ABSTRACT
Much of an individual's orientation to adult life is formed by his or her adolescent experience with school and work. Consequently, it is essential that parents, teachers, community members and mental health practitioners who interact with adolescents accurately assess school and employment risk factors of teens in order to gain a better understanding of their needs, delays, and future orientation. Mining data from a clinical intake questionnaire for adolescents, the present study seeks to better understand the worlds of school and work in the lives of these young persons. Mount Sinai Hospital's Adolescent Health Center is a freestanding, adolescent-specific, out-patient health center which serves persons ages 10-21, the majority of whom reside in the East Harlem and the Bronx sections of New York City. The Adquest is divided into several sections that aim to assess for an array of risk factors relating to adolescent life. These involve: School and work, safety and violence, health, sex and sexuality, and substance use.
