The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is launching a virtual learning community designed to strengthen state-level efforts in promoting brain health and supporting caregivers. This initiative, called the Brain Health and Caregiving Virtual Learning Community, builds on ASTHO’s decade-long partnership with the CDC under the Healthy Brain Initiative. It aligns with ASTHO's 2025 report, "From Policy to Practice: Supporting Brain Health and Caregiving at the State Level," which outlines strategies, models, and policies to mitigate the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD).
This learning community will engage a cohort of 3–5 state public health departments in structured activities from January to June 2026. Participants will gain exposure to promising policies and sustainable strategies for addressing dementia and caregiving challenges. The initiative emphasizes knowledge-building around policymaking, Medicaid and funding mechanisms, and long-term planning. State teams will develop problem statements, identify challenges and priorities, and receive tailored technical assistance from ASTHO.
While the opportunity is unfunded and does not include any direct monetary awards, selected participants will benefit from a robust capacity-building experience. Activities include a kick-off call, three virtual learning sessions, two peer-sharing calls, and a close-out call. State teams are expected to collaborate on assigned independent work between sessions to advance their learning goals.
Eligible applicants include any U.S. state public health department with interest and infrastructure to implement recommendations supporting brain health and caregiving. ASTHO recommends that the team leader be the agency’s lead in healthy aging or related fields. Up to five additional supporting members may be included, with suggested roles ranging from epidemiologist to legislative liaison.
Applications are due by December 8, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. Submission involves completing the provided template, which requests contact details, a purpose statement, a capacity summary, scheduling preferences for the kick-off call, and acknowledgment of expectations. Submissions must be emailed to healthyaging@astho.org with the subject line "RFA: ASTHO Brain Health and Caregiving Virtual LC." Optional letters of support from health agency leadership may be included.
Applications will be reviewed using a 20-point rubric that assesses completeness of contact information, alignment with learning objectives, potential benefit of participation, and capacity for engagement. Final selections will be announced on December 16, 2025. ASTHO will prioritize a diverse cohort across geographic regions and areas of focus.
Clearly align your purpose statement with learning objectives; demonstrate capacity to participate meaningfully.
