HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-EJSG-0407.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Grants to Enhance State Adult Protective Services FY2020

HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-EJSG-0407

Application Due Date: 06/16/2020

Grants to Enhance State Adult Protective Services FY2020

HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-EJSG-0407

TABLE OF CONTENTS

I. Funding Opportunity Description II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Submission Dates and Times

4. Intergovernmental Review

5. Funding Restrictions

6. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts VIII. Other Information

Department of Health & Human Services

ACL Center: Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title: Grants to Enhance State Adult

Protective Services FY2020 Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-EJSG-0407 Primary CFDA Number: 93.747 Due Date for Letter of Intent: [Insert 30 days from date of publication] Due Date for Applications: 06/16/2020 Date for Informational Conference Call: 04/23/2020

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3- 5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary The "Grants to Enhance State Adult Protective Services" demonstration provides states funding to enhance their APS systems statewide, to include innovations and improvements in practice, services, and data collection and reporting. The FY2020 opportunity is a pilot/demonstration to identify effective strategies and solutions that are expected to maximize the impact of direct home-and community-based social, health, and mental/behavioral health services for APS clients impacted by the opioid epidemic. Applications are sought from the state government offices that administer the state's adult protective services and/or elder protective services program. Available funding for this opportunity ranges from a minimum of $700,000 to a maximum of $1,000,000 for a 2-year (24 month) budget and project period.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Background In 2009, deaths from drug overdose, including heroin and prescription opioids, surpassed motor vehicle crashes as the leading cause of injury death in the U.S., and numbers have continued to rise. From 2002-2014, the percentage of opioid misuse was the highest in the 18-25 year old age group. But during that time frame, we saw a downward trend in misuse among the 18-25 age group. However, with adults age 50+, we’ve seen concerning upward trends in percentage of opioid misuse – particularly in the 50-64 age range.

The nation’s opioid crisis will not be solved unless we target all of the segments of society affected by opioid misuse. The impact of opioid misuse on older adults is multigenerational, and manifests in the following ways:

1. Dimension one, older adults who misuse opioids

The 50 and older age cohort is the only group to experience increases in opioid misuse from 2002-2011.[1]

Prescription opioids are more readily available and more often used in older adults than in younger adults. Between 1995-2010, there was almost 9-fold increase in opioid prescriptions in office-based medical visits by older adults. [2]

In 2015, as many as 30 percent of Medicare Part D enrollees received an opioid prescription.[3]

2. Dimension two, older adults who are being abused – financially and/or physically – by someone who is addicted to opioids and/or other substances

A recent meta-analysis of the literature on risk factors for experiencing elder abuse, neglect, or exploitation identified substance abuse by the abuser/perpetrator as a “strong” risk factor, “validated by substantial evidence.”[4]

An example of a typical case is illustrated in Kentucky where a grandson financially exploited his grandfather by using his debit cards, checks, and credit cards as a means to fuel his addiction to heroin.

In both North Carolina and Kentucky one of the top characteristics that describes perpetrators of mistreatment of vulnerable older adults is substance abuse/misuse of opioids.

APS in Missouri reports another frequent example of a caregiver stealing the prescribed Hydrocodone while the older adult is asleep.

3. Dimension three, older adults who care for grandchildren whose parents are abusing opioids or other substances and are thus incapable of parenting.

“State child welfare systems have reported that they are experiencing an increase in families coming to their attention with substance use problems impacting their ability to safely parent.”[5]

According to Generations United, 10 percent grandparents or other relatives[6], and for every 1 child in foster care there are 20 of children under 18 live with children being raised by grandparents or other relatives outside of the foster care system.[7]

The Critical First Responder Role of Adult Protective Services (APS) For older adults, APS is the emergency service intervention, designed to remove immediate risks to safety and to assist in putting services in place to stabilize the home environment. APS programs already have the following advantages in terms of a rapid impact on the opioid crisis:

APS is the direct, front-line, first responder emergency human and social service response system in every state for vulnerable and older adults experiencing abuse, neglect and exploitation (which includes self-abuse and neglect, such as substance and opioid abuse).

APS is most often the first community agency to interact with older adults and adults with disabilities impacted by the opioid crisis.

The APS system addresses the direct intervention of abuse, arranges for home- and supportive-services (wrap around services) to address/remediate the abuse, and refers the abusers for treatment. However, APS cases involving opioids are increasing in both numbers and complexity, and include multigenerational problems and interventions. Focus groups conducted by the National Adult Protective Services Association revealed:

1. Opioid cases require at least 3x the amount of time to investigate than non-opioid related cases;

2. Opioid cases usually involve emergency affidavits or other court orders, additional assessments, extensive coordination with medical providers;

3. Opioid cases are more difficult to address because of the underlying medical need for pain meds balanced with the impacts of overmedication of both consumers and alleged perpetrators;

4. Opioid cases usually always involve more than 1 maltreatment type, including financial exploitation, physical abuse, and neglect;

5. Opioid cases are more difficult to resolve due to a lack of service resources specifically for APS clients.

Funding Description

The purpose of ACL’s “Grants to Enhance State Adult Protective Services” (EJSG) is to strengthen and enhance state APS systems by promoting innovations and improvements in state APS practices, services, and data collection that are consistent with ACL’s mission and incorporate a consumer-directed approach. That is, APS practice holds autonomy, self-determination, and self-direction as fundamental values, and APS interventions are rooted in people’s strengths, assets, goals, culture, wishes, and expectations.

For this opportunity, ACL invites applications that seek to achieve:

1. Improvements in the capacity of APS to serve and assist clients impacted by the opioid crisis, and

2. Improvements in the state's ability to document and report to the National Adult Maltreatment Reporting System (NAMRS) case, client, and perpetrator data for opioid-related APS cases.

At the end of these grants, ACL anticipates the identification of effective strategies and solutions that maximize the impact of direct home-and community-based social, health, and mental/behavioral health services for APS clients impacted by the opioid epidemic, and that can be further replicated and tested in other communities and states.

Applicants should detail how they plan to address/explain the following (complete instructions on writing the project narrative can be found in Section IV.2):

Challenges faced by the current APS system in handling/managing opioid-related cases Gaps in home-and community-based social, health, and mental/behavioral health services which hinder APS from securing adequate services for clients affected by opioid and other substance abuse

Identification and targeting of the project to the most affected communities in their state Solutions that quickly fill identified needs and gaps The documentation and data collection tools to capture the characteristics of the cases served under this project and report to NAMRS The method/s that will be employed to successfully measure whether or not the project has achieved its proposed outcome(s) and the overall goal for this funding opportunity, and who will be responsible for carrying out the evaluation activities.

Additional Information:

(I.) Grantee Meetings ACL plans to convene an “all grantee meeting” within the 1st quarter of each project year.

Grantees are encouraged to attend these meetings, and grant funds may be used to cover this grant-related expense. If applicants intend to use grant funds to attend these meetings, they should include this expense in the application budget.

(II.) Technical Assistance Technical assistance to the grantees will be provided by ACL program staff via regular conference calls, email correspondence, webinars, and annual grantee meetings, and by ACL’s National APS Technical Assistance Resource Center (operated under a separate contract).

(III.) Key Personnel All “key personnel” should be identified in the application and CVs/Resumes must be included for all persons identified as “key personnel.” Examples of key personnel include the project manager, principal investigator, and evaluator. Qualifications will be reviewed in the section of the project narrative for “key personnel.”

(IV.) Rights in Data The following describes the HHS policies around "rights in data." These are included by reference in the conditions of the Notice of Award.

ACL understands that the outcomes and results from these demonstration grants may be such that the awardee would like to publish an article or report on the project’s results, or disseminate information in some other public way. Per the HHS Grants Policy Statement (January 1, 2007), page II-69: “In general, [grant] recipients own the rights in data resulting from a grant-supported project or program….[A]ny publications, data, or other copyrightable works developed under an HHS grant may be copyrighted without OPDIV prior approval.” That is, grantees under this funding opportunity do not need ACL approval to publish reports, articles, or other material about their projects. However, any published reports, articles, or other material must include the following disclaimer:

"This (activity/report/document/etc.) was supported, in part, by a grant (No. XX-xxxx) from the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living or DHHS policy."

Applicants should also note that Under 45 CFR §75, ACL reserves a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable right to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use copyrightable works developed (or for which ownership was purchased) under this cooperative agreement for Federal purposes, and to authorize others to do so. The Federal government's right to such copyrightable works and data are explained further in the HHS Grants Policy Statement. For this funding opportunity, this means that grantees may not withhold from ACL data or information produced from or by this project, including, but not limited to, outcome and evaluation data. Per the Terms and Conditions included in the Notice of Award for this funding opportunity, grant recipients must provide a final report at the conclusion of the project that includes the data and materials produced by the grant.

Please Note: The HHS Grants Policy Statement defines “data” as “recorded information, regardless of the form or media on which it may be recorded, and includes writings, films, sound recordings, pictorial reproductions, drawings, designs or other graphic representations, procedural manuals, forms, diagrams, work flow charts, equipment descriptions, data files, data processing or computer programs (software), statistical records, and other research data.”

[1] Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (May 11, 2017). A Day In The Life Of Older Adults: Substance Use Facts. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration. Retrieved from: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/repor t_2792/ShortReport-2792.html.

Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (July 25, 2017). Opioid Misuse Increases Among Older Adults. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Retrieved from: https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/report_3186 /Spotlight-3186.html.

[2] Frenk, S.M., Porter, K.S. and Paulozzi, L., 2015. Prescription opioid analgesic use among adults: United States, 1999-2012 (No. 2015). US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.

[3] Olfson et al, 2013. National trends in the office-based prescription of schedule II opioids, Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 74(9):932-9. doi: 10.4088/JCP.13m08349 [4] Pillemer,K; Burnes, D; Riffin, C; & Lachs, M. (2016). “Elder Abuse: Global Situation, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies”, The Gerontologist, Volume 56, Issue Suppl_2, Pages S194–S205. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw004 [5] National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services. (July 2016). Policy Brief: “Families in Crisis: The Human Service Implications of Rural Opioid Misuse.”

Retrieved from: https://www.hrsa.gov/advisorycommittees/rural/publications/opioidabuse.pdf [6] Retrieved from: http://www.grandfamilies.org/Portals/0/State%20Fact%20Sheets/Grand families-Fact-Sheet- United-States.pdf [7] Retrieved from: https://dl2.pushbulletusercontent.com/Wh3lYAOmq4NrLDws2PdKX3njn YmKi3Fx/17InLovingArms%28Infographic%29-Grandfamilies.pdf [8] Pillemer, Karl; Burnes, David; Riffin, Catherine; Lachs, Mark. (2016). Elder Abuse: Global Situation, Risk Factors, and Prevention Strategies, Gerontologist 56 (Suppl_2):S194-S205.

[9] Giraldo-Rodriguez, L. & Rosas-Carrasco. (2013). Development and psychometric properties of the Geriatric Mistreatment Scal. Geriatrics & Gerontology International, 13, 466-474.

[10] Acierno et al., (2010). Prevelance and correlates of emotional, physical, sexual, and financial abuse and potential neglect in the United States: The National Elder Mistreatment Study. American Journal of Public Health, 100, 292-297.

[11] Cooney, C.;Howard, R.;& Lawlor, B. (2006). Abuse of vulnerable people with dementia by their carers: Can we identify those most at risk? International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 21, 564-571.

[12] von Heydrich, L.; Schiamberg, L.; Chee G. (2012). Social-relational risk factors for predicting elder physical abuse: an ecological bi-focal model. International Journal of Aging & Human Development, 75, 71-94.

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this Program Announcement is contained in Title XX of the Social Security Act, Subtitle B, the Elder Justice Act of 2009, Section 2042, and Sections 411 and 751 of the Older Americans Act, as amended.

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $2,100,000 Expected Number of Awards: 3 Award Ceiling: $1,000,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $700,000 Per Budget Period Length of Project Period: Other These projects will have a 24-month project period and one, 24-month budget period.

For FFY 2020, ACL will make funding available through competitive grants to states to address any of the dimensions and challenges of the opioid crisis identified in the "Background" section. ACL expects to make up to three (3) awards, ranging from a floor of $700,000 to a ceiling of $1,000,000. This funding will cover a 2-year (or, 24 month) project and budget period.

Applications are sought from the state government offices that administer the state’s adult protective services and/or elder protective services program. Former and current APS Enhancement (EJSG) grantees ARE eligible to apply. Please note that funds awarded under this opportunity cannot be used to continue or carry out the same activities as under previous grants. Former and current grantees who apply must propose new activities that are unique and distinct from past activities and that are consistent with the guidelines provided in this funding opportunity.

These awards will be administered as cooperative agreements. That is, ACL will be involved in the Grants to Enhance Adult Protective Services (described in Section I. Funding Opportunity Description) by participating in planning, implementation, and evaluation of grant activities, which will be determined jointly by ACL and the grantee. The cooperative agreement will include the following terms:

As provided by the terms of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (P.L.

95-224), this Cooperative Agreement provides for the involvement and collaboration of ACL in activities that the recipient organization will carry out in accordance with the provisions of the approved grant award.

The grantee agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

1. Fulfill all of the requirements of the grant initiative as outlined in this program announcement, including carrying out project activities as reviewed, approved, and awarded.

2. Collaborate with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the execution of the work plan, and collaborate with ACL in understanding the programmatic and budgetary issues of the project.

3. Evaluate the activities of the grants, and provide recommendations to ACL on ways to enhance the demonstration.

4. Meet with the ACL project officer at least once each month, or at such other times as are agreed upon, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement.

5. Produce products and/or materials under this award that are accurate, objective, unbiased, and of high professional quality, and that do not violate federal, departmental, or agency grant rules. Before publicly disseminating materials developed under this grant, grantee will provide the ACL project officer a copy of the final product in order for the ACL project officer to have at least 15 business days to ensure the product meets the requirements set forth in the program announcement.

6. Include the following disclaimer on all products produced using grant funding:

"This (activity/report/document/etc.) was supported, in part, by a grant (No. XX-xxxx) from the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions.

Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living or DHHS policy."

The ACL project officer agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

1. Perform the day-to-day federal responsibilities of managing grants and will work with the grantee to ensure that the minimum requirements for the grant are met.

2. Work cooperatively with the grantee to clarify the programmatic and budgetary issues to be addressed by the grantee project, and, as necessary, negotiate with grantee to achieve a mutually agreed upon solution to any needs identified by the grantee or ACL.

3. Assist the grantee project leadership in understanding the policy concerns and/or priorities of ACL, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the federal government by conducting periodic briefings and by carrying out ongoing consultations.

ACL will also share information with the grantee about other federally sponsored projects and activities relevant to the interests of the grantee and grantee activities.

4. Provide technical advice to the grantee related to the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of this grant.

5. Provide technical advice on grantee work products to ensure they are accurate, objective, unbiased, and of high professional quality, and that they do not violate federal, departmental, or agency grant rules.

6. Before publicly disseminating materials developed under this grant, grantee will provide the ACL project officer a copy of the final product, and within 15 business days, the ACL project officer will provide guidance and feedback on whether the product meets the requirements set forth in the program announcement.

Modifications: Once a cooperative agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend it or the work plan may be made by ACL or the awardee at any time. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the mutual agreement of both parties, except where ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments. When an award is issued the cooperative agreement terms and conditions from the program announcement are incorporated by reference.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

Applications are sought from the state government offices that administer and/or have oversight of the state's adult protective services and/or elder protective services program. Please see screening information below for additional application criteria.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: Yes Under this ACL program, ACL will fund no more than 85% of the project’s total cost, which means the applicant must cover at least 15% of the project’s total cost with non-Federal resources. In other words, for every $5.60 received in federal funding, the applicant must contribute at least one (1) dollar in non-federal resources toward the project’s total cost.

There are two types of match: 1) non-Federal cash and 2) non-Federal in-kind. In general, costs borne by the applicant and cash contributions of any and all third parties involved in the project, including sub-grantees, contractors and consultants, are considered matching funds.

Volunteered time and use of facilities to hold meetings or conduct project activities may be considered in-kind (third party) donations. Examples of non-Federal cash match includes budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project. ACL encourages you to not exceed the minimum match requirement. Applications with a match greater than the minimum required will not receive additional consideration under the review. Match is not one of the responsiveness criteria as noted in Section III, 3 Application Screening Criteria.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications that do not meet each of the following seven (7) responsiveness criteria will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed:

1. The applicant is authorized in state statute as the entity that has legal authority over the state’s adult protective services, or elder protective services, and cites that legislative authority in the application.

2. The applicant is substantively and meaningfully involved in the activities of the project, and does not appear to be serving as a “conduit” or “pass through” for funding.

3. The application includes a plan to collect and transmit Case Component data to NAMRS from opioid-related cases served through this grant.

4. Letters of Commitment are included for agencies, organizations, consultants, or entities that are specifically named to carry out any aspect of the project, other than the applicant. The letters of commitment are on the letterhead of the committing entity, details the specific role and resources/activities that will be provided in support of the applicant’s project, and are signed.

5. CVs/Resumes are included for each person identified as "key personnel."

6. Application includes a budget covering all 2 years (24 months) of the project.

7. Application includes a work plan covering all 2 years (24 months) of the project.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following three (3) screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8 ½” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of not less than 11, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 25 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 25 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 25 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

NOTE: The following are NOT counted for the purposes of the 25 page limit:

Project Abstract Project Work Plan Letters of Commitment Resume/Vitae of Key Project Personnel Budget Narrative/Justification Bibliography/Works Cited

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package Application materials can be obtained from http://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grant s/applying-grants.

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at: https://www.grants.gov/web/grants /applicants/workspace-overview.html The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with http://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

At the http://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

All applicants must have a DUNS number (http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/) and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www .sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at: https://www.sam.gov /sam/ transcript/ SAM_Quick_ Guide_Grants_ Registrations-v1.6. ;pdf.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a DUNS number at the time the subaward is made.

Since October 1, 2003, The Office of Management and Budget has required applicants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities. The DUNS number is free and easy to obtain.

Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 866-705-5711

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from http://www.grants.gov that contains http://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from http://www.grants.gov.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Stephanie Whittier Eliason

AOA/OEJAPS

Phone Number: (202) 795-7467 E-mail: stephanie.whittiereliason@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Due Date for Letter of Intent: [Insert 30 days from date of publication] Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent via email to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Stephanie Whittier Eliason

AOA/OEJAPS

Email: stephanie.whittiereliason@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The maximum length allowed for the Project Narrative is 25 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 25 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 25 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

The components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 25 page limit include:

1. Project Relevance & Current Need

2. Approach

3. Project Impact

4. Evaluation

5. Capacity

NOTE: The following elements are required, but are NOT counted for the purposes of the 25 page limit:

o Project Abstract o Project Work Plan o Letters of Commitment o Resume/Vitae of Key Project Personnel o Budget Narrative/Justification o Bibliography/Works Cited

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application, since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether your project meets the minimum requirements for grants under the authorizing statutes. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. ACL recommends that your project narrative include the following components:

Summary/Abstract This section should include a brief (265 words maximum) description of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the summary/abstract are included in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract."

1. Project Relevance & Current Need This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the current challenges that need to be addressed related to your state APS system's capacity/ability to serve/handle opioid-related cases, as well as how the current home-and community-based systems could better maximize positive outcomes for APS clients impacted by the opioid epidemic.

In this section, applications should describe the specific project goals for your project, and how they align with the overall goals ACL has identified for this grant program in Section I.

Further, applications should discuss the data, research, evidence, or body of knowledge selected to frame your project. Strong applications will demonstrate that the proposed project is justified in terms of the most recent, relevant, and available information and knowledge about adult protective services, violence prevention and intervention, and business or social services administration. Applicants may also cite prior experience with other grants or activities that have informed the development of this application.

2. Approach This section should convey how the applicant proposes to address the issues and achieve the goals identified in the “Project Relevance & Current Need” section.

Applications should provide a clear and concise description of the intervention. Applications should explain the rationale for using a particular approach, and present a clear connection between identified system gaps/needs and the proposed activities. Proposals should detail:

What activities are proposed to achieve the identified goal/s and objective/s, Justification for the selected/proposed activities (why you think these are the best), How the proposed activities will be carried out, Specific partners and stakeholders key to the success and completion of the project, and How the proposed activities will improve the state’s APS system related to cases involving opioids.

This section should identify any major barriers that can be foreseen, and/or existing opportunities, and how the project will be able to overcome or leverage them, respectively.

In addition to this narrative, applications are required to include a Project Work Plan covering all two (2) years of the proposed project. Please see the section below on "Work Plan" for guidance on developing the project work plan.

3. Project Impact This section of the project narrative should discuss the expected impact of your project, and how the proposed activities will improve outcomes for APS clients impacted by the opioid crisis within your state. Applications must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes.

Applications will be scored on the clarity and nature of the proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes cited. It is totally appropriate for a project to have only ONE outcome that it is trying to achieve through the intervention reflected in the project’s design. You should keep the focus of this section on describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project. You should use the “Evaluation” section noted below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

This section should also describe how the project’s findings and results would help other state and/or local adult protective services programs throughout the nation address the same or similar problems.

In addition, the applicant should describe its plans to sustain the APS system enhancements after Federal financial assistance has ended, and the extent to which the demonstration could be expanded to other communities within the state.

4. Evaluation This section should describe how the project plans to evaluate the approach, impact, and outcomes of the proposed activities and the overall success of the project. This section should describe the method(s), techniques, and tools proposed to: (1) determine whether the intervention achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and (2) document the “lessons learned” from the project. This should include both the positive and negative lessons learned with a focus on how these will be useful to people interested in replicating the intervention, if it proves successful.

Each application should clearly identify their capacity and overall ability to execute the requirements of the proposed project and evaluation successfully. This section should address/identify:

The entity’s statutory and/or regulatory authority to operate/oversee the state’s adult protective services and/or elder protective services program;

The organization, nature, and scope of the entity’s work;

The capabilities of the applicant entity that will have responsibility for this project;

Qualifications, capabilities, and relevant experience off all key project personnel identified as part of the project team (short Resumes/Vitae MUST be included for all key project staff); and

The organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after Federal financial assistance has ended.

This section should include a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of all individuals identified who will specifically contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes.

This discussion should include information about any contractual or consultant organization(s) or persons identified as having a significant role(s) in implementing, achieving, and evaluating the project and its goals. It should identify who will have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project; monitoring the project’s on-going progress, preparation of reports; and communications with other partners and ACL. It should also describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

ACL expects that, throughout the grant period, the Project Director will have involvement in, and substantial knowledge about, all aspects of the project. In addition, ACL expects the applicant organization to be meaningfully and substantively involved in the project, and that this funding opportunity does not serve as a "conduit" or "pass through" for funding to another entity.

Organizational charts and Resumes/Vitae should be submitted as an attachment to the project narrative. They will NOT count towards the narrative page limit.

Bibliography/Works Cited Applicants must document all of their source material. If any text, language, and/or materials are from another source, the applicant must make it clear the material is being quoted and where the text comes from. The applicant must also cite any sources when they obtain numbers, ideas, or other material that is not their own. If the applicant fails to comply with this requirement, regardless of the severity or frequency of the plagiarism, the reviewers shall reduce their scores accordingly even to the degree of issuing no points at all.

Applications may attach a “Bibliography” or "Works Cited" section to the end of the project narrative to cite sources properly. The bibliography must only contain bibliographic information for sources cited in the Project Narrative. This section will not count towards the 25-page. Any entry in the bibliography that is not a source citation, such as an explanatory note, will be removed.

Budget Narrative/Justification Applicants requesting funding are REQUIRED to provide a detailed budget for EACH year of potential grant funding requested. For this funding opportunity, applicants must submit a budget for all two (2) years (24 months) of funding. The Budget Narrative/Justification can be provided using the format included in the document, “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format.”

Applicants may also provide a budget narrative.

Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to the sample format which provides an example of the level of detail sought. When developing the Budget Narrative/Justification, applicants should be sure to include sufficient detail in their budgets so that reviewers can assess the reasonableness of the budget for the activities being proposed and the amount of work planned for a particular activity. Applications should demonstrate a clear and strong relationship between the project’s objectives, activities, and budget.

Work Plan

Although the Project Work Plan does not count towards the 25 page limit, a comprehensive and clear work plan is required for all applicants. The Project Work Plan should align directly with the Project Narrative and the Budget, and should cover all two (2) years (24 months) of the project period. You may use the attached “Project Work Plan - Sample Template” format as a reference and resource, if desired.

The Work Plan should include:

a) The project’s overall goal(s), anticipated outcome(s), key objectives, and the major tasks/action steps planned to achieve the goal and outcome(s)

b) Timeframes for each objective, task, and action step (including start- and end-dates),

c) The lead person(s) responsible for completing the task.

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

Letters of Commitment are ONLY required IF an organization, consultant, or entity has been specifically named to carry out any aspect of the project. The letters of commitment MUST:

Be on the letterhead of the committing agency/entity Detail and specify the role and resources/activities that will be provided in support of the applicant’s project, and Be signed (digital signature acceptable if validated).

For applications submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov, signed letters of commitment should be scanned and included as attachments.

3. Submission Dates and Times Due Date for Applications: 06/16/2020 Date for Informational Conference Call: 04/23/2020

All interested parties may join an informational conference call held by ACL on April 23, 2020 at 2 p.m. ET:

Conference Line: 202-774-2300 Participant Code: 997 516 452

Or, you can join by computer audio:

https://meetingserver.hhs.gov/

Meeting Number: 997 516 452

Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-

5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with http://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) and (2) register with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are outlined at the following Grants.gov web page: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification indicates receipt by Grants.gov only.) If you are experiencing problems submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726.

You must obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline because of technical problems with the Grants.gov system, please contact the person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this notice and provide a written explanation of the technical problem you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number. ACL will contact you after a determination is made on whether your application will be accepted.

Note: We will not consider your application for further review if you failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov before the application deadline or if the technical problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from http://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an http://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the cut off date.

Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov) will automatically send applicants a tracking number and date of receipt verification electronically once the application has been successfully received and validated in http://www.grants.gov.

4. Intergovernmental Review This funding opportunity announcement is not subject to the requirements of Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs."

5. Funding Restrictions The following activities are not fundable:

Construction and/or major rehabilitation of buildings Basic research (e.g. scientific or medical experiments) Continuation of existing projects without expansion or new and innovative approaches

Note: A recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has raised considerable concerns about grantees and contractors charging the Federal Government for additional meals outside of the standard allowance for travel subsistence known as per diem expenses. Executive Orders on Promoting Efficient Spending (E.O. 13589) and Delivering Efficient, Effective and Accountable Government (E.O. 13576) have been issued and instruct Federal agencies to promote efficient spending. Therefore, if meals are to be charged in your proposal, applicants should understand such costs must meet the following criteria outlined in the Executive Orders and HHS Grants Policy Statement:

Meals are generally unallowable except for the following:

o For subjects and patients under study (usually a research program);

o Where specifically approved as part of the project or program activity, e.g., in programs providing children’s services (e.g. Head Start);

o When an organization customarily provides meals to employees working beyond the normal workday, as a part of a formal compensation arrangement, o As part of a per diem or subsistence allowance provided in conjunction with allowable travel; and o Under a conference grant, when meals are necessary and integral part of a conference, provided that meal costs are not duplicated in participants' per diem or subsistence allowances. (Note: conference grant means the sole purpose of the award is to hold a conference.)

6. Other Submission Requirements Letters of intent should be emailed to:

Stephanie Whittier Eliason stephanie.whittiereliason@acl.hhs.gov

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria Applications that meet the Responsiveness and Screening Criteria outlined in Section III.3 will be peer reviewed using the scoring criteria described below. Applications are scored by assigning a maximum of 100 points across the six (6) review criteria.

1. Project Relevance & Current Need

2. Approach

3. Project Impact

4. Evaluation

6. Budget

NOTE: Applicants must document all of their source material. If any text, language and/or materials are from another source, the applicant must make it clear the material is being quoted and where the text comes from. The applicant must also cite any sources when they obtain numbers, ideas, or other material that is not their own. If the applicant fails to comply with this requirement, regardless of the severity or frequency of the plagiarism, the reviewers shall reduce their scores accordingly even to the degree of issuing no points at all. Applicants are required to include a "Bibliography" or "Works Cited" section with the project narrative to cite sources.

1. Project Relevance & Current Need Maximum Points:10 -Does the proposed project clearly and adequately identify the challenges of the state's current APS system as it relates to serving clients impacted by the opioid crisis?

-Does the proposal clearly and adequately identify the applicant’s goals for an improved APS system?

-Is the proposal relevant to the intent and goals of this funding announcement?

-Is the project justified in terms of the most recent, relevant, and available data, information, and knowledge, and/or new and cutting- edge research?

2. Approach Maximum Points:40 -Does the proposal reflect a coherent and clearly defined approach?

-Does the proposed approach seem feasible?

-Is the proposed approach justified in terms of the most recent, relevant, and available data, information, and…