Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout930651.tiff RESOLUTION RE: APPROVE TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION INITIATIVE GRANT APPLICATION TO THE COLORADO TRUST AND AUTHORIZE CHAIRMAN 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 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Grant Application to be submitted to The Colorado Trust by the Weld County Health Department, commencing October 1, 1993, and ending September 30, 1994, 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 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Grant Application to be submitted to The Colorado Trust by the Weld County Health Department be, and hereby is, approved. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board that the Chairman be, and hereby is, authorized to sign said application. The above and foregoing Resolution was, on motion duly made and seconded, adopted by the following vote on the 28th day of July, A.D. , 1993. ;) �, BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ATTEST: ' �' WELD COUNTY, COLORADO Wit/ - fr r �'� r Weld County Clerk to the Board (42.-5,,,i, -"f a i X: Constance L. Harbert, Chairman L 3 . BY: i Y,'l.('to F. lid id t , ,t Deputy6lerk to the Board W. H. }lebster, Pro Tem APPROVED AS TO FORM: /(77‘;,----y 4. /— `-n"f`' -? /3eorge yK Baxter ofxnty Attorne� Dale K. Hall i C/ iArner 930651 ii Pn Nc - 7..t5d1; .1 THE COLORADO TRUST The Colorado Trust Building 1600 Sherman Street • Denver, CO 80203-1604 Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative 1 Lead Agency Weld County Health Department Address 1517 16th Avenue Court Greeley, CO 80631 Contact Persons Glenda Schneider, R.N. (Name & Title) Director, Community Health Nursing Lesli Bangert Health Educator Phone (303) 353-0586 Amount Requested $ 154,114.00 . from Oct. 1, 1993 to Sept. 30, 1994 Date Submitted August 2, 1993 BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS Weld County, Colorado Constance L. Harbert °670,2/93 Chairman ATTEST: Ph ` WELD COUNTY CLERK TO THE BOARD By: ,10 r. i0�Ii) De uty erk to the Board 9,70651 STATEMENT OF NEED What are the target populations and the geographic area for this project? How did you arrive at these definitions? What is the scope of the problem in your community? Describe how this project will address the problem of teen pregnancy in your community. The community to be served by this initiative will be Weld County. This is primarily an agricultural county which covers 4034 square miles and is located 50 miles northeast of Denver. The population of the county is 131,821 with approximately 45% of the population living in communities with less than 2,500 residents. These communities are very centered and self-contained. Getting people to share resources or go to other towns for services is very difficult. According to the 1990 census, 4,000 children live in poverty in this county. Twenty-one percent of the population is Hispanic. Thirty percent of the 13 to 19 year olds in Weld County are Hispanic. In 1990, the total number of teens age 13 to 19 in Weld County was 15,058. It is also estimated that 6% of children will have handicapping conditions. Weld County is largely an agricultural community with approximately 10,000 migrants in the area during the growing season. Weld County ranks 15th in the state for birthrate which is 16.4 per 1000 population. Weld County's live birth rate among 10 to 14 year olds is 2.2/1000 women compared to the state rate of 0.8/1000. Weld also has a 55/1000 women live birth rate in the 15 to 19 year age group (with live birth rates as high as 79.6/1000 in isolated communities) in comparison to the state rate of 54.3/1000. Live births by race/ethnicity of mother according to the 1990 census reveal that out of a total of 2202 births in Weld County, 762 (35%) were to mothers of Hispanic ethnicity. Weld County's five year average neonatal death rate is 6.1/1000 live births compared to the state average of 5.4/1000. Weld County also has a perinatal death rate of 13.8/1000 live births compared to 12.2/1000 statewide. In 1991, there were a total of 2253 births to Weld County residents. Of these births, 127 or 5.6% were to women under the age of 17. Births to unmarried women numbered 577. Women with an education of less than 12 years had 696 births (31.1%) . There were 156 low birth weight babies born (6.9%) . Prenatal care began later than the first trimester in 723 (32.9%) births. Two years ago, the community received Trust funding to initiate a prenatal case management program. This program, titled First Steps, is now a 501 C(3) agency. In the programs two year history. it has served over 800 women. Their current open caseload is over 400 women, 55% of whom are teens. The case managers carry a caseload of 150 to 160 women. Due to these high numbers, the case managers have had to triage the women and serve only those at extreme high risk. This grant program, if funded, will collaborate with First Steps by placing the case managers in the First Steps agency and sharing supervision of the case managers. This will prevent confusion to the community that would result if a separate case management program was initiated in the community. First Steps was a part of the Health Department previously and excellent coordination and cooperation exists. Grant case managers will accept high risk teens referred to the First Steps program. This in turn will relieve the First Steps case managers to follow other women not currently being served. First Steps has been very well received in the community and yet continuance funding has been difficult to obtain. The financial climate for schools and human service agencies does not allow additional funding for even very worthwhile programs. The Health Department has received requests from two school districts to provide a school based clinic at their schools. The Department is unable to take advantage of this opportunity due to its limited financial resources. Weld County has two Community Health Centers, one in Greeley and one in Fort Lupton with satellite sites in several small south county towns. The Sunrise center in Greeley initiated a moratorium over a year ago to restrict the number of new patients. Just in the last few months have they been able to lessen the restriction to accept three new families per month. Weld County also has very few physicians accepting medicaid or uninsured clients. The provider list of physicians who will accept medicaid clients generally only has 1 to 3 providers available. North Colorado Family Physicians has also closed their door to new clients. In Weld County, family physicians for the most part have stopped providing prenatal care due to the cost of liability insurance. Four years ago, the Health Department started a prenatal clinic which is staffed by these family physicians who volunteer their time in providing prenatal care to low income women. This arrangement allows them to maintain their prenatal care skills and be covered by the County's insurance and governmental immunity. At a community meeting held in early July multiple problems affecting the rate of teen pregnancy in the community were identified. Some are: church community and family denial of the problem; poor family communication; high alcohol consumption in the rural areas - alcohol use is a cultural norm; migrant population - problem of access, language barriers, lower education levels, and that the Hispanic culture does not identify teen pregnancy as a bad thing; and the county frequently is identified as having family values of the 1950's. The First Steps case managers can identify observing a younger population getting pregnant; male powerlessness - the teen fathers are often forced into uninvolvement and they don't know what their role is; and a teen parent cycle of repeat pregnancies and pregnancies in siblings. This project will utilize community assessment, collaboration, and identification of current resources to identify the most pressing needs in order to address our community's teen pregnancy problem. Cultural and rural issues are present and need to be taken into account. The program will seek input and assistance from the business community, human resource providers, social groups such as Rotary, schools. the religious community, as well as teen parents themselves. Families, teen fathers, and siblings will all be important parts of the program. RESOURCES AND COLLABORATION (2-3 PAGES) Discuss why you think collaboration will take place in your community. Give examples of past collaborative activities that have occurred among these agencies. If collaboration was not adequate, why not? Who will be some of the new players in this project? What specific strategies will you employ to address the varied family and cultural perspectives of teen pregnancy? What other community initiatives or planning efforts are currently underway in your community? List each by name and describe how this project will interface with each effort. Interagency and community collaboration are strong components of service delivery in Weld County. The collaborative efforts made over time have stemmed in large part from the fact that Weld is a rural county with a relatively sparse and diffuse population and a scarcity of providers. Because clients must often travel long distances to access services, frequent efforts have been made to consolidate those services when possible. In addition, as a rural community, resources are quite limited and agencies providing services to similar populations regularly combine efforts to garner resources and provide services. This has proven particularly true in the planning and implementation of child and adolescent health services. The Coalition for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention (CAPP) was originally funded by a grant from the Governor's Task Force on Teen Pregnancy. CAPP is a collaborative of school health nurses, health teachers, the University of Northern Colorado, North Colorado Medical Center, the Weld County Health Department, Birthright, Planned Parenthood, New Horizons Teen Health Clinic and community members. The coalition has worked to raise community awareness of the issues= surrounding teen pregnancy in Weld county for nearly ten years through education, media advocacy and peer education programs. In 1990 CAPP was one of the sponsors of a series of community forums, the goal of which was to assess the concerns of the community and develop recommendations regarding teen pregnancy prevention. The result of these forums was a strong recommendation to explore possibilities for increasing access to comprehensive adolescent health care services. The Adolescent Health Task Force, a working committee of parents, educators, teens and providers was formed to seek funding for initial implementation of these recommendations. This group has continued to work towards this goal for nearly 2 years. Some funding has been secured through a grant from the North Colorado Medical Center Foundation and technical assistance has been committed from the American College of Pediatrics. While the level of commitment on the part of task force members remains high, project implementation has been slow. The task force believes that this is due largely to the lack of a paid staff member dedicated to the coordination of this project. The Weld County Interagency Early Childhood Clinic has existed for 13 years. This clinic works to provide diagnostic, assessment and screening services to area children. The Clinic is a collaborative effort of Centennial Development Services Incorporated (CDSI), University of Northern Colorado Hearing program, and a number of community health care providers. First Steps is a case management program to reduce low birth weight babies through linking women with high risk pregnancies to appropriate prenatal services. First Steps was originally developed as a result of the collaborative effort of the Weld County Health Care Coalition. The program has been funded by the Colorado Trust since its inception in 1990. In 1993 First Steps' funding has been picked up by Weld County businesses and foundations including the Greeley Area Foundation, the Monfort Foundation, United Way and a number of local businesses who work with First Steps to provide case management to their employees as a way of controlling medical and health care costs. Other past successes in community collaboration include Success by Six, a project of the United Way and the Weld County Health Coalition promoting child health and development. The Weld County Health Coalition itself is a collaborative of health providers in the community. It has undertaken projects ranging from community assessment and chronic disease risk reduction to improving access to Weld County's health care system. The Weld County Suicide Prevention Coalition has coordinated the resources of emergency response providers, physicians, mental health providers, school districts, funeral directors and the Area Agency on Aging over the last 5 years to prevent suicide among Weld County youth and elderly. Barriers to collaboration do exist within our community. Most often these arise from over commitment on the part of providers and funding bodies. This often leads to limited time and resources to implement programs and develop networks. A recent drive to secure funding for school based clinics in Weld County was led by the University of Northern Colorado's School of Nursing. The project sought to coordinate several community agencies in developing a school clinic system. The project was ultimately placed on hold due to the limited ability of the community to form a coalition and concerns about the availability of continuation funds from within Weld County. In the past the business community has not been highly involved in health related collaborative efforts. We recognize the risk for this trend to continue and have taken steps to include local businesses in both planning efforts and as the recipients of services. Also missing from the table in this project is strong representation from our Hispanic community There are several possible reasons for this absence. The coalition has made repeated efforts, both in person and by mail to invite Hispanic community leadership to participate. While we have received verbal support from the director of the Rodarte Cultural Center and from Sunrise Community Health Center, neither has made any further commitment to participation. The Hispanic community in Weld County has recently expressed some concern that they are being singled out as the sole group in which teen pregnancy occurs. The result may be that they have withdrawn themselves somewhat from the focus of the problem. Another possibility is that there exist strong cultural divisions within the Hispanic community and it is possible that we may not have approached the "right" people. Senior citizens, too are often absent from the community's efforts to promote health. The intergenerational barriers which often arise from misperceptions, unclear expectations, intimidation by other generations and the perception that a specific generation may have nothing to offer is often what keeps both seniors and youth from the table. The Weld County Health Department has long held a belief in the philosophy of empowerment. When assessing community need and developing interventions, WCHD makes every effort to include community members. Most programs have advisory 930651 boards made up of or including parents, teens, clergy and other interested parties. This will be the case with the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative as well. The collaborative continues to invite the participation of local businesses, clergy, teens, parents, persons of color and informal community leaders in addition to the service delivery players. The participation of these players is reflected in the letters of endorsement included with this proposal. There are a number of community initiatives and planning efforts currently underway in Weld County. In the communities of Johnstown and Milliken, where teen pregnancy is perhaps the highest in the county, the Health Department and a community based coalition have received $15,000 in grant funds from Colorado Action for Healthy People. These funds are being used to implement community developed strategies targeted at strengthening family relationships and reducing teen pregnancy. Child Advocacy Resource and Education, Inc. (CARE) just received funding from the Colorado Children's Trust (matched by Hewlett-Packard) to implement a teen parent family advocate program which will provide home based parenting for teen parents. The program will make extensive use of trained volunteers and case management to reduce child abuse among these high risk families. Centennial Development Services Incorporated (CDSI) working with Weld School District 6 brought the Parents As First Teachers curriculum to the community. The First Steps program case managers have been trained to deliver instruction to clients while also connecting First Steps clients with the parenting resources provided by CDSI. Even Start is a joint project of the Weld District 6 Dream Team, Right to Read and Camp Fire. This program will implement parent/child reading program at three area elementary schools targeting families with youth from birth to seven years old. Parents will be taught to read to their children while learning other parenting skills. Each family will be assigned a case manager who will work with the family to assure that each child's basic needs are met. The Monfort employee health program was one of the recipients of the Colorado Trust's Preconceptual Counseling Initiative funds. When the project is up and running, Monfort employees will be referred to the WCHD for clinical services. This will provide an opportunity to access this population for screening and further referral into the case management system where appropriate. Sunrise Community Health Center and the Weld County Health Department currently have funding from the National Association of Health Officers (NACHO) to enhance a cooperative interagency relationship. The two agencies are working together to develop a greater understanding of the services each agency provides and the clientele it serves. Jointly they have participated in breast and cervical cancer screening programs, perinatal care, environmental and migrant health promotion projects. Working together allows these two agencies to focus on meeting gaps in service in an underserved community while minimizing duplication of services. Without a specific plan of action, it is difficult to predict exactly how these programs will interact with the initiative. A representative from each of the above listed projects has committed to be a part of the collaborative to share resources and strategies. 930651 ** 100 ' 398d 18101 ** e •GREELEY INTERFAITH ASSOCIATION • i o of a 4g-lam-'ethi7 a0 (frc O,audw s amen Nish:ga ays y • Sally. Beatty, Program Officer I t. The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman St.. Denver, Colorado 80203-1604 July 20, 1993 • Dear Ms. Beatty, • Greeley Interfaith Association (GIA) is ecumenical affiliation - — of thurchea:aa8 synagogues . in.Weld . Co yr cooperation together.__________ to bring about. social justice and meet human needs. We support the Weld County Department Health in the "Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative."' Ai clergy and congregational leaders, we have access to the target population: families and teens. As members of GIA, we have access . to .a wide. variety of pi and agencies in the community. We work closely with A W 's Place. Transitional House, Guadalupe Homeless Shelter. itat for Humanity, Weld Food Bank, .Salvation Army, Migrant ition, and WIRS (Weld Information and Referral Service, etc. CIA is the founder of three of the above agencies, and we wor in collaboration with all of them ' to to promote a better lif for the people and the community.. . In 1993. GIA added a new program: the We loess Task Force. Our first outreach has been to •collabora a with the Weld County Department of Health..on the Northern Colo ado AIDS Project. CIA's role will be to assist in impl nting the "Initiative" through. dissemination of information d through education, to parishioners and to the general public. We- will provide space for meetings and training, and will assist as able with training. We are sled open to"'addition -iiiiyestions for ways to.help. Teen. Pregnancy and the resultant physica , emotional, financial, and-e6xsial =Ad:az. u:a .;sf co..ia a to ev . aura in CIA. There. is probably .no church in Weld County no matter how small or large, no matter.how poor or rich, that sn't experienced a teen pregnancy within the congregation. We look forward to working with the Health Department on prevention. Sincerely, Rey,..Jul .� • Sn guts rigor%€araeav Thar,3.3660 Weida.AA 1J. ,CO a 7400 586.2464 9313651 I00 ' 39ed 44# SONIA WONd LT : 12 CS . IZ 'Inc EW NORTH COLORADO Is MEDICAL CENTER 1801 18th Street Greeley, Colorado 80831-5199 303-3524121 July 9, 1993 Sally R. Beatty, R.N. , M.S. The Colorado Trust Building 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203-1604 Dear Sally, I am writing this letter to indicate support for a potential program for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative supported by the Colorado Trust and implemented by the Weld County Health Department. I am the manager of the Lifetime Wellness Center, a department of North Colorado Medical Center. The Lifetime Wellness Center is located in the same building as First Steps and the Weld County Health Department. The Weld County Health Department and the Lifetime Wellness Center work with and help the surrounding greater Weld County community. The Lifetime Wellness Center has a full compliment of R.N. 's and R.D. 's that teach health related topics to the community. We facilitate different screenings and assessments and have the ability to provide services that may be needed. For example, the Lifetime Wellness Center has worked with a variety of community programs such as, smoking cessation, mammography, and health fairs. Some of our clients have needs that our educators will refer to other agencies, including the Health Department, for help and education. When this occurs the agencies work together in an attempt to meet the clients needs. We also receive many referrals from the Weld County Health Department. As you can see community outreach is a significant part of the Lifetime Wellness Center. The assistance we will give is whatever will be deemed necessary. If you have any questions please call me at 303-350-6633 . Sincerely, Barbara Beck, Ph.D. BB/djd 930651 Flair July 20, 1993 Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203-1604 Dear Ms. Beatty, I am writing to express the commitment and involvement of Weld County Partners in the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative being developed in Weld County. Partners is a non-profit 501(c) (3) agency which matches adult volunteers with troubled youth for a year-long one-to-one relationship. Partners has been in existence since 1975. Over the years, we have developed a very effective relationship with the County Health Department, school districts, and most other youth- serving entities in the county. I feel that the Health Department is an appropriate lead agency for this initiative, and that our community can develop an effective collaborative effort to diminish the all too frequent incidence of unwanted pregnancies by teen parents. Partners, the Health Department, United Way, and many other agencies have successfully collaborated in the past on issues including: * diminishing school dropout rates by establishing the Greeley Dream Team and related programs; * coordinating and improving drug/alcohol prevention efforts through the Communities For a Drug Free Colorado task force; * positively influencing health-related issues such as the use of seat belts and child car seats through an informal collaborative health network. 1212 8th Street . Greeley,Colorado 80631 • (303)351-0700 930651 page 2 Partners will participate heavily with other Weld County community entities and the Colorado Trust to develop and implement a comprehensive, effective plan to do the following: * reduce the number of teen pregnancies; * reduce the recidivism rate among teen mothers and fathers; * provide prenatal care and opportunities for teens to learn positive parenting skills. Specifically, Partners has been involved in initial discussions to submit the letter of intent. We would like to continue to participate, with the involvement of the Colorado Trust, in completing a formal needs assessment, defining goals and objectives, and developing an implementation plan. Partners is also willing to collaborate in implementation activities with the Health Department and other participants. The teen pregnancy rate in this county is alarming, in spite of the best efforts of community agencies. A comprehensive, collaborative approach which involves agencies, churches, business, and families is needed and possible in our community. Partners looks forward to the expertise and financial support of the Colorado Trust to address these needs in Weld County. Sincerely, WE COUNTY PARTN S J ems Becker ecutive Director 930651 JUL-22-93 THU 14:15 WIRS `p7�+� ---33527729 P. 02 _fl_ WELD NFOR�MA IC AND REFERRAL SERVICE P.O.Box 2404.1211"A"Street-Greeley.Co 80632 VIM; 352.9477 Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman Denver, CO Dear Ms. Beatty- , : - - Weld Information & Referral Service (WIRS) would like to take this opportunity to offer our support to the Weld County Health Department in it's pursuit of funding for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative through The Colorado Trust. The Weld County Health. Department is certainly worthy of your serious consideration. This program will allow the organization to implement innovative community based comprehensive collaboration with many community services within the Greeley community and Weld County. The Weld County Health Department is a perfect candidate for the proposed program for many reasons, one of which is the fact that they have access to an abundance of health information about the target population and has a proven track record for providing community based youth programs. I applaud the efforts of the Weld County Health Department for their innovative implementation of the teen pregnancy prevention program. WIRS will be pleased to continue providing Information & Referral to the Weld County Health Department, and as long as this program is in existence we will coordinate our efforts in every way as to aid in the success of this program. .Sninncnerely�,C�7L„�� Melanie i George-Bernna d i Executive Director A UNITEDIEWAGENCY 330651 UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND NUTRITION GREELEY, COLORADO 80639 (303) 351-2755 OR(303) 351-2757 FAX(303) 351-1489 July 22, 1993 Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust Dear Ms. Beatty: This is a letter of support and collaboration from the Department of Community Health and Nutrition at The University of Northern Colorado with Weld County Health Department's proposal for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative for Weld County. As Chair of the Department, I am in a position to pledge support to the project by coordinating the placement of Sophomore Practicum students, Undergraduate Community Health Education interns, and Master of Public Health interns. These students will be capable of providing worth while services to the project while gaining valuable educational experience in community organization and health promotion/education. The Community Health and Nutrition Department's students and faculty can provide expertise and assistance in the areas of needs assessments, program planning, implementation, and evaluation. The Department and its faculty are very committed to health promotion efforts in Weld County and Colorado. Some of the previous collaborative experiences are the Alcohol and Drug Education Prevention Training (ADEPT) Grant and the Rural Alcohol and Drug Intervention instruction (RADII) Grant, from the U.s. Department of Education. These projects involved collaboration throughout the State to develop and implement drug and alcohol prevention training and intervention. A directory of regional prevention specialists was developed and training modules on assessing and involving the community, choosing intervention strategies, developing policy, identifying teaching strategies,ilt QUALITY • DIVERSITY • PERSONAL TOUCH COMMITTED TO AFFIRMATIVE ACTION AND EQUAL()PIT)RTUNI EY 930651 including student participation, selecting and implementing a curriculum and strengthening families were developed and used in the project. The Department of Community Health and Nutrition pledges it's support for the duration of the project. Sincerely, •gle-sesirLarry R. Harrison Chair Dept. of Community Health and Nutrition LRH/cas 330651 PLRN DE SRLUD ID:303-892-1511 JUL '2 '93 11 : 17 No .004 P .02 () ISI Alan de Salud del Valle lt1 r� (Volley Health Plan) 1115 Second Street Ft. Lupton, Colorado 80621 857-2771 Metro 892.0004 July 21, 1993 Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust Dear Ms. Beatty, I am very pleased to be writing this letter of support for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative. As staff members of New..itorizons•.Adolescent Clinic-we are-constantly seeking ways to improve accessaf health_.care. to-adolescents, reduce teen pregnancy rates and increase teen/parent COmMUOicationr'- The goals of this initiative would certainly help us to continue the work we have begun in our. community. The hope is that this initiative will serve all, of Weld County. Typically, southern Weld County is underserved• and our involvement in this project would enable us to increase the camunity involvement among the small, farming towns located in southern Weld County and Improve health care services to teens in this catchment area. • The New Horizons Adolescent Center/Salud Family Dealth. Canter staff can assist this project in three ways: 1. Provide a staff person to serve on the cosmittee involved with planning and implementation of the program, 2. Provide teens comprehensive health care including health education and case management of high risk teens. We will provide these services at no cost or low cost. - 3. Provide a neutral meeting place for teens and their families for classes re: camnmication, problem solving, alcoholism etc. I am pleased to see monies appropriated toward these needs and feel that the real way to attempt to solve the problems faced by our teens is through true, community-supported programs such as this. Thank you for your consideration. Sin ely, , by Beanie Health Educator New Horizons Adolescent Clinic • 930651 NORTH:Lc i ;h -,2(; iity;e0Aride) July 16, 1993 Ms. Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203-1604 Dear Ms. Beatty: In addition to the letter of support we have already sent regarding the Weld County Health Department's proposal for funding consideration in The Colorado Trust's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, I am writing to offer ideas about the specific kinds of assistance our organization is willing to provide to this collaborative effort. The North Colorado Medical Center Foundation will provide assistance with community needs assessment and statistical data available to us concerning teen pregnancy in northern Colorado. In addition, through our professional staff, we will be pleased to offer technical assistance to the group in the area of community development and fund raising as these skills may be required by the coalition. The NCMC Foundation is a participant in this proposal process, because we have been involved in a number of successful collaborative relationships over the past few years and we are hopeful this activity will also yield positive results for the citizens of this area. As a member of the Weld County Community Health Coalition we were involved with the proposal to the Colorado Trust which resulted in the creation of the First Steps of Weld County prenatal program. First Steps is now an independent 501(c) (3) nonprofit corporation and continues to yxuviae prenatal care to over 400 clients per month. Tne program is funded through the first quarter of 1994 by various grants which have already been received and its leadership is currently looking at additional opportunities which will provide funding through the end of 1994 . 1801 16[h yICi GrcciccCn _;.. 930651 Ms. Sally Beatty Page 2 The NCMC Foundation has provided funding and participated in a number of other collaborative projects. The Coalition for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention was funded by our Foundation over the past two years and this year we funded its successor collaboration, the Adolescent Health Coalition. Working with United Way of Weld County, our Foundation has joined in a collaborative effort to provide emergency prescription drugs to indigent individuals from our area through the Prescription Drug Program. We have seen many things accomplished which have enhanced the lives of the people of northern Colorado through the successful work of coalitions. The North Colorado Medical Center Foundation is delighted to be a part of this important project as well. Sincerely, Gary . Schrenk Pres dent 930651 DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES ency 1551 NORTH 17TH AVENUE P.O. BOX 1805 ont4 ingSoUl GREELEY,COLORADO 80632 (303)353-3816 July 15, 1993 Sally Beatty, Program Officer The Colorado Trust Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative 1600 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Ms. Beatty: The Weld County Area Agency on Aging is pleased to write a letter of support for the Weld County Health Department's proposal for funding under the Colorado Trust's Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative. The Weld Area Agency on Aging and the Weld County Health Department are both Weld County governmental agencies supervised by Executive Directors who report to the Weld County Board of Commissioners. The Area Agency on Aging and the Health Department have worked closely together for many years. Specifically, we have collaborated on Personal Care Boarding Home licensing and inspections and on the Well Adult Clinics, many of which are located in senior centers throughout the county: The Area Agency on Aging adopted as part of our Four Year Plan, a goal stating the agency's commitment to "strengthening the family and the interdependence of generations." We are prepared to offer support to the Health Department's Teen Pregnancy Prevention Project by helping them link with senior mentors. We will work through our network of over 30 senior organizations and 22 senior centers throughout the county to help with the recruitment and training of the mentors. We are also prepared to participate on advisory committees associated with the rTojvtt Collaborative efforts are common to the Area Agency on Aging. We initiated and have staffed for over 6 years a Long Term Care Coordinating Committee which has been instrumental in writing and having adopted one of the first Board and Care Ordinances in the state. This same group also has collaborated on the implementation of case management services for the elderly in Weld County. Every rural senior center project in the county is a collaborative effort among the Area Agency on Aging, local governments, local citizens, and the private sector. 930651 Colorado Trust Page Two More and more, we are coming to realize that old and young have much in common and that the elderly have many talents that could and should be shared with the generations to come. The Weld County Area Agency on Aging is committed to doing what we can to facilitate the coming together of generations. Sincerely yours, rrAA AA Q ‘ C4.2‘27":1"—a inda E. Piper,� Director); r7 bcu Don Shedd, Chairman Weld County Area Agency on Aging Area Agency Advisory Board 930651 a& Av, yr of � PRENATAL,POST PARTUM 6-WELL BABY CARE July 22, 1993 Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203 Dear Ms. Beatty, First Steps of Weld County, Inc. is pleased to commit to the collaborative planning efforts currently in progress within the Greeley/Weld County area in the area of teen pregnancy prevention. As a member of this team, First Steps is willing to assist in the areas of needs assessment, goal setting and planning. The agency also commits to take action to help the community achieve the goals set during the planning phase. First Steps brings expertise in case management, perinatal and parenting educational materials, community resources, and inventive strategies for dealing with teen pregnancy to both the planning phase and to service delivery. First Steps of Weld County, Inc. is a non-profit agency that has taken the initiative in the coordination of services for pregnant women in Weld County. Originally initiated by a grant from the Colorado Trust's Prenatal, Labor and Delivery Care Initiative, the agency utilizes a case management system to help pregnant women access early prenatal healthcare, well-child care for their children, and other community resources. The agency provides pregnant women with social • and emotional support that leads to empowerment, stress reduction and the adoption of healthful behaviors. Prenatal, postpartum and parenting education is furnished, as well as referrals to existing, area services. Since July 1991, First Steps has received over R50 referrals and enntinu?c to receive 35-45 new referrals each month. The agency's services are available to any pregnant woman in Weld County, but clients are primarily low income, low educational level, and 55% are teens. Clients are referred prenatally to the agency from over 45 different health and social services agencies, schools and private sources. Case managers then meet with clients to assess physical and psychosocial needs, establish a care plan utilizing mutually agreed upon goals, and then refer them for prenatal healthcare and other services. Clients are followed monthly to provide perinatal education, and assure that they are receiving needed healthcare and other services. In addition, clients are followed for one year after birth to encourage family planning services and well child care. Infant developmental screening and parenting education is also provided utilizing the Parents As Teachers (PAT) curriculum. PAT is a primary prevention 1517 lfoTH AVE. CT. •GREELEEyCO. 800,1. 3O3.353- 4192 930651 program designed to maximize children's overall development during the first three years of life, thus laying the foundation for later success in school and life. First Steps, in conjunction with Aims Community College, is also in the process of formulating group meetings which will utilize PAT educational materials and provide peer support. First Steps of Weld County has many options to offer the surrounding community and the teen pregnancy prevention project. After two years of service, the First Steps name and case management system are well recognized throughout the county. The referral process is also familiar for individuals, schools, churches, businesses and healthcare providers. The agency can offer the project a comprehensive case management service that exists throughout the county and is presently incorporated into all the school districts. First Steps has also developed a comprehensive resource directory that is utilized by case mangers to network and link clients with existing services and agencies throughout the county. The agency can therefore offer the project extensive knowledge of community resources and services. The agency has also developed a comprehensive series of prenatal, postpartum and parenting education materials in both English and Spanish. The role of First Steps within the project is adaptable at this time. The agency is willing to continue to work in the joint planning process and would be willing to provide the structure for the case management model. This case management system could be dovetailed within the agency's current methods and structure of service provision, thus providing the county with continuity in the referral process. Education materials are available if they are useful within the Colorado Trust model of case management. First Steps currently tracks clients and referrals, and monitors results utilizing a computer database system based on previous Colorado Trust requirements. This database has the potential for revision to provide for current tracking methods. The employees of the agency have participated in many previous collaborative efforts. Extensive cooperation with Weld County Health Department (WCHD) is required, since the two share office space and equipment, and First Steps provides the case management for WCHD patients who are considered at risk or require more intensive follow-up. First Steps collaborates with the Department of Social Services (DSS) and is an approved outreach site. First Steps assists women as they apply for Medicaid benefits and furnishes this service to WCHD clients. The outreach site negotiations arose from the concern that pregnant women were required to make five or more trips to either WCHD or DSS before obtaining their first appointment for prenatal care. The number of trips necessary is now reduced to two. Being an outreach site has required tremendous collaborative efforts and, at times, misunderstandings have arisen. These concerns are now addressed at monthly team conferences with all case managers and DSS technicians in attendance. First Steps currently cooperates with Aims Community College to provide childbirth education to Spanish speaking individuals. As mentioned previously, First Steps, in conjunction with Aims, will also begin offering parenting classes this fall. These group meetings wilt utilize PA t group meeting curriculum and educational materials. First Steps and Centennial Developmental Services, Inc. (CDSI) continue to collaborate in their efforts to bring the PAT program to the Weld County area. CDSI provided the funding for the training and certification of First Steps case managers and CDSI employees. First Steps brings to PAT a well- established clientele and the ability to intervene before the birth of the child. Since First Steps follows clients for only one year after birth, clients are then referred to CDSI's PAT educators for the completion of the PAT program. This collaborative effort has encountered no problems or difficulties, and one of the case managers continues to serve on the PAT Coordination Committee. The agency negotiates contracts with private physicians who agree to provide healthcare to 1 individuals who are considered high risk or would otherwise benefit from a single healthcare provider, as opposed to a clinic situation. Obstetricians and family physicians have agreed to provide additional opportunities for prenatal care for these women, contingent upon their being referred and followed by First Steps. First Steps also coordinates the Maternity Food Referrals, cooperating with an area church in charge of food distribution, and cooperates with the Weld Food Bank to provide emergency food boxes. The program also cooperates extensively with the over 45 different agencies, healthcare providers and schools who utilize First Steps services. The President of the Board of Directors, the Executive Director, or the Case Managers represent the agency on various community boards including: Interagency, South Weld Network, Orange Peel Alternative School Advisory Board, the Weld Information and Referral Service Housing Council, the InterCommunity Coordinating Council, the High Priority Infant Identification Team, and the School District#6 Teen Parent Advisory Board. Due to the substantial amount of resources the agency has to offer the project, the amount of time pledged by First Steps would greatly depend upon the variety and quantity of services requested by the collaboration team. The agency is committed to nonduplication of services within the community, and therefore will not commit to any program that would be to the detriment of the First Steps concept of case management. However, the agency is definitely supportive of any and all efforts that would enhance the current goals and structure of it's case management model. First Steps of Weld County is committed to the collaborative process and will support the assessment of community needs, and jointly plan strategies to impact teen pregnancy prevention. The agency is also available and willing to share resources at the service delivery level through our referral system, case management model, educational materials, resource directory and expertise in the area of teen pregnancy. First Steps of Weld County, Inc. welcomes the opportunity to further impact the lives of teens within the Weld County area. Sincerely, %- e ,tsp ‘ed Kitty Stevefis, R.N., M.S.N. Kris Howard, R.N. President Executive Director Board of Directors 930651 &defea ae area 4etea etaeareSt ce` ra Serving the northeast counties•Kt Carson•Larimer•Lincoln•Logan•Morgan•Phillips•Sedgwick•Washington•Weld•Yuma 1024 Ninth Avenue•Suite B•Greeley,Colorado 80631.4002 •Phone(303)351-0755•Fax(303)351-0786 Robert F.Guthmann,Jr.Executive Director July 21, 1993 Sally Beatty Program Officer The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Ms . Beatty: The Centennial Area Health Education Center enthusiastically endorses the Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 proposal being submitted by the Weld County Health Department . Centennial AHEC and the Weld County Health Department share a working relationship that spans many years. Centennial AHEC exists in part to help in planning, developing, and delivering educational programs . Through evaluation of our outreach activities, we consistently encounter teen pregnancy as an issue of note to health care professionals in northeastern Colorado. To help overcome this challenge, Centennial AHEC is willing to do what we do best, help provide educational services . Centennial AHEC works in association with three, independent Colorado Area Health Eduction Centers which operate in affiliation with the SEARCH (Statewide Educational Activities for Rural Colorado's Health) program of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. This program is an excellent example of a collaborative process working towards common issues including: alcohol and drug impaired driving prevention; HIV/AIDS education; and cancer prevention and screening. The Centennial Area Health Education Center supports and would be pleased to be a part of this effort put forth by the Weld County Health Department . Respectfully, / / 42. Jann Deveraux-Demaske, MPH Special Projects Education Coordinator Centennial AHEC is an affiliate of the SEARCH/AHEC Program of the C,j University of Colorado Health Sciences Center 9. f s'1 so? Cctie,y Hel \10,, ti State Representative s I8ir� Chairman: BILL JERKE - Agriculture,Livestock and 23003 WCR 39 Natural Resources Committee LaSalle,Colorado 80645 COLORADO Member: Home: 284-6061 Capitol: 866-2907 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES Appropriations Committee State,Veterans and Military STATE CAPITOL Affairs Committee DENVER 80203 July 20, 1993 The Colorado Trust RE: Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative Dear Colorado Trust: I am so excited to hear of your commitment to combatting teen pregnancy in Colorado. I have long believed that teen pregnancy is most critical in the cycle of poverty and the most preventable. Clearly, a poor, young woman has a chance of breaking the cycle of poverty with a good education and work ethics. If she complicates her life with an unwanted child, when she is neither emotionally or financially prepared, her chances of escaping poverty are poor. I also appreciate the fact that you are going to fund six different projects around the state. As you know, there will not be one panacea at solving the problem of teen pregnancy. Six different projects that try different methods will allow policy makers an opportunity to invest in the best strategies. My letter is not only to applaud your efforts in teen pregnancy prevention but to recommend that one of the six projects be in Weld County. Weld County is extremely diverse. Weld County is urban/suburban, rural, farm and ranch, small towns and bed room communities. Weld County has a high migrant population, as well as college professors and techies. In short, Weld County prnvidea immense variety and a positive history of welfare programs that got people back to work again. • I can't think of a better place in Colorado where you can find as much diversity, plus willingness, to try new programs as you will find in Weld County. Sincerely, Bill Jerke State Representative BJ/jw 930651 A op PARENTHOOD OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS 3487 B. WiOth St. Greeley, Colorado 80631 July 20, 1993 Dear Sarah Beatty, Planned Parenthood has worked closely with the Weld County Health Department for many years. We have served on committees together such as those with the Teen Pregnancy Coalition and the AIDS Task Force. Our agencies have cosponsored work- shops and provided presentations to the local community. We communicate our concerns about the health status of all individuals in a variety of populations. Planned Parenthood would be willing to give free pregnancy tests to individuals in- volved in the grant program. Our educational resources on a variety of topics will be available free of charge. The agency is willing to provide these services for the duration of the grant. Teen Pregnancy Prevention has always been a priority area for Planned Parenthood. We look forward to working with the Weld County Health Department in the future. Sincerely, Leta tLein Bonnie Armstrong Clinic Director v 930651 UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO COLLEGE OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SCIENCES SCHOOL OF NURSING GREELEY, COLORADO 80639 (303)351-2293 July 21. 1993 Sally Beatty, Program Officer The Colorado Trust Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative 1600 Sherman Street Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear Ms. Beatty: We are writing in support of the Weld County Health Department's proposal to lead a Teen Pregnancy Prevention effort in our community. We believe that the Health Department has the expertise and the commitment to coordinate a successful project. The University of Northern Colorado School of Nursing has had a working relationship with the Health Department for over 20 years. Our baccalaureate nursing students have had semester long clinical practicums at the Health Department under the supervision of a faculty member and nurses in the agency. Through this experience, our students have conducted family and community assessments, assisted in the provision of health care services including health promotion and offered health education programs for client groups. Another example of our collaboration includes our joint meetings this year where faculty participated in the planning and reorganization of nursing care services of the health department. We have also worked together to develop funding sources to provide collaborative health care services to medically underserved children in Weld County. We believe faculty and students from UNC could contribute the following during the entire project period: 1. Student participation, both community health and obstetric nut-sisal studeuL5, cummuniLy assessment es torts 2 . Student participation in the delivery of preventative and restorative health services to teens 3 . Faculty and administrative involvement in the community's planning and implementation of the project. QUALITY • DIVERSITY • PERSONAL TOUCH <OMMinFO IO Al F IRMA LIVE AC II[)N ANI)EQUAL 01FF IRLUNI ry 930651 We look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the community in this effort. Sincerely, O Pad4,0 Sandra C. Baird, RN, EdD Carol Roehrs, RN, MS Director, School of Nursing Assistant Professor- Maternity Nursing a fln►a • TOWN OF WINDSOR : WINosoR ‘‘,.. ..-.r. .... .---; 3)686-7476 �+ Windsor301 Walnut ,CO 80550 C 0 L 0 f FAX 0(303)686-7478 July 14, 1993 Ms. Sally Beatty, Program Officer The Colorado Trust Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203 Dear Ms. Beatty; Please accept this letter as confirmation of our interest in supporting the Weld County Health Department proposal on the Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative. The Town of Windsor in Weld County, 5020 population, is the hub of Northern Colorado Tri-Cities being 15 miles equidistant from Greeley, Fort Collins and Loveland. We would be proud to collaborate with our neighbors in Weld County in developing a community- based system to identify and intervene with children and adolescents who are at the greatest risk for early parenting. It is not possible to make definite commitments regarding what level and extent of collaboration the Town of Windsor might offer until we know exactly what the project entails, but please be assured that we plan to participate in some way. We are interested in being involved in the planning process, helping to create linkages between different organizations and providers in our community, contributing in-kind man hours, offering meeting or office space and serving as liaison between the lead agency and the Windsor community in the needs assessment process. We appreciate the opportunity to he part of the Weld County Health Department proposal. Please C1i.:t3.u- rYar; (ii +.^.aa:ly iit;I:.i..fly, .:ttluCaj �,.iCi h, ✓s.r-til)Uf`71,7 fi, 1i y2r,. :"..''ed further i..;i}n. ii,t5{iY:. Sincer�el , i 4.---(iy.“-,----.....-7 Thomas R. Jo Mayor Town of Windsor 930651 EDUCATION FOR LIFE W ND S O R Brian L Lessman Superintendent of Schools July 13, 1993 Sally Beatty, Program Officer Colorado Trust Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203 Dear Ms. Beatty: Please accept this letter of support for the Teen Pregnancy 2000 Initiative. It is my understanding that Weld County may benefit from this project designed to develop community-based systems to identify and intervene with children and adolescents who are at greatest risk for early parenting. Obviously, from the educational perspective, the cost in resources to remediate educational environments that are not healthy on the home front is a most difficult task. It becomes more difficult under current funding and amendment restrictions placed on the school districts of Colorado. More and more educational resources are being targeted at the mainstream on such issues as standards and assessments. Fewer resources are available for at risk programs and home and school connections. This district would highly support collaborative efforts that might be mare effective in a community-based system. Funds from this project would seem to be a great addition to a growing problem that schools in isolation have trouble addressing. I encourage those who may be in a decision making position to strongly consider Weld County's proposal. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this process. Sinc ely, r Brian Le man Superintendent of hools lb cc: Director Pupil Services School Nurse Cathy Kennedy WELD COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTRE-4 1020 Main Street • P.O. Box 609 • Windsor, CO 80550 • (303)686-7411 • Fax(303)686-5280 A'ling%r-a PO Box 578 204 Main Street Joining forces to enrich LaSalle.CO 80645 303284-6975 educational opportunities for Colorado. Denver 629-0994 OCES'1 ,4w,Y o,cco u ,� ,ox.c st,vmq July 12, 1993 RE-I RE'Zrest Sally Beatty, Program Officer Eaton The Colorado Trust RE-3J Keenesburg Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative RE-5J Johnstown 1600 Sherman Street RE-7 Denver, CO 80203 RE-8 Fort Lupton RE-9 Dear Ms. Beatty: Ault The Weld Board of Cooperative Educational Services is writing to support the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative Proposal being submitted by the Weld County Health Department. Weld BOCES has seven member school districts encompasing rural areas as far south as Ft. Lupton and as far north as the Wyoming border. These school districts are acutely aware of the impact teen pregnancy has upon the schooling of their young people at their communities. We believe that the schools are a major influence in our rural communities and we support bringing more services to teens through interagency collaboration. Our agency is very willing to offer support to the planning process of the Health Department. Our schools could help with information gathering on specific demographic information pertaining to their teens. We could also provide space as available for training and discussion in this process. We are hopeful that through cooperation with agencies and businesses in Weld County, we can make an impact on this complicated problem. Sincerely, . James A. Miller n Marie DeLay xecutive Director Early Childhood Coordinator cc: Dr. Cliff Brookhart, Superintendent, District RE-1 Dr. Dennis Disario, Superintendent, District RE-3J Mr. Glen Hanson, Superintendent, District RE-7 Mr. Brent Mutsch , Superintendent, District RE-8 Mr. Fred Palmer, Superintendent, District RE-5J Mr. William Powell, Superintendent, District RE-2 Mr. Ronald J. Van Donselaar, Superintendent, District FIE-9 930651 UNIVERSITY_.OF NORTHERN COLORADO "SAY YES FIRST-TO RURAL YOUTH AND FAMILY ALCOHOL/DRUG PREVENTION" PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY HEALTH AND NUTRITION GREELEY,COLORADO 80639 (303)351-1520 OR(303)351-1335 FAX(303)351-1489 July 15, 1993 Ms. Sally Beatty, Program Officer The Colorado Trust 1600 Sherman Street Denver, CO 80203-1604 Dear Ms. Beatty: This is a letter of support and collaboration from the Say Yes First-To Rural Youth and Family Alcohol/Drug Prevention Project with Weld County Health Department's proposal for the Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative for Weld County. As Director of the five-year federally funded project "Say Yes First-To Rural Youth and Family Alcohol/Drug Prevention, " I will provide to Ms. Bangert and Ms. Schneider, developers of the proposal, access to four rural communities in Weld County, including Weld County School District RE 1 (Gilcrest, LaSalle, Platteville) , RE 2 (Eaton) , RE 7 (Kersey) , and RE 8 (Ft. Lupton) . These communities are culturally-diverse and have up to 30% Hispanic families and low-income families. The Say Yes First project is a multi-faceted drug prevention education program that addresses both drug risk factors, including teen pregnancy, school drop-outs, poor academics, etc. and resiliency or protective risk factors, such as personal competence, involvement in prosocial activities. Weld County Health Department will have access to students, including high-risk adolescents and teens, parents, school staffs and community agencies. My training in public health education and experience in rural communities has included interagency group work on a variety of health issues, including drug prevention, teenage pregnancy prevention, comprehensive health education and so forth. These collaborative efforts have been very positive, since the inclusion of all aspects of a community (e.g. schools, businesses, parents, community agencies and groups) in the process of community organization is usually very educational and usually results in a lons- tarm sharing or local resotiaea, talents and expertise, particularly when financial resources are limited or beyond the scope of grant funding. The Say Yes First Project is funded from March 1, 1991 through February 28, 1996. However, my position with the university and the school involvement in this initiative can continue beyond this time frame.lit QUALITY • DIVERSITY • PERSONAL TOUCH COMMRrFI)ro AVFlRMA➢VC ARID,AN0 EQUM 1ITO)1FF Nlry 930651 Weld County Health Department recently held a community meeting with administrators and representatives of various agencies in our area to brainstorm issues and local needs related to teenage pregnancy in our area. The meeting was conducted in a very professional manner with input from all those present and other potential collaborators. Weld County has a history of effective collaboration, particularly related to health issues, e.g. HIV prevention. I and other members of the Say Yes First Project would be most pleased to work with The Weld County Teen Pregnancy Prevention 2000 Initiative. Sincerely, Q L`pr - thle1itclyen J. vela, MPH, PhD Ruben Flores, Director Assistant Director • 330651 i9? J: fl r.T. . mEmoRAnDum ,..CgpL. Harbert, Chairman WilDe To O rd of County Commissioners Data July 26, 1993 COLORADO CIMam' Jeannie K. Tacker, Business Manager, Weld County Health Deptc4N/r) Colorado Trust Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative subset: rant Application ________i I.__ Bog__ 'p}roval .i,3 a grant..applica1irn to the rolorado m...-'' '..- Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative from the Weld County Health Department. The initiative, if funded will utilize community assessment, collaboration and identification of current resources to identify the most pressing needs in order to address Weld County's teen pregnancy problem. The project will serve to demonstrate that collaboration among agencies coupled with case-management community systems of care will decrease teen pregnancy, increase the likelihood of healthy outcomes for pregnant teens, decrease the chances of continued unintended childbirth, and further the economic, educational and overall life opportunities of participants. The Health Department is requesting approval of $154,114 in grant funds for the first year of the project, October 1, 1993 through September 30, 1994. I would recommend your approval of this grant application. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. 930651 Hello