FY 2024 LRLI Pre-App Teleconference Transcript.4.23.2024.docx

Coordinator: Welcome and thank you for standing by. At this time, all participants are in a listen-only mode. During today's Q&A session, if you'd like to ask a question, please press Star then 1. Today's call is also being recorded. If you have any objections, you may disconnect at this time. I would now like to turn today's meeting over to your host, Ms. Emily Anozie. Thank you, you may begin.

Emily Anozie: Thank you so much, (Cedric). Good afternoon or good morning, depending on where you're calling from. I want to welcome you to this teleconference to discuss the ACL funding announcement for the Fiscal Year 2024 Lifespan Respite Care Program State Program Enhancement Grants. This call will only cover this particular Notice of Funding Opportunity, or NOFO. If you are interested in the NOFO entitled Lifespan Respite Care Program, Grants to New States, and States Reestablishing Their Core Respite Infrastructures, that informational call will actually be tomorrow at 2 p.m. Eastern Time.

The purpose of this call is to provide interested applicants with some background information on the program, walk through the announcement itself, and highlight particular things that you should be paying attention to, as well as answer any outstanding questions that you may have. This conference call is being recorded. A printed copy of today's transcript, including the questions-and-answers at the end of the call, will be available on Grants.gov, along with other parts of the application package within a week or so.

My name is Emily Anozie, I am an Aging Services Program Specialist in the Office of Supportive and Caregiver Services. I am also a Federal Program Officer in the Lifespan Respite Care Program in the Administration for Community Living's Administration on Aging. My responsibility is to ensure that grantees work within the federal requirements of the Act and the funding announcement for the life of each project. I will be your go-to person for programmatic issues related to each project.

Joining me on the call from ACL, we have Lori Stalbaum, Federal Program Officer, Lifespan Respite Care Program Team Lead and Management Analyst; as well as Aisha Gurley-Parry, Grants Management Specialist, Office of Grants Management. She will be handling the business functions between ACL and AOA for the grantees that are selected and help to answer questions about budget, financial reporting, and drawing down funds. We also have Clayten Eggleston, who has joined us in the Office of Grants Management Specialist here at ACL, so welcome.

This call is scheduled to go for about an hour. We may not need that much time, but I do want to take this opportunity to go over the program announcement and hopefully clear up any lingering questions that you may have. These NOFOs are part of the Simpler NOFOs pilot, so they may look a little bit different, and they are. We have really tried to streamline and make them easier to navigate, make them straightforward and focus on key points throughout the NOFO.

They have also been restructured to be accessible and simplified in order to assist you when you review the NOFOs. You will also see a contents page, a table of contents on Page 2 to help you find what you need. And within the NOFO, we use internal links. So, if you are using Adobe Reader, you can go back to where you were by pressing Alt plus left arrow in your Windows or command plus left arrow on your Mac, on your keyboard, and you'll be able to navigate from page to page.

On top of the pages, you will see steps, so you can also jump to each particular area or step within the NOFO to learn more. There is also a readiness checklist on Page 21 and an application checklist on Page 46 to help you ensure that you have provided all the necessary information with your application. You will also see an appendix section that has additional resources and highlighted information and links throughout the NOFOs. If awarded, you may be asked to supply your ideas regarding your experience using this new NOFO as part of a survey which will be handled by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Resources, ASFR.

I will spend the next couple of minutes providing an overview of the Lifespan Respite Care Program, followed by reviewing key dates that you need to be aware of in preparing your applications. And finally, I'll go through the announcement and highlight key points as necessary. Following this, we'll open the lines for Q&A.

So, because this NOFO is for states that have had at least one previous grant under the program, I am hopeful that most of you on the call are at least somewhat familiar with the particulars of the program. However, we do understand that there are some new staff on the call. So, Lifespan Respite Care programs are coordinated systems of accessible, community-based respite care services for family caregivers of children and adults of all ages with disabilities and or chronic conditions.

Respite can strengthen family systems while also protecting the health and well-being of both the caregiver and the care recipient. And is a key component of community-based long-term services and supports. The term respite care means planned or emergency care provided to a child or adult who needs help in order to provide temporary release to the family caregiver of that child or adult. The Lifespan Respite Care Program was authorized by Congress in 2006 and reauthorized in 2020.

Since 2009, Congress has appropriated funds for the program every year and increased funding as well. To-date, ACL has funded 38 states and the District of Columbia with at least one grant to implement the program. In the fiscal year 2024, (final) appropriation, Congress appropriated $10 million for the Lifespan Respite program. This was an increase of $2 million above the fiscal year of 2022 enacted level.

This year, ACL has released two new program funding opportunities for grants to states under this program. With this program announcement, ACL anticipates funding approximately seven cooperative agreements at a federal funding level up to approximately $400,000 per year for four years for a potential maximum funding of $1.6 million over the course of the four-year project period. So, the actual number we fund from this announcement will depend on the number of states we fund under the Grants to New States NOFO.

It is anticipated that not every state that applies for a grant will be successful in receiving funding. We expect this will be a very competitive opportunity, as ACL looks to increase the number of states with one active grant. ACL is seeking applications from eligible entities as defined in the statute as being states that administer the program under the Older Americans Act of 1965, states that administer the program under Title 19 of the Social Security Act, and states that are designated by the governor of such a state to administer the state's program under this title.

More eligibility will be coming up and is also located on Page 6 of the NOFO. The State Program Enhancement Grants will focus on building on the accomplishments and infrastructures of previous Federal Lifespan Respite Grants within the several priority areas while using the recently published 2022 National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers as a framework where appropriate.

Now I'll provide a program overview. So, the purpose of the Lifespan Respite Care Act is to expand and enhance respite services, improve coordination, and improve respite access and quality. Again, the Lifespan Respite Care Programs look at the service of respite for caregivers and work to make it more accessible, available, and of higher quality regardless of the age of the caregiver or care recipient.

The Act is unique in that it addresses caregiver and respite needs across all age and disability categories without a preference for a particular group. In fact, congressional intent requires that states ensure that respite is made more available and accessible regardless of age or disability of the care recipients. Before going through the key areas of the NOFO, I want to draw your attention to several key dates to keep in mind. So, April 23 is today's teleconference. And again, we will have a printed transcript posted on grants.gov next to the funding opportunity itself in about a week or so. And the transcript will include the Q&As that take place at the end of this call.

Letters of Intent are due April 25, 2024. I want to encourage you to submit one, even though it's not required, and even if you don't ultimately submit an application. But submitting this letter of intent really helps us plan as far as structuring the grants review process and lets us know ahead of time how many approximate applications we're going to be receiving. So, the letter of intent does not actually commit you to completing the application, and it's optional. The letters should be emailed to myself, Emily.Anozie@acl.hhs.gov, and my email address is listed under agency contacts in the NOFO as well.

The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, June 11, 2024. The applications must be submitted electronically via www.grants.gov. This due date is non-negotiable and applications received after the due date will not be considered for funding. And I'll talk more later about specific application submitting instructions.

The projected start date for your projects is September 1, 2024. This is an approximate date that the projects will start, so your actual project date might start a little bit earlier or later, just depending on how quickly we're able to process all the applications. So, we're aiming for this start date, but it could be later. So, these are the key dates to keep in mind as you begin your work, and I'll talk later about the actual grant submission process and what you'll need to do to begin preparing for that well in advance of when you actually go ahead and push that submit button for your application.

I want to take the next few minutes to walk through the program announcement in the PDF document. I will try to call your attention to those issues that I believe to be greatest of importance. And again, if I don't answer your question during this time, you may ask me during the Q&A period.

Beginning on Page 3 of the PDF of the NOFO, there is information that is provided on what to do before you begin your application. And this entails registration on SAM.gov and Grants.gov. Then the next step is to review the opportunity, so beginning on Page 5 of 60 of the NOFO, we provide a summary, as well as funding details and eligibility information beginning on Page 6 going to Page 7.

So, please note, we plan to award approximately seven grants off this NOFO, and depending on whether we fund any applications under the new state's NOFO and the amounts that each application requests, this number could vary. Also, please note the project length. This is a four-year or 48-months project with four 12-month budget periods. Because ACL has high expectations for work in these grants, particularly as it relates to advancing the principles in the strategy, applicants should request no less than $200,000 per grant.

ACL wants to ensure that projects are funded at a level that will ensure progress and results. So again, under other eligibility requirements on Page 6 of 60 of the NOFO, we provide clarification on eligibility. So, in summary, not all states who apply for funding will receive grants. Actual award amounts will vary based on the availability of federal funds. Only one application per state will be funded.

States with no currently active grants are eligible to apply, and they will be given priority for funding. ACL wants to ensure that as many states as possible are able to continue work to develop their lifespan respite programs and incorporate the principles and actions within the strategy that's for taking this approach. Please note also that these grants are being awarded as cooperative agreements, meaning that each grantee can expect regular and ongoing engagement with ACL and the project officer.

The recipients must follow through on their promise of cost-sharing. So, we talk about cost-sharing funds on Page 7 of 60 of the PDF. We provide details on this federal requirement. So, regarding cost sharing, this program requires you to contribute 25% of the project's total cost.

You can meet your match requirement through any combination of cash contributed by your organization, by partners or other third parties, or in-kind, non-cash contributions from your organization partners or other third parties. There are no waivers to the match, because it is written in statute as well. Please remember that regardless of the source of the non-federal match, once it is committed as a match to this grant, it can't be used as a match for another federal grant. And matching funds are subject to the same requirement as the federal funds that you requested.

Finally, please note that if you propose to exceed the match requirement, it will not boost your score during the objective review process, plus you will be required to fully spend the match amount you're proposing. So, when calculating your match, please refer to the example provided on Page 7 of 60 of the NOFO. Page 8 has a program description, the purpose of the funding opportunity. And we also provide an overview of the Lifespan Respite Care Program and the Act itself.

So, those of you who have applied for grants in the past will recognize much of this language, but we've made it more clear, especially for new staff that may have joined your organizations, as to actually what the barriers or some of the barriers and opportunities are that these grant projects should attempt to address.

The purpose of the program is to improve access to and quality of respite care services to all family caregivers, thereby reducing family caregiver demands when supporting these individuals. So, these respite care services should provide meaningful person-centered and family-directed respite options that will further reduce issues like isolation and help to overcome those barriers to accessing these types of support services.

There is no phase-in or preference for any specific age group, disability category, or population. So, this listing that we have in the NOFO is not all inclusive. On Page 9 to 10 of the PDF, we also provide background information on the Lifespan Respite Care Act. We do note that the act was reauthorized in 2020 and discussed several key events that could either significantly shape or have the potential to shape how we think about designing and delivering services of any kind, such as respite.

Of note, we also point out the impact of COVID-19 and how lessons learned changed how we think about family caregiving and how they are supportive, including the impact of shortages, such as the direct care workforce shortage that we all know about. Also of note, and something that should be on the radar screens of every state that submits an application under this NOFO is the work of the Raise and Grandparent Advisory Councils, and the release of the 2022 First National Strategy to Support Family Caregivers.

So, applicants to this NOFO should review the strategy carefully and look for opportunities to address the actions that are most appropriate for respite services from among any of those five goals in the strategy. This includes ensuring your work is culturally and linguistically relevant and competent. The strongest applications will be those that are grounded in the principles and actions that are outlined in the strategy.

And we have provided additional resources and links to all of this information throughout this simplified NOFO to really help applicants be informed about these topics. They're also located on the ACL Web site and ACL's Lifespan Respite Technical Assistance and Resource Center, ARCH National Respite Network and Resource Center information that we have presented in the NOFO, so you should not have any issues accessing that information.

This particular NOFO is further grounded in the six programmatic priority areas that are in alignment with the Act, that each of which should be addressed in your applications and these program priority areas are also further discussed starting on Page 11 and continuing through Page 14 of the NOFO.

I want to use this first opportunity to point out a key requirement of every application that should be submitted in response to this NOFO. Each application we receive must contain a Memorandum of Understanding or Memorandum of Agreement regarding the joint responsibility for the development of the state's Lifespan Respite program between the eligible state agency that is applying and the public or private nonprofit statewide respite coalition organization. So, this must be in place at the time of the application and submitted with the application.

Applicants are encouraged to embed flexibility within the creation of this MOU or MOA, so that all the parties to the agreement can modify the scope, tasks, or partnerships as the need arises. A copy of this memorandum must be included again as part of all application packages. It is a requirement, and it is in statute. If your state does not have a formal respite coalition, an organization in the state that provides or coordinates respite could also be used. So, if you do not include the MOA or MOU with your application, the application will be rejected and not be reviewed. So, please, please, don't forget to include the MOU or MOA in your application package.

Further, failure to do so will result in your application being screened out and receiving no consideration in the merit review process. Beginning at the bottom of Page 14, we include a few other elements that applications need to address, including program performance and outcomes, product dissemination and sharing information, sustainability, participation, expected participation in technical assistance efforts and the use of subgrants and contracts.

I'd like to highlight here and important to note that there is a data collection and reporting requirement, which is listed on Page 15 of 60 of the PDF as stated in the reauthorization of 2020, and we will provide the Office of Management and Budget OMB approved data collection tool developed for this program to any grant recipients.

Grantees are permitted to award subgrants and contracts provided that there is sufficient justification for the need to do so, and that the applications clearly describe the process that will be used to make and monitor such awards. And there's more information on all of this in the NOFO.

At the bottom of Page 16 of the NOFO, going towards Page 17, you'll see a Cooperative Agreements Terms section. Page 18 details funding policies and limitations and indirect costs information is on Page 19. These terms and conditions will be incorporated by reference in the Notice of Award, or NOA. So, step two would be to get ready to apply. Starting on Page 21, there is a readiness checklist that I mentioned earlier that you are encouraged to review, so that you are ensured that you have all that you need to apply and the appropriate registrations for your entity.

It provides general information for what to obtain as far as where to obtain your application materials and completing your SAM registration. It also has information about the Data Universal Numbering System (DUNs) and everything you need for SAM and any transitions that they have made. So, you want to be up to date on all of this. It also has information on Grants.gov registration, et cetera. So, please keep in mind about this section, and also please keep in mind that ACL requires applicants to use the Grants.gov workspace.

Please read this section again carefully and please start to work on the necessary registrations, because getting registered can actually take several days or weeks. And if you have any errors you have to, you know, definitely fix those, and you don't want to get to the due date of the application, and you haven't taken care of all of these things. So, please pay attention to that page.

Page 22 mentions submitting optional letters of intent, and I mentioned that earlier in the call. Again, these are due April 25, they are optional, they're not required, but it's a useful tool for us to set up the right number of panels. Again, the application review panels are independent, and we need this ahead of time to make sure we know how many applications are coming in so that we can ensure that we avoid any potential conflicts of interest between the reviewers and the applicants.

So, step three would be to prepare your application. This section lists application contents and formatting information beginning on Page 24 of 60 of your PDF. So, please pay attention to things that involve your applications, not just the content but also the format. So, look at the formatting, the page length, things like that, even the font size. Please note that narratives for applications for this grant are set at a limit of 30 pages. The project work plan, the budget narratives, the memorandum of agreement, the letters of commitment and the curriculum data of the key project personnel are not counted as part of the project narrative for purposes of that, you know, 30-page limit that I mentioned.

Also, the project abstract is not counted as part of the project narrative. The problem statement would be included as part of your project narrative. On Page 24 and continuing through to the top of Page 31 of your PDF, you'll see specific guidance for how to structure your project narratives and what to include in them. So, please note that there are several places that we point-out information that is statutorily required to be included in the project narratives. Another thing to note about the project narratives is that this is really the only vehicle that you have for telling the reviewers of your applications what you are proposing to do with the funding.

Please make sure that narratives are clear, concise, and well-organized. Pages 31 and 32 talk about the budget narratives and the work plans. These two things are key for the budget narratives. Please be sure you do one narrative for each of the four years of your project plus a cumulative narrative covering all four years of your project. Failure to include a budget narrative will result in a zero of points for this section of your application.

So, we want to make sure you include that. This is similar to the work plan. Please include a work plan covering each year of the project. Make sure it has the tasks and the activities that tie closely to the narrative and the budget narrative. And we have provided links to the sample templates included in the NOFO. You're not required to use the budget narrative and the work plan samples. These are just samples, but they are really great tools to format CLEAR products.

Page 34 details the required forms, such as the required federal standard forms that must be submitted on Grants.gov, as I mentioned earlier, with your application materials. We also have provided instructions for the forms, and these are located on Grants.gov, and there's a link in the NOFO as well as a chart that lists all of the forms. So, you can kind of look at it as a checklist, if you will.

Pages 36 through 42 detailed information on the application review as well as the award notices, this is a very important section. All applications will be reviewed against the responsiveness and application screening criteria as stated in the NOFO. Applications that fail to meet any of the criteria as stated in the NOFO will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

All applications will be screened, and a merit review composed of an independent review panel of at least three individuals will evaluate applications that pass the screening and meet the responsiveness criteria. Again, we mentioned the MOU and the MOA between the state agency and the respite coalition organization, so please don't forget to include that as well.

On Page 37 of 60 and going through to Page 41, are the exact criteria by which the panel of the independent third-party reviewers will score your applications. So, please study this merit review, it's out of 100 points, and you should view this criteria as a useful tool for you, as you prepare your applications. So, once you've completed your application, double-check against the criteria elements. If you and your staff can answer yes to each of the questions, you can be fairly certain you have an application that covers what ACL is asking you to cover.

Of course, this isn't a guarantee of funding, but you will at least know that you've addressed everything you needed in your applications, and you did your best. On Page 44, we talk about application submission and deadlines. So, just as a reminder, the optional letter of intent may be emailed to me by April 25, just a few days from now. My email address is under Agency Contacts, which is on Page 51, by the way. And Page 51 also has reference Websites that may be of use to you as well.

Another reminder on the application due date, the application is due Tuesday, June 11, 2024 at 11.59 p.m. Eastern Time on Grants.gov. And there is also information if you need help and how to contact further support at Grants.gov or SAM.gov throughout the NOFO. Pages 48 and 49 have information on what happens after an award. So, post-award, administrative, and statutory, as well as national policy requirements, including standard financial and performance reporting requirements, will all be explained there, and there are links to that information as well. So, if you receive an award, you must follow all the applicable nondiscrimination laws as well.

All of this information, again, is laid out in this section with the relevant sources to be compliant. Please remember that final funding decisions are based on the availability of federal funds and at the ACL Administrator's discretion. Notices of awards are sent electronically, and we anticipate a September 1 start date. Again, that date is subject to change.

And finally, on Page 52, we have an appendix section. So, going through to the end of the NOFO, from 52 to 60, you'll see more information related to the administrative aspects of the grant, as well as sample templates for you to use, such as the budget narrative and work plan that I talked about earlier, as well as general instructions for all forms on Grants.gov.

So, this concludes this portion of the informational call and we will now have the Q&A portion. And I'll turn it back over to (Cedric). Thank you, (Cedric).

Coordinator: Sure. Thanks. As a quick reminder, if you'd like to ask a question, please press Star then 1. Remember to unmute your phone and record your name clearly when prompted. If you'd like to withdraw your question, you may press Star 2. Again, to ask a question from the phone lines, please press Star then 1. One moment for our first question. Okay. And I'm currently showing no questions in queue at this time.

Emily Anozie: Okay. Thank you so much. So, I would like to take this time to thank you all for being here today. So, thank you for your time, for your attendance and participation as well. It was such a privilege and honor to be able to present this very important information to you today. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak to you. I want to thank the ACL team for being here as well, as well as you (Cedric). Thank you so much. I want to say best of luck with all of the applications to all the applicants, and have a great day. Thank you.

Coordinator: Thank you. And that concludes today's conference. You may all disconnect at this time. Speakers, you may stand by for our post-conference.

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