La Raza Services Inc

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, AND MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS

ENTRA -- "EVERYONE NEEDS TENDER RESPECTFUL ATTENTION" - ABSTRACT SERVICIOS DE LA RAZA (SDLR) IS A 50-YEAR-OLD, LATINO-LED NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION HEADQUARTERED IN DENVER THAT SERVES THE ENTIRE STATE OF COLORADO. IN 2021, SDLR SERVED 64,733 PEOPLE ACROSS ALL OF ITS PROGRAMS. SDLR PROPOSES TO LEVERAGE THE TRUST IT HAS BUILT AMONG THE HARDEST-TO-REACH LATINO FAMILIES TO ENROLL MORE CHILDREN IN MEDICAID (CALLED HEALTH FIRST COLORADO) OR CHIP (CALLED THE COLORADO CHILD HEALTH PLAN PLUS—CHP+). SDLR’S PROJECT CALLED ENTRA (EVERYONE NEEDS TENDER RESPECTFUL ATTENTION; “ENTRA” ALSO MEANS “ENTRANCE” IN SPANISH) WILL INTENTIONALLY TARGET AREAS THROUGHOUT COLORADO WHERE THERE ARE LARGE NUMBERS OF ELIGIBLE, BUT NOT ENROLLED (EBNE) LATINO CHILDREN. SINCE 2014, SDLR HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY EFFECTIVE AT HELPING LATINOS APPLY FOR AND ENROLL IN MEDICAID AND CHIP THROUGH ITS WELL-HONED PROCESS TO DEMYSTIFY THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND PROVIDE ONE-ON-ONE SUPPORT, REMOVING BARRIERS AND STIGMA WHILE REFLECTING THE VALUES AND CULTURE TREASURED BY LATINOS. FOR EXAMPLE, SDLR’S APPROACH WILL USE CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE OUTREACH MESSAGES THAT UNDERSCORE THE VALUES THAT RESONATE WITH ITS TARGET POPULATION, E.G., THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING THEIR FAMILIES AND PROVIDING FOR THEIR CHILDREN. ALL PROGRAM STAFF ARE BILINGUAL IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND ARE ALSO MEMBERS OF THE LATINO COMMUNITY THEMSELVES. ENTRA WILL PROVIDE: CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE OUTREACH, INCLUDING PARTNERSHIPS WITH SPANISH-LANGUAGE RADIO AND TV STATIONS; TRAINING TO PROMOTE REFERRALS OF SDLR’S CLIENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN OTHER PROGRAMS; PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE LATINOS TO PROMOTE REFERRALS TO ENTRA; IN-PERSON AND VIRTUAL DIRECT APPLICATION AND ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE IN SPANISH OR ENGLISH; AND STATEWIDE ENROLLMENT EVENTS PLANNED ALONGSIDE PROMOTORAS (COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS). EVENTS WILL ALSO BE HELD AT PARTNERING HEALTH CLINICS AND SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND MORE FREQUENTLY DURING PEAK ENROLLMENT TIMES. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL ALLOW ENTRA TO REACH ITS OV ERALL GOAL OF SUBMITTING 19,469 APPLICATIONS FOR CHILDREN, PARENTS AND PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS OVER THE THREE-YEAR PROJECT PERIOD. THE TABLE BELOW SHOWS SDLR’S ADDITIONAL GOALS BY YEAR: SDLR’S GOALS FOR ENTRA: YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 CHILDREN FOR WHOM A HEALTH COVERAGE APPLICATION WILL BE SUBMITTED 4,400 4,705 5,050 CHILDREN WHO WILL BE NEWLY ENROLLED IN MEDICAID OR CHIP 3,300 3,529 3,788 CHILDREN WHO WILL BE RENEWED IN MEDICAID OR CHIP 1,100 1,176 1,262 PARENTS FOR WHOM A HEALTH COVERAGE APPLICATION WILL BE SUBMITTED 1,000 1,117 1,250 PARENTS NEWLY ENROLLED IN MEDICAID 300 335 375 PARENTS RENEWED IN MEDICAID 700 782 875 PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS FOR WHOM AN APP. FOR HEALTH COVERAGE WILL BE SUBMITTED 600 647 700 PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS NEWLY ENROLLED IN MEDICAID OR CHIP 480 518 560 PREGNANT INDIVIDUALS WHO WILL BE RENEWED (POSTPARTUM COVERAGE) 120 129 140 THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR ENTRA IS $1,500,000 OVER THE THREE-YEAR PROJECT. FUNDING FROM CMS WILL BE USED TO HIRE, TRAIN AND EQUIP A FULL-TIME CMS PROGRAM COORDINATOR AND FOUR FULL-TIME ENROLLMENT SPECIALISTS (THREE OF WHOM WILL BE MOBILE) TO INCREASE SDLR’S CAPACITY TO PROVIDE DIRECT ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE TO MORE PEOPLE THAN IT CAN ASSIST WITH EXISTING STAFF. THIS WILL INCREASE STAFF TO 6.48 FTE COMPARED WITH THE EXISTING 1.6 FTE. FUNDING WILL ALSO BE USED TO PURCHASE OUTREACH MATERIALS AND ADVERTISING AND SUPPLIES TO BRAND AND MARKET THE PROGRAM.

THE GRANTS TO ENHANCE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING PROGRAM IS AUTHORIZED BY 34 U.S.C. 20124. THIS PROGRAM SUPPORTS THE MAINTENANCE AND REPLICATION OF EXISTING SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS PROVIDING CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING, AS WELL AS THE DEVELOPMENT OF INNOVATIVE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE ACCESS TO SERVICES AND RESOURCES FOR VICTIMS WHO FACE OBSTACLES TO USING MORE TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS. CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES MEANS COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES THAT INCLUDE CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND LINGUISTICALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES AND RESOURCES TO CULTURALLY SPECIFIC COMMUNITIES WHICH ARE STATUTORILY DEFINED AS AMERICAN INDIANS (INCLUDING ALASKA NATIVES, ESKIMOS, AND ALEUTS); ASIAN AMERICANS; NATIVE HAWAIIANS AND OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS; BLACKS; AND HISPANICS. PROJECTS MUST ADDRESS AT LEAST ONE OF THE PROGRAMS STATUTORY PURPOSE AREAS. THROUGH THIS NEW CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES PROGRAM PROJECT, SERVICIOS DE LA RAZA, INC. WILL IMPLEMENT A PROJECT ADDRESSING THE FOLLOWING PURPOSE AREAS : WORK WITH STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING; INCREASE COMMUNITIES CAPACITY TO PROVIDE CULTURALLY SPECIFIC RESOURCES AND SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING CRIMES AND THEIR FAMILIES; STRENGTHEN CRIMINAL JUSTICE INTERVENTIONS; AND ENHANCE TRADITIONAL SERVICES TO VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, DATING VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, AND STALKING. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO ADDRESS THE FOLLOWING PRIORITY AREAS: PRIORITY AREA 1 - ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY AND PRIORITY AREA 3 - UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES (LATINE LGBTQ+).SERVICIOS DE LA RAZA (SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE) SERVESTHE NEEDS OF MARGINALIZED LATINOPEOPLE IN THE DENVER METROPOLITAN AREA AND THROUGHOUT COLORADO - ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE MONOLINGUAL SPANISH-SPEAKING. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: TRAUMA-INFORMED AND CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE CRISIS INTERVENTION, CASE MANAGEMENT, ADVOCACY, SAFETY PLANNING, LEGAL SERVICES, MENTAL HEALTH CARE, WRAPAROUND SUPPORT TO NEEDED RESOURCES TO PROMOTE SELF-SUFFICIENCY, AND TRADITIONAL CURANDERISMO (HEALING PRACTICES) SUCH AS INPI CEREMONIES (SWEAT LODGES), LIMPIAS (SPIRITUAL CLEANSES), TRIBAL DANCERS THAT OFFER PRAYER IN THE FOUR DIRECTIONS, PRAYERS, LAYING ON OF HANDS AND/OR MASSAGE, ACUDETOX, ACUPRESSURE, HEALING THROUGH THE FIVE SENSES, AND ARTACURA (ART THERAPY).

THE LATINA/OS IN SAFE TRANSITION ORDER AND SELF-SUFFICIENCY OR 'LISTOS? PROJECT WILL PROVIDE ACCESS TO CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE MEN

THE HOME PROGRAM FOCUSES ON PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. - SERVICIOS DE LA RAZA (SERVICIOS) WILL IMPLEMENT THE HOME PROGRAM WHICH STANDS FOR HOLISTIC OUR (RELATIONS) MENTAL (HEALTH) ENGAGEMENT. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, SERVICIOS WILL DEPLOY EVIDENCE-BASED, CULTURALLY, AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE TREATMENT SERVICES TO DIVERT COLORADO YOUTH AND ADULTS AWAY FROM JUSTICE SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS PROVIDE TREATMENT TO INCARCERATED AND RETURNING COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO QUANTIFIABLY REDUCE RECIDIVISM RATES. THE HOME PROGRAM FOCUSES ON PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH STAFF FACILITATE SERVICES TO JUSTICE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE CURRENTLY INCARCERATED AT THE DENVER DOWNTOWN DETENTION CENTER AND DENVER COUNTY JAIL. GEOGRAPHICALLY, THE PROJECT WILL BE FOCUSED ON DENVER, COLORADO AND HAS THE CAPACITY TO SCALE ACROSS THE STATE AND INTO OTHER UNDERSERVED AREAS AS ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF FUNDING ARE IDENTIFIED AND AWARDED.