Department of Health & Human Services

Office of the Secretary

Assistant Secretary for Health
Office of Public Health and Science
Office of Population Affairs
Washington, DC 20201

Dear Project Directors:

The Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs (OAPP) has always emphasized the importance of technical assistance and training to ensure that Adolescent Family Life (AFL) Care and Prevention projects have well trained staff. OAPP has been committed to providing this technical assistance and training to AFL grantees for many years. OAPP’s technical assistance objective is to improve the caliber, professionalism and skills of primarily front-line staff by providing skills-based training. Ultimately, the skills developed through technical assistance training workshops will build each AFL project and their staffs’ capacity to implement the best demonstration programs possible by dealing with the unique and vast needs of program participants and program evaluations.

Each year, OAPP strives to identify and develop the most relevant training and topics for grantees that are responsive to grantees needs. The training calendar is re-visited often to ensure that the topics and modalities for trainings remain cutting edge and useful. For the 2009-2010 training year, we have identified several key training modalities for the benefit of the AFL grantees: face-to-face workshops; net conferences; e-learning modules; and collaboration with other training sources.

Trainings

Face-to face trainings: OAPP anticipates hosting approximately 7 face-to-face workshops over the next budget year. OAPP has created a draft calendar outlining training topics. Please note that we are consistently working towards improving the trainings we offer and as a result the calendar may change slightly. We will provide AFL grantees with as much lead time as possible in planning for attendance at appropriate trainings.

Net conferences: OAPP anticipates hosting a few net conference workshops and conference calls over the next budget year. These calls will be varied in the topics that are covered. OAPP will continue to host quarterly conference calls to maintain communication with grantees.

E-learning modules: Over the past 2 years OAPP has worked closely with the technical assistance contractor to develop several self-directed e-learning modules related to training issues that are critical for all AFL grantee staff. As these modules become approved, OAPP will make them available to grantees through the OAPP web site. Project Directors will be expected to ensure that each of the AFL project staff are trained using these self-directed modules. This will include training for new staff as they are hired.

Logistics
Grantee agencies can send 2-3 staff per face-to-face workshop. The net conferences and the e-learning modules are not limited to a certain number of attendees. Project Directors will receive a flyer from OAPP with information pertaining to the training topic(s), a preliminary outline (if available), the number of staff invited to attend, and registration information. It is imperative that you register for the training by the deadline listed on the flyer. If not, AFL staff may not be allowed to attend. Flyers are often sent out via the OAPP listserv; it is important that all relevant AFL directors, coordinators, and evaluators are registered for this listserv.

Cost Sharing
Because training and technical assistance is crucial to our mission, OAPP pays for a majority of the costs for grantee trainings. All AFL grantees must share a small portion of the cost of the training workshop they are attending. We request that all AFL grantees pay for each attending staff’s per diem costs, including ground transportation and food. Prevention grantees are also required to pay for air travel (or other form of transportation) and lodging using the FY 09 supplemental awards.  OAPP will continue to pay for meeting space and presenter costs for all grantees. In addition, OAPP will pay for air travel (or other form of transportation) and lodging for Care grantees. If a grantee agency is in close proximity to the AFL technical assistance and training meeting site, OAPP may authorize staff to use their personally owned vehicle or a rental car. If a personally owned vehicle is authorized, OAPP will reimburse the grantee for mileage and fuel. If a rental vehicle is authorized, OAPP will reimburse the rental car costs and fuel.

Attendance Policy
OAPP encourages full participation of AFL project staff in the OAPP sponsored training workshops. It is important to note that when people leave early, the congruency and effectiveness of the training workshop is disrupted in many ways. OAPP encourages you to send appropriate staff to each training that is offered. If you have a question about whether or not you should send staff to a workshop, please contact your Project Officer directly.

It is OAPP’s expectation that all AFL staff that choose to participate in these workshops stay the entire time. In order to implement this policy, we request that Project Directors convey this expectation to front-line staff prior to their attending the face-to-face training. Once on site at the training, any project staff person who is unable to attend the full 1 ½-2 day workshop is asked to notify their Project Director and the designated OAPP technical assistance representative stating the reason for the early departure. Because complete staff attendance is so important to meeting OAPP’s training objective, we want to avoid staff members leaving arbitrarily from a workshop. If staff do not stay for the entire workshop without reason, we will ask that the grantee agency assume full responsibility of that staff person’s travel expenses including per diem, ground transportation, lodging, and air travel (or other form of transportation). Project staff should not attempt to secure an earlier flight home without prior approval from the Project Director and OAPP. When participants schedule early flights home, it is disruptive and unfair to the rest of the group. Any person unable to comply with this policy should not attend an OAPP training.

Continuing Education Credits
OAPP will offer continuing education units for the face-to-face workshops and the e-learning modules this year. Participants wishing to receive a continuing education certificate must attend the entire training or complete the full module for credit. At this time, continuing education is only available for the field of social work.

OAPP is pleased to announce that John Snow, Inc. (JSI) will provide logistical support for the workshops again this year. All logistical inquiries should be directed to the Project Coordinator, Megan Hiltner at 303-262-4324. If you have questions regarding the technical assistance and training program, please contact Allison Roper at (240) 453-2806 or Allison.Roper@hhs.gov. We look forward to another exciting year of you and your staff’s participation in OAPP sponsored trainings.

Sincerely,

Alicia Richmond Scott, MSW
Acting Director
Office of Adolescent Pregnancy Programs