Adolescence/Youth (Ages 13-18)

Manitoba recognizes that teens are capable of choosing healthy lifestyles and, through our many community partners, provides the tools to foster a healthy transition into adulthood.

Manitoba provides funding to community groups to support healthy adolescent development, including initiatives for healthy sexuality and reproductive health and positive mental health through teen-centred prevention and intervention programs.

Teen Talk Program


The Teen Talk Program offers a continuum of reproductive health, mental health, sexuality, substance use and anti-violence education to youth, in and out of school and throughout the Province.   The program operates from a harm reduction perspective and utilizes an abstinence plus model.  Using a youth-oriented approach, Teen Talk adheres to the belief that by providing youth with comprehensive, non-judgmental information, we enhance their ability to make positive health decisions.

Teen Clinics

Manitoba funds nine teen-centred primary health services:  Elmwood Teen Clinic, managed by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority through Access River East; St. John’s High School Teen Clinic, managed by Mount Carmel Clinic; Nor-Man Teen Clinics in Flin Flon, The Pas and Cranberry Portage managed by Nor-Man Regional Health Authority;  Selkirk Teen Clinic, managed by Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority and Swan River Teen Clinic and Assiniboine Mobile Teen Clinics managed by Prairie Mountain Health.  All funded teen clinics were developed through a community development approach and operate on the core principles of choice, confidentiality, accessibility, harm reduction and cultural responsiveness.

The goals of teen-centred health care services are to:

  • ensure young people in Manitoba have access to health services that are accessible and appropriate to their needs; 
  • provide young people with opportunities to learn about the health issues that concern them, identify strategies for maintaining good health and access health promotion tools and resources; and
  • provide young people with accurate non judgmental information, respectful care that acknowledges the diversity of cultures and values of all young people, and recognizes gender specific needs.

In 2006 through partnership with other government departments, the WRHA and community based organizations developed a Teen Clinic Services Manual and a Volunteer Manual and Training Curriculum.  These manuals are intended to support organizations wanting to develop a teen centered health clinic or sexual and reproductive health volunteer services within their organization.

Teen Clinic Services Manual Reader
Volunteer Manual and Training CurriculumReader

Locations of Teen Clinics in Manitoba
In 2013 a mobile-friendly Teen Clinic website was developed. Visit www.teenclinic.ca for information on Teen Clinics, and to find Teen Clinics using the interactive map.Always phone ahead to confirm hours of operation are up to date

Teen Clinics In Winnipeg Reader
Teen Clinics In Rural Manitoba Reader

Teen Clinic Mental Health Toolkit
The Teen Clinic Mental Health Toolkit Reader was developed in 2017 to support those working in Teen Clinics and other organizations who provide early intervention mental health support to youth 13+.  The toolkit was developed in consultation with youth and service providers to ensure that relevant topics would be included.  It provides FAQs, provider resources, take home materials for youth, health promotion tools, local resources (where applicable) and links to further web-based information and tools. 

Northern Aboriginal Youth Council

Located in the northern Manitoba, Ma Mow We Tak Friendship Centre administers culturally appropriate initiatives with northern aboriginal youth to assist in reducing unintended adolescent pregnancies.

Adolescent Parent Interagency Network (APIN)

APIN is a network of agencies and professionals in Manitoba who meet monthly with the goal of ensuring high quality service to pregnant and parenting adolescents.

Your Choice for Your Reasons

In 2002 APIN and Manitoba developed a series of resources to provide youth and service providers working with youth up to date and factual information about pregnancy options.

A pamphlet outlining the three safe and legal options available for youth who become pregnant was revised in 2012.  The pamphlet is not meant to take the place of decision-making counselling with a professional pregnancy counsellor but can be provided to youth as a first step in the process of dealing with an unintended pregnancy. 

Your Choice for Your Reasons PampletReader

The 2009 revised service provider handbook replaces the original Your Choice for Your Reasons handbook published in 2002. This handbook is not intended to replace comprehensive decision making training for service providers regarding counselling women of any age with an unintended pregnancy.

Your Choice for Your Reasons HandbookReader

Think Again Media Campaign

Working with youth, this campaign developed a province-wide, teen pregnancy prevention media campaign with the message “If You Think It Can’t Happen To You - Think Again”. Hard-hitting television, radio, bus shelter and billboard ads, in-school posters and the Think Again Website were  launched in 2002.  The Campaign was updated in 2006 and again in 2012 now focusing on sexual decision making.  Pamphlets, posters and facilitator guides for service providers can be downloaded here.

Youth Suicide Prevention

As part of the Reclaiming Hope: Youth Suicide Prevention Strategy, Manitoba is working with regional and community partners to develop tools and support youth suicide prevention initiatives for schools and alternative education settings. Learn more.

Children’s disABILITY Services

Children's disABILITY Services Provides support to families to care for children who have physical and/or mental disabilities.

Parent Child Coalitions

Parent Child Coalitions bring resources together through community organizations across the province to support parenting, improve children’s nutrition and literacy, and build capacity for helping families in their own communities.

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Strategy

The Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder Strategy helps with the prevention, intervention and care and support of individuals with FAS or alcohol related birth defects.

Healthy Schools

Healthy Schools focuses on the development of health promoting strategies for school communities using the principles of comprehensive school health and includes community-based activities, targeted provincial activities, provincial resource development, and other related activities.




A partnership of:

Manitoba Education • Manitoba Families • Manitoba Health, Seniors and Active Living • Manitoba Indigenous and Northern Relations • Manitoba Justice • Municipal Relations / Francophone Affairs / Status of Women