PRC Newsletter - March 2020 - SAHRC

Lynn Bretl

SAHRC Welcomes Lynn Bretl!

The State Adolescent Health Resource Center (SAHRC) welcomes new director, Lynn Bretl!

Housed within the Konopka Institute for Best Practices in Adolescent Health in the Division of General Pediatrics and Adolescent Health, SAHRC has provided support to state-level maternal and child health staff since 2000. Under the umbrella of the Adolescent & Young Adult Health National Resource Center, SAHRC is one of four partners, including the University of California – San Francisco, Association of Maternal & Child Health Professionals (AMCHP), and the University of Vermont working to support state-level maternal and child health staff in implementing strategies that promote adolescent and young adult health across the country. 

“I am thrilled to be returning to the Division to work alongside colleagues who share a passion for and deep commitment to the well-being of adolescents and young adults. I am grateful for the opportunity to integrate many years of experience in adolescent health promotion and youth development to work toward advancing adolescent health across the country,” said Bretl.

Well positioned to be the new SAHRC Director, Bretl brings a wealth of experience providing guidance and technical assistance to public and non-profit organizations (school districts, city, county, and state public health departments, to name just a few). Specializing in best practices in youth development, sexual health education, and clinical services for young people, Bretl is also well versed in implementation of evidence-informed policies and practices in the area of youth development. She has extensive experience working directly with young people and has served in roles such as youth counselor, health educator, case manager, and coach.

Bretl has a strong connection to the Prevention Research Center (PRC) and the Division, as a former case manager for Prime Time (the PRC’s initial intervention project) and later as the Center’s Public Policy Coordinator.  In addition to her role with SAHRC, Bretl is an Adjunct Instructor in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health.

“I’m most excited about connecting with Adolescent Health Coordinators across the country. (And did you know that nine U.S. territories also have a federally-supported adolescent health coordinator?!),” noted Bretl. “Learning about the innovative strategies these coordinators are using to advance adolescent health in their states and sharing in their enthusiasm for young people’s health inspires me,” said Bretl.

 Bretl will hit the ground running as she helps SAHRC (and its national partners) raise awareness of the unique health care needs of young adults, ages 18-24, as a primary initiative for 2020. Through a series of webinars and a new guide to improving young adult health, she and her colleagues aim to elevate an understanding of how to best serve this fast-growing segment of the population.

If you want to learn more about the resources available through SAHRC, or if you just want to chat about your work with young people, feel free to drop Lynn a line. You can reach her at [email protected].