WESTCHESTER COUNTY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Smoking Prevention and Cessation
Proposals Due: 5:00 PM, September 15, 2023
Objectives
1. Prevent the use of cigarettes, vapes, and other tobacco products in Westchester County teens and young adults through peer-led discussion with a focus on the health outcomes of smoking and social determinants of tobacco use.
2. Understand social determinants of smoking initiation among youth and young adults using peerled and dialogic approaches.
3. Use engaging, activity/game based programming to prime elementary school-aged children on:
• the short-term health effects and image-based consequences of tobacco/nicotine use
• the cost and financial impact of using tobacco/nicotine products and ways that money could be better spent
• the reasons why people use tobacco/nicotine
• how tobacco advertising, tobacco/nicotine products used in movies, and the tobacco industry markets their products to youth
• how they can take action in combatting tobacco/nicotine in their schools and communities
4. Increase tobacco use screening and evidence-based tobacco cessation services in the adult population.
Scope of Work
Each applying organization should select at least one of the following program pathways to implement during the funding period. Each response to this RFP should identify pathway(s) of interest and provide a program implementation plan that addresses at least one of the program objectives.
PATHWAY ONE– Cigarette & flavored tobacco prevention: teens, and young adults Organizations implementing programs under this pathway must have demonstrated reach among youth aged 14-24. Examples include organizations with existing afterschool programs for high school-aged youth, tutoring centers, or college readiness programs. Grantees must identify at least one Youth Ambassador who can participate in a self-paced and virtual training, led by WCDH, attend biweekly check-in calls with WCDH staff, and lead facilitated health discussions focused on flavored tobacco, mental health, and other relevant topics for teen/young adult audience.
Subcontracting organizations are also responsible for aiding the Youth Ambassador with recruitment of participants in facilitated discussions and providing physical and/or virtual space for discussions to take place. Grantees must also commit to supplementing the WCDH-led training with more culturally and linguistically tailored, individualized mentorship for the Youth Ambassadors selected.
Budgets must include:
$1500 stipends per Youth Ambassador for their completion of the program.
$10 incentives for all youth participants in discussions, which may be in the form of a gift cardfrom a broadly accessible vendor selected by the CBO.
Post-award documentation required will include:
Post-session feedback forms from the identified site leader and the Youth Ambassador (to be provided by WCDH).
Program metrics including the number of attendees, date and time of session, location, and other logistics.
Quarterly invoice of all spending with proof of purchase.
PATHWAY TWO– Cigarette and flavored tobacco prevention: Tar Wars Program for 4th and 5th
Graders Organizations implementing programs under this pathway must have demonstrated reach among children in 4th and 5th grade. Examples include, but are not limited to: school districts, organizations with existing afterschool programs for 4th and 5th graders, tutoring centers, and youth sports leagues/teams.
Organizations must identify at least one staff member who will review the Tar Wars program guide, select appropriate activities for participants, attend an orientation led by the WCDH, attend biweekly check-in calls with WCDH staff, and identify and coordinate with interested groups to present the Tar Wars curriculum.
Budgets must include:
$10 incentives per participating child in the Tar Wars program, which may be in the form of a gift card from a broadly accessible vendor selected by the CBO.
Post-award documentation required will include:
Post-session feedback forms from the Tar Wars Presenter (to be provided by WCDH).
Program metrics including the number of attendees, date and time of session, location, and other logistics.
Quarterly invoice of all spending with proof of purchase.
PATHWAY THREE– Smoking cessation and treatment: adult smokers
Under this pathway, Federally Qualified Health Centers and other health care providers will use funding to implement new or expand existing initiatives to treat patients for tobacco dependence and deliver affordable, evidence-based smoking cessation services. These services may include, but are not limited to, screening for tobacco use during regular patient visits, nicotine replacement therapy for uninsured/underinsured patients, and group counselling.
Preference will be given to organizations who also dedicate staff to become Freedom From Smoking® (FFS) Facilitators, which entails a 3-4 hour virtual, self-paced training by Center for a Tobacco-Free Hudson Valley/American Lung Association, a certification test, and participation in a 1-hour skill-building workshop. FFS facilitators will lead at least one cohort of participants through an 8-session tobacco cessation program over the course of 7 weeks.
