HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1941.pdf

Administration for Children and Families

Administration on Children, Youth and Families - Family and Youth Services Bureau

Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants - Special Issue Resource

Centers (SIRCs)

HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1941

Application Due Date: 06/28/2021

Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants - Special Issue Resource

Centers (SIRCs)

HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1941

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview Executive Summary

I. Program Description II. Federal Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Other

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

3. Unique Entity Identifier and System for Award Management

(SAM)

4. Submission Dates and Times

5. Intergovernmental Review

6. Funding Restrictions

7. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement and Federal Award Dates

VI. Federal Award Administration Information

1. Federal Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

VII. HHS Awarding Agency Contact(s) VIII. Other Information

Department of Health & Human Services Administration for Children and Families

Funding Opportunity Title: Family Violence Prevention and

Services Discretionary Grants - Special Issue Resource Centers (SIRCs)

Announcement Type: Initial Funding Opportunity Number: HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1941 Primary CFDA Number: 93.592 Due Date for Letter of Intent: 06/11/2021 Due Date for Applications: 06/28/2021

Executive Summary

Notice:

Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the entire funding opportunity announcement (FOA) carefully and observe the application formatting requirements listed in Section IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission.

For more information on applying for grants, please visit "How to Apply for a Grant" on the ACF Grants & Funding Page at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto.

The Family Violence Prevention and Services Discretionary Grants for Special Issue Resources Centers (SIRCs) will be awarded to four eligible entities or SIRCs, that are national in scope and shall provide information, training and technical assistance to state and local domestic violence service providers. Each SIRC shall focus on enhancing domestic violence intervention and prevention efforts in at least one of the following areas: 1) criminal and civil justice systems; 2) child protective services and child custody; 3) health care systems; or 4) mental health systems. These resource centers are part of a network of National and SIRCs providing leadership and support to programs serving victims of domestic violence and their children.

Each of the four SIRCs will be part of a network of National, Special Issue, Culturally Specific, and Capacity Building Resource Centers providing leadership, training, technical assistance, resources, and support to programs and systems serving victims of domestic violence and their children.

I. Program Description

Statutory Authority The statutory authority is Section 310 of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act, as amended. See 42 U.S.C. 10410(a)(2)(A)(ii), (b)(2)(A) through (D), and (c)(1).

Description http://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto

History and Purpose of FVPSA FVPSA provides the primary federal funding stream dedicated to the support of emergency shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence and dating violence (also known as intimate partner violence or IPV), as well as their dependents.

First authorized as part of the Child Abuse Amendments of 1984 (Pub.L. 98–457), FVPSA became the first federal commitment to creating a pathway to safety for survivors of domestic violence and their children. FVPSA has been amended eight times and was most recently reauthorized in December 2010 for 5 years by the CAPTA Reauthorization Act of 2010 (42 U.S.C. 10401 - 10414).

Since 1984, Congress has continued to make its intent clear that FVPSA funds be used to raise awareness of domestic violence, prevent its occurrence, provide services to victims and their children, and support domestic violence providers to enhance their responses through training and technical assistance.

Specifically, FVPSA's statutory purposes are to:

1. Assist states and Indian tribes in efforts to increase public awareness about and primary and secondary prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence;

2. Assist states and Indian tribes in efforts to provide immediate shelter and supportive services for victims of family violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and their dependents;

3. Provide for a national domestic violence hotline; and

4. Provide for technical assistance and training relating to family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence programs to states and Indian tribes, local public agencies (including law enforcement agencies; courts, and legal, social service, and health care professionals), nonprofit private organizations (including faith-based and charitable organizations, community- based organizations, and voluntary associations), tribal organizations, and other persons seeking such assistance and training.

FVPSA is administered by the FVPSA Program, located in the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB), a division of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF).

FYSB administers the following mandatory FVPSA formula grants to: 1) states and territories,

2) tribes, and 3) state domestic violence coalitions. FVPSA grants are awarded to every state and territory, and to over 200 tribes. Funds awarded to states, territories, and tribes reach more than 1,600 local public, private, nonprofit and faith-based organizations and programs demonstrating outcomes in the field of domestic violence services and prevention. These domestic violence programs provide victims of family, domestic, and dating violence, and their children with shelter, safety planning, crisis counseling, information and referral, legal advocacy, and additional support services.

Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN) The SIRCs will be a part of FYSB's Domestic Violence Resource Network (DVRN), a nationwide network composed of National Resource Centers, Special Issues Resource Centers, Culturally Specific Special Issue Resource Centers, and Emerging Issue Capacity Building Centers focused on the intervention and prevention of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence. The DVRN will provide information, resources, training, and technical assistance to improve the capacity of individuals, organizations, governmental agencies, local communities, tribes, and tribal organizations, to prevent family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and to provide evidence-informed intervention services. As part of the DVRN, the SIRCs will work collaboratively to share their national expertise and deliver domestic violence and dating violence related training and technical assistance. While FYSB SIRC grantees are members of the DVRN, they will maintain independent governance of their own organizations, but will be required to share their expertise with other DVRN members, actively participate in the coordination of technical assistance, attend semi-annual DVRN meetings, and work collaboratively to develop resources as needed. All DVRN resource centers are expected to conduct their activities in an accessible, linguistically appropriate, culturally responsive, and trauma informed manner, and to proactively focus their activities to address racial inequities that exist for survivors of domestic violence, both within victim services and other systems related to the issue areas of the specific resource center. DVRN resource centers actively work to ensure access to services for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) and Two-Spirit survivors and their children, and to ensure that no person shall on the basis of actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under, any program or activity funded in whole or in part through FVPSA, in accordance with FVPSA regulations at 45 CFR part 1370

(a) and (c).

Special Issue Resource Centers (SIRCs) Through this FOA and in accordance with FVPSA, 42 U.S.C. 10410(a)(2)(A)(ii), the Secretary shall award grants to eligible entities for four SIRCs, which shall be national in scope and shall provide information, training, and technical assistance to State and local domestic violence service providers. Each SIRC shall focus on enhancing domestic violence intervention and prevention efforts in at least one of the following areas:

A. The response of the criminal and civil justice systems to domestic violence victims, which may include the response to the use of the self-defense plea by domestic violence victims and the issuance and use of protective orders.

B. The response of child protective service agencies to victims of domestic violence and their dependents and child custody issues in domestic violence cases.

C. The response of the interdisciplinary health care system to victims of domestic violence and access to health care resources for victims of domestic violence.

D. The response of mental health systems, domestic violence service programs, and other related systems and programs to victims of domestic violence and to their children who are exposed to domestic violence.

The purpose of the SIRCs is to positively influence prevention and intervention efforts for domestic violence and dating violence victims and their families in the four special issue areas by delivering evidence-informed training and technical assistance to those individuals, organizations, communities, institutions, and systems that come into contact with or serve domestic violence victims and their families. SIRCs approaches and efforts must be victim-centered and trauma-informed.

(Note: for the purposes of this FOA, evidence-informed practices bring together the best available research, professional expertise, and input from special issue and intimate partner violence prevention communities to identify and deliver services that have promise to achieve positive outcomes for victims of family violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and their children).

For information on eligibility, please see Section III.1. Eligible Applicants.

SIRC Program Goals

1. Leadership, Organizational Capacity, and Expertise

a. SIRC grantees must demonstrate specialized expertise, organizational capacity, and sustained outcomes working directly on at least one of the following four statutorily defined special issue areas:

i. The response of the criminal and civil justice systems to domestic violence victims, which may include the response to the use of the self-defense plea by domestic violence victims and the issuance and use of protective orders.

(“Criminal and Civil Justice”)

ii. The response of child protective service agencies to victims of domestic violence and their dependents and child custody issues in domestic violence cases. (“Child Protection and Custody”)

iii. The response of the interdisciplinary health care system to victims of domestic violence and access to health care resources for victims of domestic violence.

(“Health”)

iv. The response of mental health systems, domestic violence service programs, and other related systems and programs to victims of domestic violence and to their children who are exposed to domestic violence. (“Mental Health”)

b. The grantees shall lead or contribute to domestic violence prevention or intervention efforts, related to the corresponding specific special issue area, for victims of domestic violence and their dependents. Grantees shall identify, develop, and enhance domestic violence intervention and prevention strategies by fostering evidence-informed practice development, adaptation, and implementation throughout the domestic violence field.

Furthermore, SIRC grantees are expected to develop resources and disseminate information related to evidence-informed intervention/prevention strategies, practice guides, model policies and practices, prevalence statistics, emerging issues, culturally specific populations, lessons learned, and/or special topics.

i. Prevention Definitions:

A. Primary Prevention: Strategies, policies, and programs to stop both first-time perpetration and first-time victimization. Primary prevention is stopping domestic and dating violence before they occur. Primary prevention includes, but is not limited to the following: School-based violence prevention curricula, programs aimed at mitigating the effects on children of witnessing domestic or dating violence, community campaigns designed to alter norms and values conducive to domestic or dating violence, worksite prevention programs, and training and education in parenting skills and self-esteem enhancement.

B. Secondary Prevention: Identifying risk factors or problems that may lead to future family, domestic, or dating violence, and taking the necessary actions to eliminate the risk factors and the potential problem, and may include, but are not limited to, healing services for children and youth who have been exposed to domestic or dating violence, home visiting programs for high-risk families, and screening programs in health care settings.

c. SIRC grantees will join and actively participate in the DVRN. The DVRN will work collaboratively to share their national expertise and deliver domestic violence related training and technical assistance. SIRCs must designate at least one person to participate in the DVRN's technical assistance meetings. Grantees must plan travel expenses for at least one representative to participate in the two DVRN technical assistance meetings each budget period.

d. Grantees shall maintain the organizational capacity to implement the SIRC project, including relevant subject matter expertise (domestic violence, special issue area systems, and as needed for proposed projects), research and evaluation capacity, administrative capacity, project management capacity, national resource center leadership and sufficient staffing to meet project goals and deliverables. Grantees shall maintain clear plans for maintaining organizational capacity and continuity of services during emergency, disaster, and/or pandemic situations and transition of key project staff.

e. SIRCs shall create and implement a plan to maintain up-to-date expertise on the special issues area and domestic violence, including periodic needs assessments of the domestic violence field and special issue area systems in order to identify unmet training and technical assistance needs, including the identification of unaddressed or under addressed topic areas and audiences. This shall include, but not be limited to, completion of a national needs assessment in the first 6 months of project Year 1 and Year 4.

f. Grantees shall ensure that grant approach, workplans, and deliverables are consistent with a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. Grantee will provide a comprehensive community equity plan (or other similar documentation within the application) that demonstrates the processes and policies the grantee has in place to ensure the proactive identification of systemic barriers to opportunities and benefits for people of color and other underserved populations and the strategic incorporation of activities to redress such barriers in ongoing workplans. This plan (or other similar documentation within the application) will also address policies and practices that are in place to ensure that the grant staffing plan supports the capacity to address those disparities in an ongoing, strategic, and culturally responsive manner, especially for particular underserved populations with documented history of long-standing significant disparities related to the topic of the grant.

i. “Underserved” definition: For purposes of this FOA, “underserved population”, “underserved communities” or “people who have been historically underserved” should be read to be consistent with FVPSA statutory and regulatory definitions (at 42 U.S.C. § 10402 (14) and 45 CFR part 1370.2). For reference, the definition at 45 CFR part 1370.2 is given here: “Underserved populations means populations who face barriers in accessing and using victim services, and includes populations underserved because of geographic location, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, underserved racial and ethnic populations, and populations underserved because of special needs including language barriers, disabilities, immigration status, and age. Individuals with criminal histories due to victimization and individuals with substance use disorders and mental health issues are also included in this definition. The reference to racial and ethnic populations is primarily directed toward racial and ethnic minority groups (as defined in section 1707(g) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300(u–6)(g)), which means American Indians (including Alaska Natives, Eskimos, and Aleuts); Asian American; Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders; Blacks and Hispanics. The term ‘‘Hispanic’’ or ‘‘Latino’’ means individuals whose origin is Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central or South American, or any other Spanish speaking country. This underserved populations’ definition also includes other population categories determined by the Secretary [of Health and Human Services] or the Secretary’s designee to be underserved."

g. Ensure that grant approach, workplans, and deliverables are consistent with prohibitions on discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation and proactively support access and redress barriers for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning (LGBTQ) and Two-Spirit survivors and their children and that technical assistance and training in conducted in alignment with FVPSA regulations at 45 CFR part 1370 (a) and (c) requiring that no person shall on the basis of actual or perceived gender identity or sexual orientation be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under, any program or activity funded in whole or in part through FVPSA.

h. As this is a cooperative agreement that will include substantial involvement from the FVPSA Program in FYSB, the SIRC grantees must actively partner with the FVPSA program officers in implementing the resource centers' deliverables. Grantees shall plan conferences, meetings, or major project meetings in conjunction with FYSB to allow participation of FYSB staff. Grantees shall plan to develop, review, and discuss a detailed plan for project implementation, a workplan, a trainings/events schedule, an evaluation schedule, and a plan for reporting on the effectiveness of the project. SIRC grantees will need to plan to partner with FVPSA program officers in the planning, coordination, and implementation of meetings for FVPSA grantees. More information on how FYSB will be involved is included in Section II. Federal Award Information:

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement. Grantees must plan travel to participate in at least one FVPSA Program/FYSB meeting per project period. Grantees must plan to assist FYSB with technical and logistical support of grantee meetings and conferences, including providing insight from first-hand knowledge and experience that can inform planning, analysis, and implementation as related to identified training and technical assistance topics, identifying meeting/conference venues, subcontracting with quality presenters, facilitators and consultants, working with stakeholders to develop an agenda, arranging travel, providing onsite support, and following up on conference evaluations.

2. Training and Technical Assistance

a. SIRC grantees are required to offer and deliver comprehensive and national scope training and technical assistance to enhance the capacity of domestic violence programs, state domestic violence coalitions, tribes, tribal organizations, government agencies, community-based organizations, and public and private systems/institutions to prevent and respond to domestic violence as related to at least one of the four special issues.

b. SIRCs must identify and address current and emerging issues related to family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence through the provision of training and technical assistance that is comprehensive and national in scope. Depending on the special issue area, topics of relevance may include the co-occurrence of HIV and domestic violence;

human trafficking; family/youth homelessness; family self-sufficiency; social capital/community-based supports for families; safe access to child support; service needs of girls/women of color; engaging faith communities; needs of elder victims;

needs of LGBTQ victims, services for male victims; needs of children of all ages who witness violence; maternal health and maternal mortality; trauma-informed support for formerly incarcerated survivors; meeting the needs of survivors with substance use histories; the intersection of intimate partner violence, gun violence, and community violence prevention; and other topics identified as priorities by FYSB and the FVPSA Program.

c. SIRCs shall maintain the capacity to provide virtual training to a range of audiences and audience sizes, including, but not limited to securing the necessary technical tools/platforms and ensuring staff or consultant subject matter expertise on adult learning, instructional design, and learning management systems best practices.

d. Training and technical assistance provided by FYSB grantees shall be victim-centered, trauma-informed, culturally relevant, linguistically appropriate, and age-appropriate, and shall be accessible to victims of domestic violence from diverse and underserved communities, including culturally specific (or racial/ethnic) communities; formerly incarcerated domestic violence victims; victims living with HIV/AIDS; trafficked victims; victims with disabilities; etc. Grantees shall identify population groups that are documented to have particular barriers in accessing services within the special issue area systems and domestic violence field, and ensure that training and technical assistance is designed to address and ameliorate those barriers.

e. SIRCs shall conduct periodic needs assessments of the domestic violence field and special issue area systems in order to identify unmet training and technical assistance needs, including the identification of unaddressed or under addressed topic areas and audiences.

i. Training and Technical Assistance Definitions A. Trainings and presentations are pre-scheduled and provide in-depth information on a particular topic or topics; they can be in person, in a targeted geographic area, over the phone, or online.

B. Technical assistance is specific, detailed guidance and can include phone calls or e-mails on a specific topic, provision of written materials, referrals, review and feedback/comments/advice on materials prepared by individuals or organizations, or on-site visits involving intensive assistance and an exchange of information and resources.

3. Community/FYSB Grantee Engagement

a. SIRCs must have on their Advisory Committee or Board, representatives who are from domestic violence service programs and who are geographically and culturally diverse.

Awardees must demonstrate strong support from domestic violence service programs from across the nation, as appropriate.

b. In order to identify and respond to current and emerging issues, technical assistance requests, adaptation/implementation of promising practices, and increasing service demands, SIRCs shall work in partnership with community-based domestic violence programs, state domestic violence coalitions, FVPSA state administrators, government agencies, tribes, tribal organizations, policymakers, culturally specific organizations, LGBTQ organizations, and other entities involved in assisting community-based programs and victims of domestic violence.

c. In order to ensure that products and activities are appropriately survivor-centered, SIRCs shall create and implement effective strategies to regularly incorporate input and feedback from people with lived experience as survivors of domestic violence and their children into grant activities at multiple points in the implementation process.

d. Grantees must engage public and private systems in conducting needs assessments to address emerging trends, gaps, and accessibility barriers that domestic violence victims may face when accessing services.

4. Policy/Systems Improvement

a. SIRCs shall engage public and private systems/institutions in the special issue area to review, analyze, and improve national, statewide, tribal, or local systemic responses to domestic violence thus minimizing barriers for victims of domestic violence and their children who need to safely access those systems.

b. SIRCs must coordinate systems improvements and policy development/changes collaboratively with community partners and stakeholders to ensure that responses within the special issue area systems are informed by domestic violence victims and service providers and take into consideration any unintended consequences, service gaps, and availability of community resources.

c. Grantees shall collaborate with public and private systems in the special issue area to strengthen and implement policies and institutionalize training to improve accessibility and service outcomes for victims of domestic violence and their children.

5. Research and Evaluation

a. SIRC grantees are expected to conduct or contribute to research on domestic violence prevention or intervention as related to the special issue area. Grantees are expected to integrate the results of research into their training and technical assistance and other activities on an ongoing basis.

b. SIRCs shall review the scope of available research and national standards to identify gaps and key questions for future research opportunities or projects. SIRCs shall review the areas of research and/or specific research questions that may need to be investigated, initial ideas on how to assess the research questions, and any limitations foreseen.

Grantees shall discuss how they will assess the rigor of research identified, and how they will highlight limitations and call attention to future directions for research. Grantees shall discuss the state of the research, and the specific research and knowledge areas to which the cooperative agreement's research and knowledge development activities will contribute. The scope of this review may be limited to the specific expertise of the

SIRC.

c. SIRCs shall build, assess, and promote evidence-informed approaches that improve responses and outcomes for domestic violence and dating violence victims and their children.

d. SIRCs must develop a plan for national distribution of research or findings that integrates the SIRC's area of expertise and shares those findings with the domestic violence field as well as the general public.

e. SIRC grantees must have an evaluation plan to document and assess outputs and outcomes of training and technical assistance for the special issue area/specified target population. All grantees must demonstrate outcomes related to the project objectives, completing the activities proposed in their project plan and documenting overall change.

Measures of outcomes should include success in delivering national scope training and technical assistance that addresses the needs specific to the special issue area as well as documenting changes in knowledge and skills as a result of training and technical assistance efforts. Grantees must have a plan to incorporate the results of evaluation activity to improve future training and technical assistance on an ongoing basis.

f. SIRCs will be required to report on outcomes achieved such as:

i. What is produced because of the project, or the results/outputs.

ii. What is achieved because of the project, or the benefits/outcomes.

iii. What is changed because of the project, or the achievements/outcomes.

6. Public Awareness and Communications

1. SIRCs shall enhance public awareness of domestic violence as related to the relevant special issue area through the development, coordination, and dissemination of campaigns, resources, and information related to intervention/prevention strategies, prevalence statistics, emerging issues, culturally specific populations, or special topics.

Wherever appropriate, grantees shall include information on FYSB-funded domestic violence hotlines (The Hotline, Strong Hearts Native Hotline, Love is Respect) on materials.

2. SIRCs must have a plan for communicating and disseminating information, products, and materials with community-based domestic violence programs, state domestic violence coalitions, FVPSA state administrators, government agencies, tribes, tribal organizations, policymakers, culturally specific organizations, LGBTQ organizations, other entities involved in assisting community-based programs and victims of domestic violence, and the public.

3. SIRCs must gather and create resources to raise awareness and address a range of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention issues, including promising practices, guidelines, and clearinghouse informational materials and make this information available to the domestic violence field.

4. SIRCs shall distribute and develop comprehensive statistics, fact sheets, and specialized resources addressing a range of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence intervention and prevention issues, including emerging topics.

5. SIRCs must distribute and develop materials to support the adaptation of model programs, evidence-informed practices, and exemplary projects.

6. SIRCs must coordinate meetings, conferences, webinars, podcasts, radio shows, campaigns, etc. to share information, resources, and expertise based on the best format for relaying the message or information and reaching the target audience.

7. SIRCs shall organize and participate in national domestic violence and related awareness month activities to increase awareness and understanding of domestic violence and how it intersects with the special issue area and to provide resources and information on how to address intervention and prevention issues within the special issue area.

SIRC Expectations by Special Issues In addition to the core areas of work listed above, the SIRCs focusing on each of the special issue areas are expected to address the following specific issues within the special issue areas as part of their response to enhancing domestic violence intervention and prevention within the given area. These focus areas should be integrated into the overall work of the SIRC, as described above.

Criminal and Civil Justice:

In addition to the activities listed above in Section I. Program Description, SIRC Program Goals, the Criminal and Civil Justice SIRC grantee will be expected to:

Develop tools for and build knowledge of state and local domestic violence organizations through training and technical assistance, research/evidence, guidance, model protocols and policies, promising and best practices, and information and resources, needed to advocate on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children, as well as partner with and train their local and state criminal and civil justice systems to enhance the systemic response to domestic violence and improve outcomes for victims of domestic violence and their children;

Identify and address gaps in service delivery or services/interventions for domestic violence victims, especially those from underserved and marginalized communities, with limited English proficiency, who are overrepresented in the civil and criminal justice systems and/or the domestic violence programs, who have abusers who are incarcerated, who are youth of all ages at risk for incarceration, and others who may not be receiving the services/interventions needed to improve their well-being and safety;

and

Develop and implement strategies to address the needs of domestic violence victims who are currently incarcerated or reentering the community from prison.

Child Protection and Custody:

In addition to the activities listed above in Section I. Program Description, SIRC Program Goals, the Child Protection and Custody SIRC grantee will be expected to:

Increase the capacity (skills, knowledge, and understanding) of domestic violence programs, State domestic violence coalitions, state administrators, child welfare agencies, family courts, and others to respond to domestic violence as it relates to the co-occurring issues such as child abuse and neglect, custody assessments/hearings for families experiencing domestic violence, or establishing visitation or co-parenting agreements for children that have witnessed or experienced violence/trauma;

Address the specific child welfare system impacts on Native American abused parents and their children, including, but not limited to, 1) the Indian Child Welfare Act and other specific laws and policies that apply in such cases, and 2) culturally-based approaches to support such families to avoid child welfare involvement;

Develop training, technical assistance and resources to increase the capacity of survivor parents to navigate through child welfare and custody systems; support the relationship building of nonoffending parents and their children; and

Develop and implement strategies that support economic stability for children from families experiencing domestic violence, such as working with the child support enforcement system to enhance the ability of nonoffending parents to safely access child support in domestic violence cases.

Health:

In addition to the activities listed above in Section I. Program Description, SIRC Program Goals, the Health SIRC grantee will be expected to:

Increase awareness of the short-term and long-term health impacts of domestic violence and best practices for addressing these impacts;

Increase awareness of health policy that includes guidance for addressing/assessing/screening for intimate partner violence and dating violence;

Develop and/or increase access to specialized measures or programmatic options for victims and their children;

Provide technical assistance and develop resources for advocates that discusses the evidence behind domestic violence screening and assessment tools, key considerations for domestic violence screening, assessment, and counseling options with health care providers;

Promote universal education strategies for domestic violence within health care settings and awareness of new tools/screening models such as brochure-based interventions; and

Develop practice and policy guidance and models for health care professionals and/or domestic violence service providers.

Mental Health:

In addition to the activities listed above in Section I. Program Description, SIRC Program Goals, the Mental Health SIRC grantee will be expected to:

Increase awareness of the traumatic impacts of domestic violence, trauma informed systemic responses for supporting domestic violence survivors in clinical and non-clinical settings;

Increase awareness of the impact of substance use coercion and best practices for addressing substance use coercion;

Develop and maintain trauma-informed advocacy tools and resources for supporting adults, children, and youth;

Create opportunities and mechanisms for domestic violence service providers and organizations to learn and network to discuss trauma-informed mental health approaches and identify strategies for challenges of trauma-informed implementation in clinical and nonclinical mental health settings; and

Work to address the vicarious or secondary trauma that impacts service providers and professionals who work with domestic violence victims and their children.

II. Federal Award Information Funding Instrument Type: Cooperative Agreement Estimated Total Funding: $4,400,000 Expected Number of Awards: 4 Award Ceiling: $1,500,000 Per Budget Period Award Floor: $800,000 Per Budget Period Average Projected Award Amount: $1,100,000 Per Budget Period Anticipated Project Start Date: 09/30/2021

Length of Project Periods:

Length of Project Period: 60-month project period with five 12-month budget periods

Additional Information on Awards:

Awards made under this announcement are subject to the availability of federal funds.

Applications requesting an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period, or per project period, as stated in this section, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for the first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period. Please see Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Note: For those programs that require matching or cost sharing, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the required amount of match or cost share. A recipient's failure to provide the required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. See Section III.2. of this announcement for information on cost-sharing or matching requirements.

Description of ACF's Anticipated Substantial Involvement Under the Cooperative Agreement

FYSB shall:

Review, provide feedback on, and approve the project scope, activities, and work plan for the project, as well as the structure and integrity of the resource center. This includes any changes to key personnel on the project.

Propose and approve significant changes to project scope, activities, and work plans, at its discretion.

Review and approve final drafts of all updated or new materials, articles, major publications, and research reports that are developed or distributed with resources made available under this cooperative agreement.

Be involved in the development of long-term strategies for the implementation of the project and participate in major project activities, such as advisory or other leadership committee meetings, conferences, topical meetings, or major project meetings.

Make changes to the project plan in consultation with the grantee, as FYSB determines appropriate.

Keep grantees informed about expectations for performance, current ACF/FYSB policy, and FYSB's vision for addressing family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence.

Organize periodic consultations, meetings, briefings, teleconferences, webinars, and other forums necessary to review current and planned activities, to share information, and to promote national coordination.

FYSB does not anticipate substantial involvement in the grantee’s creation of data collection activities, such as those related to needs assessments, evaluations, and requests for feedback, and grantees are not expected to submit such data collection instruments for program office review and approval. In cases where FYSB is directly involved in the creation of data collection activities under this FOA, data collection will be conducted consistent with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, (44 U.S.C. 3501- 3521) and display a valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number.

The respective responsibilities of FYSB and the successful applicants will be identified and incorporated into the cooperative agreement during the pre-award negotiations.

III. Eligibility Information

III.1. Eligible Applicants

To be eligible to receive a grant to establish or maintain a SIRC under the FVPSA 42 U.S.C.

10410(c)(1), "...an entity shall be a nonprofit private organization that focuses primarily on domestic violence and that - ‘‘(A) Provides documentation to the Secretary demonstrating experience working directly on issues of domestic violence, and (in the case of an entity seeking a grant under subsection (b)(2)) demonstrating experience working directly in the corresponding specific special issue area described in subsection (b)(2);

‘‘(B) Includes on the entity’s advisory board representatives who are from domestic violence service programs and who are geographically and culturally diverse; and ‘‘(C) Demonstrates the strong support of domestic violence service programs from across the Nation for the entity’s designation as a national resource center or a special issue resource center, as appropriate."

Faith-based organizations may apply for this award on the same basis as any other organization, as set forth at and, subject to the protections and requirements of this part and 42 U.S.C. 2000bb et seq., the Department will not, in the selection of recipients, discriminate against an organization on the basis of the organization’s religious character, affiliation, or exercise.

Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. See Section III.3. Other, Application Disqualification Factors.

Faith-based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.

See Section IV.2. Legal Status of Applicant Entity for documentation required to support eligibility.

III.2. Cost Sharing or Matching

Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: No

For all federal awards, any shared costs or matching funds and all contributions, including cash and third-party in-kind contributions, must be accepted as part of the recipient’s cost sharing or matching when such contributions meet all of the criteria listed in 45 CFR § 75.306.

For awards that require matching by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards, even if the projected commitment exceeds the amount required by the statutory match. A recipient’s failure to provide the statutorily required matching amount may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

For awards that do not require matching or cost sharing by statute, where “cost sharing” refers to any situation in which the recipient voluntarily shares in the costs of a project other than as statutorily required matching, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. These include situations in which contributions are voluntarily proposed by a recipient or subrecipient and are accepted by ACF.

Non-federal cost sharing will be included in the approved project budget so that the recipient will be held accountable for proposed non-federal cost-sharing funds as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient’s failure to provide voluntary cost sharing of non-federal resources that have been accepted by ACF as part of the approved project costs and that have been shown as part of the approved project budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

III.3. Other

Application Disqualification Factors Applications from individuals (including sole proprietorships) and foreign entities are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Award Ceiling Disqualification Applications that request an award amount that exceeds the Award Ceiling per budget period or per project period ("per project period" refers only to fully funded awards), as stated in Section II. Federal Award Information, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. This disqualification applies only to the Award Ceiling listed for first 12-month budget period for projects with multiple budget periods. If the project and budget period are the same, the disqualification applies to the Award Ceiling listed for the project period.

Required Electronic Application Submission ACF requires electronic submission of applications at www.Grants.gov. Paper applications received from applicants that have not been approved for an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applicants that do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents to the Internet may contact ACF for an exemption that will allow the applicant to submit applications in paper format. Information and the requirements for requesting an exemption from required electronic application submission are found in "ACF Policy for Requesting an Exemption from Electronic Application Submission" at www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6.

Missing the Application Deadline (Late Applications) The deadline for electronic application submission is 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Electronic applications submitted to www.Grants.gov after 11:59 p.m., ET, on the due date, as indicated by a dated and time-stamped email from www.Grants.gov, will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. That is, applications submitted to www.Grants.gov, on or after 12:00 a.m., ET, on the day after the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Applications submitted to www.Grants.gov at any time during the open application period, and prior to the due date and time, which fail the www.Grants.gov validation check, will not be received at, or acknowledged by, ACF.

Each time an application is submitted via www.Grants.gov, the submission will generate a new date and time-stamp email notification. Only those applications with on-time date and time stamps that result in a validated application, which is transmitted to ACF, will be acknowledged.

https://www.grants.gov https://www.acf.hhs.gov/grants/howto#chapter-6 https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov

The deadline for receipt of paper applications is 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date listed in the Overview and in Section IV.4. Submission Dates and Times. Paper applications received after 4:30 p.m., ET, on the due date will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement. Paper applications received from applicants that have not received approval of an exemption from required electronic submission will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.

Notification of Application Disqualification Applicants will be notified of a disqualification determination by email or by USPS postal mail within 30 federal business days from the closing date of this FOA.

IV. Application and Submission Information

IV.1. Address to Request Application Package

Family and Youth Services Bureau Operations Center c/o F2-Solutions Attn: Family Violence Prevention and Services Program Funding

FON HHS-2021-ACF-ACYF-EV-1941

1401 Mercantile Lane, Suite 401 Largo, MD 20774 Phone: (855) 792-6551 Email: TechAssist@FYSB.net

Electronic Application Submission:

The electronic application submission package is available in the FOA's listing at www.Grants.gov.

Applications in Paper Format:

For applicants that have received an exemption to submit applications in paper format, Standard Forms, assurances, and certifications are available in the "Select Grant Opportunity Package" available in the FOA's Grants.gov Synopsis under the Package tab at www.Grants.gov. See Section IV.2. Request an Exemption from Required Electronic Application Submission if applicants do not have an Internet connection or sufficient computing capacity to upload large documents (files) to www.Grants.gov.

Federal Relay Service:

Hearing-impaired and speech-impaired callers may contact the Federal Relay Service (FedRelay) for assistance at www.gsa.gov/fedrelay.

IV.2. Content and Form of Application Submission mailto:TechAssist@FYSB.net https://www.Grants.gov https://www.Grants.gov http://www.gsa.gov/fedrelay

FORMATTING APPLICATION SUBMISSIONS

Each applicant applying electronically via www.Grants.gov is required to upload only two electronic files, excluding Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms. No more than two files will be accepted for the review, and additional files will be removed. Standard Forms and OMB-approved forms will not be considered additional files.

FOR ALL APPLICATIONS:

Authorized Organizational Representative (AOR) AOR is the designated representative of the applicant/recipient organization with authority to act on the organization’s behalf in matters related to the award and administration of grants. In signing a grant application, this individual agrees that the organization will assume the obligations imposed by applicable Federal statutes and regulations and other terms and conditions of the award, including any assurances, if a grant is awarded.

Point of Contact In addition to the AOR, a point of contact on matters involving the application must also be identified.