Project Grant FPHPA006608

PROVISION OF FAMILY PLANNING AND RELATED PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES TO ELIGIBLE CLIENTS IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. - ESSENTIAL ACCESS HEALTH (ESSENTIAL ACCESS) CHAMPIONS AND PROMOTES QUALITY SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE FOR ALL. FOR OVER 50 YEARS, ESSENTIAL ACCESS HAS SUCCESSFULLY PARTNERED WITH THE OFFICE OF POPULATION AFFAIRS (OPA) TO PROMOTE AND EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY, CLIENT-CENTERED, EQUITABLE, AND AFFORDABLE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW INCOMES AND TEENS ACROSS THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THROUGH ITS STATEWIDE TITLE X SUBRECIPIENT NETWORK-THE LARGEST AND MOST DIVERSE TITLE X SYSTEM IN THE NATION- ESSENTIAL ACCESS SUPPORTS THE DELIVERY OF COMPREHENSIVE, INCLUSIVE, CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, ADOLESCENT-FRIENDLY FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES. SINCE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE NEW 2021 FINAL RULE IN NOVEMBER 2021, ESSENTIAL ACCESS HAS BEGUN TO REBUILD AND RESTORE ITS STATEWIDE TITLE X NETWORK, AND CURRENTLY HAS 67 HEALTH CARE ORGANIZATIONS OPERATING 410 CLINIC SITES. AMID THESE PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC HAS RESULTED IN TELEHEALTH BECOMING A CRITICAL PATHWAY FOR CARE FOR MANY CALIFORNIANS, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH LOW INCOMES, LIVING IN RURAL REGIONS WITH LIMITED ACCESS TO CARE, AND ADOLESCENTS. NEARLY ONE QUARTER (23%) OF ALL VISITS ACROSS THE NETWORK IN 2021 WERE CONDUCTED THROUGH TELEHEALTH. ESSENTIAL ACCESS IS SUBMITTING A FAMILY PLANNING TELEHEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENT AND EXPANSION GRANT PROPOSAL OF $700,000 TO ENHANCE AND EXPAND THE CAPACITY OF TITLE X SUBRECIPIENTS TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO EQUITABLE, AFFORDABLE, CLIENT-CENTERED, INCLUSIVE, HIGH-QUALITY CARE THROUGH TELEHEALTH. ESSENTIAL ACCESS WILL UTILIZE PROJECT FUNDS TO: 1) ESTABLISH, ENHANCE AND EXPAND TELEHEALTH TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES AND SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY, CLIENT-CENTERED AND EQUITABLE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES THROUGH TELEHEALTH MODALITIES. THIS WILL BE ACHIEVED PRIMARILY THROUGH DIRECT FUNDING OF AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO SUBRECIPIENT TELEHEALTH PROJECTS. 2) BUILD, ENHANCE AND EXPAND CAPACITY OF TITLE X HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS TO DELIVER HIGH-QUALITY, CLIENT-CENTERED, AND EQUITABLE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES THROUGH TELEHEALTH MODALITIES. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH THE PROVISION OF TRAINING AND/OR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 3) EXPAND AND IMPROVE OUTREACH TO PEOPLE WHO ARE UNDERSERVED BY TELEHEALTH SERVICES AND PROMOTE TITLE X FAMILY PLANNING TELEHEALTH SERVICES TO THESE POPULATIONS TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY, CLIENT-CENTERED, AND EQUITABLE CARE. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH DIRECT FUNDING OF SUBRECIPIENT TELEHEALTH OUTREACH PROJECTS. THE PROJECT WILL HAVE TWO PRIMARY STAGES: 1) A NEEDS ASSESSMENT STAGE WHERE A NETWORK SURVEY WILL BE CONDUCTED AND A DISPARITY IMPACT STATEMENT WILL BE DEVELOPED TO GAIN A THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF SUBRECIPIENT NEEDS ACROSS THE STATE FOR FUNDING, TRAINING, AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. 2) AN INTERVENTION STAGE FUNDING, TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WILL BE PROVIDED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT RESULTS, AND THEN PROGRESS MADE AND PROJECT IMPACTS WILL BE EVALUATED.