FY26 NOFA for OAA O2O final 12_16_24.pdf

Telephone Reassurance Program NOFA – FY2026

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Older Americans Act Funded Services Telephone Reassurance

NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY (NOFA*)

*This NOFA is for the provision of services at the regional level.

PROJECT PROPOSAL DEADLINE: February 3, 2025

Atlanta Regional Commission Aging and Independence Services Department 229 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 100 International Tower Atlanta, Georgia 30303

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS

NOTIFICATION OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY (NOFA)

1. Important Information

1.1. RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATION WITH ARC

1.2. Pre-Proposal Conference

1.3. Amendments

1.4. Proposal Withdrawal

1.5. Submitting the Proposal

1.6. Rejection of Proposals and Cancellation of NOFA

2. Overview

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Purpose

2.3. Service to be Funded

2.4. Program Goals/Overview

Award Terms

2.5. Period of Award

2.6. Expectations of Awarded Applicants

2.7. Monitoring Expectations for Subcontractors

2.8. Renewal Considerations

2.9. Funding Variance

2.10. Certifications, Assurances, and Requirements

3. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

3.1. Proposal Evaluation

4. Proposal Narrative

General Instructions

4.1. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

4.2. SERVICE PROPOSAL

4.3. BUDGET PROPOSAL

5. Appendix A

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NOTIFICATION OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY (NOFA)

1. Important Information

The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the metro Atlanta Area Agency on Aging, issues this Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) and is the sole point of contact. This NOFA is for delivery/administration of regional services. The ARC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or to award in whole or in part if deemed to be in the best interest of ARC to do so. The Executive Director and CEO of the ARC has authority to award contracts or agreements to the Applicants that offer the best proposal, cost and other factors considered.

To be considered for grant funding, applicants must submit a proposal in response to this NOFA to bid to provide the service listed. The service can be delivered directly by applicant staff or through directly supervised volunteers of the grantee.

It is to be noted that the Atlanta Regional Commission has been the only direct service provider of One2One Telephone Assurance program supported with Older Americans Act (OAA) funding.

The ARC does intend to apply for this NOFA.

Applicants must electronically submit all items included in the proposal through the portal at:

https://atlantaregional.org/procurement/ . A response will be automatically generated to acknowledge receipt of your proposal.

All data must be uploaded and received by 5:00 PM EST February 3, 2025. Late proposals will not be accepted.

To be considered for selection, applicants must submit a complete response to this NOFA, including the Proposal Response Template, Financial Components Workbook, DHS pre award Risk Assessment Form, Applicant Transmittal Cover Page, and must upload all attachments in a zip file according to directions provided in the NOFA posting. The contents of the proposal submitted by the successful Applicant will become a part of any contract awarded.

DATE DESCRIPTION

Thursday, January 2, 2025 NOFA Open

Thursday, January 9, 2025 Pre-Proposal Conference [virtual] 11:00 am – 12:30 pm EST

Monday, January 13, 2025 Questions due by 5:00 pm EST to Tamika Brown, tbrown@atlantaregional.org

Wednesday, January 15, 2025 Questions and answers posted to ARC website by 5:00 pm EST

Monday, February 3, 2025 Proposals due by 5:00 pm EST, submitted via ARC website

Monday, March 10, 2025 Award Announcement by 5:00 pm EST

July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026 Contract Year https://atlantaregional.org/procurement/

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CONFIDENTIALITY AND CONFLICT OF INTEREST

ARC is subject to the Georgia Open Records law. All proposals submitted will become public records to be provided upon request. Any information containing trade secrets or proprietary information, as defined by state law, must be marked as confidential to prevent disclosure. Confidential markings must be limited to the protected information. Entire proposals marked confidential will not be honored.

Additionally, conflicts of interest are governed by the ARC Standards of Ethical Conduct available here:

Standards of Ethical Conduct. Respondents must disclose any potential conflicts of interest that may arise from the provision of the services described herein. Such disclosure should include the name of the individual(s) with whom there is a conflict, any relevant facts to the potential conflict, and a description of the internal controls proposed to mitigate any such conflict. ARC’s Office of General Counsel will determine whether such disclosure presents a potential organizational conflict of interest that should preclude award to the respondent.

1.1. RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATION WITH ARC

All questions regarding ARC’s Older American’s Act (OAA) Funded Services, NOFA must be received via email to Tamika Brown at tbrown@atlantaregional.org by 5:00 PM January 13, 2025. Any questions asked after this date will not be responded to. All questions received via email and those asked at the Pre-Proposal Conference will be posted with responses on the ARC website by 5:00 PM on January 15, 2024.

1.2. Pre-Proposal Conference

A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams from 11:00 am – 12:30 pm EST on January 9, 2025.

Microsoft Teams Join the meeting now Meeting ID: 237 426 390 997 Passcode: UN3JL3eZ

Dial in by phone +1 470-419-6063,,224154248# United States, Atlanta Find a local number Phone conference ID: 224 154 248#

Attendance at the Pre-Proposal Conference is voluntary for responding to this Notice. However, any organization which intends to submit a proposal is highly encouraged to attend. The purpose of the Conference is to provide information regarding the NOFA and to address any questions and concerns regarding the services sought by the ARC through this NOFA.

1.3. Amendments

ARC reserves the right to revise this Notice at any time prior to award. In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this Notice, information regarding revisions will be provided to all Applicants via ARC’s website https://atlantaregional.org/procurement/ https://cdn.atlantaregional.org/wp-content/uploads/arc-standards-of-ethical-conduct.pdf mailto:tbrown@atlantaregional.org https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NTlmNmRmMTktMjVkOC00Y2ViLWFiMjUtMWI2MGUxYjVmMmU4%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%221efd81f5-9e53-4599-9ec3-76e7b5dbdf81%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22525a84c9-b61c-4d5a-9cd0-1ba49f690fa9%22%7d tel:+14704196063,,224154248 https://dialin.teams.microsoft.com/edb7a563-f3fd-4591-ae75-9c0e07abb8a6?id=224154248

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1.4. Proposal Withdrawal

A submitted proposal may be withdrawn prior to the due date by sending a written request to the Issuing Officer, Tamika Brown at tbrown@atlantaregional.org. A request to withdraw a proposal must be signed by an authorized agency representative.

1.5. Submitting the Proposal

All proposals are due by 5:00 pm EST January 30, 2025, and are only accepted electronically through the portal at https://atlantaregional.org/procurement/. All electronic submissions will be time and date stamped according to when the submission is received by the ARC mail server. Any proposals received after this appointed time will be considered late and will not be accepted. The proposal due date can be changed only by addendum.

1.6. Rejection of Proposals and Cancellation of NOFA

ARC reserves the right to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive any irregularity or informality in a proposal, and to accept or reject any item or combination of items, when to do so would be to the advantage of the ARC.

It is also within the right of the ARC to reject proposals that do not contain all elements and information requested in this document. The ARC reserves the right to cancel this Notice at any time. The ARC will not be liable for any cost/losses incurred by the Applicants throughout this process.

2. Overview

2.1. Introduction

The Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Aging Services (DAS) has designated ARC as the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for the 10 county Atlanta region. As such, ARC receives funds through the Older Americans Act and a variety of other public and private grants. The ARC AAA provides a comprehensive and coordinated service delivery system for older adults, adults with disabilities and their caregivers through a combination of ARC Staff directly providing services, managing volunteers who provide direct services, and partnerships with community providers. ARC has the responsibility of developing an Area Plan on Aging which describes the aging service delivery system in detail. The Area Plan, in part, is implemented through contracts negotiated with providers to implement services for the benefit of older adults, adults with disabilities and/or informal caregivers in the 10-county Atlanta region. The 10 counties are Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dekalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale.

2.2. Purpose

The ARC AAA is soliciting proposals from potential applicants interested in and capable of providing a telephone reassurance program for older adults, adults with disabilities, and/or informal caregivers across the 10-county ARC Planning and Service Area of the following counties: Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale for the period of July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026.

2.3. Service to be Funded

This NOFA is to provide the One2One telephone reassurance program to older adult individuals across all 10 Metro Atlanta counties (Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Rockdale).

Services may be provided by volunteers or staff.

mailto:mmurphy@atlantaregional.org

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Telephone Reassurance is defined by DAS as “interaction with individuals by telephone to reduce social isolation, provide support and ensure health and safety.”

This service can be provided by volunteers or staff. Prior to implementation, staff and volunteers are required to complete training (such as HIPAA, mandated reporting, connecting individuals to the ADRC, etc.), and fingerprint-based background checks. There is a minimum expectation of plans for quality assurance, program and participant evaluation, acceptance of client referrals, and informational outreach as part of this service delivery.

Additionally, at a minimum, each client must receive at least two 15-minute calls each week for the duration of their participation in the program. Policy and procedures for receiving client referrals, and onboarding clients must be in place at the time of application.

2.4. Program Goals/Overview

In keeping with the intent of the Older Americans Act, the Georgia Division of Aging Services and ARC Area Agency on Aging, funds will be awarded in accordance with the following goals and objectives:

1. To promote independence and dignity for older adults capable of remaining in their own homes, with appropriate help;

2. To provide services that meet the individual needs and health-related goals of older adults, adults with disabilities, and caregivers;

3. To decrease isolation of older adults;

4. To provide emotional support;

5. To provide older adults with a sense of assurance that they are not alone;

6. To provide coping strategies for caregivers, when applicable;

7. To ensure general health and safety of clients enrolled in the program;

8. To share resources and information for older adults by professionals/experts in the field of aging.

Program Funding The amount of the grant awards under this NOFA are contingent upon receipt of funds from the Georgia Department of Human Services for the Older Americans Act. No matching funds are required by the Grantee.

The available funding detailed in this NOFA are one-year projections based on planning allocations received for Fiscal Year 2026. The projections are subject to change based on the actual Federal allocations received by ARC. As shown in Appendix A.

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Award Terms

2.5. Period of Award

This NOFA covers a 12-month period beginning on July 1, 2025, and ending on June 30, 2026. The contract resulting from this NOFA process is contingent on the availability of funds from the Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Aging Services (DAS). The terms and conditions of the contract with DHS and any subsequent policy decisions, laws or regulations shall be applied to the Grantee chosen through this process. The Atlanta Regional Commission may terminate the contract due to non-availability of funds, due to default, or for convenience.

2.6. Expectations of Awarded Applicants

If awarded, Grantee will be expected to:

• Attend ARC meetings and trainings designed for the Aging Services Provider Network

• Participate in ARC’s onsite and/or virtual financial and program monitoring

• Meet all required fiscal and programmatic deadlines

• Comply with Federal and State fingerprint and background check guidelines

• Use the system of record as identified by ARC for recording of all services and invoicing

• Spend down all awarded funds by the contract deadline

• Adhere to all required reporting schedules

• Provide the service as agreed upon by ARC and Grantee statement of work

• Comply with all relevant Federal and State requirements

2.7. Monitoring Expectations for Subcontractors

The awardee is required to monitor their subcontractors, if applicable, using any Online Directives Information System (ODIS) review tools, fidelity and monitoring tools from the program developers, and other guides as provided by DHS DAS/ARC. The awardee is also responsible for ensuring that their procurement process for subcontracting meets ARC guidelines and that all contracts drawn up with subcontractors include all the requirements as established by ARC.

ARC will review those completed monitoring reports during ARC site visits for monitoring. ARC is not required by the state of Georgia to provide any notice of monitoring and must not provide more than 48 hours’ notice.

This includes both programmatic and financial monitoring of services. Monitoring of all services must take place before June 30th of each fiscal year.

2.8. Renewal Considerations

There is no option for a renewal of the one-year contract for this NOFA. This is a NOFA for a 12-month contract.

2.9. Funding Variance

If funding to the ARC AAA is reduced and reduction of Grantee award levels is deemed necessary by ARC, ARC will determine a reduction strategy. ARC may reduce funding to the Grantee on a straight percentage basis.

Alternatively, ARC may reduce or eliminate services ARC deems to not be effectively delivered or for other

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ARC further reserves the right to amend contracts based on project service levels and/or other performance factors to assure there will be cost effective service provision.

2.10. Certifications, Assurances, and Requirements

Grantee will comply with all applicable Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia DHS, and Administration for Community Living and other relevant Federal and State laws, standards, guidelines, policies, and procedures.

Detailed information concerning the laws, regulations, program standards and guidelines in the delivery of Home and Community Based Services (non-Medicaid) is available at the following:

Federal: U.S. Administration for Community Living /Administration on Aging web page Administration on Aging | ACL Administration for Community Living

Georgia: ODIS GA DHS/Division of Aging Services HCBS Manual (direct download) available at https://odis.dhs.ga.gov/General

Program Legislation, Regulation, Program Standards, and/or Guidelines

• Older Americans Act: https://acl.gov/about-acl/authorizing-statutes/older-americans-act

• Criminal History Investigations (ODIS MAN5600, Sect 3036)

• Other rules, regulations, standards, and transmittals promulgated by the State of Georgia and any AAA program directives

The Grantee will be required to submit the following documentation prior to contract execution:

• General Financial Requirements and Assurances (most recent Single Audit, or financial statements as applicable);

• Required Certificates of Insurance with ARC as a named party;

• Subcontractor Approval Form (if applicable);

• Assurance of Compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;

• Assurance of Compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as Amended, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990;

• Disclosure of Lobbying Activities Form;

• Certifications Regarding Debarment, Suspension and Other Responsibility Matters; Drug-Free

Workplace Requirements and Lobbying;

• Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Business Associate Agreement;

• Procurement process and procedures for subcontracting to include notices of such procurement and copy of RFP and/or bidding process, if applicable;

• Listing of all individuals participating in telephone reassurance activities

• Verification of fingerprint-based background checks for all staff and volunteers participating in telephone reassurance activities

• Such other documentation as ARC determines is needed to successfully execute the Grantee’s contract.

https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/administration-aging https://odis.dhs.ga.gov/General/Home/DownloadDoc/4005188 https://acl.gov/about-acl/authorizing-statutes/older-americans-act http://odis.dhs.ga.gov/ViewDocument.aspx?docId=3006019&amp%3Bamp%3Bamp%3Bamp%3Bamp%3BverId=1

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These forms are not to be submitted as part of the proposal but will be required as a part of the contract documents for the successful awardee.

3. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

3.1. Proposal Evaluation

All proposals will be evaluated using the criteria specified below with the relative weights shown in parenthesis. Selection will include an analysis of proposals by an Evaluation Committee that will review the proposal submittals in accordance with the submittal requirements and the evaluation criteria set forth below. The committee may request oral interviews and/or site visits. ARC reserves the right to award this contract based on initial proposals received without formal interviews. An award will not necessarily be based on cost alone. Other factors, as detailed in the Notice, will be considered in determining what proposal will be deemed to best meet the needs of ARC.

Organizational capacity (50): responses will be scored on a scale based on amount of detail and clarity of the topics below:

• Anticipated number of volunteers to be recruited if applicable

• Anticipated number of clients assigned to a volunteer if applicable and/or assigned to a staff person.

• Description of the personnel who will implement the program/manage volunteers (if applicable);

this should include a position description

• Description of program supervision, including position description(s) of any supervisor/manager responsible for program oversight.

• Outreach plan to promote services to older adults in greatest socioeconomic need

• Identified and designated staff responsible for administration of this grant, to include, but not limited to:

o Volunteer outreach and recruitment;

o Volunteer training;

o Volunteer onboarding;

o Client onboarding;

o Monthly programmatic reporting;

o Required data entry into the DAS Data System, including activities as well as invoicing for services provided.

• Breadth of existing relationships with potential volunteer outreach sites in all 10 counties if applicable

• Established implementation infrastructure including a staff person with at least five years volunteer management experience to oversee the program;

• Experience with oversight of telephone reassurance programs in Metro Atlanta counties;

• Continuous training and professional development for staff (and volunteers, as applicable)

• Established process for HIPAA compliant data collection and reporting required by ARC and

Georgia DHS

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• Technology to ensure interested individuals can access virtually offered volunteer training and onboarding.

• Emergency preparedness plan for weather related emergencies, fires, pandemics, and other disasters or emergencies

• Expertise and experience in serving older persons, adults with disabilities, and caregivers, including the evaluation of services provided under any previous ARC grant (as applicable).

Service proposed (30): responses will be scored on a scale based on amount of detail and clarity of the criteria below:

• Responses clearly indicate why the service is needed

• Responses clearly indicate your experience in delivering telephone reassurance programs

• Including the intended dissemination of in-person and virtually delivered volunteer training

• Description of how the service will be provided including how clients will be recruited, the process by which clients can be referred, the evaluation of clients

Budget (20): responses will be scored on a scale based on amount of detail and clarity of the topics below:

• The budget provides an accurate assessment of all costs associated with project/program activities as outlined in the Unit Cost methodology manual.

• The budget includes a comprehensive Unit* Cost for all expenses related to the telephone reassurance service to be delivered and the proposed number units of service (1 unit = 15 minutes of service) at a minimum of twice per week per client the grantee expects to deliver over the project period

• The budget corresponds to the descriptions in the narrative and demonstrates the capacity to carry out program activities in a cost-efficient manner comparable to regional rates and past level of service delivery

• The financial risk assessment tool is validated by the finance manager at ARC

• The cost per unit as determined using the Uniform Cost Methodology (UCM) is reasonable and customary for the region.

• Review of financial management under any previous ARC grants, including funding left unspent.

** DHS DAS Taxonomy of Services for more information: https://odis.dhs.ga.gov/General - Division of Aging Services; Man5600; Appendix F: Taxonomy of Services https://odis.dhs.ga.gov/General

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4. Proposal Narrative

General Instructions To be considered for selection, applicants must submit a complete response to this NOFA online via https://atlantaregional.org/procurement/ . The contents of the proposal submitted by the successful applicant will become a part of any contract awarded because of these specifications. The answers to all questions must be completed using the Narrative Response Form (template) and the Financial Components Workbook. Refer to the online NOFA Directions document for complete instructions.

Section 5.1: Every proposal must complete the Organizational Capacity section.

Section 5.2: Complete the questions for the proposed service.

Section 5.3: Complete the Budget Narrative, Budget Summary, and Uniform Cost Methodology (UCM) spreadsheet.

Section 5.4: Complete the Applicant Transmittal Cover Page and submit all required documentation from the checklist.

4.1. ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY

1) How many years has your organization had experience in providing and overseeing the delivery of Telephone Reassurance Programs?

2) Who, at your agency, will be responsible for the administration of this grant? What is their experience with volunteer management, and outreach to target populations?

a) Identify the number of full-time equivalents (FTEs) by job titles that will be devoted to this project

3) Does your organization have the capacity to deliver program during non-traditional business hours (e.g. after 6:00pm on weekdays and on weekends) to meet the availability of participants?

4) What is your average reach for telephone reassurance programming that you are currently implementing (e.g. number of volunteers engaged, number of clients receiving service, etc.)

5) Do you intend to collaborate with any outside agency(ies) or organization(s) in the implementation of this grant? If so, please describe which organizations and how you intend to collaborate.

6) What outreach, in addition to an agency website or social media, will you conduct to ensure that those most in need of this service are made aware of it? Please be specific in describing your outreach plan.

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7) In addition to general outreach for program participant and volunteer, what strategies will you use to specifically identify and engage older individuals in greatest socioeconomic need as defined by the OAA?

8) How do you identify and engage older adults in telephone reassurance programming?

9) How will you use this grant to ensure consistent volunteer engagement for clients who are identified as lonely or socially isolated?

10) What is your experience with participant data collection, data entry, and reporting?

11) Describe how your organization will ensure that they will work with the ARC to effectively resolve issues related to service delivery and clients.

12) Describe your steps for quality assurance. Include your process for:

a) monitoring of any subcontractors

b) continuous quality improvement

c) ways in which you plan to support volunteers once they are in service, if applicable.

13) The awarded grantee must ensure that all O2O data is collected, and services are reported using the appropriate format established by DHS/DAS and/or the AAA. AAA staff will provide reporting and data entry training when necessary. Data collection and reporting activities may include data entry into WellSky DAS Data System (DDS), pre/post participant surveys, and quarterly and annual reports. The grantee must designate at least one staff member as the point person who will attend all applicable DDS training and be responsible for transmitting that learning back to all those who use the system in your organization. Describe how you will ensure all staff needing access to DDS will be trained internally and monitored to ensure they are recording all data properly for telephone reassurance programs.

4.2. SERVICE PROPOSAL

4.2.1. TELEPHONE REASSURANCE FOR SOCIALLY ISOLATED OLDER ADULTS

1) For the proposed project year indicate:

a) The number of volunteers you will recruit, if applicable.

b) The number of clients you will identify and place into service.

c) The number of projected service hours to clients per month

2) How will you recruit and what is your process for onboarding volunteers, if applicable?

3) How will you receive referrals and what is your process for onboarding clients?

4) How many clients will you recruit and pair with volunteers and/or staff?

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5) How will your agency determine volunteer satisfaction, if applicable?

6) How will your agency determine client well-being and satisfaction?

7) Describe how you will resolve any client issues effectively and timely.

8) How will you ensure telephone reassurance is delivered with adherence to program requirements?

9) Describe your organization’s policies or procedures concerning client confidentiality and HIPAA compliance.

10) When, how, and how often will you meet with your trained volunteers, if applicable?

11) When, how, and how often will you plan to check in with telephone reassurance clients?

12) Finally, please explain how and why you came to the decision to apply for this NOFA, and what makes your agency the best to successfully oversee the administration of this grant.

4.3. BUDGET PROPOSAL

All Applicants must submit the Financial Components Workbook, which consists of the Budget Narrative, the Budget Summary form, and the Uniform Cost Methodology (UCM) spreadsheet for personnel, program materials, training needs, program administration and coordination, licensing, training, and support.

Instructions for the UCM spreadsheet are attached in the NOFA posting. Each Applicant will develop separate unit cost for each service (each workshop type) to be provided. ARC will consider the unit costs in negotiating contract expectations with the awardee.

Applicants must decide which services they are offering, how many units and unduplicated persons each program will serve based on the total allocation.

The budget for this service the Applicant is proposing to provide must be developed for the time period beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026.

5. Appendix A

The amount of the grant award under this NOFA is contingent upon ARC’s receipt of funds from Federal and/or State sources. The available funding detailed in this NOFA is a one-year projection based on planning allocations received for Fiscal Year 2025. The projection is subject to change based on the actual allocation received by ARC. The funds indicated below will be distributed to one grantee as determined by the ARC and/or the independent application review panel.

PLANNING ALLOCATIONS: $121,00.00

Multi-County/Regional Allocation: to provide services in all 10 Planning and Service Area counties

4.3. BUDGET PROPOSAL

5. Appendix A