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Background Information on Presenters at 2007
Teen Pregnancy Institute Scheduled for Holy Cross College

Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy: (Sponsor of 2007 Teen Pregnancy Institute at

This Boston based organization focuses on teen pregnancy prevention by ensuring
“…Massachusetts’ youth have access to comprehensive pregnancy-prevention services and that
pregnant and parenting teens and their children have the resources and support they need to
thrive.” 1 To support their mission, the Alliance has opposed since 2002 Federal funding of
abstinence-until-marriage programs. The Alliance considers the programs “…not only
inadequate, but in fact detrimental to the health of sexually active youth and the majority of
young people…”2
Dr. Douglas Kirby: (Keynote Presenter)
Dr. Kirby is a Senior Research Scientist on the staff of ETR Associates who focuses on
adolescent sexuality. He has directed many studies on adolescent sexual behavior and published
over 100 publications on the topic. He co-authored research on two ETR publications Reducing
the Risk and Safer Choices 1 & 2.3 Project Reality, a leader in abstinence education, reviewed
both publications and found a total of 90 references to abstinence and 183 mentions of condoms
in Reducing the Risk and a total of 10 mentions of the word abstinence and 772 mentions of the
word condom in Safer Choices 1 & 2.4
ETR Associates is a leading publisher of comprehensive sex education materials as well as other
materials on abstinence, STDs, and addictive substances. ETR’s mission is to “…enhance the
well being of individuals, families…by providing leadership, educational resources…with an
emphasis on sexuality and health education. Its catalog of pamphlets includes titles on condoms
such as Incredible Condoms Facts, Condom Basics, and 5 Smart Steps to Condom..
Workshops with Speakers/Organizations

A1. Depo-Provera: A Critical Look
Amy Cronin, MPA
The topic Depo-Provera is about a hormone injection taken every three months to prevent
pregnancy. The drug has known risks such as a loss of bone density.5 There is no information on
Amy Cronin other then she received her B.A. and MPA from UMASS-Amherst since 2002.
A2. Secrets of Writing Successful Grant Proposals
Diane Gedeon-Martin, The Write Source
Not researched.
A3. Teen Dating Violence: Understanding and Effectively Responding to Clients
Julie Kahn, LICSW, Transition House
Transition House is an organization involved in preventing or stopping domestic violence and
operates a number of battered women’s shelters. It also sponsors a program for school age
children on domestic and dating violence. Julie Kahn is the Program Director for its Dating
Violence Intervention Program.

A4. Teaching Pregnancy Prevention to At-Risk Boys
Megara Bell, Partners in Sex Education
Megara. Bell says she is a sex therapist and has appeared at various Massachusetts colleges. The
notice posted for her appearance at Boston University billed it as a “Sex Toy Party.”6 Her
appearances at Harvard involved explicit female sexual content and a Fox News article on her
appearance in 2001 referred to her as an employee of a Brookline, Massachusetts sex shop.7
A5. Depression and Adolescent Parents
Joanne Cox, MD, Children’s Hospital
Not researched.
A6. Breaking the Ice: Getting Teens to Open Up and Share
Tammy Tai, Independent Youth Consultant
No information available.
A7. Supporting Parents as Primary Sexuality Educators of their Children
Amy Cody, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts offers abortion services at three locations
including its center in Worcester.8 In 2005, Planned Parenthood performed over 260,000
abortion procedures throughout the country.9
Amy Cody is the Parent Education Manager for PPLM.
A8. Beyond Pregnancy Prevention: How to Talk to Teens about HIV and STI Protection
Maria Popek, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
See comments for A7.

A9. Shifting the Narrative: Opening Doors for Teen Mothers
Anne Teschner, Amy Leos, and Ana Rodriquez, The Care Center
The Care Center provides an alternative day school and GED program for pregnant and
parenting teens in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Anne Teschner is the Executive Director.10
A10. Beyond the Birds and Bees: Developing Healthy Sexuality in Adolescent Girls
Lisa Goldblatt Grace, The My Life My Choice Project
The My Life My Choice Project is a program of The Home for Little Wanderers. Its purpose is
to provide prevention programming to girls most at risk of being prostituted and to educate those
who work with girls about the sexual exploitation of teens.11
Lisa Grace is a licensed clinical social worker and directs the program.
A11. 17 Characteristics of Effective Programs
Dr. Douglas Kirby, ETR Associates
See comments about Dr. Douglas Kirby and ETR Associates in section above on Keynote
Speaker.
B1. Vicarious Trauma: Building Our Protective Layers
Karen Johnson, Massachusetts Children’s Trust Fund
The Children’s Trust Fund targets the prevention of child abuse and neglect. It supports this
mission by providing funding to over 100 agencies to ensure parents have the information and
skills to raise safe, happy, and healthy children.12
No information on Karen Johnson.
B2. Dating Violence as a Context for Adolescent Pregnancy
Jay Silverman, Ph.D, Harvard School for Public Health
Not researched.
B3. What’s New in Family Planning?
Stacie Garnett, NARAL Pro Choice Massachusetts
Lenore Tsikitas, MA Department of Public Health
NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts’ mission is to “…guarantee every woman the right to make
personal decisions regarding the full range of reproductive choices, including…accessible
abortion (emphasis added).”13
Stacie Garnett is the Director of Access and Outreach programs at NARAL Pro-Choice.
B4. Talking to Teens About Sex: Communication Skills for Youth Serving Providers
Sarah Kennedy, Health Quarters
Health Quarters provides reproductive health care, prevention, and education to low income
residents in northeast Massachusetts. This includes birth control and emergency contraception as
well as gynecological exams.14
No information on Sarah Kennedy other than she is an employee of Health Quarters.
B5. Risk Taking in Adolescence
Faina Smith, Parent 411
No information on Faina Smith or Parent 411.
B6. Dads Can Make a Difference
Richard Claytor, Massachusetts Fatherhood Initiative
The Fatherhood Initiative is funded by the Children’s Trust Fund and supports activities to assist
fathers to provide a more nurturing and positive relationship with their children. The Initiative
works with fathers, families and professionals who work with them.15
No specific information on Richard Claytor other than he has been involved with this program
for a number of years.
B7. Proving Your Work Makes a Difference: An Introduction to Teen Pregnancy Prevention
Evaluation
Lauri Turkovsky, Western Massachusetts Center for Healthy Communities
The WMC for Healthy Communities mission is to improve health in western Massachusetts
using effective programs, policies, and systems. Their focus is on alcohol, tobacco, violence and
other drug prevention.16
Lauri Turkovsky, Ed. D is the Senior Prevention Science Coordinator for Healthy communities.
B8. Managing Difficult Behaviors
Kimberly Hirsh, Management Sciences for Health
Management Sciences for Health is a major provider of services to improve the effectiveness,
efficiency, and sustainability of health services. It does this by improving management systems,
promote access to services and influence public policy.17
Kimberly Hirsh is an employee of the organization.
B9. Eliminating the Disparity in Teen Birth Rate
Dr. Sarah Perez McAdoo, Wesson Women’s Clinic, Baystate Medical Center
The Clinic provides health services, social services, nutrition therapy, and OB/GYN counseling
especially to teens and Hispanic women in the Springfield, MA area.18
Dr. MaAdoo is an OB/GYN clinician on the Medical Center’s staff.
B10. Understanding Victims of Prostitution and Other Forms of Commercial Sexual
Exploitation: Dispelling Myths and Breaking Down Barriers
Lisa Goldblatt/Grace and Audrey Morrissey, My Life My Choice Project
See comments for A10.
C1. Myths and Facts: Understanding Sexual Urban Legends
Megara Bell, Partners in Sex Education
See comments for A4.
C2. A Peek Into a Child’s Mind: How Infants and Young Children Learn
Faina Smith, Parent 411

No information on Faina Smith or Parent 411.
C3. Adolescents and Sexual Violence
Amanda Donovan and Jane Weiner, North Shore Rape Crisis Center
The North Shore Rape Crisis Center operates in Beverly, MA and provides hotline services,
counseling, education workshops, and support groups for adolescent and adult victims of sexual
assault and rape.19
Jane Weiner is the Assistant Director and Amanda Donovan is a Teen Intervention Counselor at
the Center.
C4. How Do I Protect Thee: Let Me Count the ways
Maria Popek, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts
See comments for A7.
C5. Co-ed Group Sex Education for Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents
Kathleen Sasonoff. Children’s Hospital
Not researched.
C6. Engaging and Encouraging Fathers as Partners in Parenting
Richard Muzzy and Bennie Ashley, Catholic Charities North
Not researched.
C7. Can you Hear Me Now? Delivering Feedback to Staff
Gordon Gottlieb, TDC Training
TDC provides training to improve business and management skills for non-profit organizations
and agencies.20

Gordon Gootlieb is a Program Director at TDC.
C8. Teens and Medical Care-Confidentiality, Privacy and Consent
Jamie Ann Sabino, J.D., Judicial Consent for Minors Lawyer Referral Panel
Jamie Ann Sabino assists teenagers in getting judicial authorization for an abortion. The
Performance Standards “Governing the Representation of Minors Seeking Judicial Consent for
Abortion” states in Section 14 that should a minor’s petition for authorization for an abortion be
denied, the attorney should contact a member of the Judicial Consent for Minors Lawyer
Referral Panel steering committee.21
Jamie Sabino is an attorney and past president of the Women’s Bar Foundation.
C9. Social Norms Marketing: Perceptions to Reality
Shari Sprong, Greater Boston Center for Healthy Communities
The Center works with communities to identify health priorities and design new initiatives to
respond to individual community health needs.22
Shari Sprong is a Community Health Associate.
C10. Overview of ABC’s of Immigration
Eva Millona, Massachusetts Immigrants and Refugee Advocacy Coalition
The Coalition is an advocacy group for immigrant rights that provides extensive information
about programs for immigrants.23
Eva Millona is the Policy Director for the Coalition.
1 Excerpts from Massachusetts Alliance on Teen Pregnancy web site:
http://www.massteenpregnancy.org/about/who.html
2 Ibid
3 Excerpts from Ohio State University website: http://hec.osu.edu/eseminars/teens/Kirby.htm
4 Excerpts from Project Reality website: http://projectreality.org/news/index.php?newsid=57
5 Excerpts from web site http://www.depoprovera.com
6 Excerpts from web site http://www.bu.edu/phpbin/calendar/event.php?id=8572&cid=17&oid=0
7 Students Shake Up Harvard, Alisyn Camerota, May 4, 2001.
8 Excerpts from Planned Parenthood’s web site: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/findCenterProcess.asp
9 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. Annual Report 2005-2006.
10 Excerpts from web site http://www.carecenterholyoke.org
11 Excerpts from web site http://www.thehome.org/site/content/prostitution_prevention/mylife_mychoice.asp
12 Excerpts from web site http://mtcf.org
13 Excerpts from web site http://www.prochoicemass.org
14 Excerpts from web site http://www.healthq.org/index.asp
15 Excerpts from web site http://www.mctf.org/sp.aspx?id=68
16 Excerpts from web site http://www.westernmasshealthycommunities.org
17 Excerpts from web site http://www.msh.org
18 Excerpts from web site http://baystatehealth.com/eConsumer/bhs_chan_index.jsp?chID=1496c7aecd33df00VgnVCM1000000f0c19acRCRD 19 Excerpts from web site http://www.hes-inc.org/scp_nsrcc.htm 20 Excerpts from web site http://www.tdccorp.org 21 Excerpts from web sites http:www.womensbar.org/WBF/pastpresidents.aspx and http://www.bu.edu/dbin/womenstudies/faculty.php?name=Sabino 22 Excerpts from web site http://www.masspreventioncenter.org 23 Excerpts from web site http://miracoalition.org

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