Adolescent Health Advisory Committee (AHAC)
The Adolescent Health Advisory Committee (AHAC) is a dedicated group of medical and public health professionals providing expertise, guidance, and support to Healthy Futures of Texas (HFTX) to ensure its programs and services align with best practices in adolescent health and wellness.
Healthy Futures of Texas is a nonpartisan organization that has been delivering high-quality, evidence-based health education to youth, parents, and caretakers across the state for nearly 20 years. Our common-ground approach ensures all Texans have access to the sexual health education they need.
Members of the AHAC represent the diverse communities across the State of Texas and play a critical role in ensuring that all organizational initiatives are medically accurate, evidence-based, and culturally sensitive.
Key Responsibilities
- Advisory Role: Provide expert recommendations on medical and health-related matters, particularly as they pertain to adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health, and overall youth wellness.
- Policy Review: Evaluate and recommend updates to organizational policies, ensuring alignment with current medical guidelines and community needs.
- Program Support: Review and provide feedback on educational materials, curriculum, and training programs to ensure medical accuracy and appropriateness for youth audiences.
- Advocacy Guidance: Support the organization’s advocacy efforts by providing clinical insight on proposed policies or legislation that impact adolescent health.
- Community Engagement: Act as a liaison between the organization and the broader medical and public health communities, fostering partnerships and collaborations.
- Ethical Oversight: Ensure that all recommendations and guidance uphold the highest ethical standards in youth health care and education.
- Research Review: Evaluates research proposals and grants before implementation to ensure accuracy of the research process, protection of the rights and welfare of human research participants, and to monitor implementation and evaluation of each research study.
- Attendance and Participation: Actively participate in regular AHAC meetings and contribute to discussions, reviews, and strategic planning efforts.
Qualifications
- A current medical or health-related professional license or certification (e.g., physician, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, public health specialist, or allied health professional).
- Expertise in adolescent health, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, or a related field.
- Commitment to youth empowerment and optimal health.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary team setting.
- Familiarity with evidence-based practices and current health guidelines.
Time Commitment
- Attend 4 virtual AHAC meetings per year.
- Participate in ad-hoc material reviews or consultations as needed.
- Contribute an estimated 1-2 hours per month to committee-related tasks and activities.
Benefits of Serving
- Opportunity to influence programs and policies that directly impact the health and well-being of adolescents.
- Collaboration with a network of dedicated professionals in the fields of medicine, public health, and youth advocacy.
- Recognition as a leader in advancing adolescent health education an