Southwestern Area Health Education Center (SWAHEC), in partnership with Health Education Center (HEC) and Hartford Parent University (HPU) and 13 additional Connecticut coalitions and organizations, proposes to implement the “Be the Change-Connecticut” project to build on and expand a pilot Community Health Worker model project in the Bridgeport area to a statewide initiative. Partners will work together to increase receipt of the EITC and prevent ACEs by addressing risk and protective factors, thus creating and sustaining safer, stable, nurturing environments where children can thrive. The project will connect with Connecticut’s racial/ethnic minority populations and communities located in Opportunity Zones, including Native American tribes in Eastern Connecticut and the Greater Bridgeport area. Research suggests that activities to promote awareness of the credit and assistance with tax preparation increases Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) participation rates. EITC outreach and education activities are projected to reach 9,000 individuals in each of the three-year project, resulting in a 5% increase in claims. ACEs outreach and education will reach an additional 18,300 annually through events and accessing media resources on the project’s website, including 400 health and human service providers.
According to the Connecticut Department of Health, in Connecticut, three out of five adults reporting having experienced at least one ACE, and 21.2% reported three or more ACEs. Two-thirds of those who experienced ACEs reported two or more ACEs (59.1%) and one in five experienced more than three ACEs (22.1%). The prevalence of ACEs is also positively correlated with individuals with low income or living in poverty. 33.2% of individuals earning less than $15,000 reported 3-8 ACEs in contrast to 17.6 who earned at least $100,000. According to the most recent U.S. Census estimates, there are 361,377people living in poverty in Connecticut and eligible for the EITC, a family financial support that can reduce the risk of ACEs. In 2019, 216,000 individuals claimed the EITC. Consequently, a minimum of 145,000 individuals eligible for claiming the credit are not doing so.
The cornerstone of Be the Change-Connecticut is a team of Community Health Workers, coupled with five regional, grassroots Be the Change volunteer advocates corps, which will conduct outreach and education activities in the 15 geographic areas in Connecticut with Opportunity Zones. The central message of the project, “Be the Change” reflects the concept that change begins with oneself, and that community members can positively influence family and friends through trusted relationships and leading by example. In each of the regions, the Be the Change project will work with community organizations and regional coalitions to conduct outreach and educational sessions on the relationship between social determinants of health and trauma, risk and protective factors and approaches to preventing and addressing ACEs, including utilizing EITC. Community Health Workers will also connect participants in education and outreach to support services. A Community Advisory Board consisting of partners will be formed to guide project implementation, review project results and outcomes, ensure sustainability and assist with dissemination of findings. The project includes an evaluation plan designed to determine whether outreach and education activities result in statistically significant increases in EITC receipt and changes in at least one or more ACEs risk and/or protective factors.