HomeMy WebLinkAbout20040396 RESOLUTION
RE: APPROVE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND JOINT APPLICATION WITH
ABSTINENCE AND RELATIONSHIP TRAINING CENTER, INC., FOR COMMUNITY
BASED ABSTINENCE EDUCATION GRANT AND AUTHORIZE CHAIR TO SIGN
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, Colorado, pursuant to
Colorado statute and the Weld County Home Rule Charter, is vested with the authority of
administering the affairs of Weld County, Colorado, and
WHEREAS,the Board has been presented with a Memorandum of Understanding and Joint
Application with Abstinence and Relationship Training Center, Inc., for Community Based
Abstinence Education Grant between the County of Weld, State of Colorado, by and through the
Board of County Commissioners of Weld County, on behalf of the Weld County Department of
Public Health and Environment,and the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services,Special
Projects of Regional and National Significance, commencing July 1, 2004, and ending June 30,
2005, with further terms and conditions being as stated in said application, and
WHEREAS,after review,the Board deems it advisable to approve said application,a copy
of which is attached hereto and incorporated herein by reference.
NOW,THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of County Commissioners of Weld
County,Colorado,that the Memorandum of Understanding and Joint Application with Abstinence and
Relationship Training Center, Inc.,for Community Based Abstinence Education Grant between the
County of Weld, State of Colorado, by and through the Board of County Commissioners of Weld
County,on behalf of the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment,and the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services,Special Projects of Regional and National Significance,
be, and hereby is, approved.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that the Chair be, and hereby is, authorized to
sign said application.
2004-0396
HL0031
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING AND JOINT APPLICATION WITH ABSTINENCE AND
RELATIONSHIP TRAINING CENTER, INC., FOR COMMUNITY BASED ABSTINENCE
EDUCATION GRANT
PAGE 2
The above and foregoing Resolution was,on motion duly made and seconded,adopted by
the following vote on the 4th day of February, A.D., 2004.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
/,�////ll W LD COUNT , C LORADO
ATTEST: atejli (/,�
Robert D. Masden, Chair
Weld County Clerk to th j. o-
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et ,17 William H erke, Pro-Tem
BY: v._ .. .�,'r:, .. ahr a', •
Deputy Clerk to the -':
` M.M. ile
AP D F .
David E. Long
ounty At orn y
Glenn Va
Date of signature: ll
2004-0396
HL0031
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH & ENVIRONMENT
1555 N. 17th Avenue
Greeley, CO 80631
WEBSITE: www.co.weld.co.us
ADMINISTRATION: (970) 304-6410
FAX: (970) 304-6412
PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION & NURSING: (970) 304-6420
FAX: (970) 304-6416
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: (970) 304-6415
COLORADO FAX: (970) 304-6411
Granting Agency: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Special Projects of Regional and National Significance (SPRANS)
Applicant's Name: Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
Applicant's Address: 1555 N. 17th Avenue
Greeley, CO 80631
Applicant's Phone: (970) 304-6420, ext. 2388
Applicant's Fax: (970) 304-6416
Project Title: Community Based Abstinence Education Grant
Contact Person: Griselda Still, Abstinence Education Coordinator
Amount Requested: $92,500 for one year
Time Period of Request: July 1, 2004—June 30, 2005
Weld County Department of Public Weld County Board of Commissioners
Health and Envi nment
� cu, J� a/a/eI �k
Mark E. Wallace, MD, MPH, Director Robert D. Masden, Chair 02/04/2004
Mid E La
Weld County Clerk to the ta432
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Deputy Clerk to the
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Memorandum of Understanding
Between
The Abstinence and Relationship Training Center and
Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment
This agreement is entered into between
Abstinence & Relationship Training Center(ARTC) and Weld County Department of Public
Health & Environment, Greeley, Colorado. (WCDPHE)
Organizational Missions
ARTC: The mission of the Abstinence & Relationship Training Center is to promote a
community model of directive abstinence until marriage education to middle and high school
students and to build community support for this message.
WCDPHE: The mission of the Weld County Department of Public Health & Environment
Abstinence Education Program is to promote abstinence until marriage education to all Weld
County Middle Schools and High Schools and to increase awareness and support for this
health message with Weld County parents, medical professionals, the faith community and
other youth serving agencies.
ARTC and WCDPHE agree to jointly collaborate on the SPRANS Community Based
Abstinence Education project in an effort to develop and implement abstinence education
programs for adolescents, ages 12-18.
Targeted intervention programs are designed to:
• Reduce the proportion of adolescents who have engaged in premarital sexual activity
• Reduce the % of pregnancies in unwed youth
• Reduce incidence of STDs
As partners in the SPRANS project, ARTC will provide funding and support for WCDPHE to
build on established programs, increase community awareness and support for abstinence
education and continue collaboration and coordination among community stakeholders. The
WCDPHE will work together with the community partners to implement additional
programming for local youth, parents, policymakers, healthcare professionals and other youth
serving agencies
Page 1 of 4
Responsibilities
ARTC will provide:
• Funding to the WCDPHE sufficient for management and oversight of Weld County
community based abstinence education efforts, as proposed for the SPRANS project,
under the criteria established for the position of community liaison;
• WAIT Training curriculum and certification for community trainers; (approx. 50 per year
as proposed under SPRANS )
• WAIT Training Parent Workshops;
• The Art of Loving Well literacy-based abstinence and relationship curriculum, and
certification for community trainers; (approx. 20 per year as proposed under SPRANS)
• Expansion of the Medical Intervention Model for Sexually Active Youth in the Clinical
Setting, a training program for healthcare professionals in the Weld County community to
help sexually active teens return to a healthy abstinent lifestyle;
• Expansion of the Quinceafera Mentoring program, a rite of passage program for Hispanic
girls, to teach them skills to maintain their power through boundary and goal setting;
• Social marketing materials to promote abstinence education in the community;
• Costs associated with the aforementioned strategies as well as substitute teacher
reimbursement for teacher trainings;
WCDPHE will provide:
• Updates on Weld County programming, abstinence education information and research
for ARTC Newsletters which will be available in both printed and electronic format;
• Coordination of facilities and food for all events (costs of facility rental and food to be
paid for with SPRANS funds by ARTC).
• Data collection, pre- and post- testing, unduplicated attendance records;
• Quarterly reports to ARTC on the Weld County Abstinence Education Program in
accordance with overall project goals and objectives.
Timeline and Duration
This MOU shall remain in place from July 1, 2004 until June 30, 2007 unless modified in
writing before that date with changes agreed upon by both parties.
Termination
This MOU may be terminated in whole or in part by either party in the event of a failure or
inability to comply with overall goals and objectives, performance measures or reporting
requirements. The MOU will be deemed to be terminated 60 days after written notice of intent
to terminate has been received by the other party, to allow for rectification of compliance
issues as raised. Notification must include the reason(s) for termination. In the event of
termination, all required reports will be completed through the end of the agreement period.
Page 2 of 4
Personnel
To be determined
Points of contact for communication on this MOU will be:
ARTC: Joneen Krauth, RN, BSN
WCDPHE: Griselda Still, Abstinence Education Coordinator
Reporting
A report will be submitted by each agency to the other on a quarterly basis.
ARTC will provide accounting of expenditures and program evaluation to the grant-making
entity, based upon information received from WCDPHE.
WCDPHE will provide detailed reports of expenditures; unduplicated programming
attendance; pre- and post-test results for participants; community participation and survey
information.
Finances
ARTC will have overall fiscal responsibility for SPRANS Community Based Abstinence
Education Funds. Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment will have
fiscal responsibility for administering funding received from ARTC.
Confidentiality
Client's names shall remain confidential as required by state and local law.
Communication
ARTC and WCDPHE will participate in meetings on a quarterly basis.
These meetings will provide an opportunity to assess the referral linkages, referral data and
suggest necessary improvements. Other parties are also invited to participate in these
meetings as needed.
Page 3 of 4
Signatures
Robert D. Masden, Chairman 02/04/2004
Board of Weld County Commissioners
WlI � o qn
Mark K Wallace, MD, MPH ✓$1°4 Joneen Krauth, RN, BSN
Executive Director ARTC
Weld County Department of Public Health
& Environment °re�`; a`•
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Page 4 of 4
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PROGRAM NARRATIVE
2(g)(i) Introduction
The purpose of the Abstinence and Relationship Training Center (ARTC) is to reduce teen
pregnancy by implementing abstinence-only education that is positive, relevant to teens, culturally
sensitive and age appropriate. Programming is targeted to address the needs of adolescents between
the ages of 12 and 18 by providing community-based educational programs that promote
abstinence-until-marriage decisions.
2(g)(0(1) Description of Problem/Supporting Evidence
Data from numerous sources, as outlined in detail in section 2(g)(ii) of this narrative, will
indicate the degree of need for these programs in each sector of the proposed service area. To
provide an overall context for this introductory section, however, compelling data from the Youth
Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) survey of 2001 demonstrates that youth in our
proposed service area exhibit consistently high levels of risk behaviors relative to national averages.
Summary data from YRBSS surveys conducted in Colorado and Wyoming from February through
December of 2001 indicate that an average of 45.4% of high school students reported having
engaged in sexual intercourse at least once;with over 42% of those respondents also reporting
having engaged in unprotected sex.' Compared to nationwide numbers from the survey, these
figures put youth in the proposed ARTC service area into the top 35% for sexual risk behavior
among survey respondents. Other findings are equally troubling, including significantly higher risk
factors for black and Hispanic students; and a progressively earlier onset of sexual activity as
evidenced by tracking responses by student age groups. In the service area, students in 9th and 10`h
grade during the survey period were nearly twice as likely to have initiated sexual intercourse
before the age of thirteen,when compared to 11th and 12`h graders responding to the same question
during that time period."Youth are initiating sexual activity at a younger age, giving further evidence
of need for additional prevention efforts.
2(g)(i)(2) Rationale/Evidence for Proposed Intervention/Demonstration
According to the Institute for Youth Development (IYD), teens have reported the ten worst
influences in their culture to be drugs, peer pressure, sex,violence, gangs, school crime, cigarettes,
television, and unemployment."'The YRBSS data referenced above details sexual activity as part of
an overall assessment of risk behaviors including substance abuse, tobacco use, and violence. As
such, they concur with the IYD research, also indicating the strong need for a comprehensive
approach to prevention. Prevention methods should include addressing peer pressure, substance
abuse, family-child connections, media literacy, refusal and conflict resolution skills, encouragement
and support for abstinence from risk behavior.
Ultimately, abstinence education efforts must provide teens with relevant reasons to avoid
sexual activity and other risk behaviors, presenting compelling facts without alienating the audience.
In addition, effective abstinence- until-marriage programs should simultaneously showcase the
benefits of waiting. We must impart the idea that abstinence "doesn't mean never" and that
marriage and committed loving healthy relationships are good, attainable and real. We must
recognize the desire of every human heart is to be loved well and completely. That includes sex
within the context of marriage.
Comprehensive risk elimination, a primary prevention approach, is designed to reach
children and youth in the early stages of value formation and decision making—both prior to and
concurrent with their likely exposure to risk factors. This approach operates from the premise that
multiple sources of influence are operating simultaneously in a child's life. ARTC proposes a
comprehensive model, demonstrating an understanding of the interconnectedness of risk behaviors.
ARTC programs present abstinence messages in the context of the overall pressures and
challenges today's youth are facing, and engages them through multiple resources and strategies. Our
programming reflects our philosophical foundation and belief that introducing youth to the benefits
of healthy relationships and lifestyles, as a context for the discussion of risk behavior avoidance, will
build credibility and adherence to the principles of abstinence-only education . Compelling evidence
from Richard Baumeister, Ph.D. at Case Western University shows that the ability to acquire greater
self-control and delay gratification is empowering to youth and increases self-esteem.' Relative to
sexual risk behaviors, Doug Kirby, Ph.D. presents evidence suggesting that it may be easier to delay
the onset of sexual activity than to teach adolescents to use contraceptives consistently and correctly.
The community partnerships proposed in ARTC's strategy for program implementation are
representative of high-risk target populations for intervention based on age, ethnicity, parental
involvement and other social/environmental considerations. ARTC integrates concepts from the
primary prevention approach into a community-based, locally sustainable model. Our community-
based methods are designed to provide multiple presentations of compelling,yet similar and
consistent messages that will, over time, create a culture of positive support and a "norming" of
abstinence-until-marriage messages and behavior.
ARTC organizes its community model around three primary intervention methods:
Community Capacity Building and Mobilization; Teacher/Community Leader Training;
and Direct Services. These intervention strategies will be discussed at length in the project
methodology section to follow. The programming proposed by the ARTC integrates existing
community agencies (including local health departments and abstinence education providers);
concerned community members, civic leaders, parents and schools into a team working to equip
adolescents with the skills required to make healthy decisions about sexual involvement. Training
diverse representatives from each community, and providing them with materials, ongoing technical
support and training assistance enables them to teach abstinence concepts in a variety of settings,
thereby increasing sustainability and allowing efforts to continue beyond the grant term.
2(2)(i)(3) Anticipated Benefits
In the context of the Specific Objectives and Performance Measurement goals of the
SPRANS grant initiative,ARTC programming will benefit the communities served in a number of
critical areas. By engaging the community on several fronts, including: via school-based abstinence
programs; community workshops; training of diverse leadership groups; and non-traditional
approaches to targeting youth participants; we will greatly increase the level of participation in
abstinence-only programming. This will be a project of lasting significance,because it will work to
change attitudes toward abstinence-only education while at the same time increasing the community
capacity to provide that education. We will not only directly impact the six performance measures of
SPRANS-funded programming during the grant period, but we will also provide the community
with the means for sustaining these results beyond the grant period.
In addition, our efforts will result in greater interaction between school and community
leaders in the abstinence-only education arena; increased partnership among community
organizations; and increased professionalism in the approach taken by each community. Through
consistent attention to application relative to the ever-evolving youth culture,ARTC sponsored
projects will remain new, fresh and relevant. Each community will be supported financially in
implementing the abstinence-until-marriage message through local supervision and coordination,
training programs, scholarships for attendance of special events, and state-of the-art curriculum.
Finally, the long-term costs to the community associated with teen pregnancy, teen parenting and
disease will be reduced as the youth in the community become and/or remain sexually abstinent.
The community will become comprised of more intact families, strengthening it as a whole.
Abstinence-only educational programs will be implemented and evaluated in numerous
middle and high schools, alternative schools, faith- and community-based non-profit organizations,
community centers, and group homes in seven communities located in Colorado and Southeastern
Wyoming. ARTC will equip, train, facilitate, monitor and evaluate efforts in conjunction with a
variety of identified community partners in each area, with an over-arching emphasis on community
capacity building, parental involvement and the implementation of sustainable abstinence-only
programming in communities previously under-served or overlooked by abstinence education
efforts.
Ultimately, our goals are to produce changes in the youth culture of our communities,
consistent with the performance measures developed by MCHB, with 90% of program participants:
1) successfully completing or remaining enrolled in abstinence-only education programs; 2)
demonstrating the understanding that sexual abstinence is the only certain way to avoid out-of-
wedlock pregnancy and STDs; 3) indicating an understanding of social, psychological and health
gains to be realized by abstaining from pre-marital sex; 4) reporting that they have the refusal or
assertiveness skills needed to resist sexual urges and advances; 5) committing to abstain from sexual
activity until marriage; and 6) indicating their intent to avoid situations and risk behaviors which
make them vulnerable to sexual advances and urges.
2(g)(ii)(part 1): Needs Assessment Relative to Existing Resources
Community needs were assessed based upon several factors, resulting in the selection of
seven inter-dependent areas of the state in which proposed projects will be implemented. First, the
availability and allocation of existing abstinence-education programming was reviewed. The
Colorado Abstinence Education Program (CAEP), established in 1996 through Federal Tide V
funding, has done an excellent job of bringing community-based abstinence education programming
to the attention of the public, and has used it's annual allocation of Tide V funds to help establish
community projects throughout the state. Three SPRANS-funded projects exist in Colorado,
Friends First in Longmont; the Pueblo Youth Project in Pueblo; and the Colorado Springs
Pregnancy Center in Colorado Springs. ARTC has long-established relationships with prinicipals
within these organizations and others in the community of Abstinence Education providers
throughout our state, and we have planned our programming strategy carefully to: 1) avoid
replication of services; 2) compliment and strengthen existing programs in overlap areas; and most
importantly, 3) to provide a comprehensive services model to communities which currently lack
programming. ARTC founder and Executive Director Joneen Krauth, RN, BSN has been involved
in abstinence education efforts in Colorado since 1993, and serves as an Executive Committee
Member for the Colorado Council for Abstinence and Relationship Education (CCARE). CCARE
has gathered a cadre of abstinence educators and advocates from around the state, to form a
professional coalition dedicated to creating a pro-social norm of abstinence-until-marriage in
Colorado. Through interaction with both CAEP and CCARE,ARTC has identified collaborative
opportunities with existing SPRANS and CAEP funded projects, as well as several other
communities in the state which have made varying progress in the area of abstinence education
programming, but require additional resources to succeed. Tide V funding available through CAEP
has helped some these communities lay foundations for successful programming, and in some cases
there are excellent community-based efforts underway. Finally, other identified areas are significantly
hampered in their efforts, or lack programming altogether. We have worked with each of our
proposed partner communities over the past several years, building essential working relationships
and providing all assistance possible to strengthen their programming. Additional funding will move
all of these communities to higher levels of implementation and success. ARTC submitted a
planning grant application under SPRANS in 2002, and a subsequent implementation application in
2003,which scored well enough to be approved, but not funded. While funding was not received,
the efforts made in the application and preparation process did not go to waste. The relationships
established in preparation for implementation of our proposed programs have strengthened, and
ARTC has continued to develop and refine curriculum, capacity building and programming
resources. With SPRANS funding,we will be able to implement programming in both un-served
and under-served communities; and provide additional resources for those communities poised to
expand existing but relatively small program efforts.
2(2)(ii)(part 2): Identification of Target Population:
The Abstinence and Relationship Training Center will target youth between the ages 12-18. The
emphasis will be placed on the transitional period in an adolescent's life when he/she is more likely
to engage in risk-taking behavior. This period is between the 6th and 9`h grades, when the teen is
approximately 12-15 years of age. Therefore, services are concentrated in areas with large under-
served populations of middle and high school students. Census statistics, and data from the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment indicate that Hispanic adolescents are at a
•
greater risk for unintended teen pregnancy, and sexually transmitted diseases, as compared to other
ethnic groupings. Therefore, the Hispanic population of each area was of particular concern, as were
partnerships with community agencies and schools with a large Hispanic constituency. ARTC will
work with the leaders of numerous faith- and community-based organizations to train staff members
in the abstinence and relationship curricula we offer as well as targeted peer-mentoring programs for
Hispanic youth. In addition, we are utilizing techniques to extend programming to hard to reach
youth populations in each service area, particularly those who have dropped out of school. We will
conduct focused, targeted, field-tested social marketing campaigns, to target adolescents through
billboards,print advertising and radio spots. These public service announcements will direct these
teens to web-based educational tools, and ultimately attempt to connect them directly with
community-based programming
Another population ARTC will target is that of pregnant and parenting teens, by partnering
with group homes and mentor programs for pregnant and parenting teens, as well as alternative
pregnancy centers in the various counties we work in. Finally, an additional population of teens to
be targeted in this project will be adolescents who present at health clinics, school-based health
centers, alternative pregnancy centers and doctors offices because they are either: 1.) sexually active
and seeking testing& contraceptives, or 2) contemplating sexual activity and concerned about
potential risks. ARTC will introduce the Medical Institute for Sexual Health's newest initiative
entitled, "The Medical Model of Intervention for Sexually Active Youth in The Clinical Setting" for
health professionals in each service area. This model highlights the best practices for treating
sexually active teens and helping them consider and return to an abstinent lifestyle.
In this last sense, the community itself is also a target population. ARTC has designed its
programs and strategies around eliciting broad-based participation from the community. It is critical
that community involvement occurs so that activities during events like Abstinence Awareness Week
and other events are clearly supported. A team of doctors, nurses, teachers,youth servicing agency
administrators, community leaders, adolescents and interested citizens (see Community Contact
Sheet in Appendices) will be mobilised and utilized as an advisory council as we address the needs of
each community to ensure success and sustainability.
ARTC utilized U.S. census data, school district data, feedback from focus groups, and widely
accepted research findings to determine which eligible communities would most benefit from the
services provided by the agency, and in what ways those communities could best be served. For
example, identification of elementary, middle and high schools with the highest number of single-
parent households, combined with high numbers of free and reduced lunch participants (all
established indicators for higher risk behavior potential) has helped to establish areas of highest need
and priority within school districts. The specific services required by each community have been
determined based on the data reviewed. We have targeted our services based on the understanding
that urban, suburban and rural areas have differing needs and require differences in approach.
Colorado's population, by virtue of the state's geography and topography, is arranged
primarily along the major Interstate highway corridors; and secondarily in a few more remote
concentrations centered on larger mountain communities. ARTC, based in the Denver area, has
established relationships with several partners in the primarily urban Front Range (Metro Denver,
Pueblo); and the more rural areas of Weld County, Northeast Colorado (Sterling,Brush, Ft.
Morgan), and Grand Junction, all of which are linked by Interstates 76, 70 and 25. In addition,we
have established partnership efforts in Southeastern Wyoming, concentrated around the city of
Cheyenne, approximately 1.5 hours north of Denver, and in the Southwestern corner of Colorado,
concentrated around the city of Durango. Proposed projects in each of these areas are based upon
identified needs and corresponding strategies, as follows:
Metro Denver
According to data from the local Piton Foundation,youth living in urban neighborhoods of Denver
and surrounding suburbs are at high risk for of teen pregnancy and early sexual activity due to an
array of negative environmental influences, and some deeply rooted community indifference`. ARTC
will work with local government officials; school districts including Denver and Cherry Creek Public
Schools; and a number of churches, community non-profit agencies, and after-school organizations
to implement new abstinence-education programming. Current funding for Abstinence Education in
this area is limited to CAEP funds awarded to Save Our Youth, a mentoring program for Hispanic
teens on Denver's west side, with whom ARTC will collaborate to expand services and train leaders
from other agencies. SPRANS projects will be implemented primarily in Denver and Arapahoe
Counties,which include the City of Denver, and several of the largest neighboring communities to
the south and east of the city. In conducting an assessment of needs for this area, the following
criteria were observed:
1. High number of high school dropouts
2. High number of pregnant and parenting teens
3. High percentage of Hispanic youth
4. Generally high resistance to abstinence education due to fear and misunderstanding of what
abstinence education is and is not.
5. A well-developed network of community partners and a large number of identified
community leaders willing to commit to our efforts.
Pueblo
i Mit 1. is HA IRA ,a
NE Colorado "Cluster"
Services in this area are targeted to three small, primarily agricultural communities located between
60 and 90 miles northeast of Denver near Interstate 76. Ft. Morgan, Brush and Sterling have a
combined population of_, and we have established partnerships within the school districts
serving each community. According to research by Dr.Judith Vicary, rural youth are often
characterized as having low refusal skills; high access to alcohol and drug use; are generally bored
because of little or no community activities, combined with a lack of transportation and limited
parental monitoring."These known risk factors,when present in school-aged children,increase the
likelihood of substance abuse as well as premature or coercive sexual involvement. Our strategy for
this community "cluster" is therefore based upon the following observations:
1. High number of single parent and low income households
2. High number of youth living in a rural setting
3. High percentage of Hispanic youth
4. High level of support for abstinence education and collaboration of efforts within the local
school districts.
Weld County
Weld County covers an area of 3,999 square miles in north central Colorado. It is bordered on the
north by Wyoming and Nebraska and on the south by the Denver metropolitan area. The third
largest county in Colorado,Weld County contains an area greater than that of Rhode Island,
Delaware and the District of Columbia combined. It's population of 207,120 is primarily rural,
except for the small city of Greeley,with a population of 86,318. Greeley is also the home of the
University of Northern Colorado. The Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment
has been providing Abstinence Education services for several years,primarily through CAEP (Title
V) and local funding. ARTC has partnered with Weld County in this effort as well, and services
proposed for Weld County represent an opportunity for expansion of successful programming to
additional communities. Weld County, the Greeley Public Schools and other local agencies will
benefit from curriculum, training assistance and other capacity building efforts from ARTC. The
youth population of Weld County was identified as a target group for services based upon the
following observations:
1. High number of single parent and low income households
2. High number of youth living in a rural setting
3. High percentage of Hispanic youth
4. High level of support for abstinence education and collaboration of efforts within the Weld
County Department of Public Health &Environment, and local school districts.
5. The opportunity to expand upon successful efforts already underway in the community,
extending Abstinence Education programming to additional schools and youth groups.
Durango/SW Colorado
Durango is one of the largest communities in Southwestern Colorado, and serves as the County Seat
of La Plata County, and the home of Fort Lewis College, a four-year liberal arts institution.
Eastern Wyoming pp �pp �ypp� �qg �r �ygry���{
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Grand Junction
The following chart indicates the characteristics of each community,which were utilized in the
process of selecting services. This data was obtained from the 2000 United States Census, the 2002
Kids Count Report of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the Colorado Children's Campaign, and the
Tony Grampsas Youth Services Databank of Omni Research and Training, Inc.
Weld Co. Durango Metro Denver NE Cluster Grand Jet. Pueblo Cheyenne
Population
Total Population 2000 180,936 554,636
%change in pop.1990—2000 +37.3% +18.6
Ethnicity
White,non-Hispanic 70.0% 51.9%
Hispanic/Latino 27.6% 31.7%
African American 0.6% 11.1%
Amer. Indian/Alaska Native 0.9% 1.3%
Asian 0.8% 2.8%
Native HI/Pacific Islander 0.1% 0.1%
Other 13.3% 15.6%
Two or more races 2.6% 3.7%
Education
Persons 25 years+who are 79.6% 78.9%
high school graduates
Persons 25 years+ who have a 21.6% 34.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
School dropout rate 4% 5.3%
Income(from 1999)
Median household income $42,321 $39,500
Per capita income $18,957 $24,101
Persons living below poverty 12.5% 14.3%
line
Children under 18 in poverty 15.2% 24.3%
%of children in major school 49.8% 61.1%
district receiving free or
reduced lunches
Teen Pregnancy/Single
Parenting
Female Head of Household 20.7% 34.6%
%of births to single mothers 27.4% 35.5%
Teen birth rate for girls aged 18.2 per 27.1 per
15-17 1000 1000
Repeat teen births(as%of all 29.2% 30.5%
teen births)
2(g)(iii) Project Methodology - Goals and Objectives:
The primary purpose of ARTC is to implement broad-based intervention strategies to enable
and empower adolescents, their peers, parents, schools and communities to develop a culture of
character, youth development, assets, skills, and support for a decision to postpone sexual activity
until marriage. ARTC provides a comprehensive, community-based abstinence only educational
intervention specifically designed to reduce teen pregnancy rates; to reduce the number of
adolescents who engage in premarital sexual behavior; and to reduce the number of teenagers who
engage in drug, alcohol, or tobacco use. The combination of the comprehensive risk elimination
approach and the targeting of specific activities with each partner community will make a significant
impact on the lives of the participating youth. Our objectives, and the activities and strategies
proposed to meet them, are directly reflective of the purpose and performance measures of
SPRANS. We have targeted all services and strategies to the population of 12-18 year-old
adolescents in our service communities. Overall objectives in providing these services are:
1. 90% of the adolescents and parents who participate in the services will successfully complete
or remain enrolled in an abstinence-only program.
2. 90% of the adolescents and parents who complete or remain involved in services and
programs will demonstrate an understanding that abstinence from sexual activity is the only
certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease.
3. 90% of adolescents and parents who complete the program indicate an understanding of the
social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining from premarital sexual
activity.
4. 90% of the adolescents will report that they have the refusal or assertiveness skills necessary
to resist sexual urges and advances.
5. 90% of the adolescents who complete or remain involved in the program will commit to
abstain from sexual activity until marriage.
6. 90% of the adolescents commit to avoid risk behaviors such as drug, alcohol, or tobacco
use,which makes them more vulnerable to sexual advances and urges.
Program activities to be provided in order to meet these objectives are as follows:
As mentioned briefly in section 2(g)(i)(2) above,ARTC organizes its community model around three
primary intervention methods: Community Capacity Building and Mobilization, Teacher and
Community Leader Training, and Direct Services.
Community capacity building and mobilization: By hosting a high energy"Why WAIT Now?"
seminars that impart a reasonable and research-based case for abstinence education, we will engage
the communities we propose to serve. At the same time, community leaders will be identified and
invited to participate in the process of creating an abstinence-oriented culture among youth in their
communities. Community events which generate dialogue and interest through school rallies,
"Abstinence Awareness Week" activities, concerts, medical information breakfasts,will also be
implemented.
Training of teachers and community leaders in the implementation of WAIT Training and
Art Of Living Well curricula: The ARTC will work in each service area to identify and train
instructors for certification in presenting the WAIT Training abstinence only education curriculum
in their schools or other community settings. We will also provide certification in presentation of the
Art Of Loving Well curriculum.
Friends First Mentoring Program: In partnership with Friends First, a peer mentoring and
support program for abstinent youth,we will train teachers and community leaders in the program
concepts, and help them to establish and charter Friends First clubs in their schools and
communities.
Media messages: The ARTC will partner with Life-Ed to benefit from a Social Marketing
campaign of fun, relevant,well-designed ads, using radio spots, billboards, city bus "tail signs" and
print media. Ads are focused, time limited and geared toward the population of 12-18 year-olds in
the metro Denver area whom we seek to influence with our overall programming. The campaign has
been produced and field-tested with focus groups and surveys conducted within the target audience,
and shows excellent potential for generating interest in a dialogue about abstinence among typically
resistant and street-wise youth. We hope to captivate a diverse audience,including young African-
American, Hispanic, homeless, runaway, and under-served youth,via their favorite radio stations;
ads and billboards in their neighborhoods; and ads appearing in popular teen magazines. Those who
respond to the advertising campaign will be directed to an educational web-site,providing frank
advice and information about sexual activity, consistent with an abstinence education standpoint.
Alternative and creative ways to teach the material: We have experts who will teach the
concepts in WAIT Training in creative ways through art and music for special education students.
We also have a linguistic expert who will work at different schools with those who are in English as
a second language (ESL) programs, particularly in Spanish. ARTC is currently working with The
Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind to produce materials to teach WAIT Training in audible-
enhanced formats and in Braille.
Parent Programs: We will train parents in the parent component to the WAIT Training and
Loving Well Programs. Our goal will be to help parents communicate and connect to their
adolescent in a positive way.
School Assemblies: We will provide speakers and entertainers that will motivate and inspire middle
school and high school students to continue making healthy lifestyle choices around, drugs, alcohol,
tobacco use and premarital sexual activity.
Community Events: Hold an "Abstinence Awareness Week" with community-wide involvement,
amazing activities and events and incentives for teens to participate.
Physicians and Medical Providers Breakfast: We will reach out to medical professionals who
work in clinics, schools, private-practice and in the community to showcase the Medical Institute of
Sexual Health's "Medical Intervention Model of Working with Sexually Active Youth in the Clinical
Setting". This model attempts to impart best practices of dealing with the sexually active adolescent
and helping them return to an abstinent lifestyle.
Training For Pregnant and Parenting Teen Providers: We will train and give technical
assistance to group home and alternative pregnancy center leaders who are working with pregnant
and parenting teens. Currently there is a module of WAIT Training specifically designed for the
pregnant and parenting teens.
Youth Advisory Boards: We will work with adolescents to help us be focused and effective with
their peers. These teens will also be trained to present WAIT Training to their schools and their
communities.
As described above, ARTC will provide Abstinence Education services in conjunction with
many partners who are already serving youth in their own communities. Trainers for ARTC events
will be chosen to reflect the community in which they are teaching. As a result of this community-
focused approach, people with similar racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds will present
all information to youth and adults, making communication efficient. In addition, partners will
present information in Spanish, as needed, and will encourage literacy training for high school
students with The Art of Loving Well. Partners will be aware of the special needs of those they
serve and will adjust accordingly. ARTC will host other events in public places that are accessible to
people with special needs.
iv
p1 Vicary,Judith,"The Effects of Family Variables and Personal Competencies on the Initiation of Alcohol Ure by Rural Seventh Grade
Students"Adolescent and Family Health Journal,Winter 2000
Memorandum
TO: Robert D. Masden, Chair
Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Mark E.Wallace,MD,MPH,Director
Department of Public Health &
Environment /
COLORADO DATE: February 2, 2004a, /la"'
SUBJECT: Community Based Abstinence Education
Grant Application
Enclosed for Board review and approval is the collaborative application for SPRANS
(Special Projects of Regional and National Significance) funding for the Community
Based Abstinence Education Program. This application is a joint application between the
Abstinence and Relationship Training Center in Englewood, Colorado and Weld County
Department of Public Health and Environment. The preliminary amount budgeted for
Weld County is $92,500 for the period of one year beginning July 1, 2004 through
June 30, 2005.
The program goal is to reduce teen pregnancy through abstinence only education that is
positive, relevant to teens, culturally sensitive and age appropriate. The programming is
targeted to address the needs of teens between the ages of 12 and 18 years in Weld
County. The grant, if received, will provide funding to build on the established abstinence
education program that includes WAIT training for teachers, parent programs, the
Qinceafiera program and the clinical model for sexual cessation.
I recommend your approval of this grant application.
Enclosure
2004-0396
Page 1 of 1
Donna Bechler
From: Gaye Morrison
Sent: Tuesday, October 19, 2004 2:43 PM
To: Donna Bechler
Cc: Tj Ames
Subject: Resolution 2004-0396
In regards to the resolution 2004-0396, approved 2/11/2004 by the Weld County Board of County
Commissioners, the joint application for funding between the Abstinence and Relationship Training
Center and the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment for a Community Based
Abstinence Education Grant to the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services was not approved for
funding for this grant cycle. If you need any other information, please let me know.
Gaye Morrison
Health Promotion Programs Supervisor
10/19/2004
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