Tribal leaders invited to comment on Healthy Youth Survey Removable Questions

The Washington State Healthy Youth Survey (HYS) is a collaborative research study conducted by the Department of Health, Health Care Authority, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Liquor and Cannabis Board. It focuses on health risk behaviors, such as violence and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use that can result in injury and impact positive development among youth. The survey also includes questions about protective factors, hope, and community.  The HYS contains questions that have historically been included on a removable portion of the survey. Schools decided whether to ask these questions of their students in grades 8 – 12. The topics include:

• Sexual Orientation
• Gender Identity
• Sexual Behavior
• Sexual Violence 

Tribal leaders are invited to participate in a brief survey regarding how these topics influence your community, in what way the questions should be presented on the survey, how to ensure that Native youth are represented, and how to make the survey as useful as possible to Tribal programs and organizations.

This survey link will be open through January 21, 2022

More information about the survey and contact information is on the attached letter.