Minnesota Department of Health has announced the release of the Request for Proposals (RFP) for its federally funded Title V Sexual Risk Avoidance Education program.
Donor Name: Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)
State: Minnesota
County: All Counties
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 06/14/2023
Size of the Grant: $175,000
Grant Duration: 2 years
Details:
The purpose of the Title V State Sexual Risk Avoidance Education (SRAE) program is to fund states and territories to implement education exclusively on sexual risk avoidance that teaches youth to voluntarily refrain from sexual activity. Linking program participants to services provided by local community partners that support the safety and well-being of youth is also a key component of the program.
MDH targets its SRAE funding to implement Minnesota’s Healthy Teen Initiative (HTI). HTI targets available SRAE funding toward populations experiencing the greatest disparities in teen pregnancies and STIs through the implementation of high quality, medically accurate, evidenced-based and evidence-informed programs to promote healthy youth development, risk avoidance, and to voluntarily refrain from nonmarital sexual activity in youth 10-14. In addition, the initiative implements evidence-informed programs that reach parents or adult mentors of youth ages 10-19.
Program Goals and Components
Grantees use evidenced-based and informed approaches and/or effective strategies to educate youth on how to avoid risks that could lead to non-marital sexual activity. SRAE projects are implemented using a Positive Youth Development (PYD) framework as part of risk avoidance strategies, to help participants build healthy life skills, develop individual protective factors that reduce risks, empower youth to make healthy decisions, and provide tools and resources to prevent pregnancy and STIs. Linking program participants to services provided by local community partners that support the safety and well-being of youth is also a key component to the program.
This RFP targets high risk youths and parents of youth to decrease risk factors and increase protective factors associated with teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Risk factors can include living in poverty, early sexual activity, early use of alcohol and drugs, and race and ethnicity. Some protective factors include open communication with parents/or adults about accurate contraception use, parental support and healthy family dynamics, intent to abstain from sex or limit one’s number of partners, positive attitudes towards condom use, and understanding the importance of refraining from nonmarital sexual activity and pregnancy.
This grant opportunity aims to achieve the following long-term goals:
- GOAL #1: Decrease teen pregnancies among 15–19-year-olds by implementing high quality, medically accurate, evidenced-based and informed programs.
- GOAL #2: Decrease the rates of STIs among 15–19-year-olds by implementing high quality, medically accurate, evidenced-based and informed programs
Grantees will choose curricula from the following MDH approved list most appropriate for their targeted populations, youth and parents or mentors of youth.
For youth 10-14 years old:
- Adult Identity Mentor Program (Project AIM)
- HealthSmart
- Live It!
- Making a Difference
- Teen Outreach Program (TOP)
For parents of youth 10-19 years old:
- It’s That Easy! A Guide to Raising Sexually Healthy Children
- Live It!
Funding Information
- Funding will be allocated through a competitive process. The estimated total amount of funding that is available under this notice for federal fiscal year 2023 is $744,524. MDH plans to fund up to six grantees. Minnesota will target funding geographically with organizations who work with populations experiencing the greatest disparities. The estimated minimum amount for any grant is $60,000 and the estimated maximum amount is $175,000.
- Applications are requested for the first two years beginning October 1, 2023, or the date upon which all signatures to the agreement are obtained and ending September 30, 2025.
Target Populations
- Minnesota’s Healthy Teen Initiative (HTI) targets SRAE funding to agencies that reach vulnerable youth populations with the highest rates of teen pregnancies and STIs. Applicants are required to provide services to youth populations that are the most high-risk or vulnerable for pregnancies or have other special circumstances. MDH recognizes that youth which are the most high-risk or vulnerable for pregnancies include, but not limited to, youth living in under-resourced regions and areas with high rates of teen births and STIs, culturally underrepresented youth populations, especially young people of color and American Indian youth; lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+); youth in or aging out of foster care; youth in alternative learning centers (ALCs) and youth in the juvenile justice system. Applicants are encouraged to address the unique needs of these vulnerable
Eligibility Criteria
This opportunity is open to non-profit community-based youth-serving organizations, faith-based organizations, federally qualified health centers, tribal governments, local governments (city and county), school districts, alternative schools, and other related organizations. To be eligible for funding, applicants must serve the following population:
- Youth 10-14 years old, that include one or more of the following populations: Youth of color, American Indian youth, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning/queer (LGBTQ) youth, youth in foster care or aging out of foster care, youth in alternative learning centers (ALCs); and youth in the juvenile justice system.
- Parents or adult mentors of youth 10-19
For more information, visit MDH.
