Kelly, Sinema Announce Over $3 Million Coming to Arizona to Strengthen Public Health Workforce
Five organizations in Arizona will receive $3,369,176 to support Public Health AmeriCorps members.
Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema announced five organizations in Arizona will receive $3,369,176 to strengthen the public health workforce through service—addressing mental health, chronic disease prevention, and public health readiness.
The funding—allocated through the FY2024 Public Health AmeriCorps continuation funding opportunity from AmeriCorps—will support 359 Public Health AmeriCorps members across Arizona. After successfully completing their service, these Public Health AmeriCorps members are expected to earn $924,522.90 in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards to pursue higher education or repay qualified student loans.
“These investments will provide much needed support for the essential health care workers across our state,” said Kelly. “By strengthening our public health workforce, we are bolstering the quality and accessibility of care for everyone in Arizona.”
“I am proud to announce $3,369,176 coming to Arizona from AmeriCorps to strengthen the public health workforce and ensure Arizonans across the state have more access to quality health care, including programs to support mental health, reduce substance use, combat domestic violence, and boost early childhood development,” said Sinema.
In 2021, AmeriCorps and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) established Public Health AmeriCorps to help meet public health needs of local communities by providing needed capacity and support to state and local public health care facilities, increasing access to health care in underserved communities, and strengthening public health-related careers by supporting the recruitment, training, and development of the next generation of public health leaders.
| Grantee | Program | Grant Funding | Education Award Value | Description |
| Arizona State University | Enhancing the Public Health Response to Domestic Violence | $1,551,690 | $424,990.65 | The Arizona State University will have 175 AmeriCorps members who will build capacity for responding to intimate partner violence within state and local public health and complimentary agencies in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for increasing public health practitioners’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceived readiness to respond to intimate partner violence survivors. In addition, the AmeriCorps members will leverage approximately 74 volunteers, who will be engaged in integrating the members into the public health and complimentary agencies. |
| West Valley Health Equity | West Valley Health Equity | $398,856 | $110,925 | The West Valley Health Equity will have fifteen AmeriCorps members who will provide health education, mental health education and awareness, and emotional regulation skill building in Arizona. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for 70% or 140 out of 200 participants demonstrating an increased score on the AZ Self-Sufficiency Matrix in the areas of substance use (decreased use), mental health, and social connections. |
| Arizona State University | BE SAGE: COVID-19 Mitigation for Vulnerable Early Childcare | $269,559 | $73,876.05 | The College of Health Solutions of Arizona State University will host 58 AmeriCorps Members who will support COVID-19mitigation strategies (outdoor garden building, garden nutrition education and physical activity curriculum implementation,COVID-19 testing and information outreach) in 40 low-income, underserved populations attending Early Child Education sites that participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program in Maricopa County, Arizona. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps Members will be responsible for supporting COVID-19 mitigation at the 40 sites. In addition, the AmeriCorps Members will leverage an NIH-funded intervention with a large team of interdisciplinary experts and community partners such as the Equality Health Foundation who will be engaged in COVID-19 mitigation for underrepresented preschool children, their families, and teachers/staff at Early Child Education sites. |
| Prescott College Inc. | AZ Serve: Public Health Corps | $486,000 | $133,110 | Arizona Serve will have 18 AmeriCorps members who will provide monthly health interventions ranging from two health departments to eviction support in Pima County and a health inequities program and Social-Emotional-Learning interventions in Yavapai County, Arizona. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for serving 1,800 individuals, 400 of whom will report a change in behavior or intent to change behavior. |
| Northern Arizona University | Northern Arizona University | $663,071 | $181,621.20 | The Center for Service and Volunteerism at Northern Arizona University will have 93 AmeriCorps members who will be placed in organizations serving public health in the state of Arizona. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for delivering training in public health topics to 5,000 individuals in Arizona, 2,500 of whom will report an increase in health knowledge. |
| Totals | $3,369,176 | $924,522.90 |
