Foa_Content_of_HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0071.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

Elder Justice Innovation Grants - Improving Guardianship FY2022

HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0071

05/06/2022

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

Project Abstract

Project Relevance and Current Need

Approach

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes

Evaluation

Organizational Capacity

Project Deliverables and Dissemination

Bibliography/Works Cited

Budget Narrative/Justification

Project Work Plan

Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies

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

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. 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:

Elder Justice Innovation Grants - Improving Guardianship FY2022 Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2022-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0071

Primary CFDA Number:

93.747 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

04/06/2022 Due Date for Applications:

05/06/2022 Date for Informational Conference Call:

03/30/2022 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 The Elder Justice Innovation Grants program is intended to support foundational work to create credible innovations, with benchmarks for adult maltreatment prevention, and for program development and evaluation. The Elder Justice Innovation Grants program supports the development and advancement of knowledge and approaches in new and emerging issues related https://www.grants.gov/ to elder justice. Funded projects contribute to the improvement of the field of adult maltreatment prevention and intervention at large by undertaking initiatives such as developing programs, interventions, and materials, or by establishing and/or contributing to the evidence base of knowledge.

Through this program announcement, ACL plans to award up to twenty (20) cooperative agreements, ranging from $150,000 - $1,000,000 per year for a 36-month project period, to assess and implement improvements in the handling of the adult guardianship and conservatorship process by state courts. This includes enhancing the fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, safety, and integrity of adult guardianship/conservatorship proceedings; addressing access to guardianship revocation and alternative pathways and proceedings that promote less restrictive means of supported decision making; and developing innovations to improve the experiences of individuals at risk of guardianship/conservatorship.

I. Funding Opportunity Description Background and Current Challenges

Guardianships and conservatorships (hereinafter referred to as “guardianships”) describe legal relationships by which state courts empower individuals or entities to make personal and/or property decisions for other adults, or “protected persons,” who the court has determined are unable to make their own decisions regarding a range of fundamental life choices. Court-appointed guardians and conservators (hereinafter referred to as “guardians”) have a duty to care for the interests of the adult who is placed under a guardianship, often referred to as the “protected person.” As such, guardians—who may be family members, friends, professionals, private non-profit or for-profit agencies, or public agencies—are legally imbued with authority to make a wide array of decisions that impact a protected person’s life, including financial, medical, relationships and residential decisions. This substantial authority often means that a protected person loses basic human rights, such as the right to make decisions about where and how they live, vote, marry, conduct relationships, buy or sell real estate, make decisions about their medical care or finances, or enter into other contractual agreements.

State law defines guardianship systems, and state courts manage the system. Each guardianship system includes numerous steps and proceedings, such as making a determination about a protected person’s ability to make decisions, appointing the guardian, monitoring the guardianship, removing/reappointing a guardian, and ending the guardianship. These steps often exclude the proposed protected person from participating in the proceedings by rule or practice.

State law generally requires that guardianships be an option of last resort after less-restrictive options have been considered, the guardian’s authority is limited, and the guardianship be monitored for abuse and accountability.[1] However, guardianship laws, policies, and procedures are not always consistently enforced or followed within or across states. The various steps and moving parts create opportunities for fraud and abuse of the system and the protected person. States often lack the capacity or processes in place to adequately detect and address fraud and abuse and other diminution of the rights of protected persons. While many guardians exercise their duty honorably, others abuse the guardianship system, causing significant financial, physical, and other harms to individuals in their care. Further, lesser-restrictive options for ensuring decision supports and protection of an adult’s personal and property interests are often not considered.

Exploitation by guardians and conservators has received significant state and national attention, yet it is also widely acknowledged that more needs to be done to reform guardianship and protect those under guardianships from maltreatment. [2] In November 2016, the U.S. Government Accountability Office released a report titled “Elder Abuse: The Extent of Abuse by Guardians is Unknown, but Some Measures Exist to Help Protect Older Adults,” and the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging held hearings called “Trust Betrayed: Financial Abuse of Older Americans by Guardians and Others in Power.” Yet although recognized as a serious and pervasive problem, much remains unknown about the extent of the problem and effective methods to monitor guardianships and prevent guardianship abuse. In 2017, the Elder Justice Prevention and Prosecution Act amended the Elder Justice Act to add Section 2042(c)(2)(E), which authorizes grants to the highest state courts to better understand and remedy these issues. As recently as 2018, the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging conducted a study on guardianship and recommended several key areas for reform, including improving: oversight of guardians and guardianship arrangements, alternatives to guardianship and restoration of rights, and data collection.[3]

Despite the recognized need for change, there are several challenges to guardianship reform, including the significant differences between court and state practices, the complexity of guardianship cases, the difficulty in balancing risks, protections, and self-determination, and the lack of funding to improve processes.[4] Gaps in knowledge and practice have been noted consistently across multiple efforts as a barrier to improvement. For example, multiple GAO studies conducted between 2004 and 2016 examined issues in guardianship systems, including abuse by guardians, and existing supports in place to protect older adults. [6] In particular, the 2016 study noted a lack of knowledge about the extent of elder abuse by guardians due to limited data on key factors, such as the number of guardians appointed to serve older adults at a given time, the number of older adults in guardianships, and the number of cases involving elder abuse by a guardian. [7]

Given the range of issues involved and the complex systems that differ by state, the task of improving guardianship systems requires a variety of solutions that will also vary by state. For example, several states have established Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS) to begin identifying and addressing issues with their guardianship systems using a collective action approach. WINGS are predominantly chaired and hosted by highest state courts, and they primarily aim to prevent unnecessary and overbroad guardianships in favor of less-restrictive options and prevent, detect, and address abuses in the system.

However, achieving significant and sustained improvement to these systems also requires continued innovation to any of the approaches used to identify and address issues, as well as the methods used to implement improvements.

Funding Overview

Adequate court oversight, mechanisms, and resources are critical to manage the guardianship system to maximize the decisional rights and self-determination interests of proposed protected persons and to mitigate the potential for fraud and abuse. With adequate resources and training, states are more able to thoroughly assess each case and ensure they are not inappropriately placing an individual in a guardianship when less-restrictive options are available. To address this need and in response to calls for attention, ACL is awarding cooperative agreements to improve guardianship through the “Elder Justice Innovation Grants” program.

The Elder Justice Innovation Grants program is intended to support foundational work to create credible benchmarks for adult maltreatment prevention, and for program development and evaluation. The Elder Justice Innovation Grants program supports the development and advancement of knowledge and approaches about new and emerging issues related to elder justice. Funded projects contribute to the improvement of the field of adult maltreatment prevention and intervention at large, by undertaking initiatives such as developing programs, interventions, and materials, or by establishing and/or contributing to the evidence-base of knowledge.

Under this opportunity, ACL aims to stimulate improvements in the states’ guardianship systems that increase the preservation of the rights and self-determination of proposed protected persons and those subject to guardianship. ACL seeks proposals from the highest courts of States to address the following objectives:

1. Assess the fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, safety, and integrity of adult guardianship proceedings, access to alternatives to guardianship, examination of the processes for appointing and monitoring of the performance of court- appointed public and private guardians, and revocation of guardianship.

2. Develop and implement innovations to address issues determined during the assessment phase of the project.

3. Measure changes to the guardianship system implemented through the project and improvements in the experiences of individuals at risk of guardianship.

Examples of activities that meet the goals and objectives of this opportunity include, but are not limited to:

Improving courts’ ability to detect fraud and abuse of protected persons Improving the performance monitoring of court-appointed guardians Identifying and addressing court guardianship system deficiencies that pose a risk to adults who may encounter the guardianship system Improving accounting of guardian qualifications and conduct Increasing availability and use of guardianship diversion programs and less-restrictive alternatives to guardianship Ensuring all lesser-restrictive alternatives to guardianship are explored in cases, and the least restrictive option is implemented Providing trainings and certifications to those involved in the guardianship process Improving collection and analysis of guardianship data Developing collaborations between state and local organizations, such as Working

Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS), to identify and address the decisional rights of protected persons and guardianship issues

Conducting outreach and education about how to report abuse by guardians and how the state’s guardianship system addresses abuse.

The proposed project’s goals, objectives, and activities should be addressed in the application narrative, for which instructions can be found in Section IV.2 of this opportunity.

Additional Information – Grantee Meetings

Please note that ACL plans to convene grantee meetings during the first six months of each budget period, in person or virtual as public-health circumstances permit. Grantees are required to attend these meetings, absent extenuating circumstances, and grant funds may be used to cover this grant-related expense if the meeting is held in-person. If applicants intend to use grant funds to attend this meeting, they should include this expense in the application budget.

Referencees

1. ABA Commission on Law and Aging. (2020). WINGS Briefing Paper Advancing Guardianship Reform and Promoting Less Restrictive Options.

2. U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. (November 2018). Ensuring Trust:

Strengthening State Efforts to Overhaul the Guardianship Process and Protect Older Americans.

3. U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. (November 2018). Ensuring Trust:

Strengthening State Efforts to Overhaul the Guardianship Process and Protect Older Americans.

4. ABA Commission on Law and Aging. (2020). WINGS Briefing Paper Advancing Guardianship Reform and Promoting Less Restrictive Options.

5. GAO. (March 22, 2011). Elder Justice: Stronger Federal Leadership Could Enhance National Response to Elder Abuse. Washington, D.C. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.gao.gov/assets/320/316224.pdf.

6. Multiple GAO studies on guardianship:

o GAO. (July 2004). Guardianships: Collaboration Needed to Protect Incapacitated

Elderly People. Washington, DC. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-04-655.

o GAO. (September 2010). Guardianships: Cases of Financial Exploitation, Neglect, and Abuse of Seniors. Washington, DC. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-10-1046.

o GAO. (November 16, 2016). The Extent of Abuse by Guardians Is Unknown, but Some Measures Exist to Help Protect Older Adults. Washington, D.C. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-33.

7. GAO. (November 16, 2016). The Extent of Abuse by Guardians Is Unknown, but Some Measures Exist to Help Protect Older Adults. Washington, D.C. Retrieved January 28, 2022, from https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-33.

Statutory Authority

The statutory authority for grants under this Program Announcement is contained in Sections 201(e)(2) and 411 of the Older Americans Act, as amended, and Title XX of the Social Security Act, Subtitle B, the Elder Justice Act of 2009, Section 2042(a)(1) and (c)(2)-(3).

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$6,000,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$1,000,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$150,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' Under this competition, ACL will award approximately twenty (20) new, cooperative agreements ranging from $150,000 - $1,000,000 each. The project period will be for 36-months (or, 3 years), and the budget periods will be three (3), 12-month periods. Applications for continuation funding 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.

Final award decisions will be made by the ACL Administrator and will be based on recommendations of the review panel (see Section V), reviews for programmatic and grants management compliance, geographic distribution, and the reasonableness of the estimated cost considering the available funding and anticipated results.

This funding opportunity announcement is for a new cooperative agreement. As provided by the terms of the Federal Grant and Cooperative Agreement Act of 1977 (P.L. 95-224), this Cooperative Agreement provides for the substantial involvement and collaboration of ACL in activities that the recipient organization will carry out in accordance with the provisions of the approved grant award.

By accepting an award under this funding opportunity announcement, the grantee agrees to execute the responsibilities outlined below:

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

2. Collaborate with the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in the execution of the work plan and collaborate with ACL in understanding the programmatic and budgetary issues of the project. Based on these negotiations and emerging issues in the field, if necessary, the grantee will revise the project work plan and/or budget detailing expectations for major activities and products during the grant period.

3. Evaluate the impact of project activities and provide recommendations to ACL on ways to enhance the program. Include progress and information/data on the project’s outcomes and the evaluation in semi-annual reports, and at other times as agreed upon by the grantee and ACL.

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

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

6. 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” (HHS Grants Policy Statement, Part II, “Rights in Data”, page II-69).

7. Include the following disclaimer on all products produced using grant funding, including those produced by sub-awards: “This [project/publication/program/website, etc.] [is/was] supported by the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $XX with XX percentage funded by ACL/HHS and $XX amount and XX percentage funded by non-government source(s). The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by ACL/HHS, or the U.S. Government.”

The ACL project officer will execute the responsibilities outlined below:

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

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

3. Assist the grantee project leadership in understanding the policy concerns and/or priorities of ACL, and the Department of Health and Human Services by conducting periodic briefings and by carrying out ongoing consultations. ACL will also share information with the grantee about other federally sponsored projects and activities relevant to the interests of the grantee and their activities.

4. Provide technical assistance to grantee with the refinement and carrying out of the project’s evaluation plan via regular conference calls and email correspondence.

5. Provide technical advice on grantee work products to ensure they are accurate, objective, unbiased, and of high professional quality, and that they do not violate federal, departmental, or agency grant rules. Before publicly disseminating materials developed under this grant, grantee will provide the ACL project officer a copy of the final product, and within 15 business days, the ACL project officer will provide guidance and feedback on whether the product meets the requirements set forth in the program announcement and this cooperative agreement.

6. Provide consultation to the grantee in identifying emerging issues and modifying work plan as necessary.

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

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

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants For FY 2022 the below guidance is provided to advance the Administration’s policy, as stated in E.O. 13985, to “pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality.” This guidance is intended to begin to address inequities in HHS programs, processes, and policies that may serve as barriers to equal opportunity. By advancing equity in our NOFOs, we can “create opportunities for the improvement of communities that have been historically underserved, which benefits everyone.”

Eligibility is limited to the highest courts of state per Title XX of the Social Security Act, Subtitle B, the Elder Justice Act of 2009, Section 2042(c)(2)-(3).

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 applicant error is to match 25% of the federal share, rather than 25% of the project’s total cost. The statutory authority to require a match can be found in Section 431(a) of the Older Americans Act.

There are two types of match: 1) non-federal cash and 2) non-federal in-kind. In general, costs borne by the applicant and cash contributions of any and all third parties involved in the project, including sub-grantees, contractors and consultants, are considered matching funds. Volunteered time and use of facilities to hold meetings or conduct project activities may be considered in-kind (third party) donations. Examples of non-federal cash match includes budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project. ACL encourages you to not exceed the minimum match requirement. Applications with a match greater than the minimum required will not receive additional consideration under the review.

Match is not one of the responsiveness criteria as noted in Section III. 3 Application Screening Criteria.

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria Applications that do not meet the following responsiveness criteria will be administratively eliminated and will not be reviewed.

Eligible applicants under are defined by Title XX of the Social Security Act, Subtitle B, the Elder Justice Act of 2009, Section 2042(c)(2)-(3). Applications will be deemed to have met the initial responsiveness criteria by demonstrating all of the following:

1. The applicant is the highest court of the State, including an office that conducts administrative and/or policy functions within the highest court of the State.

2. The applicant has documented its authority to implement changes to the statewide guardianship system, including changes affecting members of the judiciary, members of the Bar, and guardians.

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

4. Letters of Commitment are included, as required per Section IV.2 “Letters of Commitment from Key Participating Organizations and Agencies.”

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

6. Application includes a budget, as required, covering all three years (36 months) of the project.

7. Application includes a work plan, as required, covering all three years (36 months) of the project.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

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

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

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

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

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ 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 UEI 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 UEI number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

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

http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:support@grants.gov https://www.grants.gov/ http://www.sam.gov/ https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf

The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. By April of 2022, the federal government will stop using the DUNS number to uniquely identify entities. At that point, entities doing business with the federal government will use a Unique Entity Identifier (SAM) created in SAM.gov. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities.

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

Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services Mr. Sandy James Phone Number: (202) 795-7387 E-mail: sandy.james@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Due Date for Letter Of Intent 04/06/2022

04/06/2022 Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Community Living https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:sandy.james@acl.hhs.gov c/o Mr. Sandy James Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services E-mail: sandy.james@acl.hhs.gov

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Times New Roman or Arial. You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The suggested length for the Project Narrative is 12 to 15 pages; 20 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

The Project Narrative is the most important part of the application, since it will be used as the primary basis to determine whether your project meets the minimum requirements for this funding opportunity. The Project Narrative should provide a clear and concise description of your project. Your project narrative will be reviewed and scored based on the components below.

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

Project Relevance and Current Need Approach Proposed Intervention Special Target Populations and Organizations Outcomes Evaluation Organizational Capability Project Deliverables & Dissemination

The components of the Project Narrative that are required but not counted as part of the 20-page limit include:

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

Project Abstract This section will not count towards the 20-page limit.

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.”

Project Relevance and Current Need This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the problem or issue the proposed intervention is designed to address. Strong applications will demonstrate that the proposed project is justified in terms of the most recent, relevant, and available information, evidence-based practices, and/or new and cutting-edge research.

For this funding opportunity, applicants should detail how the project will address the state’s current guardianship system and issues that exist at various steps in the guardianship process.

Applicants should further outline how the project’s proposed interventions will improve outcomes adults who are or are at risk of becoming protected persons and impact each participant in the guardianship process, including attorneys, guardians, judges, and other members of the court system, and protected persons and proposed protected persons.

Applicants should focus on the specific aspects of the programmatic and policy considerations bearing on the issue, rather than providing a broad or sweeping historical overview that is not directly related to the proposed interventions and activities.

Approach This section should include the following types of information:

Goals & Objectives Applications should describe their proposed project’s goal(s) and major objectives, particularly in relation to the overarching goals and objectives ACL has for the Elder Justice Innovation Grants as described in the Funding Opportunity Description above.

Proposed projects must have at least one (1) project objective. In Section I.3 (Funding Opportunity Description), ACL identifies a minimum set of objectives:

1. Assess the fairness, effectiveness, timeliness, safety, and integrity of adult guardianship proceedings, access to alternatives to guardianship, examination of the processes for appointing and monitoring of the performance of court- appointed public and private guardians, and revocation of guardianship.

2. Develop and implement innovations to address issues determined during the assessment phase of the project.

3. Measure changes to the guardianship system implemented through the project and improvements in the experiences of individuals at risk of guardianship.

Applications are free to propose more than the goals and objectives listed by ACL; however, application scores will not be based on, nor correspond to, the number of proposed goals or objectives.

Proposed Activities Applications should provide a clear and concise description of the activities proposed to meet the goals and each of the objectives of this funding opportunity (i.e., how they will be achieved). Applications should explain the rationale for using a particular approach or intervention (i.e., why they were chosen). There should be a clear connection between identified system gaps/needs in “Project Relevance and Current Need” and the proposed activities. Further, this section should identify any major barriers that are anticipated, and how the project will be able to overcome those barriers.

Special Target Populations and Organizations Applicants should describe whether, and if so, how, the proposed intervention will target hard-to-reach populations, including limited-English speaking populations, those of greatest economic need, and/or those of greatest social need. Additionally, the application should identify what stakeholder groups will be involved and/or targeted to ensure success of the project. Be sure to describe the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships that will be critical for successfully implementing the intervention, including other organizations, supporters, and/or consumer groups. Applicants should document how they will reflect ACL’s commitment to advancing equity, racial justice, and equal opportunity, including ensuring that people from underrepresented and underserved communities are at the table to inform the work in the execution of their grant activities.

Outcomes Applications will be scored on the nature of the proposed outcomes and the clarity with which the applicant describes how the outcomes will be measured/evaluated, as explained below, not on the quantity/number of outcomes cited.

Outcomes This section of the project narrative must identify the measurable outcomes that will result from the project. ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes. This section should also describe how the project’s findings and results will help/impact other state and/or local elder justice programs throughout the nation address the same or similar problems. Outcomes and project impact should be described in clear and realistic terms, and should be consistent with the objectives and purpose of the project and funding opportunity.

Measurable outcomes may also be included in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”).

A “measurable outcome” is a change in the responsiveness or cost-effectiveness of a service delivery system; a new model of support or care that can be replicated; new knowledge; a measurable increase in community awareness; or a measurable increase in quality. A measurable outcome could also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise autonomous choice over the types of services they receive, or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered. A measurable outcome could also be an observable end result that describes how a particular intervention benefits consumers. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness, or behavior. A measurable outcome is not a measurable “output”, such as: the number of clients served; the number of training sessions held;

or the number of service units provided.

*Please Note: You should keep the focus of this section on describing what outcomes and what impact will be produced by the project. You should use the “Evaluation” section below to describe how the outcomes will be measured and reported.

Logic Model In addition to the discussion in the narrative, this section must reference the application’s logic model that illustrates/shows the activities the applicant proposes to accomplish the project’s goals and objectives, and the outcomes and measures of success of the overall project. A sample logic model is included in Section VIII. Other Information. The Logic Model should be included as an attachment, and will not count towards the 20-page limit.

Evaluation Applications must include a description of the quantitative and/or qualitative method/s that will be employed to collect data from the project and successfully measure whether and to what extent the project has achieved its proposed outcome(s), as well as the overall goal for this funding opportunity. This section should describe the method(s), techniques, and tools that will be used to:

1) determine whether or not the proposed interventions achieved anticipated outcomes, and

2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative - from the project.

A component of the evaluation plan should include a discussion of how “success” will be defined and measured.

Organizational Capacity In this Section, applicants will describe their overall knowledge, skills, and abilities to carry out the proposed project.

Organizational Capacity Each application should include an organizational capability statement. The organizational capability statement should describe how the applicant agency (highest state court or the particular division of the highest state court which will have responsibility for this project) is organized, the nature and scope of its work and/or the capabilities it possesses. If appropriate, include an organization chart showing the relationship of the project to the current organization.

An organizational chart can be included as an attachment to the project narrative and will not count towards the narrative page limit. This section should include a discussion of any current or previous relevant experience and/or the record of the project team in carrying out comparable work.

Qualifications This description should cover qualifications, current or previous relevant experience/expertise, and/or the record of the key project staff that demonstrates the extent of knowledge of, and experience with, key aspects of the project. Include information about any contractual organization(s) or persons that will have a significant role(s) in implementing the project and achieving project goals. Please attach short vitae for key project staff only. Vitae or resumes should be included as attachments, and will not count towards the narrative page limit.

Project Management This section should include a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants and partner organizations, and how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. It should specify who would have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as leadership of project; monitoring the project’s on-going progress; preparation of reports; communications with other partners and ACL. It should also describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Throughout the entire grant period, ACL expects the Project Director will be a demonstrated expert in the guardianship system in applicant’s state, and have substantial knowledge about and involvement in all aspects of the project. In addition, ACL expects the applicant organization and the project director to be meaningfully and substantively involved in the project. Finally, this funding opportunity should not serve as a “conduit” or “pass through” for funding.

Project Deliverables and Dissemination Applications should describe what deliverables and products they expect to produce through, and as a result of, this grant, and how they envision those deliverables will increase the field’s knowledge and capacity.

*Please Note: In addition to any grantee-proposed deliverables, all grantees under the Elder Justice Innovation Grants program must submit to ACL a final report, document, or briefing paper that is of professional quality for dissemination and sharing that discusses the funded project, its results, and implications and suggestions for furthering the knowledge base on the topic addressed. This deliverable does not replace, but is in addition to, the final project report required by HHS grants policy for all recipients of grant funding.

ACL expects that nationwide dissemination of products and knowledge will occur, and ACL will facilitate dissemination of information by posting to ACL-hosted websites. In addition to this method, applicants should propose approaches to informing parties who might be interested in using the results of the project to inform practice, service delivery, program development, and/or policy-making, especially to those parties who would be interested in replicating a project, policy, initiative, etc.

Bibliography/Works Cited This section will not count towards the page limit.

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

Applications may attach a “Bibliography” or “Works Cited” section to the end of the project narrative to cite sources…