1.1 Definitions

(1) “Board” means the State Board of Health.

(2) “Conflict of interest” means a personal or financial interest which could reasonably be perceived as an interest that may influence an individual in his or her official duties.

(3) “Financial Interest” means a substantial interest held by an individual which is an ownership or vested interest in an entity, or employment or a prospective employment for which negotiations have begun, on a directorship or officership in an entity.

(4) “Division” means Emergency Medical Services and Prevention Division.

(5) “Entity” means any local government, local or regional health department, political subdivision of the state, county department of social services, state agency, state institution of higher education that offers a teacher education program, school, school district, or board of cooperative services or any private nonprofit, or not-for-profit community based organization.

(6) “Tobacco Education Program (TEP)” means the state tobacco education, prevention, and cessation grant program established pursuant to Section 2:5-3.5-801, C.R.S., et seq., and administered by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.

1.2 Program Goals and Services

(1) Program Goals. The TEP is to provide funding for community based and statewide programs for the purposes of:

(a) Reducing initiation of tobacco use by children and youth;

(b) Promoting cessation of tobacco use among youth and adults; and (c) Reducing exposure to second-hand smoke.

(2) Program Services. An entity that applies for a grant shall demonstrate that the program provides at least one of the following:

(a) Education designed for school-age children that, at minimum, addresses prevention and cessation strategies and the dangers of tobacco use;

(b) Education programs designed to prevent or reduce the use of all types of tobacco products;

(c) Counseling regarding the use of all types of tobacco products;

(d) Programs that address the prevention and cessation of the abuse of various types of drugs, with an emphasis on prevention and cessation of tobacco use;

(e) Programs to help reduce exposure to second hand smoke, with an emphasis on children and youth;

(f) Tobacco use and substance abuse prevention and cessation services addressed to specific population groups such as adolescents and pregnant women and provided within specific ethnic and low-income communities;

(g) Training of teachers, health professionals, and others in the field of tobacco use and prevention;

(h) Tobacco addiction prevention and treatment strategies designed specifically for persons with mental illness; or (i) Activities to prevent the sale or furnishing by other means of cigarettes or tobacco products to minors.

(3) Any program funded through the TEP may be presented in combination with other substance abuse programs.

1.3 Procedures for Grant Application.

(1) Grant Application Contents.

(a) At a minimum, all applications shall be submitted to the TEP in accordance with these rules and shall contain the following information:

1. (i) A description of the experience of the applicant including work with the target community and in providing tobacco education, cessation and prevention services.
2. (ii) A description of the specific needs of the population to be served.
3. (iii) A plan for hiring and retaining qualified staff that represents the community’s racial and cultural diversity.
4. (iv) A description of the applicant’s capacity to comply with and monitor the implementation of the grant requirements.
5. (v) A description of all program evaluation activities.
6. (vi) The scope of community support for the program and for the applicant as the lead organization in its implementation.
7. (vii) A description of the existing partnerships between the applicant and other key partners.
8. (viii) A summary of the major strengths of the applicant and the community that will lead to successful implementation of the program.
9. (ix) A detailed scope of work.
10. (x) A detailed operating budget.

(b) In addition to the requirements contained in Section 1.3, if the entity applying for a grant is a school district or board of cooperative services it shall demonstrate that:

1. (i) The program to be operated with moneys received from the TEP has not been previously provided by the school district or board of cooperative services; and (ii) Demonstrate that the program is specifically designed to appeal to and address the concerns of the age group to which the program will be presented.

(2) Timelines for Grant Application.

(a) Grant applications may be solicited up to three times each fiscal year on dates determined by the division.

1.4 Criteria for Selecting Entities.

(1) During FY2000-2001, the TEP shall solicit applications and recommend the Board award grants to survey the need for trained teachers, health professionals, and others involved in providing tobacco education, prevention, and cessation programs.

(2) At a minimum, the TEP shall use the following criteria for selecting potential grantees:

(a) The applicant meets the definition of an “entity” as defined in Section 1.1;

(b) The entity submits a completed application in accordance with the requirements in Section 1.3;

(c) The entity does not use TEP grant monies to supplant funding for existing programs;

(d) The entity has the capacity to adequately administer and implement the program;

(e) The entity demonstrates that it complies with the requirements of Section 1.2; and (f) The entity demonstrates that its geographic service area and/or the population served is consistent with the goal of establishing programs throughout the state and providing services to persons of all ages.

(3) In reviewing grant applications for programs for persons with mental illness, the TEP shall consult with the programs for public psychiatry at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, the Mental Health Association of Colorado, and the Department of Human Services and other entities as appropriate.

(4) The TEP shall review and evaluate the applications received and make recommendations to the Board regarding those entities that may receive grants and the amounts and duration of said grants.

1.5 Awarding of Program Grants -

The Board shall award grants to the selected entities, specifying the amount of the grant.

(1) Criteria for the Grant Amount. At a minimum, the Board shall consider the following factors, as appropriate:

(a) Community readiness;

(b) Community need;

(c) The scope of work;

(d) Population served;

(e) The level and types of services to be provided;

(f) The availability of tobacco settlement funds; and (g) The capacity of the grantee.

(2) Criteria for Duration of Program Grants. The Board shall specify the duration of the grant; however, no grant awarded shall exceed three years without renewal. At a minimum, the Board shall consider the following factors for determining the duration of the grant, as appropriate:

(a) Community readiness;

(b) Community need;

(c) The scope of work;

(d) Population served;

(e) The level and types of services to be provided;

(f) The availability of funds; and (g) The capacity of the grantee.

(3) Funds for School Age Children. The Board shall assure that at least one third of the total amount awarded each year is awarded to programs that provide tobacco education, prevention, and cessation programs to school age children.

1.6 Responsibilities of Grantees

(1) Program Evaluation. Grantees shall be responsible for program evaluation consisting of the following:

(a) The development and implementation of a detailed written evaluation plan and the preparation of a final evaluation report. At minimum, the plan shall describe how the grantee will measure the effects of the program against the goals it set out to accomplish; and (b) A determination of how the results achieved by the program contribute to the achievement of the TEP program goals as stated in Section 1.2 (1).

(2) Annual Reports. Grantees shall submit annual reports to the TEP no later than 30 days after the end of the reporting period. At a minimum, the reports shall include the following information:

(a) The number of persons served and the services provided;

(b) The amount of the grant award received by the grantee for the reporting period;

(c) The results achieved by the program, specifying the goals of the program and the criteria used in measuring attainment of the goals; and (d) An explanation of how the results achieved by the program contribute to the achievement of program goals as stated in Section 1.2 (1).

1.7 Conflict of Interest

(1) Applicability. This section applies to any person involved in:

(a) The review of completed applications, or in (b) Making recommendations to the Board regarding those entities that may receive grants and the amounts of said grants, and (c) Members of the Board.

(2) Prohibited Behavior. No person who is involved in the activities specified in Subsection (1) of this Section shall have a conflict of interest. Such conflict of interest includes but is not limited to any conflict of interest involving the person and the grantee or any conflict involving the person and the tobacco industry.

(3) Responsibilities of Persons with a Potential Conflict of Interest A person who believes that he or she may have a conflict of interest shall disclose such conflict of interest as soon as he or she becomes aware of the conflict of interest. If the person is a member of the Board and acting in the capacity of a Board member, the person shall publicly disclose the conflict of interest to the Board; other persons shall disclose the conflict of interest in writing to the Division. If the Board or the Division, whichever is appropriate, determines the existence of a conflict of interest, the person shall recuse himself or herself from any of the activities specified in Section 1.7 (1) relating thereto.