PHPA 3395 Pre-Application Conference .pdf

Optimizing Rape Crisis Center Services and Programs to Prevent Sexual

Violence

December 4, 2025

Maryland Rape Prevention & Education

PHPA-3395 Pre-Application Conference

Rape Prevention & Education

Background

Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) program works to prevent sexual violence by providing funding to state and territorial health departments, and state, territorial, and tribal sexual assault coalitions.

RPE recipients (Maryland Department of Health) work collaboratively with partners, including educational institutions, rape crisis centers, community organizations, and other state agencies to guide the implementation and evaluation of their state sexual violence (SV) prevention efforts.

RPE Goals for Maryland

The goal of this project is to reduce risk factors and promote protective factors to prevent sexual violence within a community.

1) Priority Risk Factors:

a) Community violence/general tolerance of violence

b) Social norms that support sexual violence

c) Social norms that support male superiority and/or sexual entitlement

d) Social norms that maintain that women are inferior or submissive

2) Priority Protective Factors:

a) Greater coordination of services

b) Neighborhood or community support/connectedness

c) Societal norms that violence is unacceptable

Resources:

1) https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html

2) https://www.nsvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/risk_and_protective_factors_final508_1.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/sexual-violence/risk-factors/index.html https://www.nsvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/risk_and_protective_factors_final508_1.pdf https://www.nsvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/risk_and_protective_factors_final508_1.pdf https://www.nsvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/risk_and_protective_factors_final508_1.pdf https://www.nsvrc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/risk_and_protective_factors_final508_1.pdf

Systems Change:

Financial supports and economic interventions

Capacity Building:

Social determinants of health partnerships in rural areas Diminished economic opportunities

Lack of employment opportunities

Weak health, educational, economic, and social laws and policies related to SV and gender equity

Neighborhood poverty

Community violence

Coordination of services among community agencies

Access to mental health services

Availability of safe and affordable housing and access to housing assistance

Poor neighborhood or community support and cohesion

STOP SV Focus Area 1: Strengthen Economic Supports

Protective Factors Risk FactorsSV Prevention Strategies

Protective Environments:

Improvements in high risk settings

Protective Environments:

School physical, social, and policy environments

General tolerance of SV within a community

Lack of institutional support from police and judicial system

Weak health, educational, economic, and social laws and policies related to

SV and gender equity

Weak community sanctions against SV perpetrators

Community violence

Cultural norms that support aggression toward others

Neighborhood or community support/connectedness

High levels of crime and other forms of violence

Poor neighborhood or community support and cohesion

STOP SV Focus Area 2: Create Protective Environments

Societal norms that support SV

Men & Boys: Engage men, boys, and parents in prevention

Bystander Intervention:

Social marketing for bystander approaches

Neighborhood or community support/connectedness

Cultural norms that support aggression toward others

Societal norms that maintain women’s inferiority and sexual submissiveness

Societal norms that support male superiority and sexual entitlement

Societal norms that support SV

STOP SV Focus Area 3: Promote Social Norms that Protect Against Violence

Weak health, educational, economic, and social laws and policies related to SV and gender equity

Maryland RPE Focus Areas

• Communities can include any defined population with shared characteristics and environments, including schools, neighborhoods, cities, organizations (e.g., workplaces), or institutions.

• Approaches that operate by modifying characteristics of the community, rather than individuals within the community, are considered community-level approaches.

• To achieve this goal, awarded rape crisis centers will implement one of the following strategies (Focus Area)

1. Strengthening Economic Supports;

2. Creating Protective Environments; OR

3. Promoting Social Norms that Protect Against Violence

Resources:

1) https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/violence-prevention/media/pdf/resources-for-action/SV-Prevention-Resource_508.pdf

Build internal capacity to facilitate and monitor implementation

Build infrastructure for SV prevention Build capacity for partner organizations

Implement SV

Prevention

Approaches

Develop State

Action Plan

Identify, implement, and adapt

SV

prevention strategies at community and societal levels focused on reducing disparities

Gather and synthesize publicly available data

Use data to identify and select prevention strategies

Develop and implement equity focused evaluation plan

ST 2.2 Increased partner and community awareness of effective primary prevention strategies and the disparate burden of SV

ST 2.1 Increased partner awareness of

MD’s efforts to prevent SV

LT O1: Decrease in rates of SV, esp among disproportionately burdened communities

Maryland RPE State-level Logic Model: 2024-2029

Strategies Statewide & Sub-recipient Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate Outcomes

Long-term Outcomes

ST 1.1 Increased capacity to implement and evaluate primary prevention of SV at the community- and societal- levels within

MDH

ST 1.2 Increased capacity to promote and incorporate health equity program activities relevant to SV prevention among partner organizations

ST 4.1 Increased access and use of data to understand inequities within populations and communities with disproportionately high rates of SV

Develop or enhance State plan with partners

Leverage multi-sector partners towards SV prevention

ST 3.1 Increased community-level implementation of SV prevention strategies

In v e s t in c u lt u ra lly s p e c if ic p a rt n e rs h ip s t o c re a te a d a p ta b le in c lu s iv e a n d a c c e s s ib le p re v e n ti o n p ro g ra m m in g

Use Data to

Inform Action

Conduct prevention capacity assessment w/health equity focus

Participate in CDC sponsored activities

Engage multi-sector partners, including MCASA

Use monitoring and evaluation data to improve SV prevention implementation

Focus Area 1:

Strengthen

Economic

Supports

Focus Area 2:

Create

Protective

Environments

Focus Area 3:

Promote Social

Norms that

Protect

Against

Violence

Systems Change:

Financial supports and economic interventions

Capacity Building: Social determinants of health partnerships in rural areas

Protective Environments:

Improvements in high risk settings

Protective Environments:

School physical, social, and policy environments

Men & Boys: Engage men, boys, and parents in prevention

Bystander Intervention:

Social marketing for bystander approaches

LT O2: Decrease in rates of SV perpetration and victimization at the state-level

LT O3: Reduce inequities in SDOH that impact disparities in SV rates

ST 2.3 Increased coordination and collaboration among partners and between

MDH, MCASA, representatives from underserved communities and other sectors to prevent SV

ST 3.2 Increased implementation of prevention strategies among communities and populations with disproportionately high rates of SV

ST 3.3 Increased implementation of prevention strategies that seek to prevent

SV by addressing social and structural determinants of health

ST 4.2 Increased monitoring and evaluation activities and sharing of data related to SV prevention

IM 1.3 Increased capacity for statewide program implementation and SV prevention by better aligning health equity gaps with selected populations of focus

IM 2.4 Increased partner support to implement, evaluate, and adapt state- and community-level strategies to prevent SV through continued TTA

IM 3.4 Increased reach of prevention strategies that impact communities and populations with disproportionately high rates of SV

IM 3.5 Increase in number of community-and societal-level strategies that promote health equity and reduce inequities in SV by addressing social and structural determinants of health

IM 3.6 Increase in protective factors and decrease in risk factors associated with SV

IM 4.4 Increased state- and community-level monitoring of trends in SV outcomes and SDOH using available indicators

IM 4.3 Increased use of data-driven decision-making to reduce inequities impacting populations and communities with disproportionately high rates of SV.

Implement SV

Prevention

Approaches

Identify, implement, and adapt

SV

prevention strategies at community and societal levels focused on reducing disparities

Focus Area 1:

Strengthen

Economic

Supports

Focus Area 2:

Create

Protective

Environments

Focus Area 3:

Promote Social

Norms that

Protect

Against

Violence

Systems Change:

Financial supports and economic interventions

Capacity Building: Social determinants of health partnerships in rural areas

Protective Environments:

Improvements in high risk settings

Protective Environments:

School physical, social, and policy environments

Men & Boys: Engage men, boys, and parents in prevention

Bystander Intervention:

Social marketing for bystander approaches

ST 3.1 Increased community-level implementation of SV prevention strategies

ST 3.2 Increased implementation of prevention strategies among communities and populations with disproportionately high rates of SV

ST 3.3 Increased implementation of prevention strategies that seek to prevent

SV by addressing social and structural determinants of health

IM 3.4 Increased reach of prevention strategies that impact communities and populations with disproportionately high rates of SV

IM 3.5 Increase in number of community-and societal-level strategies that promote health equity and reduce inequities in SV by addressing social and structural determinants of health

IM 3.6 Increase in protective factors and decrease in risk factors associated with SV

Strategies Statewide & Sub-Recipient Activities Short-term Outcomes Intermediate Outcomes

Sub-recipient Activities

The implementation of activities to advance a strategy:

• Fcous Area 1: Strengthening Economic Supports → Focuses on providing financial support and economic i.nterventions to prevent sexual violence. Activities will impact the health and wellness of community members that face economic instability, which increases risk of victimization for SV.

• Focus Area 2: Creating Protective Environments → Focuses on creating environments, such as neighborhoods, schools, and local organizations/workplaces, where community members are less likely to be victimized by SV. Environments may include settings within a community where types of SV may occur, and spaces in which community members interact and have opportunities to connect.

• Focus Area 3: Promoting Social Norms that Protect Against Violence → Focuses on challenging social norms that tolerate SV and advocates for community- and societal-level change of social norms to reject SV. This strategy includes working with groups of people to reassess widely accepted norms through bystander intervention and engaging men and boys as allies in prevention.

Short-Term Outcomes Short-term (ST) Outcomes → Are the results we are seeking to see immediately

1. ST 3.2. Increased implementation of prevention strategies among communities and populations with disproportionately high rates of SV

a. Priority Populations to Consider for Populations of Focus (these populations were identified through a needs assessment conducted in the previous RPE cycle.

i. Racialized groups, including Women of color, with an emphasis on Black women;

Latinx emerging adults (18-24 years old); and Asian Pacific Islander communities

(API)

ii. Individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and related identities (LGBTQ+), including trans and non-binary youth, with an emphasis on youth of color; asexual people; and intersex people

iii. Rural Communities

iv. Men and Male-identified people

2. ST 3.3. Increased implementation of prevention strategies that seek to prevent SV by addressing social and structural determinants of health

Intermediate Outcomes

Intermediate Outcomes → Are the results we are seeking to see over a longer period of time (1-3 years)

1. IM 3.4. Increased reach of prevention strategies that impact communities and populations with disproportionately high rates of SV

2. IM 3.5. Increase in number of community- and societal-level strategies that promote health equity and reduce inequities in SV by addressing SDOH

3. IM 3.6. Increase in protective factors and decrease in risk factors associated with SV

Scope of Work Requirements

1. Compliance with ADA

2. Execution of the Work Plan

3. Use of Qualified Personnel

4. Reporting and Invoice Submission

5. Participation in Required/Encouraged Activities

Development of Work Plan In the work plan you will describe:

1. Overarching Goal → What you want to achieve by the end of the grant period (by January 31, 2029)

2. Measures of Effectiveness → The units used to evaluate or assess if the overarching goal has been met

3. Objectives → How will you achieve your goal? Objectives are SMART:

a. Specific → What are you trying to accomplish between 4/1/2026 and 1/31/2029? What objectives do you want to meet to achieve your overarching goal?

b. Measurable → Can you use data to track progress towards your goal?

c. Achievable → Is your overarching goal achievable during the grant period?

d. Relevant → Is your overarching goal relevant? (Refer to the MD Logic Model (2024-2029); SV victimization and other data on priority population; and knowledge of community needs)

e. Time-bound → What is the timeline you are setting to conduct activities to meet each objective towards the overarching goal?

4. Activities → These are the steps you will take to achieve your objectives.

5. Data Indicators → What we use to measure the success or progress for meeting our objectives, towards the overarching goal (Check out: https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/) https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/ https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/ https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/ https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/ https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/ https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/ https://vetoviolence.cdc.gov/apps/violence-indicators-guide-database/database/

Question?