FAQs Healthy Families Community-Based Perinatal Health Initiative (Rev. 05.31.23).pdf

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs) for

Healthy Families Community-Based Perinatal Health Initiative

Opportunity Number: MP-CPI-23-004

A. ELIGIBILITY

1. What applicants are eligible and how will they be defined for this funding opportunity?

a. Any public or private nonprofit entity located in a State (which includes one of the 50 United States, District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, U.S.

Virgin Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, American

Samoa, Guam, Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, and the

Republic of the Marshall Islands) is eligible to apply for an award under this announcement.

Private non-profit institutions of higher education are eligible to apply.

Faith-based organizations and American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American

(AI/AN/NA) organizations that are public or non-profit private entities are eligible to apply.

Public or non-profit community-based organizations (CBOs) are eligible to apply.

Examples of eligible Organizations include (NOFO pages 9-10):

• State governments

• County governments

• City or township governments

• Special district governments

• Independent school districts

• Public and State controlled institutions of higher education

• Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)

• Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities

• Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)

• Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

• Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

2. Are eligible communities just those with high proportions of racial and ethnic minorities? Who will decide?

a. All eligible entities that submit applications will advance through the screening process, and those with eligible applications, will advance to objective review. Your statement of need and the data you present to support it and other required elements (see E. APPLICATION REVIEW

INFORMATION on pages 32-36) are vital in determining how well your application does in the merit review process.

b. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health will provide recommendations for funding to the Grants Management Officer to conduct risk analysis. In providing these recommendations, the Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Minority Health will take into consideration the following additional factor:

• Equitable geographic distribution of projects.

Grants and Acquisitions Management (GAM) Division will evaluate, in accordance with

45 C.F.R. § 75.205, each application recommended for funding by the program official indicated in Review and Selection Process for risks before issuing an award. This evaluation may incorporate results of the evaluation of eligibility or the quality of an application. Upon completion of risk analysis and concurrence of the Grants

Management Officer, OASH will issue Notices of Award. No award decision is final until a

Notice of Award is issued. All award decisions, including the level of funding if an award is made, are final and you may not appeal.

3. Are For-Profit organizations eligible to participate in this funding opportunity?

a. No. Only public or private nonprofit entities (see NOFO page 9-10).

B. PREPARING TO APPLY

1. What is the deadline for submitting an application in response to this funding opportunity?

a. Applications are due July 18, 2023 by 6:00 PM Eastern Time. To receive consideration, you must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov no later than this due date and time (see NOFO page 28).

2. How can I stay up to date on any updates or changes to the notice of funding opportunity (NOFO), additional information and resources, and other developments?

a. The best way to stay up to date is to subscribe to this NOFO on grants.gov.

Please go to www.grants.gov and click the “Search Grants” tab in the upper left of the screen.

b. On the next screen, look for the “BASIC SEARCH CRITERIA” fields under SEARCH

GRANTS header in the upper left corner. Enter “MP-CPI-23-004” in the

Opportunity Number field and click the SEARCH button.

c. Click on the link under the Opportunity Number header. You will see a red

“Subscribe” icon in the right corner. You then be prompted to either enter your username and password or establish one, after which you’ll be able to subscribe and get alerts.

3. Who should I contact if I still have questions about the NOFO? Questions about developing my application?

a. Who to contact will depend on the nature of your question? For programmatic questions, such as developing elements of your application, contact Paul

Rodriguez at Paul.Rodriguez@hhs.gov. Please CC: Duane Barlow on your email

b. Contact Duane Barlow at Duane.Barlow@hhs.gov for financial and grants-related questions. Please CC: Paul Rodriguez on your email (NOFO P. 47)

4. Who should I contact if I have issues with the grants.gov portal or the electronic application process?

a. Please contact Grants.gov Applicant Support:

Email: support@grants.gov

Telephone: 1-800-518-4726

(NOFO P. 47)

5. What registrations are needed to apply to this funding announcement?

a. Besides your registration at www.grants.gov, you will need a Dun and Bradstreet

(D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to apply for a grant through www.grants.gov. You will also need to register your organization with the System for Award Management (SAM); please see page 26-27 of NOFO for more information.

b. A step-by-step description of the requirements for registering your organization to be able to apply for this and other funding announcements , along with the expected time for each step, can be found here:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html

6. How do I register my organization on SAM.gov? What if my registration is expired?

a. Please refer to pages 26-27 of the NOFO. Your organization must register online in SAM (https://www.sam.gov/SAM/). Grants.gov may reject submissions from http://www.grants.gov/ mailto:Paul.Rodriguez@hhs.gov mailto:Duane.Barlow@hhs.gov mailto:support@grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/organization-registration.html http://www.sam.gov/SAM/) applicants with nonexistent or expired SAM Registrations. A completed registration in SAM may be required prior to receiving any award based on your application.

b. Further helpful information and helpful tips are also available through the following quick start guide:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.p df (PDF, 111 KB).

c. We recommend beginning your registration process immediately as delays in processing have been reported. Under normal operating conditions we recommend allowing at least up to 10 business days after you submit your registration for it to become active in SAM. This timeframe may be longer if SAM flags the information you provide for manual validation or there are delays in the required submission of a notarized letter by mail. You will receive an email alerting you when your registration is active.

7. Can you explain the page limits? What does or does not count for which limits?

a. Your project narrative is limited to 30 pages and does not include your Project

Abstract Summary. Since your project narrative plus appendices cannot exceed

50 pages, that leaves 20 pages for your appendices. The appendices should include the items described on pages 24-26 of the NOFO and listed here:

▪ Work Plan

▪ Logic Model

▪ Project Population(s) of Focus

▪ Memorandums of Agreement and/or Letters of Commitment

▪ Organizational Chart

▪ Curriculum Vitae/Resume for Key Project Personnel

▪ References Cited

b. You must submit these appendices as a single electronic file uploaded to the

Attachments section of your Grants.gov application.

c. The SF-424, SF-424A, SF-424B, SF-LLL, Project Abstract Summary, and Budget

Narrative (including budget tables) do not count towards your 50 pages limit.

8. Are applicants required to submit memorandums of agreement (MOAs) and Letters of

Commitment (LOCs)?

a. Refer to pages 24-26 in the NOFO. If available at the time of submission, signed

MOAs or signed LOCs may be submitted for each partner (or one signed MOA with all partners) and include specific roles, responsibilities, resources, and contributions of partner(s) to the project.

b. If the applicant is unable to submit signed MOAs, the applicant may submit an unsigned MOA(s).

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.pdf https://www.sam.gov/SAM/transcript/Quick_Guide_for_Grants_Registrations.pdf

c. Fully executed MOAs and finalized tribal resolutions will be required following the issuance of any award made under this announcement if not received prior to award. If you are not providing these documents with your application, please indicate the anticipated date that you will have fully executed documents available for submission.

9. Are applicants required to submit detailed budgets for Sub-Awardees/Subrecipient as part of the application?

a. Yes. Refer to page 17-24 in the NOFO. Subrecipient/contract and consultant activities must be described in sufficient detail to describe accurately the project effort that each will conduct.

C. APPLICATION REVIEW

1. How will my application be reviewed?

a. Refer to pages 32-36 of the NOFO. An independent review panel will evaluate eligible applications according to criteria outlined in the notice of funding opportunity. In addition to the independent review, Federal staff will review each application for programmatic, budgetary, and grants management compliance.

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Minority Health provides recommendations for funding to the Grants Management Officer to conduct risk analysis. Upon completion of the risk analysis and concurrence of the Grants Management Officer, HHS/OASH issues Notices of Award.

2. The salary limitations are only for staff paid for by grant, correct?

a. You should not budget award funds to pay the salary of an individual at a rate more than Federal Executive Pay Limitation ($212,100.00USD). This salary rate limitation also applies to subawards/subcontracts under an HHS/OASH award

(page 30 of the NOFO).

3. Are budgets scored as part of the review process?

a. Yes. Budgets will be scored by merit review panels. Also, Federal staff will review budgets for compliance with regulatory requirements (NOFO page 36).

4. Can we appeal if we are not selected?

a. Refer to page 36 of NOFO. All award decisions, including the level of funding if an award is made, are final and you may not appeal.

D. PROGRAM

1. What is the purpose of this initiative? What are the expectations of the OMH?

a. Refer to pages 1-2 of the NOFO. The Healthy Families Community-Based

Perinatal Health Initiative (COPHI) is intended to develop innovative models for integrating community-based maternal support services (COMSS) into perinatal systems of care. The model should include methods for assessing COMSS needs for pregnant and post-partum individuals and infants included in the demonstration project.

b. OMH expects recipients’ innovative models will improve pregnant and post-partum people's health outcomes and reduce racial and ethnic disparities.

2. What are community-based maternal support services (COMSS)? Can you provide an example?

a. Refer to page 5 of the NOFO. COMSS are social and supportive services that address social determinants of health (SDOH), such as health literacy;

pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting education; cultural and linguistic diversity;

exposure to trauma, housing; food; and transportation.

b. Trained individuals, such as doulas and community health workers (CHWs), provide these services during pregnancy, labor and delivery and after delivery.

3. Are medical service costs allowed under this funding opportunity?

a. Refer to page 38 of the NOFO. No, medical service costs are not allowable.

4. Can we submit multiple applications?

a. Yes. If you successfully submit multiple applications from the same organization for the same project, we will only review the last application received by the deadline. Refer to page 11 of the NOFO.

5. Are we supposed to address all the bullets related to the expectations?

a. Yes, award recipients under this announcement should meet each of the expectations in the execution of their funded projects. Refer to 13-17 pages of the

NOFO.

6. What is the Disparity Impact Statement (DIS) expectation? What is the purpose of the

DIS?

a. Refer to pages 38-39 of the NOFO. Successful recipients are required to develop a disparity impact statement (DIS) using local data and input to identify populations at highest risk for health, social, economic, or other disparities such as low health literacy.

b. Refer to page 53 of the NOFO. Disparity impact statements are a part of a comprehensive data-driven approach for identifying and addressing health disparities to promote health equity for racial and ethnic minority populations. A DIS refers to the demographic, cultural, and linguistic data that identify the population(s) in which health disparities exist and the quality improvement plan designed to address the noted disparities.

7. Are we required to incorporate Healthy People 2030 and other measures in the development of the COMSS Integration model?

a. Refer to pages 6-8 of the NOFO. Recipients are strongly encouraged to include Healthy People 2030 measures and resources for pregnancy, childbirth, and maternal mental health. These measures include reducing maternal death, cesarean births among low-risk women with no prior births, infant deaths, and preterm births. Additionally, increasing the proportion of women who receive early and adequate prenatal care, get screened for postpartum depression, and abstain from alcohol and illicit drugs during pregnancy.

8. Should we conduct a process and outcomes evaluation? How will we measure the outcomes of this project?

a. We expect recipients to identify and collect data on outcome measures to demonstrate the effectiveness of the innovative perinatal health system that fully integrates COMSS with perinatal medical services. This should include measures for assessing the impact of perinatal health system on SDOH in areas such as health literacy; pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting education; cultural and linguistic diversity; and exposure to trauma.

b. The proposed COMSS integration model aims to improve access to COMSS, and changes in access should be tracked. Key project outcomes should be documented and linked to relevant Healthy People 2030 measures and resources, including MICH-02, MICH-04, MICH-06, MICH-07, MICH-08, MICH- 09, MICH-11, and MICH-D01. Additionally, the project's success in addressing identified needs should be evaluated. Refer to pages 8, 15, 16, 33, and 34 of the NOFO.

9. Are we required to partner with other agencies/organizations?

a. Yes. We expect recipients’ collaborative partnerships to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of the integrated COMSS model within the geographic community of focus. The collaborative partnership should include organizations that cover each of the following categories:

i. Community-based organizations (CBOs) providing social and supportive services that address SDOH (i.e., COMSS).

ii. CBOs with experience in case management coordination and physical and mental health promotion for high-risk populations.

iii. Medical organizations (e.g., safety net providers, teaching hospital, or other medical providers).

An organizational partner may fill one or two of the types of roles above for the project. Recipient should engage COMSS providers (e.g., doulas and CHWs) at all stages in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the integrated COMSS model. Also, recipients should partner with additional organizations, as needed, to ensure capacity to conduct evaluation activities. For details, please refer to pages 7, 14, 15, 32, and 33 of the NOFO.

10. Do I have to publish and disseminate my findings?

a. We expect recipients to document and share project findings and results

(e.g., best practices, lessons learned, process successes, and challenges) with the population served, the general public, and other parties interested in project results. Recipients should publish the findings and results in scholarly articles or brief reports, including baseline and post-intervention data for the chosen process and outcome measures. Publications should include a description of the COMSS integration model and its impact on maternal health and infant health outcomes and health disparities within the geographic areas served by the project. When published, the article should be freely, immediately, and equitably accessible to the public. For details, please refer to pages 8, 17, and 34 of the NOFO.