HOPE Buffalo Referral Guide
This guide was created with input from the youth of Buffalo. We thank them for their contributions.
Teens in New York State have the right to get private medical care for reproductive health without permission from parents on anyone else. All of the organizations listed below offer services for teens. Use this guide to help you find services that fit your needs.
If you refer someone to any of these resources please fill out this form.
On this page:
Educational services
Educational resources include tutoring for those in high school, high school equivalency services for those not in school, and internship opportunities and college preparation assistance to help teens reach their goals.
Service providers
Healthy relationships training
Learning how to form safe and healthy relationships is an important aspect of adolescent development. A circle of caring and supportive adults and peers can help adolescents transition to adulthood.
Service providers
The following organizations provide one-on-one sessions around healthy relationships:
HIV/AIDS resources
HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) weakens a person’s immune system by destroying important cells that fight disease and infection. Most commonly, people get or transmit HIV through sexual behaviors and needle or syringe use. No cure exists for HIV, but with treatment HIV can be controlled. Everyone ages 13 to 64 should get tested for HIV at least once.
There is medication for people who are HIV-negative but at risk for HIV that can prevent HIV infection if they are exposed. PrEP, or pre-exposure prophylaxis, is daily medicine that can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. PrEP may be available from your primary care provider even if they are not on this list.
Service providers
The following resources provides testing, partner services, and PrEP services:
Intimate partner violence services and prevention
During adolescence, young people learn how to form safe and healthy relationships. Adolescents sometimes develop unhealthy relationships, and experience or exhibit intimate partner violence. Controlling and demanding behaviors often happen before violence occurs.
Over time, controlling and demanding behavior may become increasingly violent. Violence can have negative effects on physical and mental health throughout life. Victims of violence often feel trapped and are at risk for harm.
Adults can help by paying attention, talking to adolescents about how to build healthy, respectful relationships, and urging young people to get help.
Service providers
The following services include hotlines for crisis situations, safety planning, counseling, emergency shelter, and legal assistance:
Mental health services
Important mental health habits—including coping, resilience, and good judgement—help adolescents to achieve overall well-being and set the stage for positive mental health in adulthood. Friends and family can watch for warning signs of mental disorders, such as depression or anxiety disorders, and urge young people to get help. Effective treatments exist and may involve a combination of counseling and medication.
Most minors in New York are unable to consent for their own mental health care. Minors in the categories below can consent to any and all medical treatment confidentially, without involving a parent:
- Emancipated minors: minors who are living on their own and are financially independent of their parents
- Married minors
- Minors who have children
- Mature minors: minors who can give informed consent and are mature enough to make their own health care decisions. This determination is made by the health care provider
- Minors in need of treatment necessary to their well-being and a parent or guardian is not reasonably available
- Minors whose treatment would be negatively affected by requiring parental consent
Service providers
The following resources include urgent mental health services for crisis situations, counseling, and psychiatry services:
Pregnant and parenting resources
Pregnant and parenting teens are balancing their lives and planning for or being a parent. Ensuring that pregnant and parenting teens receive adequate social, emotional, medical, and academic support is essential to the parent and the baby’s future.
Service providers
The following resources provide case management, assistance with medical appointments and academic needs, parenting education and support, birth planning, breastfeeding education and support, and doula services:
Primary health care
Adolescence is a good time for children and youth to begin taking responsibility for their physical health—from what they eat to keeping fit to getting preventive check-ups. During this phase, adolescents with chronic conditions can begin to learn how to manage those conditions.
Most minors in New York are unable to consent for their own primary care. Minors in the below categories can consent to any and all medical treatment confidentially, without involving a parent:
- Emancipated minors: minors who are living on their own and are financially independent of their parents
- Married minors
- Minors who have children
- Mature minors: minors who can give informed consent and are mature enough to make their own health care decisions (as determined by the health care provider)
Service provider
The Neighborhood Health Center – Northwest provides general health care, including routine checkups and non-emergency medical care; sees all patients regardless of sex, gender, or sexual orientation; and offers STD testing (urine) and treatment, pregnancy test (urine), and contraceptive counseling.
- Walk-in appointments
- Low or no-cost options available
- Pregnancy testing
- HIV testing
- STD testing and treatment
- Prescribes birth control
- Birth control may be started same day
- LGBTQ services
Reproductive health care
All of the health centers listed below:
- Provide confidential sexual health services
- Allow teens to see provider alone even if parent or partner is present
- Will see teens for reproductive health services even if parent or partner not present
- Ask about sexual history at every visit
- Allow minors to give confidential contact information
- Do not require a pelvic exam before starting birth control
- Provide information and referrals to adoption and prenatal services
- Offer low- or no-cost options
- Offer walk-in appointments
- Provide pregnancy testing, HIV testing, STD testing and treatment
- Prescribe birth control, which may be started the same day
- Offer LGBTQ services
Many health centers on this list offer long-acting contraceptives such as the implant and IUD (intrauterine device). Some clinics can sign patients up for the Family Planning Benefit Program (FPBP). FPBP is a public health insurance program for females and males who need family planning services but may not be able to afford them.
Service providers
Substance use services
Some adolescents use drugs that are not prescribed for them or are illegal to help their mood. Many factors and strategies can help adolescents stay drug free: strong positive connections with parents, other family members, school, and religion; having parents present clear limits and consistent enforcement of discipline; and reduced access in the home to addictive substances.
Substance abuse, also known as drug abuse, is the use of one or more substances that leads to a clinically significant harm or distress.
Service providers
The following resources include support groups, counseling, and treatment services:
Vocational education/workforce development
Education programs offered by the Buffalo Urban League prepare students for employment in current or emerging occupations and train them for entry into the workforce, career advancement, and entry into further education and training.
If you refer someone to any of these resources please fill out this form.
