Empowerment Center -This initiative takes our outreach a step further by linking Philadelphia's most vulnerable adolescents to the health and social services they desperately need and by helping to improve the quality of services available to these youth by providing a safe space where young people are treated with respect and dignity. Y-HEP's Drop-in Center is a safe non-judgmental space where youth and young adults can access services, take showers, participate in activities like yoga, art, movies, take classes in dance and spoken-word, get food, tokens, clothes or just relax. Our team works intensively with the city's hardest-to-reach youth to help them overcome the obstacles that affect their willingness and ability to access services. All Drop-in Center's services are free and confidential. For more information about the Drop-in Center or to make clothes and other in-kind donations call Tiffany at ext. 322.

Trauma Therapy Program - Offers youth the opportunity to participate in group or individual psychotherapy with experienced, licensed therapists. Y-HEP trauma therapists specialize in working with youth who have histories of childhood sexual, physical, or emotional abuse. Youth who are in need of a higher level of care or are in need of medication treatment are referred to appropriate mental health agencies. For more information call Deb at ext. 313.

Empowerment Workshops' Schedule [View Calendar]

Free Rapid HIV testing is offered at Y-HEP onsite and at community organizations for special events or on an ongoing basis. Youth can receive their results in approximately 20 minutes and are provided with in-depth risk reduction counseling and education during the session. Testing is available at Y-HEP Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 – 4pm and on Thursday from 10 -5. For more information call Roberto at x320

Prevention Programs - Y-HEP provides HIV prevention interventions provided for our participants. These interventions are geared toward providing information on HIV transmission risks and risk reduction. Each intervention is geared toward different risk-level populations, focusing on risk reduction information and/or risk reduction goal setting. Prevention Counselors work closely with our participants to build trusting relationships through which the youth can openly discuss the risks they are living with and work toward reducing the possibility if contracting and/or transmitting HIV and other STIs. These interventions are provided on both a group and individual level basis and are run both out of our Drop-In Center and at other city locations. We provide the following interventions:

• Prevention Counseling - One-on-one counseling geared toward goal setting and providing support for very high risk youth actively working toward reducing their risk.


• VOICES - a group level intervention consisting of single workshops Highlighting risk and harm reduction practices, risky behaviors, and healthy choices.

Family Planning Clinic - A comprehensive on-site medical clinic where youth can access free or low-cost health services. Confidential and client centered family planning services include: STD testing, birth control and emergency contraception, referrals, pregnancy testing and options counseling, pelvic and breast exams, PAP smears, safer sex information & materials. For more information call Elise at ext. 321.

Interactive Workshops and Presentations - Providing workshops are an essential part of the program. Our interactive workshops and presentations seek to 1. Separate its service from all other youth driven workshops conducted through out the country by providing art-based themes to address sexual and social health issues. 2. To go beyond the traditional workshop and explore the social issues that contributes to increase risk of HIV infection, drug use and abuse, unplanned pregnancy and sexual violence. 3. Create a professional team of polished peer presenters who can facilitate a mature discussion and prepare young people to actively and creatively participate in those mature discussions.

A series of workshops that uses elements of the arts to challenge peoples' ideas around sexual and social health issues.

• Don’t Get Burnt: STI 101 Many young people may refer to someone getting burnt, however how often do you actually know what that means? This workshop will provide an introduction to sexual transmitted infections, while also allow a safe space for them to ask questions about sexual health. The students will also walk away with knowledge of various protective methods, such as male and female condoms, dental dams, and gloves.
• HIV 101 What is HIV? What does it mean for someone to have AIDS? I can tell if someone has it right? The young people today have never known a world without HIV however the epidemic has not ended. Lack of information and myths around HIV have lead to misunderstandings about the virus. This workshop will provide an introduction to HIV and AIDS, how it is transmitted and what fluids carry the virus.
• Sexual Health Jeopardy I’ll take "safer sex" for $200. This fun and interactive trivia game based off the TV game show Jeopardy will give an overview or review of sexual health for young people. Topics include: the media, STIs and HIV, condoms, and sex slang. Students will develop team collaboration skills while sharing what they already learned.
• Suiting up: Condom Negotiation For young people, having condoms, knowing how to put on a condom correctly, and effectively communicating to your partner that you want to use condoms are not the same things. This interactive workshop will not only review how to use a condom properly, but also provide the students with the skills and practice of negotiating condom use.
• R.E.S.P.E.C.T. – Healthy Relationships Can you honestly say that young people know the difference between a healthy and unhealthy relationship? Yes or no, this workshop will make sure your students do understand the difference. They will walk away with 7 easy elements of a healthy relationship that can then be applied to anyone in their life.
• Genderosity Who is to say that "boys will be boys" and "girls will be girls"? Who is to say that their only options are boy or girl? This workshop will examine and question the binary to gender roles that promote sexism, irrational sexual decision making, and homophobia.
• Doin' You: Sexuality Do you feel uncomfortable when you hear a student say "that’s so gay"? Do you have difficulty getting them to understand that it is offensive? This interactive workshop will tackle myths and facts around LGBTQ people and provide information that will help break down the stereotypes that lead to homophobia and transphobia.
• You know what they say: Stereotypes You know what they say about (fill in the blank). Young people are just as likely to use stereotypes as adults; however they may not even realize that what they say hurts others. This interactive workshop will have student’s questions why stereotypes happens and how they can lead to others types of injustices.
• Nah, I’m Good... How many times do young people say, "Nah, I’m good" in response to feelings and stress. In some cases, drugs and alcohol become the alternative to coping with those past and present feelings. This workshop looks past and present experiences that we carry every day. At the end, students will be able to identify the ways in which those experiences influence how they reach to stress so that they do turn to substance.

Peer Education Academy - The Peer Education Academy was designed to meet 4 specific needs:

1. To mainstream the education; peer youth educators receive at different organizations.


2. Create a network of citywide youth educators that will have alumni privileges and access to resources within that network.


3. Provide tangible and employable skills to young people to add to the foundation they are building for their future endeavors.


4. Build on the efficacy of young people who are faced with peer pressure, HIV/STD infection early pregnancy, and challenges around health perception, stereotypes and negative media influence.

What is the mission of the Academy?
To create standardized requirements for Peer Educators through a curriculum that outlines how the following should occur; cultivation of leadership roles, education on social and sexual health issues, and the strengthening of emotional and social development under the Three P Design: Professional development, Political analysis and Program building.

If you would like to volunteer for the Peer Education Academy please download an application.

Skills-building discussion groups - "S.H.E." for young women and "Da Lox" for young men are discussion and support groups that provide a safe space where youth can learn the skills needed to avoid HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, unwanted pregnancy, and dating violence as well as explore a range of topics and issues important to young people. Trained peer facilitators provide a safe and supportive forum where young people to discuss barriers to safe and health-promoting behaviors. Snacks and tokens are provided to participants.

S.H.E. (ages 13-18) is held on Thursdays 4:30-6pm . Da Lox (ages 13-18) is held Thursday 4:30-6pm.