Applications open to fund pandemic recovery health improvement projects

The COVID-19 public health emergency in SLO County has prompted the county's Public Health Department to issue a Call for Proposals for funding initiatives that address the effects or deteriorating metrics on public health.

For up to 12 projects, $5.9 million is available. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2008 granted this one-time sum (ARPA). Applicants may be non-profits, government entities, companies, or coalitions. The application date is 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2022. Project submissions must address at least one of the following:

• Access to Care: SLO County has long faced healthcare workforce challenges and disparities in access to care. The pandemic has made these challenges even more extreme. Building a robust healthcare workforce and ensuring equitable access to care will be key to a healthy future for our community.
• Mental Health & Substance Abuse: The pandemic and related social isolation exacerbated mental health and substance abuse problems that were already on the rise for many populations in the years prior to the pandemic. Addressing these complex challenges will be key to building individual and communitywide foundations for long-term health.
• Food Access: Many households struggled to meet their basic needs during the pandemic, including access to healthy food. Addressing this need will be key to a robust and complete recovery as a community.
• Healthy Aging: Seniors worldwide, including in SLO County, have faced a disproportionate burden of both the physical and emotional impacts of the pandemic and the related grief and social isolation. Alleviating those physical and emotional burdens can increase the quality and length of our seniors' lives.

Several ARPA grant programs are handled by the County of SLO, and this funding opportunity builds on years of planning for community health improvement in SLO County.

Visit SLOCounty.ca.gov/PublicHealthARPA for additional information and to apply.