Subject to the availability of funds, the Department of Health shall create a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Community Initiative. The purpose of this initiative is to create collaborative community partnerships to reduce teen pregnancy. Participating communities shall examine their needs and resources relative to teen pregnancy prevention and develop plans which provide for a collaborative approach to how existing, enhanced, and new initiatives together will reduce teen pregnancy in a community. Community incentive grants shall provide funds for communities to implement plans which provide for a collaborative, comprehensive, outcome-focused approach to reducing teen pregnancy.(1) The requirements of the community incentive grants are as follows:(a) The goal required of all grants is to reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy. All grants must be designed and required to maintain the data to substantiate reducing the incidence of teen pregnancy in the targeted area in their community.
(b) The target population is teens through 19 years of age, including both males and females and mothers and fathers.
(c) Grants must target a specified geographic area or region, for which data can be maintained to substantiate the teen pregnancy rate.
(d) In order to receive funding, communities must demonstrate collaboration in the provision of existing and new teen pregnancy prevention initiatives. This collaboration shall include developing linkages to the health care, social services, and education systems.
(e) Plans must be developed for how a community will reduce the incidence of teen pregnancy in a specified geographic area or region. These plans must include:1. Provision for collaboration between existing and new initiatives for a comprehensive, well-planned, outcome-focused approach. All organizations involved in teen pregnancy prevention in the community must be involved in the planning and implementation of the community incentive grant initiative.
2. Provision in the targeted area or region for all of the components identified below. These components may be addressed through a collaboration of existing initiatives, enhancements, or new initiatives. Community incentive grant funds must address current gaps in the comprehensive teen pregnancy prevention plan for communities.a. Primary prevention components are:(I) Prevention strategies targeting males.
(II) Role modeling and monitoring.
(III) Intervention strategies targeting abused or neglected children.
(IV) Human sexuality education.
(V) Sexual advances protection education.
(VI) Reproductive health care.
(VII) Intervention strategies targeting younger siblings of teen mothers.
(VIII) Community and public awareness.
b. Secondary prevention components are:(I) Home visiting.
(II) Parent education, skill building, and supports.
(III) Care coordination and case management.
(IV) Career development.
(V) Goal setting and achievement.
Community plans must provide for initiatives which are culturally competent and relevant to the families’ values.
(2) The state shall conduct an independent process and outcome evaluation of all the community incentive grant initiatives. The evaluation shall be conducted in three phases: The first phase shall focus on process, including implementation and operation, to be reported on after the first year of operation; the second phase shall be an interim evaluation of the outcome, to be completed after the third year of operation; the third phase shall be a final evaluation of process, outcome, and achievement of the overall goal of reducing the incidence of teen pregnancy, to be completed at the end of the fifth year of operation.
(3) The state shall provide technical assistance, training, and quality assurance to assist the initiative in achieving its goals.
