An evaluation of GTO for pregnancy prevention programs

After a 14 year decline in the teen birth rate, teen births have begun to increase. Behaviors that put teens at risk for pregnancy also put them at risk for HIV/AIDS and other STIs. It is estimated that teen pregnancy costs taxpayers approximately $9.1 billion annually. Consequently, teen pregnancy remains an important public health concern. Some states have established a statewide organization charged with coordinating and supporting local organizations which implement teen pregnancy prevention programs. Nine state organizations (SOs) received technical assistance and training about Getting to Outcomes (GTO), a model for program development and sustainability. In turn, the SOs worked with local organizations to use this model to develop and sustain their programs. The GTO model, which prescribes ten steps, was originally developed for drug prevention programs and adapted for teen pregnancy prevention programs by the CDC. This presentation will explain the GTO model and present the results of a qualitative study of the usefulness of the GTO model at the local level. Eighteen executive or program directors in local organizations were randomly selected (2 in each state) to participate in an interview that asked about their program, the usefulness of the GTO model in their local context, and their experience using it thus far. Based on the results, implications for capacity building, program development and sustainability, and GTO model development will be discussed.