Aiming For Healthy Families Inc

TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM - YOUTHRISE (RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL = EMPOWERMENT) - NEED FOR THE PROJECT: AIMING FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES (AFHF) IS A COMMUNITY-BASED, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT PROPOSES TO IMPLEMENT A TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION (TPP) AND POSITIVE YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (PYD). FOR 20 YEARS, AFHF HAS SERVED THOUSANDS OF YOUTH TO PROMOTE PREVENTION INITIATIVES. THE PROJECT NAME IS YOUTH RISE (RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL = EMPOWERMENT). THE PROJECT WILL SERVE VULNERABLE YOUTH IN RURAL AND UNDER-SERVED COUNTIES IN THE NORTHEAST CORNER OF MISSISSIPPI (MS): LEE, PRENTISS, AND PONTOTOC. IN THESE TARGET COUNTIES NEARLY A QUARTER (22%) OF THE YOUTH LIVE IN POVERTY, COMPARED TO 17% NATIONALLY. ALL THREE COUNTIES HAVE HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT RATES THAT EXCEED THE NATION’S 6%: LEE-9%, PRENTISS-9 % AND PONTOTOC- 9.2%. SPECIFIC TO TEEN SEXUAL BEHAVIORS, MS RANKS #1 OUT OF 50 STATES WITH THE HIGHEST TEEN BIRTH RATES AND #12 FOR THE MOST SEXUALLY ACTIVE YOUTH. ALL PROJECT TARGET COUNTIES HAVE TEEN BIRTH RATES (PER 1,000) THAT EXCEED THE NATIONAL RATE OF 16.7. TWO OF THE COUNTIES HAVE BIRTH RATES THAT NEARLY DOUBLE, WHILE ONE COUNTY HAS A BIRTH RATE THAT MORE THAN DOUBLES THE NATION: LEE (30.6), AND PRENTISS (29.8) AND PONTOTOC (40.5). MS RANKS AS #1 HAVING THE HIGHEST STD RATE IN THE NATION. PROPOSED SERVICES: THE GOAL OF YOUTH RISE IS TO REDUCE TEEN PREGNANCIES AND STDS/HIV BY EDUCATING YOUTH ON HOW TO VOLUNTARILY REFRAIN FROM RISKY SEXUAL ACTIVITY. THE YOUTH RISE PROGRAM SEEKS TO IMPLEMENT THE FOUR KEY ELEMENTS OF A TPP SCALE-UP PROJECT THAT ARE CRITICAL FOR AN EFFECTIVE TPP PROGRAM: 1) EVIDENCE BASED 2) COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION 3) REFERRALS TO OTHER SERVICES 4) SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENTS. THE PROJECT FOCUSES ON ADDRESSING RISK FACTORS AT THE YOUTH, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY LEVEL. HIGH SCHOOL YOUTH WILL RECEIVE 10 HOURS OF PROPOSED LOVE NOTES 4.0 SRA EBP (LN) AND/OR MIND MATTERS CURRICULUM WITH INCLUSIVE PYD ACTIVITIES. BOTH CURRICULA ARE EVIDENCE BASED AND INCLUDE HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP SKILLS TRAINING. FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS WILL BE ENGAGED IN 60 MINUTES OF PARENT SUPPORT EDUCATION TO STRENGTHEN FAMILY COMMUNICATION. PROJECT COMMUNITY MOBILIZATION ACTIVITIES WILL BE UTILIZED TO STRENGTHEN CAPACITY WITHIN THE TARGET COMMUNITIES. A QUALIFIED EVALUATION TEAM WILL WORK WITH AFHF STAFF TO COLLECT, TRACK, AND MONITOR PERFORMANCE MEASURE DATA AND EVALUATE FIDELITY, QUALITY AND PROGRESS TOWARD PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. TARGET POPULATION: THE PROJECT WILL SERVE 850 YOUTH, ANNUALLY, IN LEE, PRENTISS AND PONTOTOC COUNTIES THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH FIVE SCHOOL DISTRICTS: BALDWYN, BOONEVILLE, LEE, PRENTISS, AND PONTOTOC AND OTHER UNIQUE SETTINGS: ADOLESCENT RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT CENTER, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATION, COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH ORGANIZATION SERVING ADOLESCENTS AND JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER/YOUTH COURT. THE PROJECT TARGETS YOUTH AGES 14-18 IN GRADES 9-12. YOUTH OF ALL RACES AND ETHNICITIES WILL PARTICIPATE WITH AN ESTIMATED 30% BEING MINORITY ETHNICITIES. AT LEAST 85 FAMILIES/CAREGIVERS OF PROJECT YOUTH WILL PARTICIPATE IN ACTIVITIES ANNUALLY.

YOUTH RISE (RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL = EMPOWERMENT)

YOUTH RISE (RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL = EMPOWERMENT)

SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM - YOUTH RISE

THE SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE EDUCATION (SRAE) PROGRAM

YOUTH RISE - RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL = EMPOWERMENT: A SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM

YOUTH RISE - RESPONSIBILITY, INTEGRITY, SELF-CONTROL = EMPOWERMENT: A TEEN PREGNANCY PREVENTION PROGRAM

STRENGTHENING YOUTH AND NURTURING CONNECTIONS WILL HELP 1,575 YOUTH IN MONROE COUNTY, MS DEVELOP RELATIONSHIP SKILLS FOR A SUCCESSFUL TRANSITION TO ADULTHOOD USING LOVE NOTES 4.1 AND MONEY HABITUDES. - AIMING FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES, INC. WILL IMPLEMENT THE STRENGTHENING YOUTH AND NURTURING CONNECTIONS (SYNC) PROJECT TO SERVE 350 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ANNUALLY IN GRADES 9-12 IN MONROE COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI. THE PROJECT WILL DELIVER 12-HOUR WORKSHOPS USING LOVE NOTES 4.1 AND MONEY HABITUDES FOR TEENS CURRICULA TO HELP YOUTH BUILD RELATIONSHIP SKILLS AND PREPARE FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS TO ADULTHOOD. SESSIONS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN SCHOOL SETTINGS ACROSS ABERDEEN, AMORY, AND MONROE COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS. OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD, SYNC WILL SERVE 1,575 YOUTH, IMPROVING THEIR FAMILY FUNCTIONING, SELF-ESTEEM, AND ECONOMIC STABILITY.

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER WILL PROVIDE SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE EDUCATION TO 700 HIGH-NEED YOUTH, ANNUALLY, IN GRADES 7-12 IN LEE, PRENTISS, AND PONTOTOC COUNTIES, MISSISSIPPI. - PROJECT ABSTRACT SUMMARY PROJECT TITLE: HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER APPLICANT NAME: AIMING FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES, INC. ADDRESS: 609 NORTH FILLMORE STREET, CORINTH, MS 38834 PHONE: 662-284-9930 EMAIL: CGOWEN@AIMING4HF.ORG WEBSITE: WWW.AIMING4HF.ORG PROPOSED PROJECT AND NEED: AIMING FOR HEALTHY FAMILIES, INC. (AFHF) PROPOSES A GENERAL DEPARTMENT SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE EDUCATION (GD-SRAE) PROGRAM CALLED HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER WHICH WILL SERVE 700 UNDUPLICATED YOUTH IN GRADES 7-12 AND 75 PARENTS, ANNUALLY, IN THE THREE NORTHEAST MISSISSIPPI (MS) COUNTIES OF LEE, PRENTISS, AND PONTOTOC. MS YOUTH, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITHIN TARGET COMMUNITIES, FACE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES. MS HAS RANKED HIGHEST IN THE NATION FOR TEEN BIRTHS FOR THE PAST THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS, WITH A CURRENT RATE OF 22.8 (PER 1,000, AGES 15-19), EFFECTIVELY DOUBLING THE NATIONAL RATE OF 11.7. TEEN BIRTH RATES IN TARGET COUNTIES LEE, PRENTISS, AND PONTOTOC ALL ALARMINGLY EXCEED THE STATE RATE. FURTHERMORE, MS RANKS 2ND IN THE U.S. FOR CHLAMYDIA INFECTIONS, 3RD FOR SYPHILIS INFECTIONS, AND 5TH FOR GONORRHEA INFECTIONS AND NEW HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS (HIV) DIAGNOSES. ALL TARGET COUNTIES ARE INCREASING IN NEARLY ALL SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES AND HIV AT AN OVERALL FASTER RATE THAN THE NATION. COMPOUNDED WITH HIGH POVERTY, HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS, AND VULNERABLE PRIORITY POPULATIONS, THE YOUTH TO BE SERVED BY HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER HAVE A STRONG NEED FOR GD-SRAE PROGRAMMING. PROPOSED SERVICES: HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS MATTER WILL PROVIDE EVIDENCE-BASED, MEDICALLY ACCURATE, AND AGE-APPROPRIATE PROGRAMMING THAT WILL ENCOURAGE YOUTH TO AVOID NONMARITAL SEXUAL ACTIVITY AND OTHER RISKY BEHAVIORS BY IMPLEMENTING THE CHOOSING THE BEST (JOURNEY, PATH, AND LIFE) CURRICULA ALONG WITH MONEY HABITUDES 2 FOR YOUNG ADULTS AND MONEY HABITUDES FOR TEENS CURRICULA. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER RECEIVED PRIOR GD-SRAE INSTRUCTION (GRADES 9-12) WILL RECEIVE 12 HOURS OF EDUCATION; MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS (GRADES 7-8) WILL RECEIVE 10 HOURS. ALL PROGRAMMING WILL ADHERE TO GD-SRAE REQUIREMENTS AND ALIGN WITH ACF PRIORITY AREAS. SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WITH SIGNED MOUS INCLUDE LEE COUNTY, PRENTISS COUNTY, BALDWYN, BOONEVILLE, AND PONTOTOC COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICTS, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF NORTH MS, UNITED WAY OF NORTHEAST MS, YOUTH VILLAGES, FAITH HAVEN, SAFE, INC., NORTHEAST MS COMMUNITY COLLEGE CAREER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY, LEE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE- YOUTH DIVISION, AND PRENTISS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE. LETTERS OF SUPPORT ARE PROVIDED BY MISSISSIPPI ATTORNEY GENERAL, LYNN FITCH, MS CONGRESSMAN TRENT KELLY, MS SENATOR ROGER WICKER, AND THE MS COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. EVALUATION AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS: A QUALIFIED EVALUATION TEAM WILL COLLECT, TRACK, AND MONITOR PROGRESS TOWARDS MEETING PROJECT OBJECTIVES, WHILE COMPLETING BOTH LOCAL AND FEDERAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. SELECT EVALUATIVE RESEARCH QUESTIONS INCLUDE WHAT YOUTH OUTCOMES ARE REPORTED REGARDING SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE, PROTECTIVE SKILLS, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS, HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS, AND FUTURE ORIENTATION, INCLUDING FAMILY, EDUCATION, AND EMPLOYMENT.