REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Capacity Building for Community Health Worker Programs Central Providence Opportunities — A Health Equity Zone Initiative
DOWNLOADS: RFP | ADDENDUM A | ADDENDUM B
Summary
In this one-time funding opportunity, Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone (CPO-HEZ) is seeking proposals from organizations who seek capacity building funds to hire or sustain a full-time Community Health Worker (CHW). Applicants do not need to have a CHW on staff when applying for funds.
About ONE Neighborhood Builders
ONE Neighborhood Builders (ONE|NB) is a nonprofit community development leader in Rhode Island that is expanding its work to the broader Greater Providence area while maintaining its deep roots in its historic home of Olneyville. In 2019 and early 2020, we engaged in a robust strategic planning process in which we formally adopted the strategies we will follow to advance our mission. ONE|NB’s mission is to develop affordable housing and engage neighbors to cultivate healthy, vibrant, and safe communities.
Through our strategic planning process, we affirmed that our work remains grounded in our enduring, core values and our central commitment to equity. We value diversity; promoting neighborhoods of choice that residents from different ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and cultures choose to call home; enlisting the expertise of neighborhood residents and stakeholders, inquiring about their revitalization strategies, and endeavoring to implement their priorities; and seeking to regenerate neighborhoods without displacing residents and businesses, thereby deepening community wealth.
We have committed to accomplishing our mission through:
- Robust Housing Development and Quality Real Estate Management
- Addressing Root Causes of Health Disparities Embracing Innovation
- Building the Community Development Field
About Central Providence Opportunities: A Health Equity Zone
The Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) established Health Equity Zones (HEZs) in 2015 to improve community health in areas that need it most. HEZs are collaboratives of residents, community organizations, health professionals, and others who come together to address the root causes of health disparities. The HEZs work to ensure every neighborhood has a fair and just opportunity to be healthier. This work requires removing obstacles to health such as poverty, discrimination, racism, and their consequences, including insufficient access to good jobs with fair pay, quality education, affordable housing, safe environments, and healthcare.
In 2020, ONE Neighborhood Builders, backbone of the Central Providence Health Equity Zone, received an $8 million grant from Blue Meridian Partners to increase economic mobility for Central Providence residents.
ONE|NB used this funding to develop Central Providence Opportunities (CPO), a project designed to close opportunity gaps around health, wealth, safety, and income. With the guidance of a Resident Advisory Council, CPO has made strategic investments in affordable housing, early childhood development, local business development, quality jobs, and supportive services. The work of CPO has amplified the impact of CP-HEZ.
Community Health Workers
Our Community Health Worker Apprenticeship Program, with its focus on sustainable, health-focused initiatives, helps CPO-HEZ address a variety of underlying causes for local health conditions. Our work has evolved during the pandemic from working to prevent and manage chronic diseases and reaching out to help seniors age healthily in place to deep community engagement to address COVID-19 issues. ONE|NB has worked with its Collaborative and CPO-HEZ partners to hold vaccine registration sessions and vaccine clinics; to deliver food and water to households in need; to be on-call 7 days a week to respond to referrals from the Rhode Island Department of Health; to provide $200,000 in direct cash assistance; to give out masks and COVID supplies; and to conduct social determinants of health (SDOH) screenings.
In 2020, ONE|NB convened a multi-organizational CHW Cohort. Seven organizations were represented in this cohort. To date, 17 people have enrolled in our Registered Apprenticeship program. Of those enrollees, 14 CHWs have completed the CORE classroom training by Rhode Island College and 12 are Certified Community Health Workers through the Rhode Island Certification Board, for which they must complete 72 hours of education in nine topics and submit a portfolio of work. Seven have successfully met their Apprenticeship RI credentials after completing 144 hours of classroom training and 2,000 hours of on-the-job training.
About the Central Providence CHW Collective
The Central Providence Collective is a way to continue collaboration and CHW support once CHWs receive their necessary training for certification. The Collective meets every other week and is represented by ten CHWs and outreach staff. The Collective aims to be a space where Community Health Workers from different organizations come together to share lived experiences, resources, and overall support. The Collective aims to be a beacon of knowledge and support while fostering growth by providing training opportunities and engaging in meaningful conversations. With the understanding that Community Health Workers work to uplift, guide, support and educate their communities.
Proposal
Please submit a written proposal, no more than five pages single-spaced. Proposals should include the following:
- Overview of your organization and its vision, mission, and population served
- The role that your CHW plays or will play in your organization. How do/will CHWs help you carry out your vision
- What capacity needs will this funding address for your CHW Program
- How will you sustain your CHW after this grant?
Please note that current CPO-HEZ grantees will need to be up to date on invoicing and reporting for current projects if they are responding to this RFP.
Qualifications
In order to be eligible for funding, applicants must:
- Have a full-time CHW on staff or hire a full-time CHW during the grant period. CHWs hired must be certified or receive their certification during the grant period. Applicants do not need to have a CHW on staff when submitting this RFP
- The CHW must enroll in ONE|NB’s CHW Registered Apprenticeship Program (Please see Addendum A for CHW apprenticeship requirements)
- Have a CHW represented at CPO-HEZ CHW Collective Meetings
- Serve residents in 02908 and 02909
- Participate in CPO-HEZ evaluation efforts
Budget
Proposals of up to $25,000 will be accepted. Partial awards may be made. The funding period for this opportunity will be July 1, 2022- June 30, 2023. 1:1 match is required for this grant.
Funds can be used to support CHW staff, or any expenses that come with hiring or training CHWs. This can include, but are not limited to:
- Organizational administrative costs
- Supervisory staff
- Finance for CHW billing
- Development staff/consultants for CHW sustainability
Application Submission and timeline
Questions related to this RFP can be submitted via email to Dominique Resendes, Assistant Director of Place-Based Initiatives at resendes@nullonenb.org until May 15, 2022.
Proposals can be submitted in person at ONE Neighborhood Builders, 66 Chaffee Street Providence RI or via email to resendes@nullonenb.org by June 1, 2022. Funding decisions will be made by June 17 for project implementation to begin July 1, 2022. In addition to a narrative proposal, please include a budget using the template in Addendum B. Please include 1:1 match funding in budget.
Evaluation Criteria
ONE|NB will evaluate proposals according to the following criteria:
- Demonstrated need for CHWs
- Sustainability
- Involvement in the Central Providence Opportunities Health Equity Zone
