Diverse Advocacy and Consumer Engagement Request for Proposals

Informational Session

Hartford Public Library, Hartford, CT

March 26, 2014

Overview

CT Health Presentation – 15 minutes

•Welcome and Acknowledgments

•Who is CT Health?

•What Health Equity Means for Connecticut

•What is systems change in health reform?

Overview of RFP Grant Opportunity – 15 minutes

•Rationale & Objectives

•RFP Applicant & Criteria

•Grant Award & Time Frame

•Technical Assistance

Participant Questions, Answers & Discussion – 30 minutes

Who is the Connecticut Health Foundation?

• The Connecticut Health Foundation (CT Health) is the state’s largest independent health philanthropy.

• Since 1999, the foundation has supported innovative grant-making, public policy research, technical assistance and convening to achieve its mission – to improve the health of the people of Connecticut.

• Over the past 14 years, CT Health has awarded grants totaling $52,000,000 throughout the state.

How CT Health Expands Health Equity

“Changing Systems, Improving Lives”The Fish Proverb

• You can give a person a fish…

(direct services)

• Or you can teach a person to fish… (education and skill building)

• Or you can make sure everybody has a fair shot at catching good healthy fish to feed their family

(systems change)– Who is able to fish and where?– How many fish should one person be allowed to catch?– Are the fish safe to eat?– Who oversees all of this?

People + Places x Rules = System

People who make the rules and set the priorities and the people who influence them

Places literal and symbolic where:-decisions are made-health care is delivered

Rules that make the system run: -laws-administrative policies-professional standards-procedures-regulations-resource allocation -enforcement-accountability-unwritten rules

“Changing Systems, Improving Lives”Another Way to Look at It

Changing Individual Behavior Changing Systems

We can look at someone’s decisions about their health and ask:

“How can we help this person create changes within their own lives by giving them knowledge, tools, or motivation to make healthier decisions?”

We can look at what surrounds someone and ask:

“Are the people, places, and rules outside of their lives making it easier or harder to be healthy?”

CT Health’s approach to expanding health equity for

people of color

Diverse Advocacy and Consumer EngagementRequest for Proposals

Why does CT Health want to support diverse advocacy & consumer engagement in health reform?

CT Health’s theory is that including the voices of consumers of color in health reform will mean:•The needs, values, and preferences of consumers affected by health disparities are represented in opportunities to change the health care system•Leaders of color are effective messengers for health equity in health reform•Bridges between health care systems and consumers of color are built or strengthened

RFP Applicant Criteria--Person of Color (PoC) led nonprofit:

Nonprofit must meet at least 2 out of 3 criteria for being a PoC led nonprofit:•Led (e.g., executive director, CEO) by a person of color; and/or•Governed by a board composed of a majority (51%+) of people of color•Serves populations/communities of color

CT Health defines a person of color as someone who identifies as being from one or more of the following groups:

– African-American/Black– Latino/Hispanic– Asian/Asian-American – Native American

Grant Award and Timeframe

• CT Health will award 4 to 6 grants

• Grants will range from $25,000 to $50,000

• Grant period will be from July 1, 2014 - June 30, 2015

RFP Program Objectives

Applicants must select one or more of (3) three program objectives that leverage opportunities to advance health equity in reforming health care:

1. Supporting health insurance enrollment and navigation efforts in the 2014 enrollment period for coverage starting in 2015.

Examples: -Systems developed to assist newly enrolled consumers to access health care system and informing Access Health CT and/or DSS about barriers and challenges and advocate for solutions-Sharing effective practices and strategies with Access Health CT for enrolling people of color in health insurance

RFP Program Objectives (Cont’d)

2. Developing and utilizing methods and strategies to bring voices of consumers of color to key health reform decision making tables and organizations.

•Example:– Gaining perspectives of newly insured individuals about their

experiences in navigating health care by systematically communicating successes and challenges regarding continuous coverage to Access Health CT, Department of Social Services or other important systems.

– Advocating for health care access alternatives for remaining uninsured (such as undocumented immigrants)

RFP Program Objectives (Cont’d)

3. Creating and maintaining opportunities for newly insured consumers of color to provide feedback to continuously improve consumer experience of health reform implementation.•Example:

– Organizing campaign to publicize the State Innovation Model (healthcare transformation) to engage consumers of color to share their voices and experiences to build a better health care system.

Places where important health reform decisions being made

• Access Health CT (CT's health insurance marketplace)• State Innovation Model (Planning process to transform the way

health care is delivered in CT)• Access Health Analytics (CT's All Payer Claims Database)• Department of Social Services (Administers Medicaid)• Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) (a health care provider

system)• Healthy CT (Nonprofit cooperative formed because of ACA)• CT State Legislature• Other key organizations and/or state agencies (DCF, DPH,

DMHAS, DOC)• Other places?

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE (TA) TO GRANTEES

•A funding requirement of successful grantees will be participation in technical assistance sessions focused on health reform/the ACA, consumer engagement, and advocacy.

•Includes up to three (3) grantee meetings.

•CT Health will also make TA responsive to the stated needs of grantees.

RFP Application – Key Dates & Grant Information

Activity Date

Bridgeport RFP Information Session March 18, 2014

Hartford RFP Information Session March 26, 2014

Application Deadline April 21, 2014

Notification of Successful Award June 21, 2014

Grant Award Period July 1, 2014-June 30, 2015

Additional Questions about Diverse Advocacy and Consumer Engagement RFP?

Please contact:

Yolanda Caldera-Durant

Senior Program Officer

yolandacd@cthealth.org

860-724-1580 ext. 20