Tuesday, May 7, 2024
5/7/2024
Project Vida Health Center, Inc. (PVHC), a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving the low-income, uninsured and marginalized residents in El Paso County, Texas, is proposing a project that will take a community-centered, systems thinking approach to improving the overall health of adolescents and reducing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the El Paso County area, primarily in the Socorro Independent School District (ISD), as well as in neighboring ISDs, including, Canutillo ISD, El Paso ISD, and Clint ISD. The primary and secondary service areas are located on and near the U.S/Mexican border and contain many colonias communities. The colonias, and the border region as a whole, are among the poorest areas in the U.S. In El Paso County, 32.3% (76,795) of residents under the age of 18 live below the poverty line (American Community Survey, 2014 –18). Furthermore, El Paso has exceptionally high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STI) and a teen birth rate (48) that is significantly higher than the state (37) or national rate (14) per 1,000 females (County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, 2019), demonstrating the need for increased evidence-based programs, particularly serving high-risk groups and communities. PVHC has 25 years’ experience in serving the El Paso community in various fashions- community health, teen pregnancy prevention, population health, colonias environmental issues, housing access, economic development, health and fitness, well-being and social justice-allowing for seamless opportunity to leverage an existing network of relationships/partnerships with students, parents, teachers, ISDs and local organizations with a shared focus. This project will address barriers that hinder El Paso adolescents from obtaining optimal health, with a specific focus on teen pregnancy prevention and the reduction of STIs and HIV, by equipping and thereby improving their social system supports using a systems thinking methodology. PVHC will maintain and expand implementation of evidence-based programs, Making A Difference (MAD) and Positive Prevention Plus (PPP), and build upon existing programs and evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention curriculums throughout primary and secondary service areas. The project’s primary goals will be to 1) Ensure that areas with the greatest need are targeted to promote equity in reaching optimal health and preventing teen pregnancy and STIs; 2) Utilize a systems thinking approach to identify multiple leverage points to maximize impact on promoting optimal health and preventing teen pregnancy and STIs; 3) Replicate with fidelity effective programs and supportive services that are culturally appropriate, age-appropriate, medically accurate, and trauma-informed; and 4) Incorporate youth and community voice into the project to ensure the highest quality and best fit for the community(ies) and population(s) to be served. PVHC has identified five strategies to affect system change in the targeted area: 1) Evidenced-Based Practices; 2) Student Assistance Services; 3) Capacity Development; 4) Communications; 5) Navigation Services. On an annual basis, PVHC expects to reach 6,516 students ranging from 6th to 12th grade.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).
