Teens have turned out to be good sources of health information for their peers.

As a result, the California Family Health Council has provided money to Stanislaus County to continue the Safe Health Awareness Done Easy program, or SHADE, in which teen-agers counsel peers on abstinence, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and available services, such as pregnancy testing.

The county Health Services Agency, which runs the program, received $75,000 for the second year of the Modesto-based operation and an additional $25,000 that the agency plans to use to expand the program to Hughson.

About 500 teens have talked to counselors since the clinic opened in the Paradise Medical Office in June. The office is in the Save Mart shopping center at Martin Luther King Drive and Paradise Road in west Modesto.

"These kids, in their own language and their own mannerisms, are really getting the message out there," said Samantha Phillips-Bland, director of family planning for the Health Services Agency.

The six peer counselors understand the seriousness of the position and their role.

The counselors are trained by the state, and adults review all cases. The training subject matter includes health issues, abstinence, contraception, risk behaviors, abuse and domestic violence.

The peer counselors also know their limitations and refer teens to other services when problems go beyond the counselors' training.

"They have incredible potential if you choose to engage with them and mentor them," Phillips-Bland said.

SHADE also supports youth activities, such as FFA and bands, to keep young people focused on goals. SHADE is co-sponsoring pop singer Avril Lavigne's Modesto show at the State Theatre on Dec. 20.

The peer counselors, who are paid through the grant, have the opportunity to build experience in the health and counseling field at a young age.

"Not everybody is going to be a nurse or want to go into counseling, but they get a foot in the door at the county," Phillips-Bland said.

The Hughson Medical Office already has received eight applications for the program, said Gayle Cupp, a registered nurse and manager of the Hughson and Empire medical offices. She plans to hold a clinic once a week in Hughson starting in early March after the counselors have been selected and trained.

Cupp said the peer counseling will be a good resource for young people.

"It's hard for kids to travel to Modesto, and they are more comfortable in their own setting," she said.

Cupp said she hopes she can later offer the peer counseling at the Empire Medical Office.

The SHADE clinic at the Paradise Medical Office is open from 3 to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. For more information or to make an appointment, call 558-4000.

Reprinted by permission of Modesto Bee.