Foa_Content_of_HHS-2022-ACF-ORR-ZZ-0163_9.1.22.pdf

Signature Date

Administration for Children and Families

Office of Refugee Resettlement

Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat

HHS-2022-ACF-ORR-ZZ-0163

Application Due Date: 10/20/2022

Table of Contents Executive Summary

I. Program Description

II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

III.3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Required Forms, Assurances, and Certifications

The Project Description

The Project Budget and Budget Justification

Application Submission Options

IV.3. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) and System for Award Management (SAM)

IV.4. Submission Dates and Times

Explanation of Due Dates

Acknowledgement of Received Application

IV.5. Intergovernmental Review

IV.6. Funding Restrictions

IV.7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

V.1. Criteria

V.2. Review and Selection Process

V.3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

VI.1. Federal Award Notices

VI.2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

VI.3. Reporting

VII. HHS Award Agency Contact(s)

VIII. Other Information

Reference Websites

Application Checklist

Appendix

Funding Opportunity Title:

Services to Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat Announcement Type:

Initial Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2022-ACF-ORR-ZZ-0163

Primary CFDA Number:

93.576 Due Date for Applications:

10/20/2022 Executive Summary Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission. For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant.

SAM.gov System Alert | Entity Validation Delays:

Due to high demand, SAM.gov is experiencing a considerable delay in processing entity legal business name and address validation tickets. As needed, please start the process early to avoid interruptions in application submissions. You can find SAM resources related to this process here -https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id= 7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912&spa=1.

Grants.gov Downtime |Grants.gov Going Offline:

The Grants.gov system is being migrated to the cloud and will be unavailable to users for an extended period to allow for a successful transition. The Grants.gov Production System will be offline during the following period:

Production System will go Offline Friday September 23, 2022 at 12:01 AM ET.

Production System will go Online Thursday September 29, 2022 at 11:59 PM ET.

If you are interested in this funding opportunity, you are strongly encouraged to download it and all associated attachments from Grants.gov as soon as possible so that they will be available to you during this period. For more information on what to expect, please refer to the following URL at https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/what-to-expect-during-the-grants-gov-cloud-migration-and-extended-downtime-for-september-2022/ for details.

The Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) within the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for the fiscal year 2022 new, one-time Services for Afghan Survivors Impacted by Combat (SASIC) Program. The SASIC Program’s goals are to help newly arrived Afghans eligible under the Afghanistan https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/how-apply-grant https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912&spa=1 https://www.fsd.gov/gsafsd_sp?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0058422&sys_kb_id=7bb8810ddba05990060d5425f3961912&spa=1 https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/what-to-expect-during-the-grants-gov-cloud-migration-and-extended-downtime-for-september-2022/ https://grantsgovprod.wordpress.com/2022/08/08/what-to-expect-during-the-grants-gov-cloud-migration-and-extended-downtime-for-september-2022/

Supplemental Appropriations Act (ASA) overcome severe, pervasive, and long-lasting combat-related trauma and to facilitate their achievement of sustained physical, social, emotional, and economic well-being. ORR intends to achieve these goals through increasing Afghan combat survivors’ access to and engagement with effective, holistic, strengths-based, and trauma-informed services. In support of this effort, through this grant program, ORR will also fund the establishment of a national network of culturally responsive providers specialized in meeting the needs of Afghan arrivals for such services.

Under the SASIC Program, recipients will provide holistic and integrated services, including medical, psychological, and social work services, either directly and/or through referrals to partners or affiliates, to Afghans who experienced combat-related trauma and arrived in the United States under Operation Allies Refuge (OAR)/Operation Allies Welcome (OAW).

I. Program Description Statutory Authority Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, Public Law 117-43, title III, as amended by Public Law 117-70.

Description

BACKGROUND

ORR provides newly arriving refugees and other eligible immigrant populations with the opportunity to maximize their potential in the United States. On September 30, 2021, Congress, through the ASA, authorized ORR to provide resettlement assistance and other benefits available to refugees to specific Afghan populations in response to their emergency evacuation from Afghanistan and subsequent resettlement in the United States under OAR and OAW.

Recognizing the unique experiences and needs of this population, ORR is issuing this new, one-time NOFO to support the successful and meaningful resettlement of ASA-eligible Afghan arrivals who have experienced combat-related trauma.

While Afghans who directly experienced combat make up a small proportion of the overall Afghan caseload, they and their families may require more intensive services related to their status and particular needs because of the psychosocial and health repercussions of combat-related trauma, which have emerged as significant public health concerns across the globe.

Survivors may experience long lasting physical consequences of combat-related trauma, such as acute injury, infections, chronic pain, and exacerbations of chronic illness. Additionally, they may suffer from the psychological effects of combat-related trauma, which include post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders.

ORR recognizes that survivors’ families may include those who were targeted for their association with a combat survivor and subsequently experienced persecution and/or violence such as gender-based violence, rape, or other forms of sexual assault. Also, they may have been adversely affected by the trauma experience of the primary survivor. These individuals are defined within this NOFO as secondary survivors. Therefore, ORR advocates for a whole-family approach when designing and delivering services. ORR also recognizes that access to trauma-informed service providers is crucial in the healing and recovery process for both primary and secondary survivors.

Considering the pervasive effects of combat-related trauma, treatment for survivors necessitates an interdisciplinary and holistic approach to treatment that is strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically appropriate to foster active participation in services and programming. The provision of therapeutic and social services may help restore a sense of self-efficacy in Afghan survivors of combat-related trauma, allowing them to regain a sense of health and well-being, to function within a new environment, and to establish themselves as productive members of their new communities.

SASIC PROGRAM OVERVIEW

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goals of this new, one-time program are to help ASA-eligible Afghan arrivals overcome the severe, pervasive, and long-lasting effects of combat-related trauma and to facilitate their achievement of sustained physical, social, emotional, and economic well-being.

The objective of the SASIC Program is to increase eligible Afghan arrivals’ access to, and engagement with, effective, holistic, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically appropriate services. For the purpose of this NOFO, holistic services are defined as medical, psychological, and social work services to address the physical, psychological, and social effects of combat-related trauma. Recipients must provide all these services either directly or through a combination of direct and indirect services provided via partnerships and/or affiliations.

In order to accomplish this objective, ORR recognizes the need to build capacity and establish a strong and sustainable national network of effective, holistic, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally and linguistically appropriate specialized service providers to assist combat-related trauma survivors and their families in the healing and recovery process. This will enable survivors to attend to their health, build effective support networks, and function as active members of their communities. ORR encourages collaborative partnerships between mainstream service providers and ethnic community and/or faith-based organizations to ensure that Afghan survivors receive appropriate and holistic services that address their needs under the SASIC Program.

PROGRAMMATIC REQUIREMENTS

The following section outlines SASIC Program requirements regarding objectives, activities and areas of assessment, eligible service populations, service period, project approach, and project documentation (case files).

Objectives Recipient activities must align with SASIC Program objectives as outlined above. ORR will assess recipient activities under the following three main programmatic requirements: core service delivery, organizational capacity development, and community engagement and education. Note: An activity may fall under more than one programmatic requirement; for example, telehealth options for core services fall under both core service delivery and organizational capacity development and will be assessed as such.

Assessment Area I: Core Services Requirement Recipients must provide core services for adult, adolescent, and pediatric clients, allowing options for telehealth and remote delivery, especially in locations where Afghan diaspora groups have not traditionally resettled. In such instances, recipients serving Afghan arrivals must offer telehealth platforms for access to linguistically appropriate case management and counseling services. Core services must include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Assessing and documenting survivors’ self-reported experience of combat-related trauma.

2. Conducting comprehensive intake assessments and establishing self-sufficiency and wellness plans to help survivors identify and advance toward goals for healing and recovery.

3. Offering specific interventions for women and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) individuals, recognizing that they may have experienced systemic bias and sexual violence specifically based on their gender and sexual identities in the conflict preceding their evacuation from Afghanistan.

4. Providing medical, psychological, and social work services, to address the physical, psychological, and social effects of combat upon survivors and their families, with the option of telehealth for all core services.

5. Ensuring that pediatric and adolescent services are available and are developmentally appropriate and tailored to the unique needs of these age groups.

6. Providing strengths-based, trauma-informed case management to coordinate care and connect clients to other services and community resources as needed.

7. Offering individual and group therapy for clients and their families, including family-strengthening interventions, to mitigate the collective and intergenerational impacts of trauma upon those families.

8. Facilitating support groups and providing referrals and linkages to help survivors build a sustainable social support network.

9. Conducting quarterly outcome assessments each fiscal year for each client, and ensuring that personal wellness plans contain specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound (SMART) goals for both clients and caseworkers, with regular updates throughout the service period.

10. Linking eligible clients to employment, entrepreneurship, and career training programs such as ORR’s Matching Grant Program, Microenterprise Development Program, and Refugee Career Pathways Program.

11. Seeking and incorporating regular client input on services through individual assessments, focus groups, or satisfaction surveys to ensure client-centered programming, evaluate project effectiveness, and improve service delivery.

12. Assessing clients at the end of each service year and informing them of their eligibility for case closure based on their achievement of goals outlined in their wellness plans.

13. Meeting with continuing clients at the start of each fiscal year to inform them of their service options and to identify client goals to work toward during that period.

Assessment Area II: Organizational Capacity Development SASIC Program recipients must engage in activities designed to increase organizational and https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/programs/refugees/matching-grants https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/programs/refugees/microenterprise-development https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr/programs/refugees/refugee-career-pathways local capacity and to ensure the sustainability of services to survivors. These activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Determining and enrolling the optimal number of new clients commensurate with their funding levels.

2. Maintaining an equitable ratio of new and continuing clients.

3. Assessing client needs and outcomes to ensure appropriate levels of service and case management. This assessment could result in tiered services with Tier One clients falling under the “In-Crisis” and “Vulnerable” categories in domains of need and Tier Two clients falling under the “Stable” category.

4. Moving toward wraparound services for survivors through project enhancement and expansion, staff training, and strategic partnerships.

5. Ensuring that project staff and volunteers providing professional services participate in ORR-sponsored and/or other professional training events each year, which can include peer consultation groups.

6. Developing and implementing strategic training to ensure the quality and sustainability of services provided by staff.

7. Encouraging and promoting the professional development of bi/multilingual and bi/multicultural staff from underserved refugee and immigrant communities, to promote healthcare equity through increased representation and visibility of those communities in those professions.

8. Ensuring peer support and adequate supervision of client-facing staff with particular attention to client-case worker ratios.

9. Integrating survivors within organizational and programmatic structures through establishing advisory boards comprised of former clients and community members, and encouraging the participation of female survivors to ensure organizational diversity and equity.

10. Offering mentorship programs for survivors to allow them to inform service delivery, lead survivor-focused initiatives, and simultaneously enhance their employability/professional credentials.

11. Engaging in rigorous project monitoring and performance evaluation through collection, reporting, and analysis of project data.

12. Using such monitoring and evaluation to improve outcomes, processes (such as intake and referrals), and systems (such as data collection).

13. Identifying sustainable sources of funding.

Fundraising and solicitation of funds are not allowable activities under this grant (45 CFR§75.442). Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for further information.

Assessment Area III: Community Engagement and Education SASIC Program recipients must engage in community engagement and education activities. These activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Conducting outreach to Afghan refugee and immigrant communities, which may include combat survivors who are unaware of the SASIC Program and the services for which they may be eligible.

2. Providing educational workshops to Afghan communities and/or community members who interact with this population, such as faith-based organizations, to increase community awareness of, and support for, survivors.

3. Working with culturally and linguistically appropriate community health workers who are part of the SASIC project or associated with community health centers to conduct home visits.

4. Communicating and coordinating at least quarterly with refugee service providers, State Refugee Coordinators, and State Refugee Health Coordinators to facilitate timely and relevant exchange of information regarding service needs and resettlement trends that may affect service delivery and referral systems.

5. Partnering with ethnic community and/or faith-based organizations to develop, deliver, and/or promote culturally and linguistically appropriate services for survivors from those communities.

6. Providing professional training for medical, behavioral health, and/or social service providers on identifying and caring for survivors to enhance their capacity to meet the needs of this population.

7. Training staff at community health centers in cultural competency and the needs of Afghan combat survivors and their families, to optimize the care survivors receive within such health centers.

8. Collaborating with family strengthening programs that are geared toward forced refugee populations with a history of combat-related trauma.

9. Providing professional mentoring and/or case consultations to mainstream local service providers to increase the capacity of those agencies to serve Afghan survivors of combat-related trauma.

10. Raising mainstream public awareness of combat survivors, especially by elevating survivors’ voices and expressions—potentially through art and music—as a way of generating support and resources to promote healing.

Eligible Populations for SASIC Program Services Through the ASA 2022 and the Additional Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2022, Congress authorized ORR’s parent agency, ACF, to obligate ASA funding for the provision of wraparound services during temporary housing and after resettlement.

The following Afghan populations are eligible for traditional ORR benefits and services and ASA-funded benefits and services, including the SASIC Program, for the timeframe indicated.

1.Citizens or nationals of Afghanistan (including unaccompanied minors) paroled into the United States under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act between July 31, 2021, and September 30, 2022. This group is eligible for benefits and services from their eligibility date until March 31, 2023, or until the end of the individual’s parole term, whichever is later, unless otherwise amended by law or the individual gains another ORR-eligible category or status.

2.A spouse or child of any individual described above in number 1, who is paroled into the United States after September 30, 2022. This group is eligible for benefits and services from their eligibility date until March 31, 2023, or the end of the individual’s parole term, whichever is later, unless otherwise amended by law or the individual gains another ORR-eligible category or status.

3.A parent or legal guardian of any individual described above in number 1, who is determined to be an unaccompanied child as defined by 6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2), who is paroled into the United States after September 30, 2022. This group is eligible for benefits and services from their eligibility date until March 31, 2023, or the end of the individual’s parole term, whichever is later, unless otherwise amended by law or the individual gains another ORR-eligible category or status.

4.Citizens and nationals of Afghanistan for whom refugee and entrant assistance activities are authorized (e.g., Special Immigrant Visa holders, Special Immigrants with Conditional Permanent Resident status, Special Immigrant (SI/SQ) parolees, refugees, asylees), whose eligibility date is on, or after, July 31, 2021.

Note: Afghan nationals who meet these eligibility criteria and who experienced combat and/or served alongside U.S. military forces in Afghanistan or otherwise supported the U.S.

Government are to be prioritized for service under the SASIC Program.

Other than the restrictions placed by ASA funding, ORR assistance and services must be provided to refugees without regard to race, religion, nationality, sex, or political opinion. For convenience, the term "refugee" is used in this NOFO to encompass all ASA-eligible individuals.

Service Periods for SASIC Program Once enrolled, eligible Afghan nationals are eligible for one year of SASIC Program services. If, at the end of one year of services, a client has not achieved desired outcomes identified in their Individual Self-Sufficiency and Wellness Plan and requires substantial further services, the recipient may enroll the client for a second term to provide ongoing support. The recipient must conduct a new Individual Self-Sufficiency and Wellness Plan to ensure that self-sufficiency and wellness goals can be achieved. Individuals may be enrolled for no more than two consecutive service periods. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is demonstrated need for continuing services, recipients may request ORR approval for a third term of enrollment for certain individuals.

THE SASIC PROGRAM APPROACH

Holistic, Strengths-Based, and Trauma-Informed Service Delivery Model The SASIC Program requires a service model be available to survivors and eligible family members that includes the following:

Culturally and linguistically appropriate core services for the client population.

Direct provision of core services by the recipient and/or indirect provision through partner organizations and/or affiliates under Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) that mandate administrative oversight and care coordination by the primary recipient.

Holistic service delivery, using a multidisciplinary team with shared systems and regular communication to coordinate provision of behavioral health, primary care, and social services.

A strengths-based, client-centered approach to service delivery at every stage of the project, including planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Comprehensive assessment at intake of the clients' medical, psychological, and social needs.

Assessing and addressing trauma related to immigration status uncertainty with connections to services when needed.

Access to trauma-informed social support, such as housing, employment, or vocational assistance, which may preclude or reduce the need for more specialized psychological and medical services.

A family-focused service plan that includes services for eligible family members who may experience the effects of combat-related trauma in their relationship with the primary survivor, particularly during initial healing and recovery and when reunited after an extended period of separation.

Assessment and mitigation of the effects of combat-related trauma through family-strengthening interventions, to prevent intergenerational trauma.

Regular quarterly assessment of outcomes aligned with client-identified goals in the individual service plan.

Project Documentation: SASIC Case Files Recipients must ensure compliance with 45 CFR § 75.303(e) to take reasonable measures to protect personally identifiable information. When not in use, both physical and electronic case files must be properly secured as to ensure only appropriate staff have access. If the recipient or its subrecipient(s) use an electronic case file system, then safeguards such as limiting access to the data and encryption must be in place to protect participant information. Paper files must be kept confidential - ideally in a file cabinet that is kept locked and can be accessed only by authorized staff.

The following list identifies required documents for inclusion in client case files.

List of Client Case File Contents

Intake assessment (Cover sheet of the assessment to contain information verifying the client's name, status under which the client arrived in the United States, date of eligibility, date of enrollment, date of projected program service termination, documentation of eligibility for SASIC Program services, alien number, birth date, current address, and phone number and/or email address).

Eligibility determination form Enrollment and service agreement (translated as necessary) Informed consent and release of information form Grievance policy letter Goal-centered Individual Self-Sufficiency and Wellness Plan Detailed case notes documenting regular client-case worker interaction, and including regular updates on referrals and indirect services Quarterly assessments

Survivor Family Self-Sufficiency and Wellness Plan Referrals to other service providers Records of any mentoring or volunteering that the client is providing or receiving Records of any goods or services donated to the client, with client signatures Records of client employment training and/or education Case closure letter

POST-AWARD PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

SASIC Meetings ORR will conduct an annual meeting of recipients in person in Washington, DC, (conditions permitting) or remotely via teleconference. Recipients must send at least one key representative.

The meeting will be designed to foster a community of practice through ORR and recipients sharing lessons learned, identifying notable practices, reporting trends, and disseminating knowledge of effective trauma-related interventions.

SASIC Performance Measures Recipients awarded under this NOFO are required to submit an annual Program Data Points (PDP) form each fiscal year of the project period. The PDP includes information about the recipient’s programming and client base (e.g., output and demographic data) and new and continuing clients (e.g., outcome indicators) who receive services from recipients either directly or indirectly during the fiscal year.

NOTE: Consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), under this NOFO, ORR will not conduct nor sponsor— and a person is not required to respond to—a collection of information covered by such Act, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. ACF will obtain OMB approval under the PRA prior to collecting or requesting the collection of any additional information that is subject to PRA.

The SASIC Program indicators as follows:

Gender;

Age at intake;

Self-reporting of either prior service to U.S./Afghan military and/or

U.S./Afghan government;

Type of combat exposure (primary or secondary);

Immigration status/category at intake;

Education prior to arrival (for clients > 18 years of age at intake);

Employment in the United States at intake (for clients > 18 years of age at intake);

Length of time in the United States at intake;

Ethnicity;

Religion;

Languages used;

Client goal(s) at intake;

Clients served by service category;

Client count during reporting period (active and closed cases);

Pro bono professional service hours donated.

The SASIC Program outcome indicators are clients' levels of need in the following six domains:

Physical health;

Mental health;

Housing;

Employment;

Access to community services; and U.S.-based support systems.

SASIC Program Performance Monitoring and Assessment ORR SASIC Program staff and/or contract monitors will undertake periodic site visits as well as remote desk audits to monitor recipients’ performance and to assess their service delivery model.

Areas of assessment have been described earlier in this section under Objective-Centered Program Activities and Relevant Assessment Areas.

Following the visit, ORR will issue an official monitoring report categorizing the recipient as one of the following: i) A Center of Excellence; ii) A Recipient in Good Standing; or iii) An Unsatisfactory Service Provider.

ORR categorizes recipients’ performance as follows.

A Center of Excellence is an agency that:

Demonstrates consistently excellent outcomes in all three assessment areas Merits ORR recognition of one or more notable practices in the field of services for combat-related trauma survivors Earns community recognition for its services

A Recipient in Good Standing is a recipient that:

Posts consistently good outcomes in all three assessment areas Is found to have no outstanding areas of non-compliance

An Unsatisfactory Service Provider is a recipient that:

Posts consistently low outcomes in one or more assessment areas Is found to be in non-compliance with one or more SASIC Program requirements and

ORR/HHS Policy Guidelines

A recipient falling under the category of An Unsatisfactory Service Provider will be placed under a Program Improvement Plan (PIP). Such a recipient must comply with training and technical assistance as required under the terms of PIP. Upon the recipient’s completion of and compliance with PIP, ORR will conduct a follow-up monitoring review to assess the effectiveness of PIP. If the recipient does not fall into compliance, ORR will follow customary procedures regarding termination of the grant.

Note: Consistent with the PRA of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), under this NOFO, ORR will not conduct or sponsor – and a person is not required to respond to - a collection of information covered by such Act, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. ACF will obtain OMB approval under the PRA prior to collecting or requesting the collection of any additional information that is subject to PRA.

Staffing Requirements ORR requires that recipients' key staff possess appropriate professional credentials and licensures to address the medical and mental health, and social work needs of their client populations. Additionally, where recipients are unable to engage bicultural or multilingual staff, staff from mainstream communities must demonstrate cultural awareness of, and sensitivity to, the ethnic and cultural groups represented in their service population. Onsite interpretation is a key requirement where staff do not possess proficiency in the languages represented in their client caseload. Adequate and effective Client-Case Manager ratios are also an essential required staffing element. Recipients must inform ORR of key staffing changes.

Key Personnel Key personnel are salaried or unpaid individuals whose contributions are essential for project implementation. They include but are not limited to the following:

Medical Director -This individual, who must be a licensed Medical Doctor or Nurse Practitioner, will develop and maintain a network of primary care and specialty medical providers.

Behavioral Health Advisor-This individual, who must be a licensed behavioral health professional, will provide expertise in trauma-informed care.

Pediatric Health Advisor-This individual, who must possess child and adolescent wellness, health and mental health training and expertise, will ensure availability and appropriateness of services for children and adolescents.

Case Management Coordinator-This individual, who must possess at minimum a master’s degree in social work, will be responsible for (1) coordination with, at a minimum, psychosocial, educational, and housing services, (2) supervision of referrals and follow up to ensure timely and appropriate service delivery, and (3) collection of outcome information.

Subawards Recipients under this grant program may opt to transfer a portion of substantive programmatic work to other organizations through subaward(s). The prime recipient must maintain a substantive role in the project. ACF defines a substantive role as conducting activities and/or providing services funded under the award that are necessary and integral to the completion of the project. Subrecipient monitoring activities alone, as specified in 45 CFR § 75.352, do not constitute a substantive role. Furthermore, ACF does not fund awards where the role of the applicant is primarily to serve as a conduit for passing funds to other organizations unless that arrangement is authorized by statute. It is recommended that a subaward constitute less than 50 percent of the proposed budget. This recommended threshold does not preclude an applicant from submitting a budget where subawards go above and beyond 50 percent.

Subrecipient(s) must meet the eligibility requirements identified in the NOFO, Section III.1.

Eligible Applicants. Additionally, all subrecipient(s) must obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number assigned by the System for Award Management (SAM), if they do not already have one. Prime recipients are required to check SAM to verify that the subrecipient(s) is/are not debarred, suspended, or ineligible.

Please reference the Award Term and Condition on Subawards on the ACF Administrative and National Policy Requirements website for further requirements involving subawards.

SASIC Federal Program Evaluation

If ACF identifies resources to fund a federal study of SASIC Program activities, then the recipient must participate in that study. Such a study will utilize a non-recipient evaluation team and will focus on the processes, implementation, progress indicators, and quality improvement of ACF-funded activities.

NOTE: Consistent with the PRA of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501-3521), under this NOFO, ORR will not conduct or sponsor – and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information covered by such Act, unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. ORR will obtain OMB approval for a federal study of the funded grant activities, as appropriate.

For more information on application components specific to this NOFO, please refer to Section IV.2. The Project Description and The Project Budget and Budget Justification

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

$106,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$3,000,000 Per Project Period

Award Floor:

$1,500,000 Per Project Period

Average Projected Award Amount:

$1,800,000 Per Project Period

Anticipated Project Start Date:

12/15/2022 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements#book_content_14 https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements https://www.acf.hhs.gov/administrative-and-national-policy-requirements

Length of Project Periods:

Other

Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' This is a fully funded, multi-year project with one 36-month budget/project period.

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this funding opportunity are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds.

For more information on these requirements, see Section III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching.

Additional language on award amounts:

Applicants that request the ceiling amount may not receive that amount even if they have been approved for funding. ORR will determine calculations of appropriate funding levels based on the number of Afghan arrivals in the proposed service location, Afghan combat survivors the recipient intends to serve, and the cost of living in the proposed service location.

ORR has calculated that the award floor of $1.5 million divided by the estimated average caseload of 200 individuals is equivalent to a cost of $7,500 per case, rounded up to $8,000 per case. While it is the recipient's responsibility to make this determination, for planning purposes, ORR suggests that applicants anticipate spending approximately $8,000 for each client receiving core services.

III. Eligibility Information III.1. Eligible Applicants Eligibility is open to the following types of entities: 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); non-profits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS other than institutions of higher education; non-profits without 501(c)(3) status with the IRS other than institutions of higher education; and private institutions of higher education.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity. Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of 45 CFR Part 87 and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., ACF will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization's religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

Reference to Legal Status See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

Funding Restrictions Reference Please see Section IV.6. Funding Restrictions for any limitations on the use of federal funds that could affect the eligibility of an applicant or project.

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

No For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount 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, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF. Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NoA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project 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.

III.3. Other Application Disqualification Factors

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Award Ceiling Disqualification

Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission

ACF requires electronic submission of applications at Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applicants that do not have an internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission."

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications)

The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to Grants.gov after 11:59 pm ET on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. That is, applications submitted to Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 am ET on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Applications submitted to Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF will be acknowledged.

https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ACF_Policy_for_Requesting_an_Exemption_from_Required_Electronic_FINAL_0.pdf

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 pm ET on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 pm ET on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and funding under this funding opportunity.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this NOFO.

IV. Application and Submission Information IV.1. Address to Request Application Package Tabassum Siraj

HHS-2022-ACF-ORR-ZZ-0163

Administration for Children and Families Office of Refugee Resettlement 330 C Street, SW.

Mailroom 5123 Washington

DC

20201 202-260-7802 202-401- 4689 Tabassum.Siraj.@acf.hhs.gov https://www.acf.hhs.gov/orr Application Packages

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the NOFO's listing at Grants.gov.

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms (SFs), assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the NOFO's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Request an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission if applicants do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents (files) to Grants.gov.

Federal Relay Service:

Hearing-impaired and speech-impaired callers may contact the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) for assistance at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay

Each applicant applying electronically via Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding SFs and Office of Management and Budget (OMB)-approved forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. SFs and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified. The point of contact, known as the Project Director or Principal Investigator, should not be identical to the person identified as the AOR. The point of contact must be available to answer any questions pertaining to the application.

Application Checklist Applicants may refer to Section VIII. Other Information for a checklist of application requirements that may be used in developing and organizing application materials.

Accepted Font Style Applications must be in Times New Roman (TNR), 12-point font, except for footnotes, which may be TNR 10-point font. Pages that contain blurred text, or text that is too small to read comfortably, will be removed.

English Language Applications must be submitted in the English language and must be in the terms of United States (U.S.) dollars. If applications are submitted using another currency, ACF will convert the foreign currency to U.S. currency using the date of receipt of the application to determine the rate of exchange.

Page Limitations Applicants must observe the page limitation(s) listed under "PAGE LIMITATIONS AND CONTENT FOR ALL SUBMISSION FORMATS:." Page limitation(s) do not include SFs and OMB-approved forms.

All applications must be double-spaced. An application that exceeds the cited page limitation for double-spaced pages in the Project Description file or the Appendices file will have extra pages removed, and those pages will not be reviewed.

Application Elements Exempted from Double-Spacing Requirements The following elements of the application submission are exempt from the double-spacing requirements and may be single-spaced: the table of contents, the one-page Project Summary, required Assurances and Certifications, required SFs, required OMB-approved forms, resumes, logic models, proof of legal status/non-profit status, third-party agreements, letters of support, footnotes, tables, the line-item budget and/or the budget justification.

Adherence to NOFO Formatting, Font, and Page Limitation Requirements Applications that fail to adhere to ACF’s NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will be adjusted by the removal of page(s) from the application. Pages will be removed before the objective review and will not be made available to reviewers.

Applications that have more than one scanned page of a document on a single page will have the page(s) removed from the review.

For applicants that submit paper applications, double-sided pages will be counted as two pages.

When the maximum allowed number of pages is reached, excess pages will be removed and will not be made available to reviewers.

NOTE: Applicants failing to adhere to ACF’s NOFO formatting, font, and page limitation requirements will receive a letter from ACF notifying them that their application was amended.

The letter will be sent after awards have been issued and will specify the reason(s) for removal of page(s).

Corrections/Updates to Submitted Applications When applicants make revisions to a previously submitted application, ACF will accept only the last on-time application for pre-review under the Application Disqualification Factors. The Application Disqualification Factors determine the application's acceptance for competitive review.