Foa_Content_of_HHS-2021-ACL-AOA-IERC-0034.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Native American Elder Justice Initiative

HHS-2021-ACL-AOA-IERC-0034

06/21/2021

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

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

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement

Goals and Objectives

Proposed Intervention

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes

Project Management

Evaluation

Dissemination

Organizational Capability

Budget Narrative/Justification

Work Plan

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

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

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title:

Native American Elder Justice Initiative Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2021-ACL-AOA-IERC-0034

Primary CFDA Number:

93.047 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

05/20/2021 Due Date for Applications:

06/21/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

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 Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

Through this funding opportunity announcement, the Administration for Community Living will fund one (1) cooperative agreement with a federal funding level of up to $300,000 each year for 5-years, for a potential maximum funding of $1,500,000 over the course of the 5-year project period.

The Native American Elder Justice Initiative (NAEJI) will address the need for more culturally appropriate information and community education materials on elder abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian Country. It is expected that activities carried out under this Initiative will address at least one (1) of the following needs: a) develop materials culturally specific for tribes;

b) gather and widely disseminate to tribes information on best practices in Indian Country, and c) gather and disseminate examples and information on model Tribal codes to address elder maltreatment.

The grantee will work with Indian Country to address the occurrence of elder abuse in tribal communities and to determine culturally relevant methods for public awareness education, policy implications and prevention. This grantee will work closely with tribes and tribal communities to address the special needs of tribal elders, families and communities.

The grantee is expected to work with other entities including private and public, to create national collaborations for the purpose of identifying trends in the field, responding to needs of the field, leveraging resources and improving responses to elder abuse victims and the professional community that serves them. Additionally, it is expected that the grantee will also collaborate with at least one (1) ACL resource center and or the aging network in its effort to improve gathering information and disseminating resources in the field of abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian Country.

Eligible Applicants: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Additional information on eligibility included for clarification is as follows - Native American tribal governments and organizations includes Alaskan Native/Native American. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

[1] The definitions of abuse, neglect and exploitation are taken from the Older Americans Act, Section 102:

1. The term ‘‘abuse’’ means the willful—(A) infliction of injury, unreasonable confinement, intimidation, or cruel punishment with resulting physical harm, pain, or mental anguish;

or

(B) deprivation by a person, including a caregiver, of goods or services that are necessary to avoid physical harm, mental anguish, or mental illness.

(18) (A) The term ‘exploitation’ means the fraudulent or otherwise illegal, unauthorized, or improper act or process of an individual, including a caregiver or fiduciary, that uses the resources of an older individual for monetary or personal benefit, profit, or gain, or that results in depriving an older individual of rightful access to, or use of, benefits, resources, belongings, or assets.

(38) The term ‘neglect’ means- (A) the failure of a caregiver (as defined in paragraph

(18) (B) or fiduciary to provide the goods or services that are necessary to maintain the health or safety of an older individual; or (B) self-neglect.

Prospective applicants should be sure to read, understand and fully respond to all requirements of this announcement.

I. Funding Opportunity Description

BACKGROUND

As the population of older Americans age 60 and older continues to increase, the problem of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation continues to grow. Despite the absence of robust national elder abuse prevalence data, the number of reported cases of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation continue to increase. The 2004 National Survey of State Adult Protective Services (APS) programs, conducted by the Administration on Aging's (AoA) National Center on Elder Abuse showed a 16 percent increase in the number of elder abuse cases from an identical study conducted in 2000.[1] According to a 1998 national incidence study, 84 percent of all elders abuse incidents go unreported, meaning that for every reported case of abuse there are over five that go unreported.[2] Together, these data suggest that a minimum of 2.5 million elders are abused, neglected and exploited annually and that the problem is growing larger each year.

The negative effects of abuse, neglect and exploitation on the health and independence of seniors is extensive. Research has demonstrated that older victims of even modest forms of abuse have dramatically higher 300 percent morbidity and mortality rates than non-abused older people.[3] Additional adverse health impacts include an increased likelihood of heart attacks, dementia, depression, chronic diseases and psychological distress. The result of these unnecessary health problems is a growing number of seniors who access the healthcare system more frequently including emergency room visits and hospital admissions and are ultimately forced to leave their homes and communities prematurely.[4]

The federal interest to address the problem of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation began in 1962, when Congress authorized payments to states to establish protective services for adults through the Public Welfare Amendments to the Social Security Act. The states mandates the program to protect and provide services to older adults continued into the mid 1982s. As of 1985, 46 states had a designated agency to address elder abuse under the auspices of adult protective services.[5] In 2010, Congress passed the Elder Justice Act, the first comprehensive legislative authority designed to address and combat elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

AOA EFFORTS

As the federal advocate for older Americans, AOA has been committed to protecting seniors from elder mistreatment for many years. Since 1972, AOA has administered a number of programs promoting elder justice and elder rights. The Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program was established in the Older Americans Act (OAA) to represent the rights and advocate on behalf of older residents living in nursing homes, assisted living, and other residential settings. The Title VII Elder Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Program was established in the OAA in 1992 to provide states with funding to support state and community-based elder justice networks that protect vulnerable seniors and provide them with critical information. Their activities include training professionals in how to recognize and respond to elder abuse cases, conducting public awareness and education campaigns, and creating state and community-based elder abuse prevention coalitions and multidisciplinary teams. The National Center on Elder Abuse was first created in 1988 as an information clearinghouse demonstration project on abuse, neglect, and exploitation, with the goals of identifying best practices in prevention and treatment, serving as a repository of research and conducting demonstration projects to promote effective and coordinated responses to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. Along with the establishment of the OAA Title VII Elder Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation Program in 1992, amendments were also made to Title II of the OAA to permanently establish and maintain the National Center on Elder Abuse (NCEA).

From inception NCEA has provided relevant information, materials, and support to enhance state and local efforts to prevent and address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The NCEA disseminates information to professionals and the public, and it provides technical assistance and training to states and to community-based organizations. The NCEA makes available news and resources; collaborates on research; provides consultation, education and training; identifies and provides information about promising practices and interventions; answers inquiries and request for information; operates a listserv forum for professionals; and provides analysis on program and policy development. Recognizing that elder abuse is a multifaceted phenomenon requiring a multidisciplinary response, the NCEA historically has operated as a consortium of partners with expertise in various fields working to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. NCEA has proved a valuable resource to many professionals working in some way with older victims of elder mistreatment, including: adult protective services; national, state, and local aging networks;

law enforcement; health care professionals; domestic violence networks; and others.

OTHER FEDERAL EFFORTS

In addition to the NCEA, a number of other federal agencies have undertaken activities to help the nation better respond to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation. In the area of data collection, the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in HHS conducted a report on the feasibility of a national data collection effort involving administrative data on elder abuse.[6] The study and report addressed current reporting systems for elder abuse at the federal and state levels and the varying elder abuse definitions and laws currently in use across the country; discussed examples of data collection efforts in similar fields to be used as a possible model; and provided considerations and recommendations for developing a national data collection effort. The Division of Violence Prevention at the CDC also has initiatives related to data collection and definitions. The first, Elder Maltreatment Surveillance Project, is designed to: (1) identify minimum and expanded data elements that might be collected as part of elder maltreatment public health surveillance activities; and (2) review options for their measurement. The second project involves a pilot program for fatal elder maltreatment surveillance. The pilot will inform the development of an ongoing elder maltreatment public health surveillance system that utilizes the elder maltreatment definitions developed by CDC.

Beyond data collection, a number of research efforts into the incidence, prevalence, and identification of elder maltreatment have been funded by the federal government. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) through its Elder Mistreatment Initiative funded nine grants in FY 2006 and FY 2007 with the objective to test methodologies to maximize the estimation of prevalence and/or incidence of elder mistreatment. A number of bureaus and institutes within the Department of Justice (DOJ) have expanded their portfolio in the area of elder maltreatment research. The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has funded projects involving victims of crime age 65 or older and will examine patterns of violence against the elderly living in the community and the characteristics and processing of cases of family violence against the elderly. The

National Institute of Justice (NIJ) maintains an active research portfolio of projects addressing elder abuse. Research areas span from elder forensics to development of measures for incidence and prevalence studies. A summary of NIJ funded research on elder maltreatment can be found on the NIJ website.

DOJ and HHS also have engaged in activities to enhance the response to cases of elder maltreatment, such as through training. The NCEA has in the past provided web-based trainings to a range of professionals on topics intended to improve the safety of response workers, improve program development, and train on special topics such as developing community coalitions. In addition, the NCEA also developed a web-based, self-paced training module on the basics of elder abuse for nurses. The Office on Victims of Crime (OVC) at DOJ has funded the creation of a number of training curricula for professionals such as law enforcement, victim advocates, physicians, community corrections professionals, nurses, and adult protective services. OVC also produced a series of educational videos about domestic abuse in later life intended for a range of professionals who work with or who may encounter victims. The Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) provides funding to address elder abuse through the “Enhanced Training and Services to End Violence and Abuse of Women Later in Life Program” (Elder Program). This program provides funding to criminal justice and other professionals working with older victims to: enhance their ability to recognize, address, investigate, and prosecute instances of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation; carry out cross training; develop or enhance community coordinated responses; and develop or provide services for victims of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, including domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking, who are 50 years of age or older. Additional training and cross-training materials, systems tools, and a needs assessment tool are currently under development.

Federal agencies also have engaged in activities to improve the coordination of systems that prevent and address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, and to help the field identify research and programmatic priorities. In 2003, the NIA funded the National Academies of Science (NAS) to do a report on elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The resulting book, Elder Mistreatment:

Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation in an Aging America[7], identified the gaps in knowledge in the field and proposed a research agenda to address those gaps. In 2010, the NIA, again in conjunction with the NAS, sponsored a day-long seminar entitled “Elder Mistreatment and Abuse and Financial Fraud” intended to assess the progress and future directions in elder mistreatment research since the publication of the Elder Mistreatment book. A meeting report was produced, which identified that, although there has been significant progress in the study of elder mistreatment since 2003, reliable data about elder mistreatment remains sparse and that a revised agenda for future directions in research that builds on the landmark NAS publication is needed.[8] Also in 2010, DOJ, in collaboration with a number of federal partners, including AoA, began a project to develop a comprehensive roadmap to help guide the future of the diverse field of elder justice. Using an innovative qualitative analysis process called concept mapping, elder justice experts from across the health, social service, and legal fields will provide input on their top priorities for the field in terms of research, interventions, and program guidelines. This information will then be used as the foundation for developing a comprehensive strategy to guide future of elder justice efforts – a crucial, consensus-based first step that will serve as the basis for a more coordinated approach to preventing, detecting, and responding to elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

ELDER ABUSE IN INDIAN COUNTRY

Although states and communities across the country have developed policies and programs to address elder abuse, there is still much to know about elder abuse in Indian Country. Existing literature and accounts by Indian elders and their families, tribes, and advocates suggest that it is a serious and pervasive problem. There are no national studies on elder abuse in Indian Country, and only a few, Tribal specific studies have been conducted, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the nature, causes, consequences, and effective prevention and intervention activities with Tribal elders.[9] However, the experiences of Indian elders with abuse, and their attitudes about what should be done to address it, appear to differ from those of non-Indian elders, suggesting the need for new responses to prevention.[10]

In 2004 and 2005, AoA funded two projects to explore the needs of Indian elders as related to the problems of elder abuse, neglect and an exploitation. The first report was completed by the NCEA in collaboration with the National Indian Council on Aging. Among the findings were the following:

a. Many tribes do not have tribal codes to deal adequately with the program, and the process of developing such codes could provide an invaluable opportunity for the tribe to come together to identify Tribal needs, priorities and solutions;

b. Differing spheres of authority between tribal and non-tribal entities make it difficult to fully address suspected cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation, and that strategies for improving such coordination should be developed; and

c. There is a lack of awareness within Indian Country of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation due to denial, lack of information, and/or lack of culturally relevant information, and tthat materials and activities should be developed specifically for Tribes that are culturally appropriate to Tribal perceptions of abuse and Tribal values.

[11]

The second project was conducted by AoA’s Office of American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs in 2005. This project compiled information from Tribal judges and Older American Act Title VI Tribal grantees. The information provided by the respondents closely resembled the study released one year earlier by the NCEA. Respondents identified a lack of sufficient legal/Tribal codes to address elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation. Respondents observed that Tribal and non-Tribal entities do not coordinate well (or at all) in responding to allegations of abuse, neglect and exploitation. And significantly, respondents stated that there exists within Indian Country a denial of the problem of elder maltreatment, a widespread of lack of community awareness, education, and training in all aspects of elder maltreatment, as well as a lack of culturally appropriate (i.e., non-Western) solutions to address the problems. The following were among the recommendations provided by respondents to improve prevention and response to abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian Country:

a. Develop materials culturally specific for Tribes;

b. Gather and widely disseminate to Tribes information on best practices in Indian Country, and

c. Gather and disseminate examples and information on model Tribal codes to address elder maltreatment. [12]

[1] Teaster, Pamela, et al. (2004). The 2004 Survey of State Adult Protective Services:

Abuse of Adults 60 Years of Age and Older. Retrieved from https://www.napsa-now.org/2012/09/aps-training-library-2-the-2004-survey-of-adult-protective-services-abuse-of-adults-60-years-of-age-and-older/ [2] Tatara, Toshio, et al. (1998). The National Elder Abuse Incidence Study Final Report. Retrieved from:

https://secure.ce-credit.com/articles/100860/ElderAbuseIncidentReport.pdf [3] Lachs, M.S., Williams, C.S., O'Brien, S., Pillemer, K.A., & Charlson, M.D. (1998(. "The Mortality of Elder Mistreatment." JAMA. 280-428-432. and Baker, M.W. (2007). "Elder Mistreatment: Risk, Vulnerability and Early Mortality." Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, Vol. 12, No. 6, 313-321.

[4] Lachs M.s., Williams C., O'Brien S., Hurst L., Kossack A., Siegal A., et al. (1997). "ED Use by Older Victims of Family Violence." Annals of Emegency Medicine. 30:448-454.

[5] National Research Council. (2003). Elder Mistreatment: Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation in an Aging America. Panel to Review Risk and Prevalence of Elder Abuse and Neglect. Richard J. Bonnie and Robert B. Wallace, Editors. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. PDF available at http://www.nap.edu/catolog/10406.html.

[6] U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Congressional Report on The Feasibility of Establishing A Uniform National Database ON Elder Abuse March 2010.

https://aspe.hhs.gov/terms/elder-abuse-exploitation-and-neglect?page=1 [7] National Research Council. (2003).

[8] The National Academies Committee on National Statistics. (June 10, 2010). Meeting Report on Research Issues in Elder Mistreatment and Abuse and Financial Fraud. Retrieved from: https://www.nia.nih.gov/sites/default/files/d7/meeting-on-research-issues-in-elder-mistreatment-and-abuse-and-financial-fradu.pdf [9] U.S. Administration on Aging. (2005). Elder Abuse Issues in Indian Country. Washington, DC: Office for American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian Programs. Retrieved by request from ACL. Cecelia.aldridge@acl.hhs.gov.

[10] National Indian Council on Aging. (2004). Preventing and Responding to Abuse of Elders in Indian Country. Washington, DC: National Center on Elder Abuse. Retrieved from:

https://nicoa.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03Preventing-and-Responding-to-Abuse-of-Elders-in- Indian-Country.pdf.

[11] Ibid. In addition, the report identifies a number of other areas of need, such as development of training programs for Tribal professionals, development of services to specifically meet the needs of victims, the need for Tribal legal interventions that are responsive not only to the needs of the victim, but to the perpetrator and the Tribe, as well. The report also provides examples of current Tribal efforts to address each of the key needs identified.

[12] U.S. Administration on Aging. (2005).

NATIVE AMERICAN ELDER JUSTICE INITIATIVE

The Native American Elder Justice Initiative (NAEJI) will address the need for more culturally appropriate information and community education materials on elder abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian Country. It is expected that activities carried out under this Initiative will address at least one (1) of the needs listed below:

Identify, develop and disseminate information and strategies on effective collaborations between tribal and non-tribal entities to address suspected cases of abuse, neglect or exploitation;

Assist Tribes in the development of tribal codes that protect seniors, building on existing work to develop model codes and an implementation toolkit, and maintaining examples of tribal codes to share with those creating or updating their own codes;

Identify and develop tribally produced elder abuse prevention resources, and other informational materials for professionals and tribal members on elder abuse, neglect and exploitation that are culturally appropriate to Tribal perceptions of abuse and Tribal values;

Develop training and technical assistance materials about elder abuse in Indian Country, such as: basic information about elder abuse, how to identify abuse, developing effective multi-disciplinary teams, and developing and/or promoting effective tribal prevention, intervention, and response activities, including those that involve effective cross-jurisdictional partnerships;

Provide technical assistance and training on elder abuse, neglect and exploitation, and outreach to increase awareness of the problem of elder abuse in Indian Country, as well as the NAEJI, and through conference presentations, materials, development, PSAs, newsletters, articles and other source material;

Develop expertise in Native Elder Abuse Prevention through the development of webinars and training materials for health care providers, social services, long-term care and caregivers, law enforcement, tribal courts, and tribal leaders specific to elder abuse in Indian Country;

Explore with tribes the needs and challenges surrounding data collection on elder abuse issues in Indian Country, including what kinds of data would be useful and to whom, how data could be collected, who would/could collect it, how would confidentiality be guaranteed, what types of system would be necessary to house and securely store data, who would manage and own the data, and other issues related to the development of data collection systems; and

Expand training to include a focus for senior companions, community health representatives, home health care workers, and others who regularly visit elders in the their homes to enhance their knowledge and awareness of elder abuse.

Applicants should clearly identify what the need is to which their proposal will respond, and provide a justification for the prioritization of that need and the corresponding activity they propose to undertake. Applicants should be sure to identify the duration, frequency, and level of effort they anticipate to conduct the proposed activities in order to benefit the target audience, as well as the expected outcomes of their proposed activities and the corresponding performance metrics.

Rights in Data As established by HHS Grants Policy Statement[i], “[i]n all cases, whether HHS funded all or part of the project or program resulting in the data, the Federal government must be given a royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license for the Federal government to reproduce, publish, or otherwise use the material and to authorize others to do so for Federal purposes, e.g., to make it available in government-sponsored databases for use by other researchers…. Data developed by a subrecipient also are subject to this policy”[ii]. Any product developed under this grant may be copyrighted without ACL prior approval. However, the grantee may not in any way infringe upon the royalty-free, nonexclusive, and irrevocable license of the Federal government.

As such and within these parameters, ACL expects to assess all materials developed under this cooperative agreement for their appropriateness to post on the grantee's website for the use and benefit of the general public. ACL also retains the right to grant permission for others to use, distribute, and cite materials developed under this grant.

[i] The HHS Grants Policy Statement is available online from the HHS home page. Retrieved February 27, 2017 from: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf [ii] HHS Grants Policy Statement, Part II, “Rights in Data”, page II-69. Retrieved Retrieved February 27, 2017 from: https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/grants/grants/policies-regulations/hhsgps107.pdf

Statutory Authority The statutory authority for grants under this program announcement is contained in Title II, Section 201 (c)(3)(H) of the Older Americans Act and (42 U.S.C. 3011).

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$ 300,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$ 300,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$ 200,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Native American Elder Justice Initiative

ACL/A0A plans to fund one (1) Resource Center at $300,000 in year one with a total project period of 5 years (see instructions on ACL match requirement in Section III). Applications for continuation funding of the Native American Elder Justice Initiative beyond the initial year will be reviewed on a non-competitive basis subject to the availability of funds, contingent on satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination by ACL that continued funding will be in the best interest of the government.

Under this new cooperative agreement, ACL will be substantially involved in the grantee's activities by reviewing technical assistance products and participating in planning and training activities, which will be determined by the needs and priorities of the grantee and the ACL.

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

The Grantee will execute the responsibilities of the cooperative agreement as listed below;

The grantee will fulfill all of the requirements of the grant initiative as outlined in this program announcement.

The grantee will evaluate the impact of activities carried out under the grant, and provide recommendations on ways to enhance the effort.

The grantee will meet with ACL monthly, or as needed, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under this Agreement.

The grantee will work with entities, including private, public, and Tribal to foster an environment of multidisciplinary collaboration amongst the parties working to prevent or address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The grantee will produce products and/or materials that are accurate, objective, unbiased, culturally appropriate, and that do not violate federal, departmental, or agency grant rules.

The grantee will provide the ACL with a copy of the final product before dissemination in order for the ACL to have at least 15 business days to ensure the product meets the requirements set forth in the program announcement.

The grantee will submit to the ACL project officer a final, clean copy of all data developed or supported with these grant funds, in the format in which it was developed or produced, as provided for in the HHS Grants Policy Statement and referenced in the Notice of Award. 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” (p. II-69, Footnote 18). The grantee will Include the following disclaimer on ALL products produced using ACL grant funding: "This project was supported, in part by grant number 90IERC####, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington , DC 20201. Grantees undertaking projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions. Points for view or opinions do not, therefore, necessarily represent official Administration for Community Living policy."

The ACL Project Officer shall carry out the following activities for the Cooperative Agreement;

ACL will collaborate with the grantee in the finalization, execution and modification of the work plan. Any changes in the final work plan will require agreement of both parties.

ACL will perform the day-to-day federal responsibilities of managing the grant and will work with the grantee to ensue that the minimum requirements of the grant are met by providing technical advice on tasks related to the fulfillment of the goals and objectives of this program.

ACL will assist the grantee and other project leadership to understand the policy concerns and/or priorities of ACL by conducting periodic briefings and by providing ongoing consultation.

ACL 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.

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

ACL will meet with the grantee monthly, or upon request as needed, to improve the effectiveness of the activities carried out under the Agreement.

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 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 program announcement 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.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Eligible Applicants: Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

Additional information on eligibility included for clarification is as follows - Native American tribal governments and organizations includes Alaskan Native/Native American. Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Foreign entities are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes

For awards that require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources (at or above the statutory requirement) in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to provide the statutorily required matching or cost sharing amount (and any voluntary committed amount in excess) may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

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. 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 fail to meet the responsiveness criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

The successful applicants for the Native American Elder Justice Initiative Resource Center will be an organization that meets the following criteria:

Existing, in-house staff with experience in developing culturally appropriate materials for American Indian, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian people.

Existing, in-house staff with experience in the area of elder abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian country;

Demonstrate the organizational capacity to provide technical assistance and conduct activities and efforts to address elder abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian Country, including multidisciplinary teams; public awareness; research; direct services; training;

and other prevention, intervention or remediation efforts;

Reliance on sub-grantees, sub-contractors, or consultants to carry out the activities of this Notice of Funding Opportunity Announcement that does not constitute more than 20% of the total level of effort required to accomplish the programmatic activities; and

Ability to provide training and technical assistance on a national level on issues related to abuse, neglect and exploitation in Indian Country.

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 https://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 12 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 30 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 30 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 30 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 30 page limit.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from https://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an https://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 https://www.grants.gov or https://www.acl.gov/grants/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 https://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 https://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 (https://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 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. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

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

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living

Cecelia D. Aldridge Cecelia.aldridge@acl.hhs.gov.

301-844-5669

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Number Of Days from Publication 30

05/20/2021 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:

Cecelia D. Aldridge DHSS/Administration for Community Living Administration on Aging/OAIANNHP Cecelia.aldridge@acl.hhs.gov 301-844-5669

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 25 to 30 pages; 30 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 30 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 30 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 30 page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

The sample components of the Project Narrative counted as part of the X 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

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.”

Problem Statement This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the particular problem or issue the proposed intervention is designed to address, including how the project will potentially affect older adults and /or people with disabilities, their families and caregivers and the health care and social services systems.

Goals and Objectives This section should consist of a description of the project’s 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.

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