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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Maryjane Puffer, BSN, MPA, Provider Services Division, California Family Health Council, 3600 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 600, Los Angeles, CA 90010, 213 386 5614 X4414, pufferm@cfhc.org

The California Family Health Council (CFHC) recognized that broadening its network of partners to include faith-based organizations has the potential to significantly enhance its efforts to reach historically underserved communities.

CFHC initiated a variety of activities designed to enhance its relationships with faith-based partners.

• An RFP was developed and distributed to Title X agencies and faith coalitions in June 2005. • Eight of fourteen agencies each received grants ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 to promote reproductive health in their congregations. • The non-funded agencies were invited to (a) participate in a grant making workshop, and (b) select CFHC educational materials on reproductive health to incorporate in their own programs. • Initiated a needs assessment covering California faith-based organizations and a faith-based funding resource manual.

CFHC also conducted site visits at each of the funded sites, in an effort to better understand their needs and to further explore ways that CFHC can work with the faith community.

CFHC significantly enhanced the ability to reach underserved populations, while also building the capacity of faith-based organizations to work closely with Title X agencies. Because of the program's immediate successes the CFHC Board allocated $100,000 of partnership funds to faith-based projects to expand the number of funded partnerships from 8 to 10; to establish an evaluation process specifically focused on dynamics of faith-based organizations; to assess need for resource materials for Title X agencies in California.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify challenges to new partnerships.
• Discuss potential controversy for faith based partners in reproductive health.
• Identify two benefits of pursuing such partnerships.

Keywords: Access to Health Care, Reproductive Health

Related Web page: www.cfhc.org

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered