PHPA_3107_Safe_Sleep_GBP__RFA_Pre-App_Conference_9.18.24.pdf

Grief and Bereavement Support for Infant and Child Loss, and Infant Safe Sleep Technical Assistance

Request for Applications (RFA) Pre-Application Conference

Prevention and Health Promotion Administration

Maternal and Child Health Bureau

September 18, 2024

MISSION AND VISION

MISSION

The mission of the Prevention and Health Promotion Administration is to protect, promote and improve the health and well-being of all Marylanders and their families through provision of public health leadership and through community-based public health efforts in partnership with local health departments, providers, community based organizations, and public and private sector agencies, giving special attention to at-risk and vulnerable populations.

VISION

The Prevention and Health Promotion Administration envisions a future in which all Marylanders and their families enjoy optimal health and well-being.

Prevention and Health Promotion Administration

Welcome

A summary of the conference and all questions and answers will be distributed to all prospective applicants known to have received the Request for Applications (RFA) and posted on eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) after today’s presentation.

Goal of RFA

The goal of this RFA is to provide access to intervention, counseling, information, and resources for families grieving the sudden unexpected loss of an infant or child; and to reduce infant mortality in

Maryland with a focus on implementing the Safe Sleep

Act of 2024, providing technical assistance and support for implementing infant safe sleep practices.

Purpose of RFA

The State is issuing this solicitation for the purpose of providing funding for two major work areas:

(1) Provide families grieving the sudden unexpected loss of an infant or child access to intervention, counseling, information, and resources; develop a toolkit for public practitioners; maintain a website; create and maintain partnership; and conduct training; and

(2) implement safe sleep prevention activities, including planning the annual Maryland Child and Infant Loss Summit and providing technical assistance on infant safe sleep to Maryland birthing hospitals, pediatric clinics, providers, and childcare facilities.

Call for Applications Overview

Please Read!

• Applicants should read through the entire Request for Applications document, including all attachments.

• An understanding of program standards and requirements is vital for successful applications.

Project Period and Budget

It is the State’s intention to obtain services, as specified in this RFA, from an Agreement between the selected Applicant and the State.

The anticipated duration of services to be provided under this Agreement is nine months (October 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025), with two option years:

• State Fiscal Year 26 (July 1, 2025 -June 30, 2026), and

• State Fiscal Year 27 (July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027).

All future years’ awards are subject to the availability of funding and successful implementation of the services specified in this RFA.

Department intends to make up to two (2) awards total, one award for each of the two key work areas as a result of this RFA.

Applicant Mandatory Requirements

● The Applicant must provide proof with its Application that the following Mandatory Requirements have been met:

• The Applicant shall be a Social organization as defined per

Section 7-402 of the State Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or a local, state government agency, public college or state university.

• For social organization Applicants (not local, state government agency, public college, or state university), the Applicant must be a nonprofit organization, classified by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Applications must include attachments of the following documentation from the applicant: Documentation of tax-exempt status of the Applicant or the Applicant’s fiscal sponsor (i.e., IRS tax exempt status determination letter)

3.2.1 General Requirements

- Applicant will meet all requirements of The Americans with Disabilities Act (https: www.ada.gov/)

3.2.2 Program Development

The Contractor(s) may provide required services for any of two (2) work areas:

A. Component 1: Provide access to intervention, counseling, information, and resources for families grieving the sudden unexpected loss of an infant or child; develop a toolkit for public practitioners; maintain a website; create and maintain partnership;

and conduct training.

B. Component 2: Implement safe sleep prevention activities, including planning the annual Maryland Child and Infant Loss Summit, and providing technical assistance on implementing safe sleep practices and policies to all Maryland birthing hospitals.

3.2.2.1 Component 1: Grief and

Bereavement Intervention Services

3.2.2.1.1 Contractor must offer no cost, grief intervention services to every family who is referred by a State or local Child Fatality Review

(CFR) team, Fetal and Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Team, Maryland

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) or other agencies/organizations.

3.2.2.1.2 Develop, update, and maintain a toolkit for public health practitioners and other providers working with affected families that includes an assessment tool and relevant referral resources, which will be disseminated to LHDs and hospitals, on an annual basis.

3.2.2.1.3 Maintain a website, where resources for families and partners will be made available. The website will also be utilized to conduct outreach for events such as support groups and peer support opportunities. The website will acknowledge the support of grant funds from the Maryland Department of Health. The draft of the website must be approved by the MDH Grant

Monitor prior to publication. A draft of the website will be shared for review within the first 90 days of the contract period.

3.2.2.1.4 Develop outreach materials for families to be made available on the applicant’s website and disseminated via social media and any other promotional mechanisms. The outreach materials will be co-branded with

MDH and must be approved by MDH Contract Monitor prior to dissemination.

3.2.2.1.5 Share all outreach materials with the MDH Grant Monitor for review and approval prior to dissemination.

3.2.2.1.6 Establish and maintain partnership with the Maryland Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME).

3.2.2.1.7 Establish and maintain partnerships with Local Child Fatality

(CFR) and Fetal Infant Mortality Review (FIMR) Teams and the State

Child Fatality Review Team.

3.2.2.1.8 Conduct Trainings

3.2.2.2 Component 2: Infant Safe Sleep

Education, Resources, and Initiatives

3.2.2.2.1 The Applicant will assist the Department to convene and facilitate a Statewide Infant Safe Sleep Planning Committee to plan the Annual Maryland Child and Infant Loss Summit. The Planning

Committee will also review and provide recommendations on the communication materials developed by the Applicant in partnership with the Grant monitor. The MDH Contract Monitor must approve all communication materials developed prior to dissemination.

Membership of the Planning Committee will be determined in partnership with the MDH Grant Monitor. Membership will include subject matter experts, program representatives conducting safe-sleep related work, and those with lived experience.

3.2.2.2.2 The Applicant may compensate Planning Committee

members who have lived experience for their time participating in the Planning Committee, if their place of employment does not provide compensation for the time spent participating.

3.2.2.2.3 Plan and host an Annual Maryland Child and Infant Loss

Summit.

3.2.2.2.4 The Applicant will assist the Department in planning for the annual Child Fatality Review Meeting that consists of members of the

Statewide Child Fatality Review team and local health department

Child Fatality Review and Fetal, Infant Mortality Review Coordinators.

3.2.2.2.5 To support the implementation of components of the Safe Sleep Act of

2024, the Applicant will conduct an annual landscape of Maryland Birthing hospitals’ safe sleep practices. This will be conducted during the first 90 days of the contract period, and be completed annually.

3.2.2.2.6 In collaboration with the MDH Contract Monitor and local health departments, the applicant will develop a list of resources to provide a safe sleep environment, organized by jurisdiction, to be distributed to parents or caregivers prior to discharge from the hospital following a birth. The initial resource list will be developed utilizing the results of a survey conducted by the Department during the

Fall of 2024. The initial draft of the resource list must be shared with the MDH

Contract Monitor by December 1, 2024, and must be reviewed and updated annually by the applicant, the MDH Contract Monitors, and local health departments. Local

Health Departments must be engaged in the updating of resources included annually, which will be facilitated by the MDH Contract Monitor.

3.2.2.2.7 The applicant will provide technical assistance (TA) and support to birthing hospitals, pediatric clinics, providers and childcare facilities in Maryland to align safe sleep education, education materials, and practices.

3.2.3 Staffing

3.2.3.1 Staffing for Component 1: Grief and Bereavement

Intervention Services includes the Grief and Bereavement Program

Director and any additional staff to complete the scope of work. The

Applicant may also employ or subcontract as needed to satisfy all

Contract requirements.

3.2.3.1 Staffing for Component 1 (Cont.):

A) The Applicant shall employ a Maryland Grief and Bereavement Director who shall:

1) Assume responsibility for overall management of the Maryland Grief and

Bereavement Program;

2) Provide the Contract Monitor with an updated list of Grief and Bereavement staff within 15 days of the start of each Contract year, and for each, submit a current copy of his/her/their curriculum vitae or resume;

3) Assure that quarterly reports and invoices are submitted to MDH in a timely manner;

4) Meet with the MDH Contract Monitor monthly, at least one week prior to the end of each Contract quarter, and in the final quarter of the Contract, two weeks prior to the Contract end date, to review reports and services provided.

B) Include resumes or CVs for all staff involved in the implementation of contract activities as part of the proposal package.

3.2.3.2 Staffing for Component 2: Safe Sleep Education, Resources, and Initiatives includes Project Director/Lead and any additional staff to complete the scope of work. The Applicant may also employ or subcontract as needed to satisfy all Contract requirements.

3.2.3.2 Staffing for Component 2 (Cont.):

A) Project Director to coordinate all project activities, including short- and long-term operations, preparing required reporting and acting as primary point of contact for the Contract Monitor. The Project Director and/or Lead shall:

1) Have experience with working on infant safe sleep, health education, and health communications;

2) Assure that quarterly reports and invoices are submitted in a timely manner; and

3) Meet with the Contract Monitor monthly, at least one week prior to the end of each Contract quarter, and in the final quarter of the Contract, two weeks prior to the Contract end date to review reports and services provided.

B) Include resumes or CVs for all staff involved in the implementation of contract activities as part of the proposal package

3.2.4 Reporting Requirements

3.2.4.1 Reporting Requirements for Component 1: Grief and Bereavement

Intervention Services includes the Contractor must provide the MDH

Contract Monitor with monthly updates on deliverable implementation at check-in meetings. Quarterly reports are due to the Grant Monitor by the fifteenth (15th) day of every three months. A final report will be due within

Thirty (30) days of the end of the Contract.

A) Monthly Check-in Meetings

B) Quarterly Reports and an Annual report

3.2.4 Reporting Requirements

3.2.4.2 Reporting Requirement for Component 2: Safe Sleep Education, Resources, and Initiatives includes the Contractor must provide the MDH

Contract Monitor with monthly updates on deliverable implementation at check-in meetings. Quarterly reports are due to the Grant Monitor by the fifteenth (15th) day of every three months. A final report will be due within

30 days of the end of the Contract.

A) Monthly Reports and Check-ins

B) Quarterly Reports and an Annual report

3.2.5 Work Plan

3.2.5.1 Applicant shall develop a Work Plan (see Attachment G for example) for each project period and component. The Work Plan must include objectives, activities, measures of effectiveness, data sources, time frame, and team members responsible for each overarching program goal.

Questions & Answers

Prevention and Health Promotion Administration https://phpa.health.Maryland.gov https://phpa.health.maryland.gov/