To the extent funds are available for the purposes of this subdivision, the commissioner of health, in consultation with a representative from Minnesota planning, the commissioner of human services, and the commissioner of education, shall develop and implement the Minnesota education now and babies later (MN ENABL) program, targeted to adolescents ages 12 to 14, with the goal of reducing the incidence of adolescent pregnancy in the state and promoting abstinence until marriage. The program must provide a multifaceted, primary prevention, community health promotion approach to educating and supporting adolescents in the decision to postpone sexual involvement modeled after the ENABL program in California. The commissioner of health shall consult with the chief of the health education section of the California Department of Health Services for general guidance in developing and implementing the program.
"Community-based local contractor" or "contractor" includes community health boards under section 145A.02, nonprofit organizations, or school districts. The community-based local contractors may provide the education component of MN ENABL in a variety of settings including, but not limited to, schools, religious establishments, local community centers, and youth camps.
The commissioner shall:
The commissioner of health, in consultation with the commissioner of education, shall develop and implement the media and public relations campaign. In developing the campaign, the commissioner of health shall coordinate and consult with representatives from ethnic and local communities to maximize effectiveness of the social marketing approach to health promotion among the culturally diverse population of the state. The commissioner may continue to use any campaign materials or media messages developed or produced prior to July 1, 1999.
The local community-based contractors shall collaborate and coordinate efforts with other community organizations and interested persons to provide school and community-wide promotional activities that support and reinforce the message of the MN ENABL curriculum.
The "process evaluation" must provide information to the state on the breadth and scope of the program. The evaluation must identify program areas that might need modification and identify local MN ENABL contractor strategies and procedures which are particularly effective. Contractors must keep complete records on the demographics of clients served, number of direct education sessions delivered and other appropriate statistics, and must document exactly how the program was implemented. The commissioner may select contractor sites for more in-depth case studies.
The "impact evaluation" must provide information to the state on the impact of the different components of the MN ENABL program and an assessment of the impact of the program on adolescents' related sexual knowledge, attitudes, and risk-taking behavior.
The commissioner shall compare the MN ENABL evaluation information and data with similar evaluation data from other states pursuing a similar adolescent pregnancy prevention program modeled after ENABL and use the information to improve MN ENABL and build on aspects of the program that have demonstrated a delay in adolescent sexual involvement.
The local community-based contractors may use adolescent leaders slightly older than the adolescents in the program to impart the message to postpone sexual involvement provided:
Minn. Stat. § 145.9255
1995 c 257 art 4 s 1; 1Sp1995 c 3 art 16 s 13; 1999 c 245 art 2s 32, 33; 2003 c 130 s 12; 2008 c 363 art 17s 4; 2014 c 291 art 7 s 28