fy15 ojjdp mentoring underserved most recent version - 424 final-bjc-final.pdf

OMB No. 1121-0329

U.S. Department of Justice Approval Expires 07/31/2016

Office of Justice Programs

Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) is seeking applications to support mentoring services for underserved populations, including youth with disabilities; youth in foster care; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning (LGBTQ) youth. This program furthers the Department’s mission by supporting mentoring programs to reduce juvenile delinquency, drug abuse, truancy, and other problem and high-risk behaviors.

OJJDP FY 2015 Mentoring for Youth:

Underserved Populations

Eligibility

Eligible applicants are limited to multistate organizations, defined as organizations that have operated an established mentoring program for at least 3 years, and have active chapters or subawardees in at least 5 states but fewer than 45 states. Applicants must include a list of active chapters or subawardees and the states where they are located as an attachment to their application. These multistate organizations must also have demonstrated experience in working with the target populations of either youth with disabilities; youth in foster care; or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth. For purposes of this solicitation, 2 or more independent organizations that form a collaborative to meet the 5 state requirement do not satisfy OJJDP's definition of a multistate organization. Applicants cannot be a national organization (or a chapter or subawardee of a national organization), which OJJDP defines as an organization that has active chapters or subawardees in at least45 states. The organization’s headquarters must submit the application and must use the grant funds to support mentoring services as per the solicitation language in two or more of its active chapters or subawardee sites. For-profit organizations must agree to forgo any profit or management fee.

At the time of application, eligible applicants must provide mentoring services to youth who are 17 years old or younger.

Applicants must designate under which category they are applying and are not allowed to submit an application in more than one category. OJJDP may request supporting documentation of the required subgrants during the review process.

http://www.usdoj.gov/ http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ http://www.ojjdp.gov/ http://www.ojjdp.gov/

OJJDP-2015-4138

OJJDP FY 2015 Mentoring for Youth Underserved Populations:

Category 1 Youth with Disabilities Funding limited to multistate organizations*

Category 2 Youth in Foster Care Funding limited to multistate organizations*

Category 3 Youth who are Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGTBQ)

Funding limited to multistate organizations*

*see above for full eligibility criteria

Other Mentoring Solicitation: OJJDP FY 2015 Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative. OJJDP is providing additional funding opportunities for mentoring programs under the OJJDP FY 2015 Mentoring Opportunities solicitation. The full announcement with specific directions on what needs to be submitted and a detailed explanation of eligibility can be found at www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2015/MentoringOpportunities.pdf. Below is a chart with a summary of the eligibility for the Mentoring Opportunities for Youth Initiative. Please review the eligibility section carefully. An organization that applies for funding in Category 1 may NOT apply for funds in any other category, but an organization that applies for funding in Category 2 may also apply as a member of the collaborative to receive funds in Category 3, see chart below.

Category 1 National Mentoring Programs Funding limited to national organizations

Category 2 Multistate Mentoring Programs

Funding limited to multistate organizations

Category 3 Collaborative Mentoring Partnerships

Funding limited to multistate organizations and collaboratives

OJJDP may elect to make awards for applications submitted under this solicitation in future fiscal years, dependent on the merit of the applications and on the availability of appropriations.

For additional eligibility information, see Section C. Eligibility Information.

Deadline

Applicants must register with Grants.gov prior to submitting an application. OJP encourages applicants to register several weeks before the application submission deadline. In addition, OJP urges applicants to submit applications 72 hours prior to the application due date. All applications are due to be submitted and in receipt of a successful validation message in Grants.gov by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on June 23, 2015.

All applicants are encouraged to read this Important Notice: Applying for Grants in Grants.gov.

For additional information, see How To Apply in section D. Application and Submission Information.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2015/MentoringOpportunities.pdf http://www.grants.gov/applicants/apply_for_grants.jsp http://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm http://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Grants-govInfo.htm

Contact Information

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the Grants.gov Customer Support Hotline at 800-518-4726 or 606-545-5035, or via e-mail to support@grants.gov. Hotline hours of operation are 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except federal holidays.

Applicants who experience unforeseen Grants.gov technical issues beyond their control that prevent them from submitting their application by the deadline must e-mail the OJJDP contact identified below within 24 hours after the application deadline and request approval to submit their application. Additional information on reporting technical issues is found under “Experiencing Unforeseen Grants.gov Technical Issues” in the How To Apply section.

For assistance with any other requirements of this solicitation, contact the Response Center by telephone at 800-851-3420, by e-mail at responsecenter@ncjrs.gov, or by Web Chat at https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp. Answers to frequently asked questions that may assist applicants are posted at www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2015/FAQ/MentoringUnderservedFAQ.pdf.

Grants.gov number assigned to this announcement: OJJDP-2015-4138

Release date: April 17, 2015 Updated: April 24, 2015 mailto:support@grants.gov mailto:responsecenter@ncjrs.gov https://webcontact.ncjrs.gov/ncjchat/chat.jsp http://www.ojjdp.gov/grants/solicitations/FY2015/FAQ/MentoringUnderservedFAQ.pdf

Contents

Overview

Program-Specific Information

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

Evidence-based programs or practices

B. Federal Award Information

Type of award

Financial management and system of internal controls

Budget Information

Cost sharing or match requirement

Preagreement cost approvals

Limitation on use of award funds for employee compensation; waiver

Prior approval, planning, and reporting of conference/meeting/training costs

Costs associated with language assistance (if applicable)

C. Eligibility Information

Cost sharing or match requirement

Limit on number of application submissions

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

How To Apply

E. Application Review Information

Selection Criteria

Review Process

F. Federal Award Administration Information

Federal Award Notices

Administrative, National Policy, and Other Legal Requirements

General information about post-federal award reporting requirements

G. Federal Awarding Agency Contact(s)

H. Other Information

Provide Feedback to OJP

Application Checklist

OJJDP FY 2015 Mentoring for Youth:

Underserved Populations

(CFDA #16.726)

A. Program Description

Overview

OJJDP is focusing this solicitation on the needs of the following underserved populations:

youth with disabilities; youth in foster care; and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth (LGBTQ). OJJDP is committed to promoting quality mentoring services and expanding the reach to as many youth across the nation as possible, including the underserved populations identified above. OJJDP defines underserved youth as those who demonstrate need but have not participated in consistently high-quality mentoring services due to location; shortage of qualified mentors; special physical or mental challenges; being lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning; or other analogous situations that the community identifies. Youth with disabilities need a caring, trained, mentor to increase their protective factors and reduce their heightened risk for delinquency and victimization. One of the major challenges that youth in foster care often face is the lack of involvement of a consistent, caring adult in their lives. LGBTQ youth often face high-risk situations, such as bullying, and need a caring, understanding mentor. OJJDP will assist in establishing or expanding mentoring and support services for youth in these three underserved populations.

This solicitation offers three mentoring service program categories. Applicants must designate under which category they are applying and are not allowed to submit an application in more than one category: Category 1 (youth with disabilities); Category 2 (youth in foster care); and Category 3 (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth). Applicants must discuss their capability and expertise with particular underserved populations and how their mentoring approach will best serve the unique and diverse needs of that population.

Youth with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 defines disabilities to include a broad array of physical or mental impairments that substantially limit an individual’s performance of one or more major life activities.

Children and youth with disabilities face daily challenges that can heighten their risk for delinquency. By no means are all disabilities associated with increased risk for delinquency, nor do all individuals with any particular disability experience the onset of delinquency.

Research suggests that youth with certain intellectual, learning, emotional, and behavioral disabilities are more likely to engage in delinquency and other negative behaviors. For instance, youth who find it difficult to achieve age appropriate educational milestones due to an intellectual or learning disability may be more likely than their peers to experience frustration and embarrassment in the classroom and less likely to attend school, stay on task in the classroom, or aspire to achieve educational goals. For youth with emotional disabilities and behavioral/conduct problems, not only is it difficult to focus on academic tasks, it may be difficult to interact appropriately with adults and peers, to control impulses, to follow rules, or to adapt to stressful situations. Those youth who become physically disabled, as a result of criminal involvement and/or victimization may also be at increased risk for involvement in delinquency. For additional background information on risk factors for juvenile justice involvement, see OJJDP’s Model Programs Guide Literature Review on Risk Factors and the National Gang Center’s Review of Risk Factors for Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Gang Involvement.

Although specific research on mentoring youth with disabilities is lacking, research on evidence-based mentoring has indicated that children and youth benefit greatly from a caring, sustained relationship with a mentor (see OJJDP’s National Mentoring Resource Center for more information on evidence-based mentoring).This solicitation will support mentoring organizations interested in assisting youth with disabilities in managing a variety of developmental tasks, including social skill and leadership development, career development, career awareness, academic achievement, and developing problem solving skills.

Youth in foster care. On any given day in America, more than 500,000 children and youth are in foster care1. Foster care is the full-time substitute care of children outside of their own home by people other than their biological or adoptive parents or legal guardians. Children who are removed from their biological or adoptive parents or other legal guardians are placed in foster care in a variety of settings. They may be placed in the care of relatives (kinship care), nonrelatives, therapeutic or treatment foster care, or in an institution or group home.

Children are placed in foster care for a number of reasons. In most cases, they have suffered physical or sexual abuse or neglect at home and are placed in a safe environment.

Their parents or legal guardians may be experiencing substance abuse or mental health issues that contributed to the maltreatment and resulting out of home placement. It is anticipated that while the child is out of the home, the parents/guardians will receive treatment for these issues.

Studies have found that youth who enter foster care experience very poor outcomes at a much higher rate than the general population. Specifically, more than one in five will become homeless after age 182; only 58 percent will graduate high school by age 19 (compared to 87 percent of all 19 year olds)3; at the age of 24, only half are employed4; and one in four will be involved in the justice system within 2 years of leaving the foster care system5. This solicitation will direct the benefits of mentoring towards this underserved youth population.

LGBTQ youth. Negative attitudes toward LGBTQ youth can put them at increased risk for experiences with violence, compared with other youth. Violence can include behaviors such

1 KIDS COUNT Data Snapshot on Foster Care Placement by the Annie E. Casey Foundation located at AECF.org

2 Casey Family Programs. 1998. Northwest foster care alumni study. Seattle, WA. p. 37.

3 Courtney, M.E., and Dworsky, A. 2005. Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth:

Outcomes at age 19. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall Center for Children, p. 22.

4 Pecora, P.J., Kessler, R.C., Williams, J., O’Brien, K., Downs, A.C., English, D., White, J., Hiripi, E., White, C.R., Wiggins, T., and Holmes, K. 2005. Improving family foster care: Findings from the Northwest foster care alumni study. Seattle, WA: Casey Family Programs. p. 1.

5 Courtney, M.E., Dworsky, A., Terao, S., Bost, N., Cusick, G.R., Keller, T., and Havlicek, J. 2005. Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: Outcomes at age 19. Chicago, IL: Chapin Hall Center for Children, p. 61.

http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/litreviews/Risk%20Factors.pdf http://www.ojjdp.gov/mpg/litreviews/Risk%20Factors.pdf http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/SPT/Risk-Factors/Research-Review-Criteria http://www.nationalgangcenter.gov/SPT/Risk-Factors/Research-Review-Criteria http://www.mentoring.org/program_resources/national_mentoring_resource_center http://www.mentoring.org/program_resources/national_mentoring_resource_center as bullying, teasing, harassment, physical assault, and suicide-related behaviors.6 According to data from Youth Risk Behavior Surveys conducted during 2001‒2009 in seven states and six large urban school districts, the percentage of LGBTQ students (across the sites) who were threatened or injured with a weapon on school property in the prior year ranged from 12 percent to 28 percent7. Furthermore, LGBTQ youth are also at increased risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, suicide attempts, and suicide. A nationally representative study of adolescents in grades 7–12 found that LGBTQ youth were more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide as their heterosexual peers.8

While there are limited examples of evidence-based programs for this population, a few studies have explored how mentors might be able to advocate for LGBTQ youth. These studies include mentoring for gay college students9, natural mentoring relationships for gay youth,10 and role modeling for gay youth.11 The existence of protective factors, such as a school that creates a safe and supportive learning environment and having caring and accepting adult role models, are important for all youth, and especially this vulnerable youth population.

This solicitation is authorized by the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2015, P.L.

113-235, 128 Stat. 2130,2195.

Program-Specific Information

This program supports the implementation and delivery of one-to-one, group, and peer mentoring services to the following underserved populations: youth with disabilities, youth in foster care; and LGBTQ youth. This program also supports one or more enhancements of services to both improve the access to and impact of mentoring services.

For the purpose of this solicitation, mentoring programs should support a structured relationship between an adult or trained peer and one or more youth. Mentoring promotes positive behaviors, attitudes, and outcomes for youth and reduces risk-factors. It has been shown to improve academic performance and/or social or job skills, support behavioral or other personal development, and reduce consumption of alcohol and other drugs.

Successful mentoring programs include matches between a mentor and one or more youth;

mentoring can take place in multiple and informal settings and in a school or program context.

6 Coker, T.R., Austin, S.B., and Schuster, M.A. 2010. “The health and health care of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adolescents.” Annual Review of Public Health 31:457–477.

7 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sexual identity, sex of sexual contacts, and health-risk behaviors among students in grades 9-12—Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance, selected sites, United States, 2001-2009.

MMWR. 2011.

8 Russell, S.T., and Joyner, K. 2001. “Adolescent sexual orientation and suicide risk: Evidence from a national study.

American Journal of Public Health 91:1276–1281.

9 Fisher, E.S., and Komosa-Hawkins, K. 2013. Creating Safe and Supportive Learning Environments: A Guide for Working With Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth and Families. Routledge.

10 Torres, Harper, Sanchez, and Fernandez. 2012. “Examining natural mentoring relationships among self-identified gay, bisexual, and questioning male youth.” Children and Youth Services Review. 34(1):8-14.

11 Bird, Kuhns, and Garafolo. 2012. “The impact of role models on health outcomes for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.” Journal of Adolescent Health. 50(4):353-7.

http://www.scopus.com/scopus/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84455202517&partnerID=7tDmEqzL&rel=3.0.0&md5=0ba93d6b372292dcbeb3a7498e00f3fa http://www.scopus.com/scopus/inward/record.url?eid=2-s2.0-84455202517&partnerID=7tDmEqzL&rel=3.0.0&md5=0ba93d6b372292dcbeb3a7498e00f3fa http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22443838

This solicitation offers three mentoring service program categories. Applicants must designate under which category they are applying and may not submit an application in more than one category:

Category 1: Youth with disabilities. Competition ID: OJJDP-2015-4185. Applicants will use grant funds to provide quality mentoring services to this specific population across a minimum of two active chapters or subawardees in two states. Youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders would qualify under this category. The mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, or a combination of both types.

Category 2: Youth in foster care. Competition ID: OJJDP-2015-4186. Applicants will use grant funds to provide quality mentoring services to this specific population across a minimum of two active chapters or subawardees in two states. The mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, or a combination of both types.

Category 3: LGBTQ youth. Competition ID: OJJDP-2015-4187. Applicants will use grant funds to provide quality mentoring services to this specific population across a minimum of two active chapters or subawardees in two states. The mentoring services can be one-on-one, group, or a combination of both types.

Goals, Objectives, and Deliverables

The program’s goal is to: improve positive outcomes for youth with disabilities, youth in foster care, and LGBTQ youth, and reduce negative outcomes, including juvenile delinquency and gang participation; improve academic performance; reduce victimization;

and reduce school drop-out rates through mentoring. To achieve this goal, its objectives focus on supporting qualified programs to (1) provide quality mentoring services and (2) enhance their mentoring services to implement one or more research- and evidence-based practices.

1. Provide mentoring services for underserved youth (youth with disabilities, youth in foster care, LGBTQ youth). Applicants under all categories should outline how their core mentoring practices align with each of the standards in the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring as highlighted on OJJDP’s National Mentoring Resource Center website. These include: (1) recruitment, (2) screening, (3) training, (4) matching, (5) monitoring and support, and (6) closure.

2. Enhance mentoring services to implement additional research- and evidence-based practice(s). While research has indicated that the following practices have been associated with program effectiveness, they are less commonly implemented and may require more innovative designs in practice. In addition to providing mentoring services to at-risk, high-risk or underserved youth, applicants should identify one or more of the following strategies they will use to enhance the current mentoring services they provide.

Match mentors and mentees based on interests and skills. Under this enhancement, applicants will assess and redesign their matching process to improve the matching based on youth’s needs and interests and a mentor’s experiences, skills, and interests (as opposed to being based on demographic features). Research http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/index.php/what-works-in-mentoring/elements-of-effective-practice-for-mentoring.html http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/index.php/what-works-in-mentoring/elements-of-effective-practice-for-mentoring.html http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/ has shown that taking into account a youth’s interests when matching him/her with a mentor is associated with the overall success of the mentoring program.12

Provide ongoing training. Research indicates that ongoing training (beyond providing a single, initial orientation or training) and support for mentors is a moderator of program effectiveness13. Under this enhancement, applicants will improve training and support for the mentor to enhance skills, knowledge, and abilities in serving as a mentor to and in building relationships with youth. It may also include training staff to be more effective trainers of mentors.

Provide additional mentor support. Providing structured support to mentors has been identified as a key program characteristic associated with improved effectiveness and longer lasting mentoring matches14. Under this enhancement, applicants will outline how they will improve the ongoing support that program coordinators, match specialists, etc., offer mentors. This includes, but is not limited to, increasing the frequency of and improving the program communication with mentors or providing additional support regarding activities, issues, questions, or plans.

Incorporate advocacy/teaching roles for mentors. Research has shown that advocacy/teaching roles for mentors have been associated with program effectiveness15. Under this enhancement, advocacy or teaching roles or functions are defined as those in which the mentor offers active guidance to the youth and seeks to facilitate the youth’s relationships with peers and/or other supportive adults and to support engagement with appropriate activities and resources. This should not be confused with an overly directive or authoritarian approach, which has evidence of potential harmful outcomes in youth mentoring16. It is also not a therapeutic, counseling, informational/instructional, or explicit skill-building approach (i.e., such as job skills).

Engage parents and family. Research indicates that mechanisms that support and involve parents in mentoring programs increase the chances for positive outcomes.17 Under this enhancement, family and parental involvement includes, but is not limited to, creating specific activities in which mentors, youth participants, and parents participate together, including informal recreational activities that the mentoring organization hosts, or additional outreach to parents. Parents include both official and unofficial caretakers.

12 DuBois, D.L., Portillo, N., Rhodes, J.E., Silverthorn, N., and Valentine, J.C. 2011. “How Effective Are Mentoring

Programs for Youth? A Systematic Assessment of the Evidence.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 12(2)57–91. www.rhodeslab.org/files/DuBoisetalMeta.pdf.

13 Dubois, D.L., Holloway, B.E., Valentine, J.C., and Cooper, H. 2002. “Effectiveness of Mentoring Programs for

Youth: A Meta-Analytic Review.” American Journal of Community Psychology 30(2)157-197.

14 ibid.

15 DuBois, D.L., Portillo, N., Rhodes, J.E., Silverthorn, N., and Valentine, J.C. 2011. “How Effective Are Mentoring

Programs for Youth? A Systematic Assessment of the Evidence.” Psychological Science in the Public Interest 12(2)57–91. www.rhodeslab.org/files/DuBoisetalMeta.pdf

16 Keller, T.E. 2005. “The stages and development of mentoring relationships.” In D.L. DuBois and M.J. Karcher (Eds.), Handbook of youth mentoring (pp. 82–99). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

17 Dubois, D.L., Holloway, B.E., Valentine, J.C., and Cooper, H. 2002. “Effectiveness of Mentoring Programs for

Youth: A Meta-Analytic Review.” American Journal of Community Psychology 30(2)157-197.

Use a youth-centered developmental approach. Under this enhancement, programs will incorporate a youth-centered approach that allows the mentor and mentee to establish and achieve a mutually agreed upon set of goals. Research indicates that this approach, focused on providing structured support to the developmental needs of the youth, can increase the effectiveness of the mentoring program.18

Assess and serve mentee risk. Research has identified that the risk profile of the target population appears to be associated with variations in the effectiveness of mentoring programs19. Under this enhancement, programs will institute an assessment that considers both individual and environmental risk and adjust the mentoring services accordingly.

Improve closure. There are indications that while longer mentor-mentee match duration positively influences the effectiveness of mentoring programs20, the key feature may actually be that the mentoring match lasted the full expected duration, regardless of the time period, and how the closure occurs.21 Under this enhancement, programs will review and revise procedures for and guidance to mentors and mentees in setting expectations, preventing premature termination of the mentoring relationship, and working to effectively bring the mentoring relationship to a close at the expected time.

Provide structured activities. Structured activities are the result of planning, curriculum development, and program design that the mentor and mentees can engage in together. Research has indicated that providing this type of structured support to mentors and mentees is associated with improved outcomes22. Under this enhancement, examples of structured activities can include, but are not limited to, community involvement/engagement projects, job skills, and career path-related activities, recreational and educational games, and cultural-specific programs.

Establish external partnerships. Research has indicated that collaboration with other organizations that provide services or resources to support mentees and their families has been associated with better outcomes for the youth.23 Under this enhancement, applicants will identify and enter into additional partnerships to best serve the needs of the mentored youth and families.

18 Rhodes, J.E., and DuBois, D.L. 2006. “Understanding and Facilitating the Youth Mentoring Movement. Society for

Research in Child Development.” Social Policy Report. Vol 20 (3) Retrieved from:

http://www.srcd.org/index.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_download&gid=79. Citing: Balcazar, Davies, Viggers, and Tranter. In press; Balcazar, Keys, & Garate, 1995; Davidson & Redner, 1988; Hamilton & Hamilton, 2005; Larose, Chaloux, Monaghan, & Tarabulsy, 2006; and Langhout, Rhodes, & Osborne, 2004.

19 Herrera, C., DuBois, D., and Grossman, J.B. 2013. The Role of Risk: Mentoring Experiences and Outcomes for Youth with Varying Risk Profiles. New York, NY: A Public/Private Ventures project distributed by MDRC.

20 Grossman, J.B., and Rhodes, J.E. 2002. “The Test of Time: Predictors and Effects of Duration in Youth Mentoring Relationships.” American Journal of Community Psychology 30(2)199-219.

21 Zilberstein, K., and Spencer, R. “Breaking bad: an attachment perspective on youth mentoring relationship closures.” Child & Family Social Work. Retrieved from:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cfs.12197/abstract.

22 Dubois, D.L., Holloway, B.E., Valentine, J.C., and Cooper, H. 2002. “Effectiveness of Mentoring Programs for

Youth: A Meta-Analytic Review.” American Journal of Community Psychology 30(2)157-197.

23 Jarjoura, G.R., DuBois, D.L., Shlafer R.J., and Haight, K.A. 2013 “Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents, Research and Listening Session Report.” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/cfs.12197/abstract

Structure the mentoring relationship to support bonding or emotional connection between the mentee and mentor. Research has demonstrated that having a strong emotional connection or bond between the mentee and mentor has been associated with better relationships and outcomes.24 This bond can be supported via various ways, such as providing activities or resources for mentors and mentees that can help facilitate conversations.

Encourage the mentor to think of him/herself as a role model. Research has highlighted that mentors who demonstrate healthy behaviors (such as those around eating, exercising, relationships, and academics) have been associated with better outcomes for youth.25 Under this enhancement, the mentor will receive clear expectations and guidance around serving as a role model.

Successful applicants should implement programs that will recognize and address the factors that can lead to or serve as a catalyst for delinquency or other problem behaviors in underserved youth (e.g., lack of education or employment opportunities, attitudes in the community or family that condone criminal activity, lack of parental supervision). Proposals should describe all services that the applicant will provide to address these issues and their expected outcomes.

Family engagement. OJJDP envisions a transformed juvenile justice system that recognizes and builds upon the strengths, values, and diversity of families and communities to best serve the children and youth who come into contact with the system and to improve both safety and quality of life for all. This system will honor and support families before, during, and after their children have contact with the system.

Research indicates that mechanisms that support and involve parents in mentoring programs increase the chances for positive outcomes for the mentoring relationship.

Applicants should discuss how they will engage families throughout the mentoring program and specifically within each of the stages in the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring:

recruitment, screening, training, matching, monitoring and support, and closure. This includes, but is not limited to, discussing how families will be engaged in an orientation process, receive program information, understand expectations, and participate in specific activities in that the mentoring organization hosts, or additional outreach to parents. Parents include both official and unofficial caretakers.

Discrimination prohibited. Although this solicitation generally targets the needs of a particular youth population, applicants may use neither gender, race, nor color, nor national origin to restrict eligibility for services. Applicants may not exclude from participation, deny the benefits to, or subject to discrimination potential mentees in connection with any program or activity funded in whole or in part with funds made available under this solicitation, based on race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.

Evidence-based programs or practices. OJP strongly emphasizes the use of data and evidence in policy making and program development in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services. OJP is committed to:

24 Ibid.

25 Jarjoura, G.R., DuBois, D.L., Shlafer R.J., and Haight, K.A. 2013 “Mentoring Children of Incarcerated Parents, Research and Listening Session Report.” Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/index.php/what-works-in-mentoring/elements-of-effective-practice-for-mentoring.html improving the quantity and quality of evidence OJP generates;

integrating evidence into program, practice, and policy decisions within OJP and the field; and improving the translation of evidence into practice.

OJP considers programs and practices to be evidence-based when their effectiveness has been demonstrated by causal evidence, generally obtained through one or more outcome evaluations. Causal evidence documents a relationship between an activity or intervention (including technology) and its intended outcome, including measuring the direction and size of a change, and the extent to which a change may be attributed to the activity or intervention. Causal evidence depends on the use of scientific methods to rule out, to the extent possible, alternative explanations for the documented change. The strength of causal evidence, based on the factors described above, will influence the degree to which OJP considers a program or practice to be evidence-based. The OJP CrimeSolutions.gov Web site, OJJDP’s Model Program Guide Web site, and the National Mentoring Resource Center Web site are three resources that applicants may use to find information about evidence-based programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, and crime victim services.

Additional resources. OJJDP encourages applicants to review the recommendations from the Attorney General’s National Task Force on Children Exposed to Violence, and the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee on American Indian/Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence and the National Research Council’s Reforming Juvenile Justice: A Developmental Approach and Implementing Juvenile Justice Reform and consider incorporating the recommendations into their applications, where applicable.

Performance Partnership Pilots. Applicants under this OJJDP program may also be eligible to apply for participation in the Performance Partnership Pilots program that the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; the Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2014, P.L. 113-76, 128 Stat. 5, 413-416; and the Department of Justice Appropriations Act, 2015, P.L. 113-235, 128 Stat. 2130,2195 have authorized. The program seeks to identify cost effective, outcome-focused strategies at the state, regional and local levels that support improved outcomes for disconnected youth (individuals between the ages of 14 and 24, who are low income and either homeless, in foster care, involved in the juvenile justice system, unemployed, or not enrolled in, or at risk of dropping out of an educational institution). The program is particularly designed for organizations that have multiple sources of federal, state or private funding. Find more information about the program and the application process here.

B. Federal Award Information

OJJDP intends to fund at least one applicant within each category. OJJDP expects to make as many as six awards of as much as $500,000 for an estimated total of $3 million. An application may be for a project period of as long as 3 years beginning on October 1, 2015.

The requested award amount should cover the entire proposed project period and be based on the cost of implementing the proposed program.

When making final award decisions, OJJDP will factor geographic coverage, serving underserved populations, including rural and tribal communities, and the peer review http://www.crimesolutions.gov/ http://www.ojjdp.gov/MPG/ http://www.nationalmentoringresourcecenter.org/ http://www.justice.gov/defendingchildhood/cev-rpt-full.pdf http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/defendingchildhood/pages/attachments/2014/11/18/finalaianreport.pdf http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/defendingchildhood/pages/attachments/2014/11/18/finalaianreport.pdf http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14685 http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=14685 http://sites.nationalacademies.org/dbasse/claj/implementing_juvenile_justice_reform/ http://findyouthinfo.gov/youth-topics/reconnecting-youth/performance-partnership-pilots process. All awards are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and to any modifications or additional requirements that may be imposed by law.

Type of award26. OJJDP expects to make any award from this solicitation in the form of a grant.

Financial management and system of internal controls. If selected for funding, the award recipient must:

(a) Establish and maintain effective internal control over the federal award that provides reasonable assurance that the nonfederal entity is managing the federal award in compliance with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal award. These internal controls should be in compliance with guidance in “Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government” issued by the Comptroller General of the United States and the “Internal Control Integrated Framework”, issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).

(b) Comply with federal statutes, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the federal awards.

(c) Evaluate and monitor the nonfederal entity's compliance with statute, regulations, and the terms and conditions of federal awards.

(d) Take prompt action when instances of noncompliance are identified including noncompliance identified in audit findings.

(e) Take reasonable measures to safeguard protected personally identifiable information and other information the federal awarding agency or pass-through entity designates as sensitive or the nonfederal entity considers sensitive consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding privacy and obligations of confidentiality.

In order to better understand administrative requirements and cost principles, award applicants are encouraged to enroll, at no charge, in the Department of Justice Grants Financial Management Online Training available here.

Budget Information

Cost sharing or match requirement. This solicitation does not require a match. However, if a successful application proposes a voluntary match amount, and OJP approves the budget, the total match amount incorporated into the approved budget becomes mandatory and subject to audit.

Preagreement cost approvals. OJP does not typically approve pre-agreement costs; an applicant must request and obtain the prior written approval of OJP for all such costs. If approved, pre-agreement costs could be paid from grant funds consistent with a grantee’s approved budget, and under applicable cost standards. However, all such costs prior to

26 See generally 31 U.S.C. §§ 6301-6305 (defines and describes various forms of federal assistance relationships, including grants and cooperative agreements (a type of grant)).

http://gfm.webfirst.com/ award and prior to approval of the costs are incurred at the sole risk of an applicant.

Generally, no applicant should incur project costs before submitting an application requesting federal funding for those costs. Should there be extenuating circumstances that appear to be appropriate for OJP’s consideration as pre-agreement costs, the applicant should contact the point of contact listed on the title page of this announcement for details on the requirements for submitting a written request for approval. See the section on Costs Requiring Prior Approval in the Financial Guide, for more information.

Limitation on use of award funds for employee compensation; waiver. With respect to any award of more than $250,000 made under this solicitation, recipients may not use federal funds to pay total cash compensation (salary plus cash bonuses) to any employee of the award recipient at a rate that exceeds 110 perecent of the maximum annual salary payable to a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service (SES) at an agency with a Certified SES Performance Appraisal System for that year.27 The 2015 salary table for SES employees is available at the Office of Personnel Management website. Note:

A recipient may compensate an employee at a greater rate, provided the amount in excess of this compensation limitation is paid with non-federal funds. (Any such additional compensation will not be considered matching funds where match requirements apply.)

The Assistant Attorney General for OJP may exercise discretion to waive, on an individual basis, the limitation on compensation rates allowable under an award. An applicant requesting a waiver should include a detailed justification in the budget narrative of the application. Unless the applicant submits a waiver request and justification with the application, the applicant should anticipate that OJP will request the applicant to adjust and resubmit the budget.

The justification should include the particular qualifications and expertise of the individual, the uniqueness of the service the individual will provide, the individual’s specific knowledge of the program or project being undertaken with award funds, and a statement explaining that the individual’s salary is commensurate with the regular and customary rate for an individual with his/her qualifications and expertise, and for the work to be done.

Prior approval, planning, and reporting of conference/meeting/training costs. OJP strongly encourages applicants that propose to use award funds for any conference-, meeting-, or training-related activity to review carefully – before submitting an application

– the OJP policy and guidance on conference approval, planning, and reporting. OJP policy and guidance (1) encourage minimization of conference, meeting, and training costs; (2) require prior written approval (which may affect project timelines) of most such costs for cooperative agreement recipients and of some such costs for grant recipients; and (3) set cost limits, including a general prohibition of all food and beverage costs.

Costs associated with language assistance (if applicable). If an applicant proposes a program or activity that would deliver services or benefits to individuals, the costs of taking reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to those services or benefits for individuals with limited English proficiency may be allowable. Reasonable steps to provide meaningful access to services or benefits may include interpretation or translation services where appropriate.

27 This limitation on use of award funds does not apply to the non-profit organizations specifically named at Appendix

VIII to 2 C.F.R. part 200.

http://ojp.gov/financialguide/index.htm http://ojp.gov/financialguide/PostawardRequirements/chapter15page1.htm

For additional information, see the "Civil Rights Compliance" section under “Solicitation Requirements” in the OJP Funding Resource Center.

C. Eligibility Information

For additional eligibility information, see the title page.

Cost sharing or match requirement. For additional information on cost sharing and match requirement, see Section B. Federal Award Information.

Limit on number of application submissions. If an applicant submits multiple versions of the same application, OJJDP will review only the most recent system-validated version submitted. For more information on system-validated versions, see How To Apply.

D. Application and Submission Information

What an Application Should Include

Applicants should anticipate that if they fail to submit an application that contains all of the specified elements, it may negatively affect the review of their application; and, should a decision be made to make an award, it may result in the inclusion of special conditions that preclude the recipient from accessing or using award funds pending satisfaction of the conditions.

Moreover, applicants should anticipate that applications that are determined to be nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, do not request funding within the funding limit, or that do not include the application elements that OJJDP has designated to be critical, will neither proceed to peer review nor receive further consideration. Under this solicitation, OJJDP has designated the following application elements as critical: Program Narrative, Budget Detail Worksheet or Budget Narrative.

Applicants should review the “Note on File Names and File Types” under How To Apply to be sure that they submit their applications in the permitted formats.

OJP strongly recommends that applicants use appropriately descriptive file names (e.g., “Program Narrative,” “Budget Detail Worksheet and Budget Narrative,” “Timelines,” “Memoranda of Understanding,” “Resumes”) for all attachments. Also, OJP recommends that applicants include resumes in a single file.

1. Information to Complete the Application for Federal Assistance (SF-424)

The SF-424 is a required standard form used as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications, applications, and related information. Grants.gov and OJP’s Grants Management System (GMS) take information from the applicant’s profile to populate the fields on this form. When selecting "type of applicant," if the applicant is a for-profit entity, select "For-Profit Organization" or "Small Business" (as applicable).

Intergovernmental review. This funding opportunity is subject to Executive Order 12372. Applicants may find the names and addresses of their state’s Single Point of http://ojp.gov/funding/index.htm http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html http://www.archives.gov/federal-register/codification/executive-order/12372.html

Contact (SPOC) at this website. Applicants whose state appears on the SPOC list must contact their state’s SPOC to find out about, and comply with, the state’s process under Executive Order 12372. In completing the SF-424, applicants whose state appears on the SPOC list are to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19 once the applicant has complied with their state’s E.O. 12372 process. (Applicants whose state does not appear on the SPOC list are to make the appropriate selection in response to question 19 to indicate that the “Program is subject to E.O. 12372 but has not been selected by the State for review.”)

2. Project Abstract

Applications should include a high-quality project abstract that summarizes the proposed project in 400 words or less. Project abstracts should be— written for a general public audience.

submitted as a separate attachment with “Project Abstract” as part of its file name.

single-spaced, using a standard 12-point font (Times New Roman) with 1-inch margins.

As a separate attachment, the project abstract will not count against the page limit for the program narrative.

The abstract should briefly:

describe the project’s purpose, the population to be served (youth with disabilities, youth in foster care, or LGBTQ youth).

describe the activities that the applicant will implement to achieve the project’s goals and objectives.

describe how the applicant will measure progress toward these goals.

document that the organization has been in operation for at least 3 years.

list the active chapters and subawardees and states where the grant funded program will take place.

demonstrate experience working with the targeted underserved population.

indicate what category the applicant is applying to.

indicate whether the applicant will use any portion of the project budget to conduct research, as described in Note on Project Evaluations on page 22.

All project abstracts should follow the detailed template.

Permission to share project abstract with the public. It is unlikely that OJJDP will be able to fund all promising applications submitted under this solicitation, but it may have the opportunity to share information with the public regarding promising but unfunded http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants_spoc/ http://ojp.gov/funding/Apply/Resources/ProjectAbstractTemplate.pdf applications, for example, through a listing on a webpage available to the public. This public posting would allow other possible funders to become aware of such proposals.

The abstract template asks applicants to indicate whether they give OJP permission to share their project abstract (including contact information) with the public. Granting (or failing to grant) this permission will not affect OJP’s funding decisions, and, if the application is not funded, granting permission will not guarantee that abstract information will be shared, nor will it guarantee funding from any other source.

Note: OJP may choose not to list a project that otherwise would have been included in a listing of promising but unfunded applications, should the abstract fail to meet the format and content requirements noted above and outlined in the project abstract template.

3. Program Narrative

Applicants must submit a program narrative that presents a detailed description of the purpose, goals, objectives, strategies, design, and management of the proposed program.