Foa_Content_of_HHS-2024-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0011 (1).pdf

Signature Date

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Aging

FY2024 Elder Justice Innovation Grants- Option 1

HHS-2024-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0011

06/18/2024

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

Proposed Approach

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes, Evaluation, and Impact

Organizational Capability and Capacity

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

Sample Logic Model

ACL Center:

Administration on Aging Funding Opportunity Title:

FY2024 Elder Justice Innovation Grants- Option 1 Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2024-ACL-AOA-EJIG-0011

Primary CFDA Number:

93.747 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

Date will be generated on synopsis publication Due Date for Applications:

06/18/2024 Date for Informational Conference Call:

04/25/2024 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 supports the development and advancement of knowledge and approaches in new and emerging issues related to elder justice. Funded projects https://www.grants.gov/ will contribute to the improvement of the field of adult maltreatment prevention and intervention at large by undertaking initiatives such as developing programs, interventions, materials, etc., or by establishing and/or contributing to the evidence-base of knowledge. Through this program announcement, ACL plans to award up to five (5) cooperative agreements, ranging from $350,000 - $500,000 per year for a 24-month project period, to support new and existing elder shelter models in addressing emergency and transitional supportive housing needs and wrap around services for older adults, including those with disabilities, experiencing abuse, neglect and/or exploitation across the country.

I. Funding Opportunity Description Background/Justification

When an older adult experiences maltreatment severe enough to risk their safety, there can be an immediate and emergent need to relocate. However, it is often challenging to find stable, safe, affordable, and effective emergency and transitional housing options that also address the accompanying needs for services to support the older adult so they can return to a more permanent housing solution within their community. Elder shelters have arisen as a supported housing option to address these gaps.

Elder shelters provide, or outsource to community providers, supportive emergency and transitional housing options to older adults, including adults over age-60 with disabilities, who are experiencing abuse, neglect and/or exploitation and to assist with the range of service needs unique to older adults.(1) These services are designed to be comprehensive, personalized supports and resources to address the complex issues and challenges that often accompany the maltreatment experience and can interfere with the older adult obtaining long-term housing stability. These services include, but are not limited to, stable and permanent housing solutions, legal services, transportation, life skills, education, counseling, and services to address trauma.

The experience of elder maltreatment and the tools required to help them recover from the trauma of their experience will differ across individuals depending on their background and cultural experiences.(2) These challenges are often further heightened amongst marginalized populations including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, as well as economically poor, religious, non-U.S. citizen and LGBTQ+ populations.

In many cases, existing domestic violence programs are not designed to address the complex housing and service needs of older adults. For example, while elder abuse can include intimate partner violence, it also includes family violence, as well as abuse, neglect and/or exploitation committed by a third party against the older adult, which is outside of the eligibility requirements of most domestic violence shelters. Moreover, the abuse of older individuals may present quite differently when compared to younger adults. Notably, abusers may reduce the frequency of physical violence and instead use control tactics through economic coercion, psychological abuse, and verbal threats.(3) A comparison of older and younger women victims found that older women were less likely to be working and more dependent on public income sources and they were more likely to be widowed.(4) This confluence of differences in the experience of abuse for older adults compared to younger adults also affect the types of supports and services that each group needs. Domestic violence shelters are often not equipped to provide the continuum of medical, housing, and social service care most needed by older adults. For example, research on emergency shelters and short-term supportive housing for older women found that services for older women are not as readily available and do not adequately accommodate their specific needs such as assistance with medications, support groups, and accessible environments.(5) Finally, domestic violence shelters typically can only shelter individuals between 30-60 days (6), while cases involving older adults are more complex and take longer to stabilize, often well beyond this time frame.

There are several examples of domestic violence shelters that have specialized programs that focus on coordinating, either on site or with partner agencies, for elder shelter and supportive services. These examples, however, are mostly designed for older adults who can perform their activities of daily living independently. These domestic violence shelters generally are not set up to accommodate older individuals who have physical or cognitive needs. Additionally, these older adults may require a range of services not typically available in domestic violence shelters.

One of the first elder shelters was integrated into a long-term care setting. This type of elder shelter can benefit from the trained staff, supportive services, relationships with external partners, and activities already in place in long-term care setting to meet the needs of older adults who have experienced abuse so severe that they have had to relocate out of their own homes.(7) While it has produced positive results for both the elder clients served and potential cost savings for stakeholders (8), currently this type of elder shelter is found in only 25 local communities in the U.S.

In addition to a traditional, stand-alone shelter model or a model based out of a long-term care setting, other initiatives have emerged that locate elder shelters in various alternative settings to address both the emergency and transitional housing and service needs of older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect and/or exploitation. For example, Adult Protective Services (APS) agencies have coordinated with housing providers in their communities to find safe emergency housing options and to provide a range of supportive services for older adults and adults with disabilities to escape unsafe living situations and to mitigate the abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation they are experiencing.

Funding Opportunity Description

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support the proliferation of appropriate, acceptable, and effective emergency and transitional housing and supportive services for older adults, including those with disabilities, who are experiencing abuse, neglect and/or exploitation. In particular, ACL seeks applications that propose innovative and cost-effective approaches for providing emergency shelter and supportive services to older adults, including those with disabilities, and that propose practical strategies to implement those approaches. Proposed activities and efforts should reflect ACL’s commitment to a person-directed approach that is based on people’s strengths, assets, goals, culture, and expectations, along with their needs, and is based on the belief that all individuals have the right to exercise choice in, and control of, the services they receive.

As a result of these grants, ACL expects the following outcomes:

1. Improved knowledge of elder shelter models that are successful in:

• Providing emergency shelter /transitional housing to older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation,

• Providing appropriate, acceptable, person-directed, and trauma-informed supportive services, and

• Transitioning older adults from emergency housing back to stable, safe, and permanent housing of their choice.

2. Identification of the mechanisms that contribute to effective, sustainable, and replicable elder shelter models.

3. Improved understanding of optimal methods for determining and measuring which services or combinations of services produce better outcomes for older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.

4. Improved understanding of effective approaches to equity and accessibility to respond to the unique and diverse needs in underserved populations among older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.

5. Improved capacity of local communities to meet the emergency shelter and supportive service needs older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation.

Strong applications will describe how they will determine and measure which services or combinations of services produce better outcomes for older adults, increase access to emergency shelter and supportive services, and address disparities among underserved and minority older adult populations. As part of their proposal, applications must include and/or address all the following:

1. Within three (3) months of the grant award, grantees are expected to have completed a needs assessment to understand the gaps in emergency shelter and supportive service delivery for older adults, including those with disabilities, to be served by this project.

The needs assessment must include the identification of disparities, and specialized cultural and linguistic needs.

2. Proposed interventions to provide emergency shelter/transitional housing and related supportive services to older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and exploitation are evidence-informed and/or evidence-based and incorporate a person-directed, trauma-informed approach (9).

3. Identify and provide referral pathways to support services (e.g., healthcare services, counseling, legal services, and assistance with obtaining benefits, etc.) and propose approach/es to assist older adults to obtain more permanent, safe, and sustainable housing.

4. Evaluation: Applications must include a description of the method/s that will be employed to successfully measure whether the project has achieved its proposed outcome(s), as well as the overall goal for this funding opportunity. If an evaluator will be engaged for the project, applicants should include this information in the project narrative, and in the budget if there is an associated cost or in-kind contribution.

Please Note: Grantee evaluations of their projects facilitate the government in assessing whether programs are effective in producing positive change. Therefore, ACL is committed to providing technical assistance to grantees with the refinement and carrying out of a project’s evaluation plan. Technical assistance to the grantees https://acl.gov/programs/strengthening-aging-and-disability-networks/advancing-care-holocaust-survivors-older#:~:text=PCTI%20was%20envisioned%20as%20a,programs%2C%20policies%2C%20and%20procedures will be provided primarily by ACL program staff via regular conference calls and email correspondence. Applicants should be prepared to 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.

5. Logic Model: A logic model is required for this opportunity and it should be included as an attachment to the application. A sample logic model is included as an attachment.

Developing a logic model clarifies thinking and aids an organization in identifying outcomes and ways to document and measure progress toward defined objectives. During program design and planning, developing a logic model assists in formalizing program strategy and enhance the ability to explain and illustrate program concepts to key stakeholders.

Applicants should use the logic model in organizing their proposal. As a condition of award, within the first six months of the project new grantees will be asked to make any necessary revisions to the logic model of their project. More information on logic models can be found within “ACL's Logic Model Guidance (10).”

6. Final Report: HHS grants policy requires all recipients of grant funding to submit a final project report. In addition to this report, grantees must submit to ACL a final report, document, or briefing paper that discusses the funded project, its results, and implications for replication.

More information about the requirements for an application’s project narrative can be found in Section IV. Application and Submission Information.

References:

(1) Elder Abuse and Its Prevention: Workshop Summary. (2013). In Policy File. National Academy of Sciences.

(2) Smucker, Sierra, Jirka Taylor, Ivy Todd, Emily Hoch, Monique Martineau, Deven Clark, Meagan Cahill, and Esther M. Friedman, Evaluability Assessment and Evaluation Options for an Elder Abuse Shelter Model. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2023.

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA931-2.html

(3) Crockett, C., Brandl, B., & Dabby, F. C. (2015). Survivors in the Margins: The Invisibility of Violence Against Older Women. Journal of elder abuse & neglect, 27(4-5), 291–302. https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1080/08946566.2015.1090361

(4) Lundy, M., Grossman, S.F. Domestic Violence Service Users: A Comparison of Older and Younger Women Victims. J Fam Viol 24, 297–309 (2009). https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1007/s10896-009-9230-y

(5) Weeks, L. E., Stilwell, C., Gagnon, D., Dupuis-Blanchard, S., MacQuarrie, C., & Jackson, L.

A. (2021). Initiatives to Support Older Women Who Experience Intimate Partner Violence.

Violence against women, 27(15-16), 3011–3029. https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1177/1077801220988355 https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2020-10/ACL%20Logic%20Model%20Guidance.pdf https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA931-2.html https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1080/08946566.2015.1090361 https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1080/08946566.2015.1090361 https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1007/s10896-009-9230-y https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1007/s10896-009-9230-y https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1177/1077801220988355 https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1177/1077801220988355

Leblanc K., Weeks L. E. (2013). Are transition houses equipped to meet the needs of women in midlife and older? Journal of Family Violence, 28(6), 535–545. https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1007/s10896-013-9525-x

(6) Lyon, E., Lane, S., & Menard, A. (2008). A multi-state study of domestic violence shelter experiences, final report. https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/225025.pdf

(7) Levin, M.K., Reingold, D., & Solomon, J. (2020). Elder Abuse Shelter Programs: From Model to Movement. Generations, 44(1) 74-80. https://www.springalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fact-Sheet-Elder-Abuse-Shelter-From-Model-to-Movement.pdf

(8) Smucker, S., Friedman, E., Cahill, M., Taylor, J., Daly, J., & Shih, R. (2021). An Initial Evaluation of the Weinberg Center for Elder Justice's Shelter Model for Elder Abuse and Mistreatment. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation. Retrieved April 10, 2024 from https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA931-1.html

(9) See https://acl.gov/programs/strengthening-aging-and-disability-networks/advancing-care-holocaust-survivors-older#:~:text=PCTI%20was%20envisioned%20as%20a,programs%2C%20policies%2C%20and %20procedures

(10) See https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2020- 10/ACL%20Logic%20Model%20Guidance.pdf

Statutory Authority Sections 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.

II. Award Information

Funding Instrument Type:

CA (Cooperative Agreement) Estimated Total Funding:

$5,825,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$500,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$350,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

24-month project period with two 12-month budget periods Other Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1007/s10896-013-9525-x https://doi-org.ezproxyhhs.nihlibrary.nih.gov/10.1007/s10896-013-9525-x https://www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/225025.pdf https://www.springalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fact-Sheet-Elder-Abuse-Shelter-From-Model-to-Movement.pdf https://www.springalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Fact-Sheet-Elder-Abuse-Shelter-From-Model-to-Movement.pdf https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA931-1.html https://acl.gov/programs/strengthening-aging-and-disability-networks/advancing-care-holocaust-survivors-older#:~:text=PCTI%20was%20envisioned%20as%20a,programs%2C%20policies%2C%20and%20procedures https://acl.gov/programs/strengthening-aging-and-disability-networks/advancing-care-holocaust-survivors-older#:~:text=PCTI%20was%20envisioned%20as%20a,programs%2C%20policies%2C%20and%20procedures https://acl.gov/programs/strengthening-aging-and-disability-networks/advancing-care-holocaust-survivors-older#:~:text=PCTI%20was%20envisioned%20as%20a,programs%2C%20policies%2C%20and%20procedures https://acl.gov/programs/strengthening-aging-and-disability-networks/advancing-care-holocaust-survivors-older#:~:text=PCTI%20was%20envisioned%20as%20a,programs%2C%20policies%2C%20and%20procedures https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2020-10/ACL%20Logic%20Model%20Guidance.pdf https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2020-10/ACL%20Logic%20Model%20Guidance.pdf

This funding opportunity is one of three under ACL's Elder Justice Innovation Grants (EJIG) program. The total funding available for the EJIG program is $5,825,000. Under this competition, ACL will award approximately five (5) new, cooperative agreements ranging from $350,000 - $500,000 each. The project period will be for 24-months (or, 2 years), and the budget periods will be two (2), 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.

This funding opportunity announcement is for new cooperative agreements. 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 of the requirements of the grant initiative as outlined in this program announcement, as well as 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. Meet with the ACL project officer 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.

4. Create products and/or materials under this award that are accurate, objective, unbiased, free of errors, and of high 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 10 business days to ensure the product meets the requirements set forth in the program announcement and cooperative agreement.

5. 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).

6. Include the following disclaimer on all products produced using grant funding, including those produced by sub-awards: "This (report/document/etc.) was supported, in part, by a grant (No. XXX) from the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S.

Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Grantees carrying out projects under government sponsorship are encouraged to express freely their findings and conclusions.

Therefore, points of view or opinions do not necessarily represent official ACL or DHHS policy."

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 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 10 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.

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

6. 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 74 or 92, 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 2024 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.”

Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

Domestic public or private non-profit entities including state and local governments, Indian tribal governments and organizations (American Indian/Alaskan Native/Native American), faith-based organizations, community-based organizations, hospitals, and institutions of higher education.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes 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.

Match Requirement: Applicants will provide 20% of the project’s total cost. ACL must hold recipients accountable for their projected commitments of non-federal resources. This includes those at or above the statutory requirement. We place match commitments in the Notice of Award (NOA). Not meeting the committed match amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. You will need to report matching funds in Federal Financial Reports.

Calculating the Match: Under this program, ACL will fund no more than 80% of the project’s total cost, which means that you must cover at least 20% of the project’s total cost with non-federal resources. In other words, for every $4 you receive in federal funding, you must contribute at least $1 in non-federal resources. A common error applicants make is to match 20% of the federal share, rather than 20% of the project’s total cost.

Types of Match: There are two types of match: 1) non-federal cash and 2) non-federal in-kind.

You can meet your match requirement through any combination of:

• Cash contributed by the applicant organization

• Cash contributed by partners or other third parties

• In-kind (non-cash) contributions from third parties

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. The successful applicant under this opportunity will be organizations that meet the following responsiveness criteria:

1. Demonstrated knowledge of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of older adults.

2. Demonstrated knowledge of emergency and transitional housing/shelters.

3. Demonstrated capacity and experience to design, plan, and execute projects of similar scope and magnitude.

4. Letters of Commitment are included for agencies, organizations, consultants, or entities that are specifically named to carry out any aspect of the project, other than the applicant.

The letters of commitment are on the letterhead of the committing entity, details the specific role and resources/activities that will be provided in support of the applicant’s project, and are signed.

5. CVs/Resumes are included for each person identified as "key personnel," each of whom is an authorized representative of the highest court of the state.

6. Application includes a budget covering all 2 years (24 months) of the project.

7. Application includes a work plan covering all 2 years (24 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 three (3) 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, Budget, and Logic Model 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 http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/

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

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

https://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/workspace-overview.html

The Grants.gov registration process can take several days. If your organization is not currently registered, please begin this process immediately. For assistance with https://www.grants.gov, please contact them at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.

Eastern Time.

• At the https://www.grants.gov website, you will find information about submitting an application electronically through the site, including the hours of operation. ACL strongly recommends that you do not wait until the application due date to begin the application process because of the time involved to complete the registration process.

• All applicants must have a 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;

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

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.

• The Federal Government will transition from the DUNS Number to the New Unique Entity Identifier. As of April of 2022, the federal government stopped 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.

• 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 acknowledgment from https://www.grants.gov that contains https://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form from https://www.grants.gov.

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

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent Number of Days from Publication 30

Date will be generated on synopsis publication 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 https://www.grants.gov c/o Eden Ruiz-Lopez Office of Elder Justice and Adult Protective Services E-mail: Eden.Ruiz-Lopez@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 16 to 20 pages; 20 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 20 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 20 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration.

The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 20-page limit, but all of the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

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

• Project Relevance and Current Need

• Proposed Approach

• Dissemination

• Special Target Populations

• Outcomes, Evaluation, and Impact

• Organizational Capability and Capacity

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

• Letters of Commitment

• Vitae of Key Project Personnel

• Logic Model

Project Abstract This section should include a brief (265 words maximum) description of the proposed project, including: goal(s), objectives, outcomes, and products to be developed. Detailed instructions for completing the summary/abstract are included in the “Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/Abstract.”

Project Relevance and Current Need This section should describe the nature and scope of the particular problem or issue the application 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-informed and/or evidence-based practices, and/or new and cutting-edge research.

mailto:Eden.Ruiz-Lopez@acl.hhs.gov

Proposed Approach Goal(s) & Objectives

Applications should describe their proposed project’s goal(s) and major objectives in relation to the overarching goal of this program discussed in Section I. “Funding Opportunity Description”:

Increase the availability of appropriate, acceptable, and effective emergency and transitional housing and supportive services for older adults, including those with disabilities, who are experiencing abuse, neglect and/or exploitation.

Goals include the project’s overall purpose, like a mission statement that says what you want to do and where you want to be after the project. Objectives are narrow, specific, and clear steps towards your goals. Applications are free to propose more than one goal and objective.

However, application scores will not be based on, nor correspond to, the number of proposed goals or objectives.

Proposed Activities

This section should provide a clear and concise description of the approach and activities you are proposing to achieve the project goals and objectives. You should also describe the rationale for using a particular approach, including factors such as: “lessons learned” from previous, similar projects or factors in the larger environment that have created the “right conditions” for the approach. Also note any major barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will be able to overcome those barriers.

Specifically, this section should describe how applicants will determine and deliver services or combinations of services to produce better outcomes for older adults who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation, increase access to emergency shelter and supportive services for those individuals, and address disparities among underserved and minority older adult populations. At a minimum, applications must discuss their approach to all the following:

1. The needs assessment requirement;

2. Providing emergency shelter /transitional housing to older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation;

3. Providing appropriate, acceptable, person-directed, and trauma-informed supportive services in addition to emergency shelter to those older adults;

4. Transitioning older adults from emergency housing back to stable, safe, and permanent housing of their choice; and

5. Improving the capacity of local communities to meet the emergency shelter and supportive service needs older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation.

Dissemination

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 the projects.

Special Target Populations and Organizations This section should describe how the proposed intervention will target disadvantaged populations, including people of color and others such as with limited-English proficiency, those residing in rural areas and individuals with low-income who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Please describe how you plan to reach underserved/under-resourced communities including but not limited to individuals who are Black, Latino, and Indigenous and Native American persons, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, and other persons of color; members of religious minorities;

lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) persons; persons with disabilities; and persons who live in rural areas.

Outcomes, Evaluation, and Impact Outcomes

This section of the project narrative must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. ACL has identified in Section I. “Funding Opportunity Description” a set of outcomes expected of the overall effort. As a result of these grants, ACL expects increased knowledge of and capacity to deliver:

1. Effective, acceptable, sustainable, and replicable elder shelter models along with

2. Supportive services that produce better outcomes for older adults, including those with disabilities, who have experienced abuse, neglect and/or exploitation, and that respond to the unique and diverse needs in underserved populations among older adults, including those with disabilities.

This section should also describe how the project’s outcomes might benefit the field at large (e.g., help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems).

Please reference the optional Sample Work Plan Template included in the Appendix Section.

You may list measurable outcomes in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”) under “Measurable Outcomes” in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large. NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes.

Applicants are free to propose outcomes in addition to what ACL has established for this funding opportunity. If applicants choose to do so, please be aware that applications are scored on the clarity and nature of your proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes proposed. If an applicant identifies additional outcomes, be mindful that a "measurable outcome" is an observable end-result that describes how a particular effort will benefit consumers. It could be an improvement in knowledge or understanding of restoration of individual's sense of safety, empowerment, and access to community resources to promote overall well-being. Outcomes are the measurable results of a project that can include changes in clients, systems, organizations, and communities. A measurable “outcome” is not a measurable "output". Examples of “outputs” include: the number of clients served; the number of training sessions held; or the number of service units provided.

The Evaluation section (see below) will describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Evaluation

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, 2) identify which services or combinations of services yielded improved outcomes, and 3) 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 measured. Applications must describe the proposed measures of success for the overall initiative and should include specific information about how data will be collected, managed, monitored, analyzed, and used to enhance the intervention.

Logic Model

Applicants should use a logic model in organizing their proposal. A sample logic model is included in the Appendix. The logic model is requirement for the application and should be included as an attachment. The logic model is provided as a tool to help applicants organize planning. As a condition of the award, new grantees will be asked to make any necessary revisions to their logic model of their project within the first six months of the project. The logic model is not counted towards the page limit.

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

Organizational Capability and Capacity

Each application should include an organizational capability statement. The organizational capability statement should describe how the applicant organization or agency 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 also describe how you plan to involve organizations in a meaningful way in the planning and implementation of the proposed project. External project collaborators who will have a significant role in implementing the project or achieving a project goal must send the applicant a Letter of Commitment, which should include at minimum the collaborator’s: role, resources, and activities the collaborator intends to provide to the project. If applicable, the Letter of Commitment should specifically state how the collaborator will help reach special target populations. Applicants must attach the Letter of Commitment to their application.

Qualifications This description should cover qualifications, current or previous relevant experience/expertise, and/or the record of the project team with in elder and adult maltreatment, emergency and/or transitional housing options, and implementing projects of similar scope and magnitude as this opportunity. 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.