Family Planning Association Of Maine Inc

STATEWIDE FP PROJECT-TO PROVIDE FPS (MEDICAL, EDUCATION, REFERRAL) TO AT-RISK, IN NEED CLIENTS THROUGHOUT MAINE.

STATEWIDE FAMILY PLANNING PROJECT TO PROVIDE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES (MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, REFERRAL) TO AT RISK, IN NEED CLIENTS THROUGHOUT MAINE.

STATEWIDE FP PROJECT TO PROVIDE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES (MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, REFERRAL) TO AT RISK, IN NEED CLIENTS THROUGHOUT MAINE.

STATEWIDE FAMILY PLANNING PROJECT TO PROVIDE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES (MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, REFERRAL) TO AT RISK, IN NEED PATIENTS THROUGHOUT MAINE.

STATEWIDE FP PROJECT TO PROVIDE FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES (MEDICAL, EDUCATIONAL, REFERRAL) TO AT RISK, IN NEED CLIENTS THROUGHOUT MAINE.

TITLE X TELEHEALTH PROJECT TO EXPAND ASYNCHRONOUS FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES TO CLIENTS IN NEED THROUGHOUT MAINE - MAINE IN GENERAL, AND THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF MAINE (FPA) IN PARTICULAR, ARE NOTABLE FOR THEIR WHOLEHEARTED AND EARLY EMBRACE OF TELEHEALTH AS A MEANS OF DELIVERING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE. IN 2014, USING PRIVATE FUNDS, THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF MAINE BECAME ONE OF THE NATION’S FIRST SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROVIDERS TO OFFER MEDICATION ABORTION VIA A TELEHEALTH MODEL. IN DOING SO, THE FPA CREATED AN INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDING ADEQUATE CONNECTIVITY AT ALL CLINICS, STAFF TRAINING IN VARIOUS TELEHEALTH PLATFORMS, AND EXPERTISE IN BEST PRACTICES IN PROVIDING TELEHEALTH CARE. IN ADDITION TO MEDICATION ABORTION, IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS, A PILOT PROGRAM IN TELEHEALTH SERVICES INCLUDING DIRECT-TO-PATIENT CONTRACEPTION, STI TESTING, PREGNANCY TESTING, AND GENDER-AFFIRMING HEALTH CARE WAS ESTABLISHED. WHEN COVID-19 REACHED MAINE IN MARCH OF 2020, THE FPA WAS UNIQUELY WELL-POSITIONED TO RAPIDLY TRANSITION TO PROVIDING CARE VIA TELEHEALTH FOR THE MAJORITY OF OUR SERVICES, NEVER CLOSING OUR CLINICS OR DECREASING OUR SERVICE OFFERINGS, AND SERVED AS A THOUGHT LEADER AND RESOURCE FOR OTHERS IN THE FIELD. TO TRULY PROVIDE EQUITABLE OPTIONS TO ACCESSING CARE FOR ALL MAINERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE LIVING IN REMOTE RURAL COMMUNITIES, WHO HAVE LOW INCOMES, AND/OR HAVE LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY, THE FPA SEEKS TO BROADEN OUR ALREADY ROBUST TELEHEALTH CAPACITY TO INCLUDE A SIMPLE-TO-USE ASYNCHRONOUS TELEHEALTH SERVICE IN COMBINATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ENTIRELY MULTI-LINGUAL WEBSITE AND MULTI-LINGUAL INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS. INTRODUCING AN ASYNCHRONOUS TELEHEALTH SRH SERVICE WITH THE FEATURES DESCRIBED ABOVE HARMONIZES COMPLETELY WITH THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES TO REDUCE HEALTH DISPARITIES AMONG THE UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS DESCRIBED IN THIS APPLICATION, AS WELL THE APPLICATION SUBMITTED BY THE FPA TO THE OFFICE OF POPULATION AFFAIRS FOR FUNDS TO SUPPORT MAINE’S STATEWIDE SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH NETWORK.

TITLE X MAINE HEALTH INSURANCE ENROLLMENT PROGRAM

TITLE X DIRE NEEDS INTERVENTION AND ACCESS PROGRAM - THE FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION OF MAINE (FPA) SEEKS FEDERAL TITLE X DIRE NEEDS FUNDS TO ADDRESS HISTORIC DISPARITIES AMONG IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS WHO LACK INSURANCE COVERAGE; HAVE A LIMITED UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR RIGHT TO ACCESS HEALTH CARE; FACE LANGUAGE AND INTERPRETATION BARRIERS; AND ARE UNDERSTANDABLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE FEDERAL BUREAUCRACY'S RELATIONSHIP TO THE PROVISION OF HEALTH CARE. THE NEED TO REACH OUT TO THE POPULATION OF NEW MAINERS WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH IS SELF-EVIDENT: ACCORDING TO A 2014 GUTTMACHER INSTITUTE STUDY, JUST HALF OF THE FOREIGN-BORN WOMEN OF REPRODUCTIVE AGE HAD RECEIVED CONTRACEPTIVE CARE, COMPARED TO TWO-THIRDS OF AMERICAN-BORN WOMEN. TO HELP THE NEW MAINER POPULATION IN SOUTHERN MAINE ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES, THE FPA SEEKS $157,500 TO EXPAND ITS EXISTING PARTNERSHIP WITH GREATER PORTLAND HEALTH (GPH), A FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTER WITH 10 LOCATIONS IN SOUTHERN MAINE WHOSE CURRENT PATIENT POPULATION SPEAKS 16 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. USING DIRE NEEDS FUNDS, GPH WOULD RECRUIT, HIRE, AND TRAIN TWO PART-TIME COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS TO REDUCE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO CRITICAL, LIFE-CHANGING FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES, EDUCATION AND COUNSELING FOR PRIMARILY AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS IN AND AROUND PORTLAND, MAINE. BY BREAKING DOWN LOGISTICAL AND CULTURAL OBSTACLES TO FAMILY PLANNING CARE FOR THIS POPULATION, THE FPA PROJECTS 650 EDUCATIONAL ENCOUNTERS WITH MEMBERS OF THE TARGET POPULATION AND THAT AS A RESULT OF THESE CONTACTS, BETWEEN 160-200 NEW PATIENTS WILL ACCESS TITLE X SERVICES. BOTH THE FPA AND GPH ARE WHOLEHEARTEDLY COMMITTED TO OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS IMMIGRANTS, REFUGEES, AND ASYLUM SEEKERS FACE IN ACCESSING SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE. AND BOTH GPH AND THE FPA RECOGNIZE THAT IN-PERSON, FACE-TO-FACE EDUCATION AND OUTREACH OF THE KIND DESCRIBES THROUGHOUT THIS APPLICATION IS LABOR INTENSIVE. HOWEVER, THE VALUE OF INCREASING ACCESS TO TITLE X SERVICES IS INCALCULABLE AND WILL SERVE AS A MODEL TO BE REPLICATED WITHIN OUR OWN NETWORKS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.