Office of Population AffairsOffice of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Care and Prevention Demonstration Projects 2007-2008
Centers for Youth and Families Little Rock, Arkansas Centers for Youth and Families (CYF), in collaboration with Healthy Connections, Inc. (HC), is replicating programs for pregnant and parenting adolescents throughout Arkansas. They partner with the Arkansas Children’s Trust Fund, which funds home visiting programs for child abuse prevention, to assist organizations to develop and enhance services to pregnant and parenting adolescents. Each year, they will add four projects to their replication plan, with the result of 20 new/enhanced projects for pregnant and parenting youth throughout Arkansas over five years. CYF provides training and technical assistance and monitoring for urban projects and HC provides training and technical assistance and monitoring for rural projects. The first two projects selected for replication are Ozark Mountain Health Network in Clinton, AR and Access Incorporated in Pine Bluff, AR. Each year, in addition to the on-site and phone and email consultation, an annual training conference is conducted for the replication programs. The evaluation is looking across sites at the implementation of the replication sites as well as the outcomes of program participants at the various sites. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Pam Plummer; 501-666-6833
Our Family Services, Inc. Tucson, Arizona Prepared Teens program is an AFL Care Demonstration Project led by Our Family Services, Inc. in collaboration with Teenage Outreach Pregnancy Services (TOPS). The Prepared Teens program serves 400 pregnant and parenting teenagers ages 13 to 18, their extended family members and male partners. The intervention combines six inter-related research supported strategies (case management, registered nurse education, mentoring, education, father/family involvement, and peer support). Through implementation of these six strategies, teen mothers will decrease their risk for repeat pregnancy, increase physical/emotional well-being and improve educational attainment. A quasi-experimental comparison group design will be used to study the outcomes of the program. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Laurie Mazerbo; 520-327-4583
La Clinica de la Raza Oakland, California La Clinica de la Raza is a private non-profit community health center based in Oakland, CA. La Clinica provides community-based family centered primary health care services that are responsive to the needs of a non-English speaking, immigrant, predominantly Hispanic population. The AFL-Enhanced Services Project (AFL-ESP) offers familycentered on-site prenatal care, case management, male partner involvement, and parenting education services for Clinica Alta Vista (CAV) teen clinic patients. The project enhancements include increased family involvement interventions, couples counseling and male involvement, educational attainment, and a demonstration research project focused on repeat pregnancy in Latina adolescents. The project implements an intervention to reduce repeat pregnancy in Latina teens in Oakland. The evaluation looks at outcomes of clients receiving different levels of dosage of program interventions, compares year 1 participants with participants in subsequent years, and compares outcomes with pregnant and parenting adolescents at other clinic sites who do not receive the AFL-ESP services. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Tracy Macdonald; 510-535-6327
San Diego Unified School District San Diego, California The San Diego Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenting Program (SANDAPP), a program of the San Diego Unified School District, is conducting a project to serve pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families residing in the Central and South Regions of San Diego County, including both urban and suburban communities. The target population served includes pregnant/ expectant (fathers of the child) and parenting adolescents, their children, parents and siblings. The AFL Project provides intensive mental health casemanagement services and parenting classes to pregnant and parenting adolescents, their children, parents, siblings and the fathers of the children. Services are provided weekly and may include individual therapy with the adolescent parent, the father of the child or the sibling, family therapy, couples therapy, dyadic therapy (mom and teen parent), parent-child interaction therapy, life skills/parenting classes for the adolescent parent, or parenting classes for the parent of the adolescent parent. The project compares intensive services with the state AFLP services, consisting of monthly home case management services, assessment, supportive counseling, and referrals for service needs. Grant: $372,340 Contact: Cindy Grossman; 619-235-5002
San Mateo County Health Department San Mateo, California The San Mateo County Adolescent Family Life Project, administered by the San Mateo County Health Department Division of Public Health (DPH), provides comprehensive health, education and social services to pregnant and parenting adolescents, their infants, siblings, family members, male partners, young fathers, parents and extended family members. Clients are involved in all aspects of the services, including planning, evaluation and feedback. Services are linked with other health and social services provided by San Mateo County through other funding. There are several unique features to this Project, including multi-cultural and multi-lingual staff, extensive use of the Developmental Assets approach and especially the availability of mental health services for all clients. The AFL Project serves a mix of minority female clients, Filipinas, Latinas, Chinese, Pacific Islanders and African Americans, between the ages of 13 and 18 and males between the ages of 16 and 26. The enhanced project incorporates mental health counseling for individuals and couples, a young dads’ support group, couples counseling, a play group program and youth development preventive support to high risk younger siblings of pregnant and parenting adolescents. In order to look at the effect of project enhancements, the evaluation is comparing outcomes of adolescent parents in the previously funded program with those in this project, looking at pre-intervention and post-intervention outcomes in participants, and specific outcomes related to mental health, depression, support, and child development. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Anand Chabra; 650-573-3469
City of Bridgeport Bridgeport, Connecticut The Bridgeport Health Department’s Parent Aide Program is a highly successful home visitation support and parenting education strategy designed to assist pregnant and parenting teens who are identified as at risk for child abuse and neglect. One strategy is to increase the capacity of the Parent Aide Program and strengthen collaborations with community partners, particularly Greater Bridgeport Adolescent Pregnancy Program, the sole provider of support services for young fathers in the region and the Bridgeport Board of Education Social Work Department. The program serves African American and Hispanic pregnant and parenting teens up to the age of 19, their infants, family members, and young fathers. The Parent Aide Program focuses upon providing for the psychosocial needs of the teen parent and her child within the context of her natural support system(s). During weekly home visits, the Parent Aides focus on prenatal and parenting education, nutritional counseling, child development, safety issues, child care, community resources, and appropriate discipline techniques in order to enhance the teen parents’ efficacy in her new role, as well as reduce the incidence of child abuse and neglect. City of Bridgeport will measure: 1) increased maternal competence in appropriate parenting approaches and skills; 2) teen mothers continued education; 3) increased connection to social supports and community resources; 4) child immunizations, 5) decrease in repeat pregnancies, and 6) increased paternal competence in appropriate parenting approaches and skills. All participants in the intervention and comparison groups complete pre and post-tests, and participate in up to 7 data collection interviews (English or Spanish) at baseline, 6-, 12-, 18-, 24-, 30, and 36 months. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Carmen Ayala; 203-576-8468
The Village for Families & Children, Inc. Hartford, Connecticut The Village for Families and Children, Inc. is a private, non-profit community service agency founded in 1809. The AFL project serves adolescent parents age 19 and under in Hartford, CT, particularly youth who are currently underserved by current programs. AFL funds will build upon two Village programs: the “Friends of the Family” Adolescent Parenting Program and the RAMBUH Family Center by increasing the availability of intensive case management services to teen parents, particularly those at higher risk; expanding mental health services for teen parents to address issues such as depression and domestic violence; providing services to family members, including individual/family therapy and linkage to pregnancy prevention programs; and coordinating a city-wide service network by effectively triaging clients to appropriate support. Case management/support services help adolescent parents obtain proper care and become productive, independent contributors to family and community life. Familyfocused services assist families in understanding and resolving the societal causes associated with teen pregnancy and in strengthening families capacity to deal with sexual behavior, pregnancy, parenthood of adolescents and utilizing existing support systems, such as other family members and friends. Interventions are designed to limit negative effects of too early childbearing for young parents and their families. The evaluation intends to demonstrate whether negative impacts are reduced through program activities. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Patricia Schmidt; 860-297-0598 ext. 764
Children’s National Medical Center Washington, District of Columbia The Children’s National Medical Center is a private, nonprofit hospital that provides health care for infants, children and adolescents. The local care demonstration project entitled, “Enhanced Healthy Generations Program” offers services at the hospital in Northwest D.C. and at community-based satellite health centers in the underserved areas of Southeast Washington, D.C. and Adams Morgan. The Generations Program targets high risk pregnant and parenting teens, their infants, fathers/male partners, and other significant family members. Comprehensive primary health care for adolescent parents and their children is provided through a multidisciplinary approach. In an effort to increase access and decrease motivational barriers to care among teenage mothers, fathers and significant family members, this program provides enhanced case management and counseling, mental health intervention, and home outreach with increased emphasis on engaging teen fathers and other family members. This project is evaluating an innovative model of mental health service delivery which augments the patient-centered approach. Through this approach, the project can assess the enhancement of self-efficacy, the strengthening of relationships, and the ability to make healthy decisions. Ultimately, the program strives to increase the repeat pregnancy interval, increase abstinence and responsible sexual behavior, support goal setting, and strengthen positive father and family involvement. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Lee Beers; 202-884-3797
Metro Atlanta Youth For Christ Atlanta, Georgia The Parenting Adolescents Social Services And Generational Education (PASSAGE) Project provides Care services to pregnant and parenting adolescents and their male partners residing in DeKalb and Fulton Counties in Georgia. This project represents a collaborative effort between the Metro Atlanta Youth For Christ and SafeHouse Outreach, both are faith-based agencies reaching the needs of at-risk populations. The project consists of a unique partnership between the faith community and the social services community to address the immediate pregnancy-related needs as well as strengthening the young families. The PASSAGE project provides small group lessons, comprehensive case management, and assistance with such issues as transportation and childcare, so as to improve the quality of life for the project participants. The evaluation is measuring whether program activities increase client educational attainment, increase immunization compliance and reduce repeat pregnancy. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Charles Eaddy; 770-638-5220
Illinois Department of Human Services Chicago, Illinois The Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) is conducting a Care services demonstration project which serves inner-city Chicago youth. IDHS operates a nationally recognized model of services for custodial teen parents who receive TANF or Medicaid. This project expands and enhances existing programming by extending care services to teen fathers, siblings and other family members of the teen mother. The project expects to serve 150 low income families. The overarching goal of the project is to strengthen the interaction between the teen parents and their child, the teen mother’s relationship with her extended family and the grandparent-baby relationship. The child’s parents will learn greater self-sufficiency through school completion and job readiness. The grantee aims to reduce teen pregnancy among the younger siblings of the teen parents. This project evaluates its effectiveness in serving these populations and making a difference in their lives. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Denise Simon; 217-785-0462
Lake County Health Department Chicago, Illinois The Strong Families Today and Tomorrow (SFTT) Program is an AFL Care Services project serving the Lake County communities of Waukegan, North Chicago, Zion and Round Lake, Illinois. Based on youth development and other theories that impact health beliefs and change, SFTT uses a variety of evidence-based individual and group interventions to provide a continuum of services to pregnant and parenting teens. Services include in-school programming consisting of prenatal education and support groups, as well as intensive home-based programming for girls in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and up to 12 weeks postpartum. New teen parents will participate in an intensive six-month follow-along program which will include parent education and other supportive services. The main emphasis of the program is to engage teen parents, their partners and families in skill-building training that will support positive, long-term relationships and strong families. Further, interventions strive to provide teen parents with the opportunities they need for economic success in the future. The SFTT Program provides an objective well-constructed evaluation that will contribute to knowledge about service provision for pregnant and parenting teens and their families and offer information useful for program development and replication. The evaluation documents the extent to which a mix of intervention strategies for pregnant and parenting teens positively affects: 1) health outcomes for mother and child; 2) the rate of subsequent pregnancies among participants; 3) the rate of education attainment; 4) the development of strong parenting skills; 5) rate of immunizations; and 6) development of relationshipbuilding knowledge and skills. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Susan Bekenstein; 847-377-8188
The Night Ministry Chicago, Illinois This project serves at-risk youth who are homeless or in danger of becoming homeless in the City of Chicago. The Response-Ability Pregnant and Parent Program (RAPPP) provides case management services, shelter, family life and parenting education, and supportive services to adolescent mothers, their children, extended family members and young fathers. Project interventions are tailored to meet the unique needs of homeless pregnant and parenting adolescents. Project participants receive intensive case management services and curriculum based skills building activities to increase parenting, relationship and life skills. RAPPP assesses program effectiveness through an intensive evaluation component comprised of intervention and comparison groups of 250 youth, each. The evaluation of project implementation and outcomes will be used to improve service delivery. Evaluation findings will be disseminated through publication. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Melissa Maguire; 773-506-6007
University of Maryland Baltimore, Maryland The University of Maryland, Baltimore is implementing the BRIDGES to HEALTH/DADs Care demonstration project. The project serves underserved, low income (95% Medicaid), minority (95% African-American), pregnant and parenting teenagers (18 years old or younger), their children, the children’s fathers, and other family members. Pregnant adolescents are recruited from the community and randomly assigned to receive either standard adolescent prenatal clinic services or to receive the intervention. Intervention clients receive comprehensive assessments, home visits, parenting education, and computer assisted motivational interviewing (CAMI) designed to promote healthy relationships and reduce repeat pregnancy. Additional services are needs-driven and client-centered. The project has capitalized on what has been learned in serving pregnant and parenting adolescents and their families in Baltimore, MD. In CAMI sessions, the teen answers questions on a laptop computer that assess partner relationships, sexual behaviors, & risk for repeat pregnancy. Following the assessment, the trained case manager conducts motivational interviewing, a form of behavior change counseling that aims to promote healthy relationships, improve contraceptive and condom use, focus on goals, and promote school continuation. The CAMI intervention is also used with adolescent fathers to increase motivation for healthy relationships and sexual decision-making, particularly around contraceptive/ condom use. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Beth Barnet, MD; 410-328-2550
Children’s Hospital of Boston Boston, Massachusetts Project CONNECT is an initiative which brings together the Young Parents Program (YPP) at Children’s Hospital, Boston (CHB), the Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Prenatal Clinic, Healthy Baby/Healthy Child (HB/HC) nurse home visiting program and Families First, a parenting education agency to provide a state-of-the art model of care for parenting teens in Boston. The model builds on the lessons learned and strengths of each program, adding critical new elements of randomized control trial of parenting and life skills groups, and home visiting. Prenatal services encourage breastfeeding, and support infant care and parenting. CHB provides a medical base with coordinated, continuous health care services, psychosocial support, parenting/life skills groups and individual services for teen mothers and fathers. Integrated fathers’ services emphasize male parenting roles, communication, life skills training, violence prevention and positive youth development. The evaluation will test the impact of the overall comprehensive clinical care of Project Connect, and will assess the additional contribution due to the participants’ involvement in either the parenting or life skills postnatal support groups through an experimental randomized intervention-control group design. The project contains a randomized clinical trial of two types of psychoeducational groups with two entirely different curricula focused either on: 1) parenting skills, or 2) life skills. Each group will provide a control group for the other intervention since the curricula are different, are taught by different staff, and address different skills. The main hypotheses focus on measuring the impact of parenting/life skills groups at different stages on participants, as compared to a control group. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Joanne Cox; 617-355-5227
Roca, Inc. Chelsea, Massachusetts Roca, Inc. and the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Community Health Centers are partners in implementing the Circle of Care (COC) project in Chelsea and Revere, two communities with some of the highest birth rates in the state. A team of providers, youth workers, and counselors outreach to and provide home visiting services and group work in a comprehensive, holistic and seamless manner. After birth, home-based visits are implemented and focus on topics such as child development, keeping a baby well, keeping a baby safe, additional education on babies and children, parenting skills, reduction in isolation, and access to community resources. In addition, home visitors also provide facilitation of two weekly groups and three school-based pregnancy and parenting classes. A father outreach worker utilizes relentless outreach and transformational relational skills to engage male partners and/or fathers of program infants. Activities and groups designed to break down barriers and offer opportunities for these young men are also implemented. The evaluation of the project hypothesizes that the program will decrease teen pregnancy, increase parenting skills and the teen’s “sense of belonging.” The comparison strategy entails using teen parents from another nearby program. Grant: $349,380 Contact: Heather Rebmann Hernandez; 617-889-5210
Minneapolis Public Schools Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis Public Schools, a local education agency, is partnering with Hennepin County Human Services, Minneapolis Department of Health’s School-Based Clinics, the Minnesota Visiting Nurses Agency (MVNA), The River of Life Lutheran Church and HIRED, an employment and training agency. The project will serve pregnant and parenting adolescent who are enrolled in the Broadway Teen Parent Alternative School, who receive a cash grant subsidy from the Minnesota Family Investment Program (Minnesota’s version of TANF welfare), and who are under age 19 at program entry. The project provides services for parents/guardians of the teen parents, as well as children and fathers who are involved in long-term relationships with the participant. The overall goal of the program is to improve outcomes for teen parents by addressing their complex academic, social and health needs through a three-pronged approach that includes: intensive assessment, multidisciplinary case management and the integration of Care Services into the school day. The project is evaluating whether or not participants achieve measurable gains in each of the five outcome areas: to increase the number of TANF teen parents who complete high school, to delay additional pregnancies, to increase compliance with infant immunization, to promote healthy, stable family environments, and to develop career and technical skills that promote economic stability. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Barbara Kyle; 612-588-0850
Truman Medical Center Kansas City, Missouri The Truman Medical Center, Incorporated StartRight Teen MOMS project enhances the services in the adolescent clinic by targeting indigent youth from the inner city areas of Kansas City and low-income suburban areas through several programs. Teen mothers with input from a Mentor Coordinator, develop an Individualized Family Service Plan to identify goals and objectives to be achieved. This program continues to build on the successes of previous OAPP grants. For this grant, Truman is testing whether the new project approach of integrating mentoring, a curricula component, and a support group for fathers of the babies, as well as support groups for siblings of the teen mothers and fathers with basic care, will increase health and social benefits for program clients. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Kay Connelly; 816-556-3635
Hidalgo Medical Services Lordsburg, New Mexico The Centers for Youth and Families is a non profit social service agency that provides a wide array of services to residents of the rural communities in Southwestern New Mexico. The local care demonstration project, “Growing Up Strong Together” is for pregnant and parenting teens, their infants, fathers/male partners and other family members. Clinical, educational, mentoring and support services are provided by highlyqualified health providers, a case manager, expert educators, counselors, promotoras and peer mentors. Services include comprehensive intake and assessment, referrals and follow-up, enrollment in all available programs, medical treatment, individual and family counseling, advocacy, and a variety of classes and support groups with emphasis on no unplanned repeat pregnancies and increased educational attainment. The project hypothesizes the program will reduce repeat pregnancies and increase educational attainment. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Donna Flenniken; 505-542-8384 ext. 416
YWCA of Rochester and Monroe County Rochester, New York The Young Parents Support Services, provided by the YMCA of Rochester and Monroe counties, is enhancing their on-site services at four Rochester district high schools. Intensive, strength-based case management; health education; life skills training; career exploration and vocational preparation; parenting education; and recreational and social activities are just a few of the enhancements included. Family support specialists work with families of at least 100 teen mothers; grandparent groups and family recreational activities are offered; and outreach to adolescent fathers and linkages to fatherhood programs are implemented. This project is evaluating the effectiveness of intensive case management services coupled with family intervention compared to traditional case management. Grant: $326,613 Contact: Mary Lou McCloud; 585-368-2248
Polly Fox Academy Toledo, Ohio Polly Fox Academy, an alternative public school in Toledo, OH, is evaluating their program for 7th-12th grade pregnant and parenting adolescent teens, their children, partners, and family. The program uses a holistic youth development approach, incorporating increased academic support, at school and home nursing support, mental health counseling, service learning, mentoring, and parenting education for the pregnant and parenting adolescent mothers in the alternative school. The project objectives focus on reducing repeat pregnancy, increasing infant immunizations, increasing educational attainment, increasing parenting knowledge, skills, and self efficacy, improving healthy relationship skills, and increasing self efficacy in making positive future decisions. The evaluation will compare adolescent parents in the comprehensive Polly Fox program with adolescent parents attending other Toledo Public Schools in regards to the outcome objectives and will also conduct focus groups and in-depth interviews with program participants and implementers in order to further assess the components of the intervention that are helpful to students. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Joan Durgin; 419-720-4593
Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Durant, Oklahoma The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is a federally recognized Indian tribe with over seventy programs providing services to a Native American population in an economically deprived area. The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma in collaboration with the Choctaw Nation Community-Based Social Work Program, Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority, and partnering agencies provides and evaluates a comprehensive and integrated program to reduce repeat pregnancies; improve health outcomes for mother and infant; increase healthy parenting skills; provide opportunities for education and job training; and increase healthy relationship skills. Intensive case management by a nurse and a home visitation program by social workers are key components of this project. Grant: $286,765 Contact: Angela Dancer; 918-647-0682
North Care Oklahoma City, Oklahoma North Care Center is a private non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that is a certified Community Mental Health Center. Promise Place, the AFL Care Project, is implementing and evaluating: 1) an expanded case management system, 2) a father/male involvement program, 3) parent/family outreach, 4) health, wellness and fitness programs, and 5) strategic community awareness and resource development activities. The program uses a youth development approach that builds protective factors and student skills, while focusing on the reduction of health risk behaviors. The project expanded extensive case management services that coordinate academic, health care services, parenting education, employment training, and counseling support at diverse inner city neighborhoods in the Oklahoma City Public School District, with Emerson High School providing the primary location. With collaborating agencies, the program provides relationship and parenting skill development, health and wellness care, employment skills training and college placement activities. Increases in health and social benefits of project activities will be measured. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Tracey Douglas; 405-605-1926 ext. 1
Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania This grantee is a community-based nonprofit organization located in North Philadelphia. The Alcanza Project utilizes and evaluates a holistic youth development approach to educate and engage teen mothers and fathers in skill building activities (i.e., parenting education, career exploration, and case management) that will ensure that they thrive as individuals, able to provide a healthy environment for their children. Challenged by increasing issues related to trauma and mental health in this predominately Puerto Rican teen parenting population, this project provides intensive clinical case management. A Masters level Social Worker co-serves each client with a lay case manager. The MSW addresses the psychosocial aspects of these teenagers, creating an action plan that assists the teen in building skills as well as mental health. Congreso is evaluating this enhanced service model compared to traditional lay case management services. This intervention is enriched through Congreso’s ability to draw upon the services from among the agency’s other 50 social service programs. In addition, through its 28 years of service to the Latino community in Eastern North Philadelphia, Congreso has established numerous partnerships. The Alcanza Care project, through these services and partnerships, enables teen parents, their children and their families to receive high quality, culturally appropriate and bilingual care. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Julie Counsler Emig; 215-763-8870 ext. 1306
Middle Tyger Community Center Lyman, South Carolina The Middle Tyger Community Center (MTCC) serves racially diverse pregnant and parenting adolescents in rural Spartanburg County, South Carolina. MTCC is a private, non-profit organization that provides basic case management services as well as: a) prenatal services and implement prenatal classes, b) postnatal case management services, c) Family Forums to engage the families of adolescent mothers, d) alternative incentives to engage adolescent mothers and fathers/male partners who do not use the childcare component, and e) expands the client base by serving adolescent parents and their children in Spartanburg County School District Two. The goals of the program are to 1) increase educational attainment, 2) prevent repeat pregnancies, 3) increase healthy births and immunizations, and 4) foster developmental assets among participants. The MTCC AFL Care Demonstration Project serves 40 pregnant adolescents, 70 adolescent mothers, 25 adolescent fathers/male partners, 70 children, and 70 additional family members. MTCC offers parenting classes, home visits, prenatal health referrals, adult education, early childhood education, developmental screenings, and counseling. The evaluation will assess the extent to which participants achieve the stated goals and outcome objectives of the project. In addition, the evaluation will compare outcomes of the MTCC intervention group to outcomes of adolescent mothers and fathers who do not have access to a similar program in other areas of Spartanburg County. Finally, a dose-response analysis will be conducted to examine the degree to which rate of participation in the program relates to outcomes among participating mothers and fathers/male partners. Grant: $268,637 Contact: Wanda Fowler; 864-439-7760
Youth & Family Alliance, dba LifeWorks Austin, Texas LifeWorks is testing two models of service provision for pregnant and parenting adolescents against a comparison group of non-participants: a social service model of case management and linkage to educational, vocational, and mental health services through LifeWorks; and a multi-agency medical case management approach coordinated through People’s Community Clinic. The project also provides comprehensive services to adolescent fathers and male partners, including case management, life skills and job training services, and access to health and mental health services. The project examines the effects of the program on repeat pregnancy, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, low birth weight infants, health care and immunizations for the adolescent parent and child, involvement of male partners or adolescent fathers, involvement of family members, school attendance or completion, parenting skills, childcare assistance, mental health services, and emotional well-being. By comparing these two models of care services and adolescents who do not engage in services, knowledge will be gained regarding the relative effectiveness and efficiency of different models of care, as well as lessons regarding the challenges and strengths of each model. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Monica Perez; 512-735-2449
Arlington Independent School District Arlington, Texas AISD is a public school system implementing the Care demonstration project “Healthy Families: Tomorrow’s Future.” This Care project is based directly on lessons learned from a previous five year AFL grant. This project targets mental health, social skills, and academic completion of pregnant and parenting teens (including males) and their extended families. AISD uses a case management model to serve over 500 youth per year with individual and group counseling, pregnancy and parenting education, childcare, transportation, and services for family members and siblings. The intervention attempts to increase internal assets. A Male Outreach Coordinator provides in-home services to males. A Family Liaison targets extended family members to provide the services they need, either directly or through referrals. The evaluation measures and analyzes the growth of assets as they relate to adolescent depression. Grant: $370,287 Contact: Tori Sisk; 682-867-7668
Promise House Dallas, Texas Promise House is a private, non-profit organization implementing the Care demonstration project “Parents with Promise.” The project targets pregnant and parenting teens, males, and extended family members. Promise House incorporates two primary interventions. The first component is intensive case management. The second component is the Teen Parent Academy. This effort provides education and support on site at the organization. The academy is open two days a week. Childcare and transportation are available. All program elements are based on positive youth development and a strengths-based treatment philosophy. The evaluation will measure the differences between the intervention and comparison groups on a number of items including subsequent out-ofwedlock pregnancies, educational attainment, family relationships, parenting skills, teen father involvement, and self-sufficiency. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Regina Levine; 214-941-8578 ext. 261
The Children’s Shelter San Antonio, Texas The Children’s Shelter facilitates a strong education and case management model project entitled Project MAS. Project MAS is based on a developmental assets model that believes that repeat pregnancies can be reduced or eliminated by teen mothers’ involvement in core program activities. These gains are expected to be accompanied by increased and extended academic achievement, and moderated by support provided by their babies’ fathers, their parents and other extended family members. Further, teen dads are expected to experience gains in parental and vocational skills through their involvement in program activities. As a center and community based Care Program, Project MAS offers the services and support necessary to eliminate barriers to school retention and to facilitate completion of parenting education. The project’s evaluation will be based on comparing services between Homebound Education only, Homebound Education plus core Project MAS, and Homebound Education plus Wraparound Care services. The evaluation plan includes a process and outcome evaluation. The evaluation will examine dosage and make comparisons over time. Grant: $375,000 Contact: Annette Rodriguez; 210-212-2573
University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah A tight collaboration between the Departments of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Utah operates an expansion of the Family Support Program by enhancing its case management services to meet the needs of the growing number of Spanishspeaking pregnant and parenting adolescents who are currently underserved in Salt Lake County. Additionally, its co-parenting program is extended to include fathers, mothers, sisters, and grandmothers. Lastly, the length of the Family Support Program is extended to provide family support through the child’s first year. The length and focus of services are based on the needs of each young parent and her family. Services focus on helping co-parenting partners cope with stressors that accompany the initial adjustment to parenthood. The specific goals of the Family Support Program are to facilitate the development of healthy and supportive communication and co-parenting skills, assist couples negotiate family planning, and support school completion and/or vocational stability. The evaluation identifies targeted outcomes that include improved co-parenting relations, positive parenting practices, reduced repeat pregnancies within the first two years post birth, and high school retention/completion and/or job stability. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Paul Florsheim; 801-585-5676
Children’s Home Society of Washington Seattle, Washington Children’s Home Society of Washington is the lead agency in a large collaborative effort to serve pregnant and parenting teens in the south and central portions of Seattle. The foundation of this care project is the Home Visitor who links participants with core services and provides training on parenting skills and healthy early childhood development. Teens receive home visiting during pregnancy and for 2 years following birth; education, employment and health services continue up to five years after program intake. Father involvement is a primary objective of this project and every effort is made to integrate this perspective into program operations. Many of the core services provided to teen mothers are also available to their male partners and/or the fathers of their babies. In addition, specific father-centered services are provided. Better health outcomes, increased education and job attainment, stronger parenting skills and healthy home environments are some of the outcomes expected from this program. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Peg Mazen; 206-695-3200 ext. 3287
Rosalie Manor Community and Family Services Milwaukee, Wisconsin Rosalie Manor Community and Family Services is a community-based, private, nonprofit agency with a 501(c)(3) status. This grantee is implementing the Supporting Teen Families project: a home visiting prevention program for teen mothers and her support system in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. African-American and Hispanic teen mothers under the age of 19, their parents and father of the baby and/or male partner are targeted. Activities include developing assets to form safe, healthy families and to avoid additional teen pregnancy; case management services; lessons from the “Parents as Teachers” curriculum; support/educational group sessions; nursing services; and services from a housing/employment specialist. A strong focus on fathers is also included. This multigenerational approach to home visiting services targets at least 200 families living in Milwaukee. The project is evaluating the intensive services provided to teens and their families. Grant: $350,000 Contact: Al Castro; 414-449-2868 ext. 204
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