HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-LRLI-0413.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Lifespan Respite Care Program: State Program Enhancement Grants

HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-LRLI-0413

Application Due Date: 05/26/2020

Lifespan Respite Care Program: State Program Enhancement Grants

HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-LRLI-0413

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: Lifespan Respite Care Program: State

Program Enhancement Grants Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-LRLI-0413 Primary CFDA Number: 93.072 Due Date for Letter of Intent: 04/20/2020 Due Date for Applications: 05/26/2020 Date for Informational Conference Call: 04/07/2020

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 U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Administration on Aging (AoA) is providing this new competitive funding opportunity to all states that have either previously received and completed a full three-year initial Lifespan Respite Grant, or who will be completing the third year of a three-year initial, Lifespan Respite Grant to new States grant program in August 2020. Eligible states include: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Eligible state applicants funded under this funding opportunity announcement shall use grant funds to provide respite services through their statewide Lifespan Respite Care system. Eligible state applicants will also use grant funds to enhance the provision of direct services, as described in the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006; continue to build collaborations and partnerships across the state; expand options for volunteers; ensure adequate respite provider training is offered; identify gaps in current services and conduct outreach to reduce those gaps;

and continue to, or increase efforts to, target underserved populations across the lifespan.

Grantees will be expected to build on advancements made under previous Lifespan Respite Care Program grants and focus on enhancing and strengthening the components of their Lifespan Respite Care System to improve access, consistency, quality, sustainability; and reducing duplication in respite service delivery. Grantees will be expected to describe the progress that has been made to date, and then identify opportunities to enhance their lifespan respite system of care, within the construct of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006, to enhance and expand the continued provision of respite and related supports to family caregivers https://www.grants.gov across the lifespan. Applicants are expected to propose systems-level, programmatic-level AND consumer-level outcomes and describe how these outcomes will be measured and tracked.

This is expected to be a highly competitive opportunity. Only those applicants demonstrating the greatest likelihood of making measurable advances in enhancing and/or expanding their statewide system of respite care will be selected for funding.

I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose The U.S. Administration for Community Living (ACL), Administration on Aging (AoA) is providing this new competitive funding opportunity announcement to assist eligible state agencies in further implementing requirements of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 (The Act - P.L.109-442), by focusing on expanding and enhancing respite care services to family caregivers across the lifespan; improving the statewide dissemination and coordination of respite care, and providing, supplementing, or improving access and quality of respite care services to family caregivers, thereby reducing family caregiver strain.

The Act defines respite care as, “…planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult with a special need in order to provide temporary relief to the family caregiver of that child or adult.”

In The Act, Lifespan Respite Care is defined as “a coordinated system of accessible, community- based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults with special needs.”

Successful applicants will be required to expand or enhance their state and local coordinated Lifespan Respite Care systems to serve family caregivers regardless of the age, disability or chronic condition of the care recipient. Grantees will also be required to develop and provide new and/or planned emergency respite services, train and recruit respite workers and volunteers and assist caregivers in gaining access to respite care services.

Eligible respite recipients include adult family members (including grandparents and other relatives) who are primary caretakers of children or adults with special needs, foster parents, or other adults providing care to children who require assistance beyond that required to meet the basic needs of the child and unpaid care to adults who require care to meet basic needs or prevent injury. All programs ativities undertaken with this funding must, from the outset, address the respite needs of all populations regardless of the age and/or disability/special needs of the care recipient population. No phase-in or preference for specific age groups or disability categories will be permitted.

State agencies eligible to receive funding under The Act must have the ability to work with State and community-based organizations; understand respite care and family caregiver issues across all age groups, disabilities, and chronic conditions; and have the capacity to ensure meaningful involvement of family members, family caregivers, and care recipients.

Background - The Lifespan Respite Care Act – Overview The Lifespan Respite Care Act (the Act) defines lifespan respite care as “a coordinated system of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children or adults with special needs.” Such a system brings together Federal, state and local resources and funding streams to help support, expand and streamline the delivery of planned and emergency respite services, while also providing for the recruitment and training of respite workers and caregiver training and empowerment.

The Act is intended to accomplish several objectives. First, because respite is often in short supply or inaccessible to people of all ages and disabilities, the Act seeks to expand and enhance respite services in the states. Second, multiple respite programs are often funded through a variety of sources in the states. The Act is designed to improve coordination and dissemination of service delivery between the various programs. Third, consumers may experience difficulties in navigating the multiple respite programs that exist. The Act seeks to improve access to programs by streamlining the means by which consumers access them and by filling service gaps where necessary. Finally, by expanding and enhancing respite services, and improving coordination and access, the Act is designed to improve the overall quality of the respite services currently available.

Rather than supplant, replace, or duplicate Federal, state, local and private respite care development and funding activities, the Act is intended to facilitate coordination between programs, reduce duplication of effort, and assist in the development of respite care infrastructure at the state and local levels. The implementation of the requirements of the Act is intended to improve the delivery and quality of respite services available to families across age and disability spectrums, by establishing coordinated lifespan respite systems. A state lifespan respite care system brings together an array of public or private nonprofit statewide respite care coalitions or organizations, which includes aging and disability resource centers. With this in mind, grantees will be required to enhance existing lifespan respite care programs and partnerships by furthering their efforts to sustain a statewide system of respite care.

Applicants to this funding opportunity announcement are encouraged to read the text of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006 in its entirety, including the committee report accompanying the legislation. Full text of the legislation may be found at: https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws /publ442/PLAW-109publ442.pdf.

Applicants should be aware that this is a highly competitive funding opportunity. Only those applications deemed to show the greatest likelihood of building upon previous advancements made toward sustainable lifespan respite care programs that focus on a sustained systemic approach will be selected for funding.

Program Priority Areas The overarching goal of this funding opportunity is to enhance state systems and capacities to deliver respite care and related services to adult family caregivers of adults or children with disabilities. With this in mind, applicants should describe their current capacity and outline a strategy for building or strengthening the systemic infrastructure necessary to address gaps in, and assure consistent provision of, respite care services statewide. Applicants are also encouraged to discuss any objectives related to the development or strengthening of a policy framework aimed at furthering the long-term continuation and support of statewide respite care service provision. Applicants will also be expected to propose consumer, programmatic and systems level outcomes and describe how these outcomes will be measured and tracked for the people they will serve.

To be competitive, applicants should fully describe their proposed approaches for advancing their State Lifespan Respite Systems, with particular attention to the following Program Priority https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ442/PLAW-109publ442.pdf https://www.congress.gov/109/plaws/publ442/PLAW-109publ442.pdf

Areas:

1. Enhancement of the statewide and sustainable Lifespan Respite Care systems;

2. Enhancing the provision of the direct services, as described in The Act;

3. Continuing to build collaborations and partnerships across the state;

4. Ensuring adequate respite provider training is offered to paid and volunteer respite providers;

5. Identifying gaps in current services and conducting outreach and related activities to reduce those gaps; and

6. Continuing to, or increasing efforts to, target underserved populations across the lifespan.

1. Enhancement of statewide and sustainable Lifespan Respite Care systems Applicants should describe in detail their objectives for systemically advancing existing lifespan respite care services statewide, with a focus on the following areas:

Capacity building of respite care providers (both paid and unpaid);

Leveraging of resources across various funding streams and partners to sustain and expand available respite care services;

Implementation of key administrative functions (including logistical, information technology, communications, operational, and service coordination activities); and Ongoing monitoring and quality assurance of respite care service provision.

Through this funding opportunity announcement, ACL/AoA expects to realize tangible, measurable and sustainable advancements in state capacities to provide respite and related services to family caregivers across the age and disability spectrum. Applications will be evaluated, in part, on the extent to which a plan for the project’s sustainability beyond the period of Federal funding is articulated and appears feasible. Applicants are encouraged to consider and propose a range of potential approaches for ensuring sustainability of project efforts once Federal funding has ended. Tools and resources for the sustainability of Lifespan Respite Programs are available on the ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Centers’ web site, https://lifespanrespite.wildapricot.org/Sustainability_Tools.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to also consider including any objectives related to policy development that would support or sustain the continuation of lifespan respite care services in the future.

2. Enhancing the provision of direct services, as described in The Act The Lifespan Respite Care Act stipulates the provision of five required and three optional services. Application narratives should clearly and completely describe the State agency’s plan for further developing and delivering each of the required and, where appropriate, optional services in a way that considers the available evidence, emerging strategies, and promising practices in the field of respite to expand capacities and deliver direct services. For more information on emerging, model, or promising practices in the field of respite and family caregiver support, applicants should review information available on the ARCH National https://lifespanrespite.wildapricot.org/Sustainability_Tools

Respite Network and Resource Center website at https://archrespite.org/ta-center-for-respite/.

Applicants will be evaluated, in part, on the extent to which the proposed use of funds will advance the State’s capacity to leverage public and private partnerships to deliver and increase access to respite services and achieve desired outcomes. This may also include investing in the training and ongoing development of both new and existing respite care professionals (paid and unpaid). Based on the knowledge and understanding of the state's current respite environment, applicants are required to provide detailed plans for how respite services funded under this opportunity will be delivered. Proposals must provide sufficient detail so as to describe how funds will be allocated across programs and population groups; how funds will flow to service recipients; the service delivery models and/or payment mechanism(s) that will be used; and how the investment in respite services will inform policy development and strategies to increase access to respite services beyond the life of the grant.

States should determine the proportion of their requested funds that will be used for developing a Lifespan Respite System and the proportion of requested funds that will be used for direct service provision. Applicants should propose to both further develop their Lifespan Respite Care System and fill gaps in respite service provision.

3. Continuing to build collaborations and partnerships across the state Among those states eligible to apply for funding, there exists a great deal of variability with respect to stakeholder capacities, engagement, and active collaboration. Partnership, collaboration and stakeholder involvement are critical underpinnings of a successful statewide Lifespan Respite Care Program. Whether these partnerships are facilitated by the state agency, the statewide respite coalition/organization, the state aging and disability resource center, or through collaborative efforts of multiple stakeholders, having the broadest possible array of stakeholders involved is essential for ensuring the needs of family caregivers.

Applicants funded under this funding opportunity announcement must propose approaches for expanding collaboration and partnerships with relevant stakeholders to ensure the program reaches the broadest population of eligible services recipients possible. Potential stakeholders include:

Entities of state and local government that administer and deliver human services programs designed to meet the respite care needs of family caregivers;

State and local chapters of organizations and entities representing individuals with special needs from across the disease and disability spectrum and for whom respite is an essential component of their ongoing support in a community setting;

Any other public, private, or not-for-profit entities that are providing respite care services or other supports to caregivers focused on special or targeted populations that may not be otherwise captured in or involved with the state’s existing respite care coalition; and

Any additional federally-funded, local, or state program that may provide supports or resources that can be leveraged to further support the expansion of lifespan respite care services.

Applications should clearly demonstrate the enhanced and expanded involvement of key state and local level organizations and stakeholders from across the aging and disability spectrum as https://archrespite.org/ta-center-for-respite/ full partners in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Lifespan Respite Program. To that end, applicants should carefully describe their approaches for further developing and expanding the partnerships and stakeholder involvement in the design and implementation of their projects. This can include, but is not limited to, growing the reach and involvement of the statewide respite coalition/organization and its involvement in the implementation of program requirements; the increased role of the state’s aging and disability resource centers in the administration of the state’s Lifespan Respite Program; and/or the increased participation of a range of state and local-level agencies in the development of new respite programs and related services.

IMPORTANT: A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) regarding the joint responsibility for the development of the state’s lifespan respite program between the eligible State agency and the public or private nonprofit statewide respite coalition or organization must be in place at the time of application and submitted with the application. Applicants are encouraged to embed flexibility within the MOA so that all parties to the Agreement can modify scope, tasks or partnerships as the need arises. A copy of such memorandum must be included as part of ALL application packages.

4. Expand the availability of trained respite providers, including volunteers Applicants should explain how they will ensure respite providers, whether paid or volunteers, are recruited, trained, and monitored to ensure quality respite care services are being provided to family caregivers, thereby reducing caregiver strain.

Applicants should describe how the quality and safety of any respite care services provided will be monitored, including methods to ensure that respite care workers and volunteers are appropriately screened and possess the necessary skills to care for the needs of the care recipient in the absence of the family caregiver.

5. Identifying gaps in current services and conducting outreach to reduce those gaps Applicants are expected to demonstrate knowledge in their current system of respite services and provide details that inform how the current system of respite services forms the foundation for their statewide systems of lifespan respite care services, including how such services are targeted and delivered. Based on the applicant’s description of the current statewide respite care system, applicants should then identify and explain known gaps in the provision of respite services and propose how those gaps in respite services will be addressed should the applicant receive federal funding as a result of their application to this funding opportunity announcement.

6. Continuing to, or increasing efforts to, target underserved populations across the lifespan Underserved populations is defined as those in greatest economic and social need, who are further isolated from services and supports by their race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation/gender identity, geographic location, and/or limited English speaking proficiency.

Applicants are expected to explain current efforts, and results, under their current lifespan respite system of care to serve underserved populations across the lifespan. Based on this description, applicants should then explain how they propose to target and increase services to traditionally underserved populations that have been identified in their state and local communities.

Additional Application Elements In addition to the priority areas described above, as well as the required narrative elements described in “Section IV. Project Narrative” section of this funding opportunity announcement, applicants should clearly demonstrate/address the following in their applications:

System & Programmatic Performance and Outcomes Measurement Performance is an important component of a fully functioning Lifespan Respite Care System.

This includes system and programmatic performance outcomes (including associated cost/benefits) with particular attention to consumer level information regarding service delivery and impact on consumers. Applicant goals should identify relevant consumer-based, programmatic and systems-level outcomes the state would like to measure and proposed approaches.

Applicants should describe how they plan to count and record the experiences of the people being served with these funds as well as the impact of a statewide lifespan respite care system on consumers, their families, and employers. Successful applicants will describe how such data would be collected and presented and do so in concert with current efforts across existing respite programs/funding streams. Applicants may identify a consumer level outcome measure (or measures) of their choosing or draw upon the "Measuring Systems Change and Consumer Outcomes: Recommendations for Developing Performance Metrics for State Lifespan Respite Programs" document to assist in the conceptualization, development and implementation of useful performance metrics. This resource can be accessed at: https://archrespite.org/images /docs/2014_Guidebooks/PerformanceMeasurmentGuide_web.pdf. Applicants are encouraged to review the document and consider this information when designing their application for this announcement.

Participation in Technical Assistance Efforts Grantees will be expected to participate in technical assistance activities as they pertain to Lifespan Respite Care Program and System development, management, and integration. This includes, but is not limited to, participation in regularly scheduled conference calls, web casts and one-on-one Technical opportunities initiated by the ACL Project Officer, the Lifespan Respite Program Technical Assistance Resource Center, or as requested by the grantee and stakeholder themselves.

Additionally, grantees are strongly encouraged to budget resources for travel to, and participation in, the National Respite Conference, convened annually by ARCH. This conference provides participants with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in respite program development and the opportunity to network and share best practices associated with Lifespan Respite Care Program implementation and Lifespan Respite Care System development.

Grants/Subcontracts Successful applicants to this funding opportunity announcement may carry out the required activities described above directly or by sub-grant to, or contract with, public or private entities.

Due to the nature of this program, the State Project Director must maintain an active role in the https://archrespite.org/images/docs/2014_Guidebooks/PerformanceMeasurmentGuide_web.pdf management of this project. Applicants who propose conduit or pass-through funding for another agency to lead the project will not be considered for funding.

Applicants under this funding announcement should clearly describe, if necessary, their processes for sub-granting or sub-contracting specific activities under this funding opportunity announcement. Additionally, applicants should clearly describe the role of the project director along with the stakeholder group that will guide the design and implementation of the statewide lifespan respite care system.

Statutory Authority The Lifespan Respite Care Program was authorized by Congress in 2006 under Title XXIX of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C 201).

Lifespan Respite Care programs are coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with special needs.

Such programs reduce duplication of effort and assist in the development of respite care infrastructures at the state and local levels. Lifespan Respite Care programs work to improve the delivery and quality of respite services available through the following objectives:

1. Expand and enhance respite services in the states;

2. Improve coordination and dissemination of respite services;

3. Streamline access to programs;

4. Fill gaps in service where necessary; and

5. Improve the overall quality of the respite services currently available.

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $4,349,000 Expected Number of Awards: 16 Award Ceiling: $275,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $100,000 Per Budget Period Length of Project Period: 36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods

The amount of Federal funds available for this funding opportunity and the total number of awards to be issued will depend on the amount of Lifespan Respite Care Program funds remaining after awards are made thru the new FY 2020 Lifespan Respite Care Program: Grants to New States (HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-LRLR-0402).

ACL plans to fund approximately sixteen (16) cooperative agreements under this funding opportunity announcement, with a federal funding level of $100,000 to $275,000 per award for a 36-month project period with three 12 month budget periods, pending availability of federal funds. Not all states who apply for funding will receive grants. Actual award amounts will vary based on the availability of federal funds.

Successful applicants may be asked to revise their proposals based on smaller-than-requested awards. Eligible state agencies funded under this announcement shall use grant funds solely on lifespan respite care service provision and systemic advancement as outlined in the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006. Funds made available under this funding opportunity announcement shall be used to supplement and must not supplant other Federal, State, and local funds available for respite care services.

This is a new Cooperative Agreement. Once a Cooperative Agreement is in place, requests to modify or amend it or the work plan may be made by ACL/AoA or the awardee at any time as long as it stays within the original confines of the proposed project description. Major changes may affect the integrity of the competitive review process. Modifications and/or amendments of the Cooperative Agreement or work plan shall be effective upon the execution of an award notice. When an award is issued the Cooperative Agreement terms and conditions from the Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) are incorporated by reference unless ACL is authorized under the Terms and Conditions of award, 45 CFR Part 75, or other applicable regulation or statute to make unilateral amendments.

The terms and conditions of this Cooperative Agreement includes the following terms:

The ACL/AoA project officer shall carry out the following activities for the Cooperative Agreement:

Collaborate with the grantee in the finalization, execution and modification of the work plan;

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

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

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

ACL/AoA will also share information with the grantee about other federally sponsored projects and activities that are relevant to the interest of the grantee and grantee activities.

The grantee shall execute the activities as noted above and the responsibilities of the Cooperative Agreement listed below:

Collaborate with ACL/AoA in the finalization, execution and modification of the work plan;

Fulfill all of the requirements of the grant initiative as outlined in this funding opportunity announcement (FOA), as well as carry out project activities as reviewed, approved, and awarded;

Communicate with the ACL/AoA project officer regularly to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement;

Meet with the ACL/AoA Project Officer, at least semi-annually, or at such other times as are agreed upon by either party to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement;

Participate in technical assistance efforts as provided by the Lifespan Respite Technical Assistance and Resource Center (TARC); and

Include the following disclaimer on all products produced using ACL/AoA grant funding:

"This project was supported, in part by grant number 90LRLIXXXX####, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points of view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy."

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants This is a limited grant competition. By statute, awards may only be made to eligible state agencies that administer the State program under the Older Americans Act of 1965; administer the State program under title XIX of the Social Security Act; or are designated by the Governor of that state to administer the program activities described in this Announcement.

This grant competition is further limited as follows:

Eligible state agencies receiving funding under this funding opportunity announcement will be required to have developed a Lifespan Respite Care System and build upon the foundation they established by completing a full three-year initial Lifespan Respite Grant to new states.

Eligible states include: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wisconsin

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: Yes Section 2902(f)(3)(A) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.), as amended, requires that grantees provide at least 25% match (cash or in-kind) of total costs. Waivers to these match requirements are not allowed.

Under this ACL program, ACL will fund no more than 75% of the project's total cost, which means the applicant must cover at least 25% of the project’s total cost with non-federal resources. In other words, for every three (3) dollars received in federal funding, the applicant must contribute at least one (1) dollar in non-federal resources toward the project's total cost.

This three-to-one ratio is reflected in the formula included under Item 18 in the instructions for Completing Requested Forms. You can use this formula to calculate your minimum required match. A common error applicants make is to match 25% of the Federal share, rather than 25% of 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.

Budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project are an example of a non-federal cash match. 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 one of the responsiveness criteria as noted in Section III, 3 Application Disqualification Factors.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications will be reviewed to establish responsiveness to the following criteria:

1. Is an eligible State Agency, as outlined in Section III (1) of this Funding Opportunity Announcement;

2. Has included in the application package a Memorandum of Agreement between the Eligible State Agency and the statewide respite coalition/organization;

3. Does not propose conduit or pass-through funding for another agency to lead the project;

and

4. Has included the required match in the budget and a description of the match in the budget narrative.

Applications that fail to meet all four of the above criteria will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three 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 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 8.5” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

http://www.grants.gov/

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 20 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit.

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 application deadline.

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 /pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf 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

Lori Stalbaum Administration on Aging Phone Number: (202) 795-7444 E-mail: Lori.Stalbaum@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent mailto:Lori.Stalbaum@acl.hhs.gov

Due Date for Letter of Intent: 04/20/2020 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 to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living Lori Stalbaum Administration on Aging Email: Lori.Stalbaum@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 suggested length for the Project Narrative is 15 to 20 pages; 20 pages is the maximum length allowed.

Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first X pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20 page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the 20 page limit include:

Summary/Abstract Problem Statement Goal(s) and Objective(s) Proposed Intervention Special Target Populations and Organizations Outcomes Project Management Evaluation Dissemination Organizational Capability

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, mailto:lori.stalbaum@acl.hhs.gov 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.”

Problem Statement This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of lifespan respite care services currently available within the state, including increased availability of services as a result of previous grant activities, existing gaps and unmet needs that need to be addressed, anticipated challenges with bringing existing lifespan respite care services to a systems level of scalability, and available partners and resources that are being leveraged to support bringing existing lifespan respite care services to scale. Also discuss the impact of existing lifespan respite care services on older adults and people with disabilities (including specific subgroups within those populations), their families and caregivers.

For purposes of this funding opportunity announcement, applicants are required to include the following descriptive information as it pertains to the caregiving needs and current respite care infrastructure in their state:

The population of family caregivers in the state;

The extent and nature of the respite care needs of that population;

Existing respite care services for that population, including numbers of family caregivers being served and the extent of unmet needs;

Existing methods or systems to coordinate respite care information and services to the population at the State and local level and the extent of unmet need in this area;

A description of respite care services available to family caregivers in the applicant’s state or locality, including unmet needs and how the applicant’s plan for use of funds will improve the coordination and distribution of respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults with special needs; and

The criteria used to identify family caregivers eligible for respite care services.

Goals and Objectives This section should consist of a description of the projects goal(s) and major objectives. Unless the project involves multiple, complex interventions, we recommend you have only one overall goal.

Proposed Intervention This section should provide a clear and concise description of the intervention you are proposing to use to address the problem described in the “Problem Statement.” You should also describe the rationale for using the particular intervention, including factors such as: “lessons learned” for similar projects previously tested in your community, or in other areas of the country; factors in the larger environment that have created the “right conditions” for the intervention (e.g., existing social or economic factors that you’ll be able to take advantage of, etc.). Also note any major barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will be able to overcome those barriers. Be sure to describe the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships you plan to involve in implementing the intervention, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups.

In addition, applicants must describe the following:

How respite care services will be delivered, enhanced, expanded, and brought to a statewide scale using funds provided under this Funding Opportunity Announcement;

A plan for administration, collaboration, and coordination of the proposed respite care activities and programs with other related services or programs offered by public or private nonprofit entities to build a statewide lifespan respite care system;

How the population, including family caregivers, care recipients, and relevant public or private agencies, will participate or have participated in the planning and implementation of the proposed respite care activities;

How the proposed respite care activities will make use, to the maximum extent feasible, of other Federal, State, and local funds, programs, contributions, other forms of reimbursements, personnel, and facilities; and

A description of how the quality and safety of any respite care services provided will be monitored, including methods to ensure that respite care workers and volunteers are appropriately screened and possess the necessary skills to care for the needs of the care recipient in the absence of the family caregiver.

Special Target Populations and Organizations This section should describe how you plan to involve caregivers of older adults and/or children or adults with disabilities who use or are in need of respite care, as well as stakeholder organizations, in a meaningful way in the planning and implementation of a statewide lifespan respite care system. This section should also describe whether and how the proposed strategy targets other populations, in particular, those in greatest economic and social need, who are further isolated from services and supports by their race, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation/gender identity, geographic location, and/or limited English speaking proficiency.

Applicants should be able to clearly describe the populations and organizations targeted including the extent to which the applicant has been successful in responding to the needs of the populations they had targeted. Applicants will also describe how funds from this funding opportunity will be used to address newly identified or existing unmet respite needs that expand, enhance and/or build upon previous efforts.

Outcomes This section of the project narrative must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. (NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes.) This section should also describe how the project’s findings might benefit the field at large, (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems.), List measurable outcomes in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”) under “Measurable Outcomes,” in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large.

A “measurable outcome” is an observable end-result that describes how a particular intervention benefits consumers. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness, or behavior. It can also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise choice over the types of services they receive, or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered.