The OAHP began as an internal Adolescent Health Advisory Council (Council) to the Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program. Originally it was comprised of primarily physicians throughout Ohio identified with adolescent health expertise. In this role, the Council provided guidance to the MCH program on adolescent health related programs.
In 2009, the ODH MCH Program participated in a project with the Association of Maternal and Child Health Programs (AMCHP) to focus on pre-conception health in Ohio. As part of that project, the MCH program launched a Stakeholders Survey to assess critical adolescent health issues in Ohio. As a result of that project and the survey, it became clear that there was a need for a broader expert body to help prioritize critical adolescent health issues based on the needs of Ohio’s adolescents as well as the services, systems, and providers that interact with them.
In November 2010, the MCH Program’s Adolescent Health Advisory Council was re-launched to include local and state stakeholder agencies and organizations, as well as individuals with expertise in adolescent health. The advisory council was later renamed the Ohio Adolescent Health Partnership to reflect its expanded purpose of providing statewide leadership in addressing adolescent health issues beyond the advisory role to the MCH program.
In September of 2013, the OAHP's formal Strategic Plan was released, outlining goals and objectives to effectively address 5 key adolescent health focus areas:
1) Behavioral Health (Mental Health & Substance Abuse)
2) Injury, Violence & Safety
3) Reproductive Health
4) Nutrition & Physical Activity
5) Sleep