HHS_2021_ACL_AOD_DDCI_0105.pdf

Administration for Community Living

Administration on Disabilities

Community Based Transition Partnership Implementation

HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DDCI-0105

07/11/2021

Table of Contents Executive Summary

Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary

I. Funding Opportunity Description

II. Award Information

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants

2. Cost Sharing or Matching

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria

IV. Application and Submission Information

1. Address to Request Application Package

2. Content and Form of Application Submission

Letter of Intent

Project Narrative

Summary/Abstract

Problem Statement (Project Relevance and Current Need)

Goals and Objectives

Proposed Approach

Special Target Populations and Organizations

Outcomes

Project Management (Organizational Capacity)

Evaluation (Project Impact)

Dissemination

Organizational Capability (Organizational Capacity)

BUDGET NARRATIVE / JUSTIFICATION

WORK PLAN

LETTERS OF COMMITMENT

3. Submission Dates and Times

4. Intergovernmental Review

5. Funding Restrictions

6. Other Submission Requirements

V. Application Review Information

1. Criteria

2. Review and Selection Process

3. Anticipated Announcement Award Date

VI. Award Administration Information

1. Award Notices

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements

3. Reporting

4. FFATA and FSRS Reporting

VII. Agency Contacts

VIII. Other Information

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (P.L. 104-13)

Appendix

Instructions for Completing Required Forms

Budget Narrative/Justification- Sample Format

Instructions for Completing the Project Summary/ Abstract

ACL Center:

Administration on Disabilities Funding Opportunity Title:

Community Based Transition Partnership Implementation Funding Opportunity Number:

HHS-2021-ACL-AOD-DDCI-0105

Primary CFDA Number:

93.632 Due Date for Letter of Intent:

Due Date for Applications:

07/11/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

06/15/2021 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration. You are strongly encouraged to submit your application a minimum of 3-5 days prior to the application closing date. Do not wait until the last day in the event you encounter technical difficulties, either on your end or, with https://www.grants.gov. Grants.gov can take up to 48 hours to notify you of a successful submission.

Executive Summary Additional Overview Content/Executive Summary AoD seeks to fund up to five (5) three-year implementation grants for existing UCEDDs to convene partnerships in states that will implement plans to ensure community integration, through equitable and sustainable community-based transition pilots for youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities ID/DD including those from unserved and/or underserved communities transitioning to community living.

https://www.grants.gov/

Understanding the growing need to improve youth transition services, Congress appropriated additional funds to the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD) program to support Community Based Transition partnerships. For decades, UCEDDs have trained university students, practicing professionals, direct service providers, and policy makers in meeting the needs of individuals of all ages with ID/DD. They have launched a range of clinical services such as dental health, behavioral health, adult literacy, and pediatric care. Additionally, UCEDDs have made significant contributions through research to improve the quality of life for youth and adults with ID/DD. Furthermore, UCEDDs work on a variety of issues to improve the transition of youth and young adults with ID/DD. They are experienced at working with non-profit, community-based service provider organizations. With this additional funding, UCEDDs will be able to improve transition practices. UCEDDs are in a unique position to advance promising practices leading to better transition experiences for youth and adults with ID/DD including those from unserved and/or underserved communities.

I. Funding Opportunity Description Background:

Starting early in life, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD) and their families often manage the complex work of navigating multiple delivery systems that provide services, resources, and supports to meet their needs to live and thrive in the community.

With the onset of early adolescence, navigating these systems becomes even more complex as students start the transition process for life after school.

Youth transition services are intended to prepare students for successful transition and full integration to community living; however, when students with ID/DD and families begin the process, many find it difficult to follow and unresponsive to their needs. Unfortunately, many students exit school without pre-employment skills, plans for employment, placement in postsecondary education, or adequate health care in place. A significant number directly enter segregated institutions, including day programs and sheltered workshops, often earning sub-minimum wages, which limits integration and participation in community life.

Data from the National Longitudinal Transition Studies (NLTS1 &NLTS2) indicated that post -school outcomes for youth with disabilities are lower than their peers without disabilities in education, employment and independent living. Specifically, those who come from culturally and linguistically diverse background are even further behind. Findings from NLTS2 indicated African Americans (48%) and Hispanic (53.6%) individuals with disabilities were less likely to be employed up to 8 years after graduating from high school compared to their white peers with disabilities (65.5%). Additionally, African American and Hispanic young adults with disabilities reported making a lower hourly wage and received fewer benefits (e.g. health insurance) through their jobs than their white peers with disabilities. [1] There are systemic challenges to achieving a seamless transition to participation in community living, including a lack of:

Direct service providers (DSP) to support living independently;

Access to safe, affordable, and accessible housing;

Post-secondary and employment opportunities;

Adequate health care services; and Affordable, accessible transportation.

Further, the nature of the developmental disability delivery systems, which are often fragmented, is complex and challenging. Payments for services may come from different sources, and each service has its own eligibility rules and requirements. [2] All have been exacerbated by COVID- 19 and are most evident in unserved and underserved communities, including urban and rural areas.[3] Without effective transition services, youth with ID/DD face a cliff at the end of their school experience, often falling off that cliff with few opportunities to live independently in the community.

The weaknesses across youth transition services leave many unserved and/or underserved.

Improvements to youth transition services are needed to facilitate changes and better coordinate supports across a wide range of services including health care, social supports, leisure, career guidance, housing, education, financial literacy, and employment. Significant improvements will lead to positive post-school outcomes including community living for youth and adults with ID/DD across racial, ethnic, and cultural groups.

Understanding the growing need to improve youth transition services, Congress in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020 appropriated additional funds to the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research and Service (UCEDD) program to support Community-Based Transition partnerships. The Administration for Community Living (ACL) funded 10 community-based transition partnership planning grants to the following UCEDDs:

ARIZONA- Northern Arizona University GEORGIA- University of Georgia IOWA – University of Iowa KANSAS- University of Kansas MISSISSIPPI- University of Southern Mississippi NEW YORK- University of Rochester SOUTH CAROLINA - University of South Carolina TENNESSEE- Vanderbilt University WASHINGTON, DC – Georgetown University WISCONSIN – University of Wisconsin

These grants focused on various areas related to transition, including transition to employment, adult health care, and parenting.

In FY 2021, Congress appropriated additional funds for the UCEDD community-based partnership transition projects. ACL intends to build off the work started through the planning grants and continue to support these community-based transition partnership projects by funding up to five three-year implementation grants. Through this funding opportunity, ACL seeks to increase:

Community integration of youth and adults with ID/DD in unserved and underserved communities through more culturally competent, coordinated, and sustainable community-based transition services and supports.

Independence, social capital, self-determination, community integration, and participation of youth and adults with ID/DD in unserved and underserved communities transitioning to community living.

This project supports AoD priorities of:

o Promoting health equity, o Achieving economic security and mobility, o Protecting rights and preventing abuse, and o Empowering individuals, communities, families.

It will also support the Administration’s priorities to address the COVID-19 pandemic, racial inequities, and the American economy. ACL recognizes that strengthening the transition process for youth with ID/DD is a critical component to addressing multiple inequities and creating better opportunities for living well in the community.

Project Description and Required Activities:

The Administration on Disabilities (AoD) seeks to fund up to five three-year Community-Based Transition Partnership Implementation (CBT) grants to existing UCEDDs that were previous recipients of the FY 2020 community-based transition partnership planning grants. Applicants should respond to this funding announcement by submitting proposals that describes the approach they will take, if funded, to lead the community-based transition partnerships convened under the planning grants in the implementation of a sustainable, culturally competent community-based transition pilot for youth and young adults with ID/DD, including those from unserved and/or underserved communities. Applicants should explain how they plan to implement the required activities outlined in this subsection below along with any other activities they deem necessary to achieve the outcomes for this funding opportunity.

1. Community-based Partnership

Applicants should describe how the community-based transition partnership (the partnership) will continue to be supported and engaged to implement the plan for the community-based transition pilot. The partnership must continue to be led by a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, and Service (42 U.S.C. 15061 et seq.) and include but not be limited to, the following:

Non-profit community-based service provider organization(s) Consumer Advisory Council (CAC) affiliated with the UCEDD Local businesses or local governments or other key stakeholders State self-advocacy organization Youth and adults with ID/DD State DD Partners

The application should describe the plan for ensuring the group is diverse with regard to race, religion, ethnicity, disability, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, location, and other factors not listed. This group will meet regularly to inform the project’s workplan and activities, and applicants should ensure they budget appropriately for every youth to fully participate in these meetings, including the cost of reasonable accommodations, virtual meeting platforms, and potentially stipends for the young adults’ time. Applicants should describe whether they will recruit new members and how they will be recruited to ensure diversity.

The application should describe the methods planned for ensuring active and meaningful engagement of all partnership members in all aspects of the project.

The application should describe a plan of operation for how the partnership will be managed to ensure the goals and objectives for the project are achieved, including how they will use a consensus-based, participatory process in implementing the plan and carrying out the activities of the project.

A signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the applicant and members of the consortium must be submitted as part of the application. The MOUs should specify expectations of consortium member participation.

The application should describe how the members of the partnership participated in the development of the application.

2. Implementation of the Community-based Pilot

The application should describe the overall approach for implementing the plan developed for the community-based pilot, including how the pilot will be managed. This should include a workplan that clearly outlines an overall implementation strategy and methodology that will support accomplishing specific measurable goals and objectives for each year of the three-year project period. This workplan should include a timeline that identifies key personnel to implement each phase of the plan. The applicant should also provide the quantitative projections of the accomplishments to be achieved and a chronological order of key milestones with target dates including the sequence and timing of activities for each of the partners.

3. Evaluation to assess progress and determine outcomes from the project

The application should describe how process evaluation techniques will be used to analyze implementation of the plan and project activities to determine, among other things: (a) the extent to which the plan and project is implemented as planned, (b) the barriers to implementation, and

(c) areas for project improvements/refinements. The applicant will also describe how summative evaluation techniques will be used to determine project success in meeting the intended outcomes of the project in terms of an increase in the:

Community integration of youth and adults with ID/DD in unserved and underserved communities through more culturally competent, coordinated, and sustainable community-based transition services and supports.

Independence, social capital, self-determination, community integration, and participation of youth and adults with ID/DD in unserved and underserved communities transitioning to community living.

The evaluation should also describe the successful components of the community-based transition model for replication.

4. Resource Development and Knowledge Translation

The application should describe the plan for developing resources needed to support implementation of the community-based transition pilot as well as to share information about the community-based transition model with general public and amongst the UCEDDs. The application should describe how the partnership will be utilized in making the information developed under this project available to the general public. The applicant should also provide a plan to disseminate findings from this project for implementation in other sites and/or states.

5. Sustainability

An expected outcome of this project will be sustainability of the community-based transition model. During the project, efforts should be made to generate the sufficient resources and strategies for organizational and financial sustainability to ensure work remains viable and current.

[1]Lipscomb, S., Haimson, J., Liu, A.Y., Burghardt, J., Johnson, D.R., & Thurlow, M.L.

(2017). Preparing for life after high school: The characteristics and experiences of youth in special education. Findings from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012. Volume 2:

Comparisons across disability groups: Full report (NCEE 2017-4018). Washington, DC: U.S.

Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Evaluation and Regional Assistance.

Newman, L., Wagner, M., Knokey, A. M., Marder, C., Nagle, K., Shaver, D., & Schwarting, M.

(2011). The post-high school outcomes of young adults with disabilities up to 8 years after high school (A report from the National Longitudinal Transition Study–2 [NLTS2; NCSER 2011- 3005]). Menlo Park, CA: SRI International.

[2] Successful Transitions: A Report of the NCIOM Task Force on Transitions for People with Developmental Disabilities, July 2017; http://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-54.4.260.

[3] https://www.rutgers.edu/news/impact-covid-19-underserved-communities

Statutory Authority AoD is the lead agency in ACL, HHS for administering the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (DD Act of 2000) (42 U.S.C. 15001, et seq.). The DD Act authorizes under Subtitle D University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities for Education, Research, and Service (UCEDDs) section 152:

"(d) ADDITIONAL GRANTS.-- For any fiscal year in which each Center described in subsection (a) receives a grant award of not less than $500,000 under subsection (a) (adjusted in accordance with subsection (b)), after making the grant awards, the Secretary may make grants under section 151(a) for activities described in section 153(a) to additional Centers, or http://doi.org/10.1352/1934-9556-54.4.260 https://www.rutgers.edu/news/impact-covid-19-underserved-communities additional grants to Centers, for States or populations that are unserved or underserved by Centers due to such factors as (1) population; (2) a high concentration of rural or urban areas;

or (3) a high concentration of unserved or underserved populations."

II. Award Information Funding Instrument Type:

G (Grant) Estimated Total Funding:

$ 750,000 Expected Number of Awards:

Award Ceiling:

$ 250,000 Per Budget Period

Award Floor:

$ 125,000 Per Budget Period

Length of Project Period:

36-month project period with three 12-month budget periods Additional Information on Project Periods and Explanation of 'Other' The Administration on Disabilities seeks to fund up to five, three-year Community-Based Transition Partnership Implementation (CBT) grants to existing UCEDDs that were previous awardees of the FY20 Community-Based Transition Partnership Planning grants. These awardees will continue to lead state partners in the implementation of sustainable and equitable community-based transition pilots for youth and adults with ID/DD across racial, ethnic, and cultural groups, inclusive of those from unserved and/or underserved communities and urban or rural areas transitioning to community living.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants Entities eligible to apply for funds under this funding opportunity announcement are the 67 current AoD grantees that are designated as UCEDDs. Applications will only be accepted from the 67 UCEDDs listed at https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/national-network-university. Applications from other entities not designated as a current UCEDD will not be reviewed. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement:

Yes For awards that require matching or cost sharing by statute, recipients will be held accountable for projected commitments of non-federal resources (at or above the statutory requirement) in their application budgets and budget justifications by budget period, or by project period for fully funded awards. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/national-network-university https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/national-network-university non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to provide the statutorily required matching or cost sharing amount (and any voluntary committed amount in excess) 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, recipients are not expected to provide cost sharing or matching. However, recipients are allowed to voluntarily propose a commitment of non-federal resources. If an applicant decides to voluntarily contribute non-federal resources towards project costs and the costs are accepted by ACL, the non-federal resources will be included in the approved project budget. The applicant will be held accountable for all proposed non-federal resources as shown in the Notice of Award (NOA). A recipient's failure to meet the voluntary amount of non-federal resources that was accepted by ACL as part of the approved project costs and that was identified in the approved budget in the NOA, may result in the disallowance of federal funds. Recipients will be required to report these funds in the Federal Financial Reports.

2.A. General Cost Sharing / Matching Requirement: Yes Under this ACL program, ACL will fund no more than 75% of the project’s total cost, which means the applicant must cover at least 25% of the project’s total cost with non-federal resources. In other words, for every three (3) dollars received in federal funding, the applicant must contribute at least one (1) dollar in non-federal resources toward the project’s total cost.

This “three-to-one” ratio is reflected in the formula included under Item 18 in the “Instructions for Completing Requested Forms.” You can use this formula to calculate your minimum required match. A common error applicant often make is to match 25% of the federal share, rather than 25% of the project’s total cost.

There are two types of match: 1) non-federal cash and 2) non-federal in-kind. In general, costs borne by the applicant and cash contributions of any and all third parties involved in the project, including sub-grantees, contractors, and consultants, are considered matching funds. Volunteered time and use of facilities to hold meetings or conduct project activities may be considered in-kind (third party) donations. Examples of non-federal cash match includes budgetary funds provided from the applicant agency’s budget for costs associated with the project. ACL encourages you to not exceed the minimum match requirement. Applications with a match greater than the minimum required will not receive additional consideration under the review.

Match is not one of the responsiveness criteria as noted in Section III, 3 Application Screening Criteria.

Additionally, UCEDD grantees are required to meet a non-federal share of the project cost, in accordance with Section 154(d) of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000.

2 B. Reduced Match Section 154 (d)(2) of the DD Act states:

In the case of a project whose activities or products target individuals with developmental disabilities who live in an urban or rural poverty area, as determined by the Secretary, the Federal share of the cost of the project may not be more than 90 percent of the necessary costs of the project, as determined by the Secretary.

DEFINITIONS

Poverty area: Census tracts or block numbering areas (BNAs) where at least 20 percent of residents are below the poverty level.

Urban Area: Collective term referring to all areas that are urban. For Census 2000, there are two types of urban areas: urban clusters and urbanized areas.

Urban Cluster (UC): A densely settled territory that has at least 2,500 persons but fewer than 50,000.

Urbanized Area (UA): An area consisting of a central place(s) and adjacent territory with a general population density of at least 1,000 persons per square mile of land area that together have a minimum residential population of at least 50,000 persons. The U.S. Census Bureau uses published criteria to determine the qualification and boundaries of UAs.

Rural: Territory, population and housing units not classified as urban. Rural classification cuts across other hierarchies and can be in metropolitan or non-metropolitan areas. Rural can include frontier, which are places having a population density of six or fewer persons - per square mile.

TWO-TIER ELIGIBILITY SYSTEM FOR REDUCED MATCH

To meet the requirements in the DD Act, AoD has developed a system that UCEDDs can use to request a reduced match on the core grant. Such a request is optional and not a requirement for UCEDDs.

AoD will use a two-tiered system for determining eligibility for the reduced match:

Tier 1: UCEDDs in States where the poverty rate is equal to or greater than the official national poverty rate would automatically qualify for the reduced match.

Tier 2: UCEDDs in States with a poverty rate not equal to or greater than the official national poverty rate would have to show that the UCEDD activities target individuals with developmental disabilities in urban or rural poverty areas. In doing so, the UCEDD would demonstrate that at least 25 percent of the UCEDD projects target individuals with developmental disabilities who live in urban and rural poverty areas by providing the following information to AoD:

1. The current State poverty rate;

2. A full listing of all the UCEDD's current projects [this can be generated from the

National Information Reporting System (NIRS)];

3. Identify which UCEDD activities are targeting individuals with developmental disabilities living in urban and rural poverty areas by stating whether the UCEDD activity is associated with any of the Urban and Rural Poverty Indicators listed in the announcement or is targeted for individuals with developmental disabilities in an urban and rural poverty area through some other means.

A UCEDD seeking to establish eligibility for a reduced match through means other than showing an activity is associated with one or more of the Urban and Rural Poverty Indicators must include in its application other information that establishes that its activities are targeted to benefit individuals with developmental disabilities in an urban or rural poverty area.

Because there are no federal poverty rates for Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands, these jurisdictions can qualify for the reduced match by establishing that the UCEDD activity is associated with any of the Urban and Rural Poverty Indicators listed in the announcement or is targeted for individuals with developmental disabilities in an urban or rural poverty area through some other means.

The table below shows the Urban or Rural Poverty Indicators that will be used to determine eligibility for the reduced match.

Urban and Rural Poverty Indicators

Description

Empowerment Zones and Enterprise Communities

(EZ/EC)

Areas designated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as communities with high rates of poverty. The UCEDD project would have to be implemented in an EZ/EC.

Food Stamps The Food Stamp Program helps low-income people and families buy the food they need for good health. The UCEDD project would have to target individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their families who receive food stamps.

National School Lunch Program (NSLP) - also referred to as Free and Reduced Lunch Program

NSLP is a federally assisted meal program operating to provide low-cost or free lunches to children. The UCEDD project would have to be implemented in a school that qualifies for the NSLP.

Head Start The Head Start program provides grants to local public and private non-profit and for-profit agencies to provide comprehensive child development services to economically disadvantaged children and families. The UCEDD project would have to work with a Head Start program.

Housing Assistance The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has a variety of housing assistance programs, such as Section 8 housing assistance programs. The UCEDD project would have to target individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their families who are receiving Federal housing assistance

Medicaid Title XIX of the Social Security Act is a Federal/State entitlement program that pays for medical assistance for certain individuals and families with low incomes and resources. The UCEDD project would have to target individuals with Developmental Disabilities and their families who are Medicaid-eligible.

Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

SSI is designed to help aged, blind and disabled people, who have little or no income. It provides cash to meet basic needs for food, clothing and shelter. The UCEDD project would have to target individuals with Developmental Disabilities who are SSI recipients.

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

TANF is a federal poverty program that provides assistance and work opportunities to needy families through grants to States.

The UCEDD project would have to target individuals with ID/DD, children with ID/DD, and their families who are TANF recipients.

Other The UCEDD may provide other indicators of poverty not included in this list. The UCEDD would have to provide adequate information to justify use of the 'other' category. In doing so, the UCEDD will have to demonstrate the project is targeting individuals with developmental disabilities in rural and urban poverty areas. AoD will determine the adequacy of the justification for eligibility for a reduced match.

In accordance with the DD Act of 2000, AoD will review all the information submitted by the UCEDD to determine eligibility for the reduced match.

SUGGESTED FORMAT FOR SUBMITTING INFORMATION TO AOD

To streamline the process, below is a suggested format for submitting the information to AoD.

Official National Poverty Rate 11.5

State Poverty Rate

UCEDD Project Title and Description Indicators of Poverty

Provide Name of Project and project description List name of poverty program targeted by project

Of the total UCEDD projects, the percent that is targeting individuals with developmental disabilities living in urban and rural poverty areas

Fill in percentage

STATES IN TIER 1 and TIER 2 Below is a list of the States that fall into Tier1 and Tier 2.

Tier 1

State Percent

Louisiana 19.1

Mississippi 19.1

New Mexico 17.2

West Virginia 15.6

Arkansas 15.0

Alabama 14.7

Kentucky 14.2

District of Columbia 13.7

North Carolina 13.6

Georgia 13.3

Florida 12.9

Texas 12.7

Ohio 12.4

Oklahoma 12.4

Nevada 12.2

Arizona 12.1

New York 12.1

Tennessee 12.1

Alaska 11.8

Maine 11.5

United States 11.5

Tier 2

California 11.4

Indiana 11.1

Missouri 11.0

Michigan 10.7

South Dakota 10.6

Pennsylvania 10.5

Wyoming 10.5

Illinois 10.4

Kansas 10.4

Nebraska 10.3

Montana 10.1

North Dakota 10.1

Idaho 10.0

Oregon 9.8

Rhode Island 9.8

Connecticut 9.7

Virginia 9.7

Hawaii 9.4

Massachusetts 9.2

Colorado 9.1

Vermont 9.0

Washington 8.8

Wisconsin 8.7

Iowa 8.6

New Jersey 8.2

Delaware 7.6

Utah 7.6

Maryland 7.5

Minnesota 7.4

New Hampshire 5.6

3. Responsiveness and Screening Criteria Application Responsiveness Criteria Entities eligible to apply for funds under this funding opportunity announcement are the 67 current AoD grantees that are designated as UCEDDs. Applications will only be accepted from the 67 UCEDDs listed at https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/national-network-university. Applications from other entities not designated as a current UCEDD will not be reviewed. Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for or receive awards made under this announcement.

Application Screening Criteria All applications will be screened to assure a level playing field for all applicants. Applications that fail to meet the three screening criteria described below will not be reviewed and will receive no further consideration.

In order for an application to be reviewed, it must meet the following screening requirements:

1. Applications must be submitted electronically via http://www.grants.gov by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time, by the due date listed in section IV.3 Submission Dates and Times.

2. The Project Narrative section of the Application must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” plain white paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Calibri or Arial.

3. The Project Narrative must not exceed 40 pages. Project Narratives that exceed 40 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 40 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. NOTE: The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Project Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 40-page limit.

Unsuccessful submissions will require authenticated verification from http://www.grants.gov indicating system problems existed at the time of your submission. For example, you will be required to provide an http://www.grants.gov submission error notification and/or tracking number in order to substantiate missing the application deadline.

IV. Application and Submission Information

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

Please note, ACL requires applications for all announcements to be submitted electronically through http://www.grants.gov in Workspace. Grants.gov Workspace is the standard way for https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/national-network-university https://acl.gov/programs/aging-and-disability-networks/national-network-university http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ http://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.acl.gov/grants/applying-grants http://www.grants.gov/ organizations and individuals to apply for federal grants in Grants.gov. An overview and training on Grants.gov Workspace can be found here at:

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

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

Eastern Time.

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

All applicants must have a DUNS number (https://fedgov.dnb.com/webform/) and be registered with the System for Award Management (SAM, www.sam.gov) and maintain an active SAM registration until the application process is complete, and should a grant be made, throughout the life of the award. Effective June 11, 2018, when registering or renewing your registration, you must submit a notarized letter appointing the authorized Entity Administrator. Please be sure to read the FAQs located at www.sam.gov to learn more. Applicants should allot sufficient time prior to the application deadline to finalize a new, or renew an existing registration. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award. Maintain documentation (with dates) of your efforts to register or renew at least two weeks before the deadline. See the SAM Quick Guide for Grantees at:

https://www.sam.gov/SAM/pages/public/help/samQUserGuides.jsf.

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. This action should allow you time to resolve any issues that may arise. Failure to comply with these requirements may result in your inability to submit your application or receive an award.

Note: Failure to submit the correct EIN Suffix can lead to delays in identifying your organization and access to funding in the Payment Management System.

Effective October 1, 2010, HHS requires all entities that plan to apply for and ultimately receive federal grant funds from any HHS Operating/Staff Division (OPDIV/STAFFDIV) or receive subawards directly from the recipients of those grant funds to:

1. Register in SAM prior to submitting an application or plan;

2. Maintain an active SAM registration with current information at all times during which it has an active award or an application or plan under consideration by an OPDIV; and

3. Provide its DUNS number in each application or plan to submit to the OPDIV.

Additionally, all first-tier subaward recipients must have a DUNS number at the time the subaward is made.

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

Since October 1, 2003, The Office of Management and Budget has required applicants to provide a Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number when applying for federal grants or cooperative agreements. It is entered on the SF-424. It is a unique, nine-digit identification number, which provides unique identifiers of single business entities. The DUNS number is free and easy to obtain.

Organizations can receive a DUNS number at no cost by calling the dedicated toll-free DUNS Number request line at 866-705-5711.

You must submit all documents electronically, including all information included on the SF424 and all necessary assurances and certifications. In accordance with the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce reporting burden for recipients of federal financial assistance, the general certification and representation requirements contained in the Standard Form 424B (SF-424B) – Assurances – Non-Construction Programs, and the Standard Form 424D (SF-424D) – Assurances – Construction Programs, have been standardized federal-wide.

Effective January 1, 2020, the updated common certification and representation requirements will be stored and maintained within SAM. Organizations or individuals applying for federal financial assistance as of January 1, 2020, must validate the federally required common certifications and representations annually through SAM located at SAM.gov.

After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement from https://www.grants.gov that containshttps://www.grants.gov tracking number. The Administration for Community Living will retrieve your application form fromhttps://www.grants.gov.

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

Pamela O'Brien Office of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Phone Number: (202) 795-7417 E-mail: pamela.obrien@acl.hhs.gov

2. Content and Form of Application Submission Letter of Intent Applicants are requested, but not required, to submit a letter of intent to apply for this funding opportunity to assist ACL in planning for the application independent review process. The purpose of the letter of intent is to allow our staff to estimate the number of independent reviewers needed and to avoid potential conflicts of interest in the review. Letters of intent should be sent to:

Project Narrative The Project Narrative must be double-spaced, on 8.5” x 11” paper with 1” margins on both sides, and a standard font size of no less than 11 point, preferably Calibri or Arial. You can use smaller font sizes to fill in the Standard Forms and Sample Formats. The suggested length for the Project https://www.grants.gov/ https://www.grants.gov/ mailto:pamela.obrien@acl.hhs.gov

Narrative is 40 pages; 40 pages is the maximum length allowed. Project Narratives that exceed 40 pages will have the additional pages removed and only the first 40 pages of the Project Narrative will be provided to the merit reviewers for funding consideration. The Project Work Plan, Letters of Commitment, and Vitae of Key Personnel are not counted as part of the Project Narrative for purposes of the 40-page limit, but all the other sections noted below are included in the limit.

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

Summary/Abstract Problem Statement (Project Relevance and Current Need) Goal(s) and Objective(s) Proposed Approach Special Target Populations and Organizations Outcomes Project Management (Organizational Capacity) Evaluation (Project Impact) Dissemination Organizational Capability (Organizational Capacity)

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

Problem Statement (Project Relevance and Current Need) This section should describe, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, the nature and scope of the particular transition problems or gaps in existing transition services and models, the proposed transition model is designed to address, including how the project will potentially impact transitioning youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities transitioning to community living.

Goals and Objectives This section should consist of a description of the project’s goal(s) and major objectives. Unless the project involves multiple, complex strategies, we recommend you have only one overall goal.

Proposed Approach This section should provide a clear and concise description of the “Approach” you are proposing to use to address the problem described in the “Problem Statement.” You should also describe the rationale for using the particular approach, including factors such as “lessons learned” from similar projects previously tested in your community or in other areas of the country and factors in the larger environment that have created the “right conditions” for the approach (e.g., existing social or economic factors that you’ll be able to take advantage of, etc.). Also note any major barriers you anticipate encountering, and how your project will be able to overcome those barriers. Be sure to describe the role and makeup of any strategic partnerships you plan to involve in implementing the Community based transition Plan for the pilot, including community based non-profit organizations, state DD partners, state self-advocacy organizations; the UCEDD’s Consumer Advisory Council (CAC); youth and adults with ID/DD; and local businesses or local governments.

Special Target Populations and Organizations This section should describe how you plan to involve the state partner non-profit community based organization(s), youth and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, the consumer advisory council (CAC) affiliated with the UCEDD, state self-advocacy organizations, state/local businesses or government organizations or other state/local DD organizations in a meaningful way in the planning and development of the proposed project. This section should also describe whether and how the proposed transition pilot will target youth and adults with ID/DD across racial, ethnic, and cultural groups and in unserved and underserved communities, including limited-English speaking communities, and rural and urban areas.

Outcomes This section of the project narrative must clearly identify the measurable outcome(s) that will result from the project. (NOTE: ACL will not fund any project that does not include measurable outcomes). This section should also describe how the project’s findings might benefit the field at large, (e.g., how the findings could help other organizations throughout the nation to address the same or similar problems.) List measurable outcomes in the optional work plan grid (“Project Work Plan – Sample Template”) under “Measurable Outcomes” in addition to any discussion included in the narrative along with a description of how the project might benefit the field at large.

A “measurable outcome” is an observable end-result that describes how an intervention benefits consumer. It demonstrates the functional status, mental well-being, knowledge, skill, attitude, awareness or behavior.) It can also describe a change in the degree to which consumers exercise choice over the types of services they receive, or whether they are satisfied with the way a service is delivered. Additional examples include: a change in the responsiveness or cost effectiveness of a service delivery system; a new model of support or care that can be replicated in the ACL network; new knowledge that can contribute to the field of community living; a measurable increase in community awareness; or a measurable increase in persons receiving services. A measurable outcome is not a measurable “output”, such as: the number of clients served; the number of training sessions held; or the number of service units provided.

You should keep the focus of this section on describing what outcome(s) will be produced by the project. You should use the Evaluation section noted below to describe how the outcome(s) will be measured and reported.

Your application will be scored on the clarity and nature of your proposed outcomes, not on the number of outcomes cited. It is totally appropriate for a project to have only ONE outcome that it is trying to achieve through the intervention reflected in the project’s design.

Project Management (Organizational Capacity) This section should include a clear delineation of the roles and responsibilities of project staff, consultants and partner organizations, and how they will contribute to achieving the project’s objectives and outcomes. It should specify who would have day-to-day responsibility for key tasks such as: leadership of project; monitoring the project’s on-going progress (i.e., measure of performance towards the goals stated in the funding opportunity announcement and for your specific intervention/activities), preparation of reports; communications with other partners and ACL. It should also describe the approach that will be used to monitor and track progress on the project’s tasks and objectives.

Evaluation (Project Impact) This section should describe the specific outcomes (e.g., changes in clients, organizations, and/or communities) expected as a result of this funding as well as method(s), techniques and tools that will be used to: 1) determine whether the proposed approach achieved its anticipated outcome(s), and 2) document the “lessons learned” – both positive and negative - from the project that will be useful to people interested in replicating the transition pilot, if it proves successful.

Dissemination This section should describe the method that will be used to disseminate the project’s results and findings in a timely manner and in easily understandable formats to parties who might be interested in using the results of the project to inform practice, service delivery, program development, and/or policy-making, including and especially those parties who would be interested in replicating the project.

Organizational Capability (Organizational Capacity) Each application should include an organizational capability statement and vitae for key project personnel. The organizational capability statement should describe how the applicant agency (or the division of a larger agency which will have responsibility for this project) is organized, the nature and scope of its work and/or the capabilities it possesses. It should also include the organization’s capability to sustain some or all project activities after federal financial assistance has ended.

This description should cover capabilities of the applicant agency, such as any current or previous relevant experience and/or the record of the project team in preparing cogent and useful reports, publications, and other products. If appropriate, include an organizational chart showing the relationship of the project to the current organization. Please attach short vitae for key project staff only. Neither vitas nor an organizational chart will count towards the narrative page limit.

Also include information about any contractual organization(s) that will have a significant role(s) in implementing project and achieving project goals.

BUDGET NARRATIVE / JUSTIFICATION

The Budget Narrative/Justification can be provided using the format included in the document, “Budget Narrative/Justification – Sample Format.” Applicants are encouraged to pay particular attention to this document, which provides an example of the level of detail sought. A combined multi-year Budget Narrative/Justification, as well as a detailed Budget Narrative/Justification for each year of potential grant funding is required.

WORK PLAN

The Project Work Plan should reflect and be consistent with the Project Narrative and Budget. It should include a statement of the project’s overall goal, anticipated outcome(s), key objectives, and the major tasks / action steps that will be pursued to achieve the goal and outcome(s). For each major task / action step, the work plan should identify timeframes involved (including start-and end-dates), and the lead person responsible for completing the task. Please use the “Project Work Plan - Sample Template” format as a reference and resource, if desired.

LETTERS OF COMMITMENT

Include signed letters confirming the commitments to the project (should it be funded) made by key collaborating organizations and agencies in this part of the application. Any organization that is specifically named to have a significant role in carrying out the project should be considered an essential collaborator. These signed letters of commitment should be included as attachments with your application submittal.

3. Submission Dates and Times Number Of Days from Publication 60

07/11/2021 Date for Informational Conference Call:

06/15/2021 Applications that fail to meet the application due date will not be reviewed and will receive no further…