain administrative buy-in to grow the number of providers in your division. 2) Discuss ways to partner with colleagues in nearby small divisions to further clinical and educational goals 3) Leverage our collective voice to receive additional collegial support from SAHM.
Advocacy SIG
Thursday, March 17, 9:00-10:00 am EDT
Session Leaders: Jennifer Monroe, PhD, MA-ATR, RN, Yale University; Laura Grubb, MD, MPH, Tufts Children’s Hospital
Advocacy SIG is open to all participants interested in local, national, and global advocacy issues and strategies, with special emphasis on regional SAHM chapters’ participation and strategies to ensure adolescent health and well-being in policy.
This SIG will build on the work hosted in the national meeting. In particular, the SIG will update interested members and give them the tools to reach out to their local and national representatives on the selected issues addressed by AAP. Our SIG will highlight these activities, and we will evaluate effective ways that SAHM’s regional chapters can influence state-based legislation and policy development. We will invite SAHM chapter representatives to join the SIG to help disseminate information back to their chapter and support ongoing local advocacy. This SIG provides SAHM members an opportunity to share ideas about federal and regional advocacy, designed to improve the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults. Participants will be given resources they can use to promote sound health policies at the state and national level. The SIG will include a brief presentation by AAP experts on active national issues in adolescent health policy. Participants will also have the opportunity to engage in dialogue with members of SAHM’s advocacy committee in order to provide input into SAHM’s advocacy priorities for the upcoming year and SAHM position statements related to current federal policy proposals OBJECTIVES: At the end of this SIG, participants will be able to 1. Describe federal and state-specific legislation and policies affecting the health of adolescents and young adults 2. Identify SAHM’s priority adolescent health advocacy issues and positions 3. Identify new ways to engage SAHM’s Regional Chapters regarding advocacy issues of regional significance that will impact adolescents and their families. 4. Utilize new approaches to promote effective advocacy consistent with SAHM’s priorities in adolescent health.
Internists in Adolescent Medicine SIG
Recording unavailable
Session Leaders: Session Leaders: Jeri Lantz, MD, FAAP, FACP; Allen Blackwood, MD FAAP, FACP Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic
The Internists in Adolescent Medicine SIG session will be an opportunity for internists and med/peds providers to discuss unique features of providing adolescent and young adult care as an internist. We will discuss updates to ABIM certification and re-certification process. The group will brainstorm about some continued collaborative ideas and activities to share adolescent medicine and health care transition information with our internal medicine colleagues. The SIG will provide a forum to network and discuss strategies to facilitate transition, chronic disease management and prevention opportunities for the care of complex adolescents as they become adults.
Runaway and Homeless Youth SIG
Tuesday, March 22, 1:00-2:00 pm EDT
Recording unavailable
Session Leaders: Diane Santa Maria, DrPH, MSN, RN, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston; April Elliott, MD, FRCP, FSAHM, Alberta Children’s Hospital, University of Calgary
The conference theme “Caring for Adolescents in a Post-Pandemic World” resonates deeply for all of us who work with youth who runway or experience homelessness and unstable housing. This SIG works hard to develop and honor the resilience in our young people while trying to work toward building a future where youth can thrive. As usual, the Runaway and Homeless Youth SIG will use our meeting time to network, support each other, and foster community through discussion and sharing of resources. We invite all conference attendees who are currently working on or interested in the challenges and strengths of youth who runway or experience homelessness and unstable housing to attend this SIG. We will specifically discuss the barriers to access and engagement in care during the pandemic, strategies and innovations used to care for youth as the pandemic continues, and plans for reengaging youth in the post-pandemic world. We will also provide a review of the literature of relevant work for this population. We hope you will join us to share your thoughts and experiences!
LGBTQIA SIG
Thursday, March 24, 7:00-8:00 pm EDT
View Recording
Session Leaders: M. Brett Cooper, MD, MPH, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Shauna Lawlis, MD, University of Oklahoma Health Science Center, Jonathan Walrus, MD, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
This SIG invites health care providers and community leaders who have interest in the health, wellbeing, and social equity of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI) teens and young adults, as well as their allies. The SIG will provide opportunities for members to network, collaborate, discuss workshops, institutes, and speakers ideas for future SAHM meetings, suggest improvements for the SIG and its website, get updated on or propose SAHM position papers and statements related to the needs of LGBTQI health, and get involved in supporting research on LGBTQI health. The SIG will also inform members of the latest clinical practices, research findings, health policies, and pyschosocial/political challenges affecting this vulnerable population. Finally, members will have opportunities to advocate for LGBTQI teens and young adults. We also present our annual LGBTQIA Research Award.
Early Career Professionals SIG
Tuesday, March 29, 8:00-9:00 pm EDT
Recording unavailable
Caring for Yourself: Advocating for YOU in a post-pandemic world
Session Leaders: Megan Jacobs, MD, Oregon Health & Science University; Sarah Green, MD, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Early career professionals are those who completed specialty training and entered the workforce within the last 5 years. While traditional mentorship relationships often involve guidance from individuals with more experience than the mentee, this SIG leverages the power of peer mentorship and networks of collective experience and support to enrich the experience of the early career professional. We didn’t work this hard to be mediocre. Stop negotiating and start investing in your vision of your impact on adolescent and young adult health. In small and large groups we will discuss the meaning of our work and the challenges we have faced to bring us to this stage of our careers. We will celebrate our successes, and discuss the journey of framing and reframing our needs as early career professionals. How can we avoid pulling back from our exceptional career goals when met with institutional conflicts of interest? How do we choose our next step when there are so many different trajectories our careers can take? Finally, we will brainstorm on how to advocate for ourselves when workplace demands, and a pandemic, threaten to reroute us. Reconnect to your excellence and your purpose, and learn from those around you with similar challenges.
Revised 05/16/2022
