Richland Public Health Awarded PREP Grant For Three Years

November 26, 2019

 

By: WMFD

Reporter: Sartaj Singh

MANSFIELD, OH - Richland Public Health has received grant funding to implement a personal responsibility education program to multiple counties. 

The organization will receive $300,000 per year for the next three years from the Ohio Department of Youth Services Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP). 

The grant will allow Richland Public Health to train foster care, group homes, independent living, juvenile justice, alternative school, and/or social service agency staff across 20 counties of Northwest Ohio. 

The goal of the training is to implement a PREP curriculum with local youth. 

The program is funded by the U.S Department of Health and Human Services for the purposes of providing an evidence-based adult preparation curriculum to youth between the ages of 14-21 who are in foster care, group homes, independent living, juvenile justice, or alternative schools. 

The department also states that program is aimed to inform youth on how to avoid risky behaviors as they enter adulthood.

"Preparing and supporting our youth to grow-up to be responsible, healthy, and successful adults is crucial to the advancement of our community," said Dr. Julie Chaya, Director of Community Health and Prevention Sciences at Richland Public Health. "This investment in our area's youth provides them the opportunity to critically think about how the personal decisions and life choices they make now affect how they experience adulthood. This is a chance for them to make healthy behavior and lifestyle changes for the better. When our youth succeed, so does our economy, our overall health and well-being, and our community's quality of life."

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