This $1,163,796 Project Grant, awarded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865), will support a 4-year study entitled "Adaptations and Impacts Understanding Teen Pregnancy Prevention Programs" (AIM-UP). The study aims to advance understanding of how evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programs can be effectively adapted and replicated, with a focus on four key areas:...
This Cooperative Agreement award of $340,000.00 was made by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children Youth and Families under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Personal Responsibility Education Program (CFDA 93.092). The award to Child Trends, Incorporated, a non-profit research organization, will support the development, replication, refinement, and testing of innovative strategies for preventing teenage pregnancy. The project will provide comprehensive sexual...
The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families awarded $617,620 under the Affordable Care Act Personal Responsibility Education Program (ACA PREP, CFDA 93.092) to the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services from October 1, 2021 to September 30, 2024. The purpose of this Formula Grant award is to support projects that educate youth ages 10-19 and pregnant/parenting youth under 21 on abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually...
This Project Grant award from the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Personal Responsibility Education Program (CFDA 93.092), provides $1,493,634.00 to James Madison University to deliver culturally responsive, trauma-aware, and neurobiologically informed mentorship interventions aimed at improving health and reducing disparities over the project period from September 30, 2024 to September 29, 2027. The award supports the SEXEDVA - Personal...
This Project Grant award from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) provides $2,567,596 in funding from September 2024 to May 2029 to support a longitudinal study on the intergenerational impacts of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on the sexual, reproductive, and mental health of young adults in Malawi. The primary objectives are to: 1) estimate the longitudinal impacts of...
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services was awarded a $1.2 million Formula Grant from the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. The three-year grant, awarded on October 1, 2021 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Personal Responsibility Education Program (CFDA #93.092), will support projects that educate youth ages 10-19 and pregnant and parenting youth under 21 on abstinence and contraception. The purpose of this program is to prevent...
This federal Project Grant award of $1,500,000 was provided by the Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Personal Responsibility Education Program (CFDA 93.092). The grant aims to support comprehensive sexual health education and youth development services for adolescents aged 10-19 and pregnant or parenting youth under 21 in order to prevent teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and HIV/AIDS. The primary...
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration on Children, Youth and Families awarded a $500,000 Project Grant to Health Care Education & Training Inc. on September 30, 2024 under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Personal Responsibility Education Program (CFDA 93.092). This grant will support the "Indiana Proud and Connected Teens Project (IN-PACT)" to provide comprehensive sexual health education, youth development, and prevention services targeting adolescent...
The federal Project Grant award of $448,650 was provided by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Personal Responsibility Education Program (CFDA 93.092). The award supports the "Lake County Horizon Project" implemented by the nonprofit organization Path Inc., doing business as "Path A Positive Approach To Teen Health", located in Portage, Indiana. The project aims to bring comprehensive sexual health education and mentoring...
The State of North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services received a $3.1 million formula grant award from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families. The grant was awarded under the Affordable Care Act Personal Responsibility Education Program (ACA PREP), which supports projects that educate youth and young parents on abstinence and contraception to prevent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections. Through sub-awards, the primary...
ADOLESCENT AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT (ACE) - DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS, UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY (USU) HAS SUCCESSFULLY REPLICATED EVIDENCE-BASED TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAMMING (EBPS) IN BEHAVIORAL, ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL, AND STATE-INVOLVED SETTINGS. OUR CURRENT PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT DATA SHOW USU'S ABILITY TO SYSTEMICALLY DELIVER EBPS TO YOUTH AND THE ADULTS WHO SUPPORT THEM. THIS PROPOSAL - ADOLESCENT AND COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT (ACE) - LIKEWISE REPLICATES TO SCALE EVIDENCE-BASED TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAMMING (EBPS). OUR TARGET POPULATION INCLUDES YOUTH WITH INORDINATELY HIGH HEALTH DISPARITIES IN TEEN BIRTH AND STIS, AND PARENT/CAREGIVERS AND YOUTH-SERVING PROFESSIONALS WHO LIVE IN UTAH'S URBAN CORRIDOR - THE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA KNOWN AS UTAH'S WASATCH FRONT. WE WILL REPLICATE EBPS IN THE FOLLOWING THREE SETTINGS: (1) BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AGENCIES, (2) ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOLS/ALTERNATIVE EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS, AND (3) STATE-INVOLVED YOUTH SETTINGS (I.E., JUVENILE JUSTICE AND FOSTER-CARE FACILITIES). THIS PROJECT LEVERAGES OUR EXPERIENCE AS A PRIOR OPA GRANTEE, AND OUR TEAM'S EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE IN MANAGING LARGE GRANTS TO DELIVER RIGOROUS RESEARCH-BASED CURRICULA TO TEENS IN UTAH, THE STATE WITH THE NATION'S YOUNGEST POPULATION. WE WILL REPLICATE EBPS TO SCALE IN EQUITABLE, SAFE, SUPPORTIVE, AND INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENTS, USING TRAUMA-INFORMED AND POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT APPROACHES. GUIDED BY SENSITIVITY TO YOUTH IN THEIR UNIQUE COMMUNITIES, WE WILL INVOLVE OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AND PARENTS/CAREGIVERS IN EBP REPLICATION, AND HELP CONNECT THEM TO OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICES. SOCIAL MEDIA AND STATE-WIDE USU RELATIONSHIP EDUCATION WILL FURTHER BOOST THIS PROJECT'S REACH. WE WILL REACH 4,500 PARTICIPANTS TOTAL (500 IN Y1 AND 1,000/YEAR THEREAFTER). THIS INCLUDES 3,825 YOUTH (Y1: 425; Y2-Y5: 850 ANNUALLY), AND 675 ADULTS (Y1: 75; Y2-Y5: 150 ANNUALLY). OUR ESTABLISHED NETWORK OF DIVERSE BEHAVIORAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND STATE SETTINGS IS STRONG AND ENGAGED, AND MULTIPLIES OUR REACH. COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS, YOUTH IN THESE SETTINGS HAVE DOCUMENTED HIGHER RATES OF TEEN BIRTHS, SEXUAL ACTIVITY, AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS (STIS). AS MANY AS 80% ARE ESTIMATED TO HAVE HAD SEXUAL INTERCOURSE, AND 50-66% ARE LIKELY TO BE CURRENTLY SEXUALLY ACTIVE. COMPARED TO THEIR PEERS NATIONALLY, OUR POPULATION OF FOCUS ALSO HAS HEALTH DISPARITIES SUCH AS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER RATES OF RISKY SEXUAL BEHAVIOR, MENTAL HEALTH DISTRESS, AND POVERTY. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROBLEMS AND SEXUAL ACTIVITY AMONG TEENS ARE RECIPROCAL: TEENS WITH EXTERNALIZING BEHAVIORS ARE MORE SEXUALLY ACTIVE, YOUNGER AT FIRST INTERCOURSE, HAVE RELATIVELY MORE SEXUAL PARTNERS, AND HIGHER RISK OF STIS AND UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES. WE CURRENTLY REPLICATE THE LOVE NOTES CURRICULUM, BUT DURING THE PLANNING PERIOD WE WILL WORK OUR PARTNERS AND OPA TO ENSURE AN APPROVED, APPROPRIATE EBP IS SELECTED FOR IMPLEMENTATION. IN ADDITION, COMMUNITY PROFESSIONALS AND PARENTS WILL RECEIVE RESOURCES TO STRENGTHEN THEIR PARENTING KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS. USU HAS ACTIVELY COLLABORATED WITH AND MAINTAINED A STRONG NETWORK OF DIVERSE, MULTI-SECTOR PARTNERS THROUGH WHOM EBPS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY REPLICATED. THE CURRENT PROJECT WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF, ACCESS TO, AND UTILIZATION OF EBPS AND ADOLESCENT-FRIENDLY SERVICES THAT ARE EQUITABLE, ACCESSIBLE, ACCEPTABLE, APPROPRIATE, AND EFFECTIVE.