Obria PNW Title V Competitive SRAE Program - PROJECT SUMMARY Project Title: Obria PNW Title V Competitive Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) Applicant Name: My Choices dba Obria Pacific Northwest Contact Name: River Sussman, CEO Mailing Address: PO Box 39, Port Angeles, WA 98362 Telephone/Fax: 360.452.3300 Voice / 360.681.8725 Fax Email/Website: river@obriapnw.org/ http://obriapnw.org Summary: Obria Pacific Northwest (Obria PNW) currently provides sexual risk avoidance education (SRAE) services in the target community, Clallam County, WA. Obria PNW has over 40 years of experience in developing and operating programs to strengthen families and serve those in need. Obria PNW serves and mentors youth, moving individuals and families from crisis to self-sufficiency. Seeing an unmet need in the community, Obria PNW has successfully implemented programs in the areas of sexual risk avoidance education (SRAE), positive youth development (PYD), healthy relationship & marriage education & overall family strengthening to youth in the juvenile justice system, faith based organizations, and community organizations in the target community. The purpose of this project is to deliver evidence-based SRAE curriculum inclusive of with PYD to help participants voluntarily refrain from non-marital sexual activity and promote social & emotional well-being to youth. Obria PNW will provide SRAE & PYD to middle school- and high school-age youth to build healthy life skills and protective factors, with strategies designed to help participants build protective factors and make healthy decisions. Additionally, Obria PNW will provide education and resources to youth to delay sexual activity until marriage, thus preventing teen pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs). In addition, the program includes linkages to youth-friendly healthcare and community services that support the safety and well-being of the target population. AMTC & Associates will provide the Program Performance Evaluation. Target population(s) to be served: The project will target youth, ages 10-19, living in Clallam County in Washington State with elevated TBRs and high rates of STIs. Obria PNW will target youth primarily through the juvenile justice system, faith based and community organizations, and tribal youth. Needs to be addressed: While Washington has a TBR that is equal to the national TBR, Clallam County continues to face elevated challenges. The TBR for Clallam County in 2022 was 16.0, which is 15% higher than the WA and US rate (13.6). Compared to all other age groups in the TC, 15-24 year olds have the highest rates of STIs, especially for chlamydia. In 2023, low-income youth in Clallam County had a teen chlamydia rate (TCR) of 1343.7, which was 20.8% higher than the state (1078.7). These statistics clearly justify the focus in these two counties. and is starting to rise in the TC. Proposed services: The Obria PNW SRAE program will provide evidence-based SRAE curricula Real Essentials (Real Essentials Starting Point (RESP), (middle school age) and Real Essentials Advance (REA), (high school age) which includes positive youth development in the areas of success sequencing, goal setting, healthy relationship education and healthy life skills to 175 youth in year 2 ages 10-19. The project will promote social and emotional well-being, screen youth for unmet needs, and provide support service referrals to those youth demonstrating the highest need for services. In addition, Obria PNW will provide education to the 40 parents/caregivers of youth participants annually.
