Thursday, November 21, 2024
11/21/2024
Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST), a private nonprofit 501 (c)(3) corporation, will champion the movement to improve the overall optimal health of adolescents while reducing teen birth rates, STI rates, and youth risk behaviors using a systems thinking approach in Brooks, Duval, Jim Hogg and Jim Wells Counties. CACOST’s proposed STTLD (South Texas Teen Leadership & Development) Program will saturate a rural, predominantly Hispanic population with county level teen birth rates at least twice as high as the Texas rate (25.3) and three to four times higher than the nation (17.4); Brooks-88, Duval-58, Jim Hogg -68 and Jim Wells-62. The high teen birth and STI rates in the area are influenced by a variety of risk factors to include the rural geography, high numbers of ethnic minorities, significant poverty rates, lack of educational attainment, and lack of access to health resources. The project will target adolescents residing in six independent school districts in south Texas- Alice, Benavides, Brooks County, Freer, Jim Hogg County, and San Diego. The STTLD Program will utilize a systems thinking approach to replicate evidence-based programs that have been selected as “best fit” along with supportive services and an inclusive approach to creating community-wide change throughout the proposed service area. The program will implement three rigorously evaluated curricula to youth- Teen Outreach Program in middle schools, Love Notes 3.0 SRA-EBP in high schools, and Safer Sex Intervention (SSI) in clinics/community settings to females ages 13-19. Using a systems thinking approach, CACOST identified the strongest leverage points to change the map of teen pregnancy. The project will 1) replicate evidence-based sexual education 2) increase adult support systems and 3) maximize inter-organizational resources. Additionally, in collaboration with community partners, STTLD will utilize the Tenacious Change Approach to help create community-wide system change and build a movement in support of optimal health which will ensure the trajectory of teen birth rates, STI rates, and youth risk behaviors continue to decrease. CACOST has fifty years of uninterrupted and progressive experience in providing a range of child and family development, evidence-based teen pregnancy prevention programming, and supportive and anti-poverty services for disadvantaged South Texans. CACOST’s capacity to effectively conduct the proposed project is framed by our effective and proven leadership of key management staff, governance and decision-making structures, grounded in our management and financial systems and experience and evidenced by CACOST’s dynamic growth and development.
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).
