Sickle Cell Association

Sickle Cell Association, a St. Louis-based minority-owned, women-owned nonprofit operating as fiscal agent and prime recipient on federal grants, delivers community-driven substance-use prevention and sickle cell disease clinical-care coordination services to the Department of Health and Human Services as a grant recipient (40% of recent awards) and as a sub-recipient under HRSA-funded regional networks (60%). The organization holds no federal contract prime vehicle positions and competes exclusively in the grant funding space.

Sickle Cell Association's federal footprint centers on two DHHS grant programs within HHS. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention awarded the organization $125,000 on July 1, 2026, under the Drug-Free Communities Support Program (CFDA 93.276) for the No Stigma Warrior Initiative, a five-year community-driven strategy running through June 30, 2031 to prevent prescription opioid misuse and underage alcohol use among youth in the St. Louis metropolitan area. The coalition targets youth ages 12 to 18, with adolescents affected by sickle cell disease designated as a high-risk subpopulation due to increased exposure to prescription pain medications and associated stigma. Core activities include disseminating context-based prevention messaging through schools, healthcare providers, faith-based institutions, and digital platforms; delivering evidence-based workshops for youth and caregivers to strengthen mental health support and refusal skills; and promoting safe medication storage and disposal access. In its sub-recipient role, Sickle Cell Association participates in the Health Resources and Services Administration's Sickle Cell Disease Treatment Demonstration Program (CFDA 93.928, HRSA-21-032) under the Heartland|Southwest Sickle Cell Disease Network, with Washington University as prime grantee. Sub-awards dated April 11, 2024, January 28, 2025, and December 1, 2025, position Sickle Cell Association as a community-based partner to improve clinical outcomes across Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas through quality improvement initiatives, evidence-based guideline adoption, telehealth implementation, and regional care coordination. Combined obligated dollars across all five awards total $2.7 million over the past four years, with activity concentrated in 2025 and 2026.