PKG00252218-instructions.docx

U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education Office of Safe and Supportive Schools Washington, D.C. 20202-6450

Fiscal Year 2019

Application for New Grants Under the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program

CFDA 84.184X

Dated Material - Open Immediately Closing Date: August 5, 2019

Approved OMB Number: 1894-0006 Expiration Date: 01/31/2021

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is: 1894-0006. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 28 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data resources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (EDGAR (34 CFR 75.104(a)).

If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to: Earl Myers, Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program, U.S. Department of Education 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Room 3E244 Washington D.C. 20202-6450. [Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address.] ii Table of Contents Dear Colleague Letter 1

Program Background and Overview 2

Frequently Asked Questions 9

Preparing and Submitting an Application 17

Electronic Application Submission Checklist 30

Standard Form Instructions and Information 32 -56

Notice Inviting Applications 57

United States Department of Education

OFFICE OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION

OFFICE OF SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOLS

Dear Colleague:

Thank you for your interest in the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant program, administered by the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education of the U.S. Department of Education (Department). This grant competition, authorized under Section 4631(a)(1)(B) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 U.S.C. 7281), provides competitive grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs), with the goal of expanding the pipeline of high-quality, trained providers to address the shortages of mental health service professionals in schools served by high-need LEAs. The partnerships must include (1) one or more high-need LEAs or a State educational agency (SEA) on behalf of one or more high-need LEAs; and (2) one or more eligible institutions of higher education (IHE). Eligible applicants include high-need LEAs and SEAs on behalf of one or more high-need LEA(s). Partnerships must provide opportunities to place graduate students of IHEs in school-based mental health fields into schools served by the participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the degree, license, or credential program of each student.

Please take the time to carefully and thoroughly review the application package, including the applicable priorities, selection criteria, and all the application instructions. An application will not be evaluated for funding if the applicant does not comply with all the procedural rules that govern the submission of the application or the application does not contain the information required under the program (EDGAR §75.216 (b) and (c)).

For this competition it is mandatory for applicants to use the government-wide website, Grants.gov (http://www.grants.gov), to apply. Please note that the Grants.gov site works differently than the U.S. Department of Education’s e-Application System. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with Grants.gov and strongly recommend that you register and submit early.

If you have any questions about the program after reviewing the application package, please contact Earl Myers by telephone at (202) 453-6716 or via e-mail at Mental.Health@ed.gov.

Paul Kesner, Director Office of Safe and Supportive Schools

Program Background and Overview School-based mental health services providers offer supports that are essential to creating a school culture in which students feel safe and empowered to report safety concerns, which is proven to be among the most effective school safety strategies. Additionally, in the aftermath of a crisis, School-based mental health services providers implement supports that facilitate a return to normalcy, are sustainable, and can help to identify and work with students with more intense or ongoing needs.

However, in school year 2015-16, the Department of Education’s Civil Rights Data collected by the National Center for Education Statistics provided evidence that there were not enough school-based mental health services providers in our Nation’s schools. According to the data, 36 million students were enrolled in 55,000 schools but substantially exceeded the recommended ratios for student-to-counselor, student-to-social worker, or student-to-nurse.

In December 2018, the Federal Commission on School Safety (FCSS) issued a final report that offered several recommendations for leaders at the local, State, and Federal levels on strategies and actions for improving school safety, including expanded access to mental health services. The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration grant program supports activities directly linked with the recommendations identified in the FCSS by addressing the shortage of mental health services providers in our Nation’s schools.

The Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grants Program provides competitive grants to support and demonstrate innovative partnerships to train school-based mental health services providers for employment in schools and local educational agencies (LEAs).

Eligibility: High-need LEAs; SEAs on behalf of one or more high-need LEA(s). Applicants must propose to work in partnership with an eligible IHE.

Authority: Section 4631(a)(1)(B) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7281) Official Document Notice: The official document governing this competition is the Notice Inviting Applications published in the Federal Register on June 21, 2019 also included in this application package).

Project Period: The project period for these grants is up to 60 months (5 budget periods of 12 months each). The exact start date is not known at this time. We estimate awards will be announced by late September 2019. Projects will be funded for the first year with an option for four additional years contingent upon demonstration of substantial progress by the grantee and the availability of future funds. Note: Applicants must submit ED Form 524 and a detailed budget narrative for each budget period that funding is requested.

Estimated Award Information: We estimate we will make approximately 50 new awards. Projects will be funded for approximately $250,000 to $500,000 per year for up to 5 years, depending on the scope of work. These figures are only estimates and do not bind the Department to a specific number of grants or amount of any grant. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards (or fund down the approved slate) in future fiscal years based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition.

Maximum Award: We will not make an award that exceeds $500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months.

Matching Funds: This program does not require a matching contribution from the grantee; however, if you propose matching funds, we will monitor the grant to ensure the match is met, and you will be expected to report annually on the matching funds as well as federal funds.

Travel Budget: Applicants should budget funds for the Project Director and one additional staff member to attend the Office of Safe and Supportive Schools National Conference each year of the grant each year of the grant. For planning purposes, applicants should include funds for transportation, lodging for two nights and three days, and per diem costs. There are no meeting or registration costs for our grantees. These meetings will usually be held in Washington, DC.

Email Address: As part of our review of your application, we may need to contact you with questions for clarification. Please be sure your application contains valid e-mail addresses for the Project Director and Authorized Representative or another party designated to answer questions in the event the Project Director and Authorized Representative are unavailable.

Application Due Date: All applications must be submitted electronically through the Grants.gov portal and must be submitted before 11:59:59p.m., Eastern Time, on August 5, 2019. Please note that applications may not be emailed or faxed.

Note: Under very extraordinary circumstances, the Department may change the closing date for a competition. When this occurs, we announce such a change in a notice published in the Federal Register. Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will not be granted, except in the circumstances described in the section under electronic submission of applications.

Review of Applications and Notification of Award: The review of applications and notification of awards for this grant competition requires approximately 8 to 10 weeks depending on the number of applications we receive. We expect to notify successful applicants by late September 2019. Unsuccessful applicants will be notified within 60 days after awards are announced.

Human Subjects Research Activities: Please see Item 3 of the instructions for Supplemental Information for Standard Form 424 in this application package. Projects funded under this grant program may be subject to protection of human subjects research requirements. If you have any questions about your responsibilities under these requirements, please contact the Department’s Protection of Human Subjects Coordinator at 202-245-8090.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Expectations: By submitting an application for this program, applicants agree to fully cooperate with any evaluation efforts conducted by the Department and its contractors. At a minimum, grantees are expected to maintain records on how their program is operating; maintain records on the extent to which their program objectives are being met; include specific performance measures in their evaluation plan; and make ongoing project information, findings and products available to ensure the dissemination of knowledge gained from this effort during the grant period.

Project Director Time Commitment: Applicants are requested to provide the percent of the Project Director’s time that will be dedicated to the grant project if funded. For example, if the Project Director works 40 hours per week and spends 20 hours of that week working on grant activities, then the time commitment for the Project Director would be 50 percent. We suggest that applicants include this information in the budget narrative or that they add this information to the Project Director line on the Supplemental Information for Standard Form 424.

Reports: Each grantee is required to submit annual and a final report to demonstrate progress toward GPRA measures and project objectives. For multiple-year projects, these reports are also evaluated to determine whether substantial progress has been made to justify a continuation award. For projects funded for one year, only a final report is required.

Absolute Priority: This competition includes one absolute priority. For fiscal year (FY) 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority.

Absolute Priority --Expand the capacity of high-need LEAs in partnership with IHEs to train school-based mental health services providers, as defined in this notice, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of these professionals into high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools in order to address the shortages of school-based mental health service providers in such schools. To meet this priority, the applicant must propose a School-Based Mental Health partnership (as defined in this notice) established for the purpose of placing graduate students of university academic programs in school-based mental health fields into schools served by the participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the degree, license, or credential program of each student.

Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2019 and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference priorities.

Competitive Preference Priority 1--Competitive Preference Priority 1--Fostering Knowledge and Promoting the Development of Skills That Prepare Students to Be Informed, Thoughtful, and Productive Individuals and Citizens (0 to 5 points). Supporting projects likely to improve student academic performance and better prepare students for employment, responsible citizenship, and fulfilling lives, including by preparing children or students to do one or more of the following:

(i) Develop positive personal relationships with others.

(ii) Develop determination, perseverance, and the ability to overcome obstacles.

(iii) Develop self-esteem through perseverance and earned success.

(iv) Develop problem solving skills.

(v) Develop self-regulation in order to work toward long-term goals.

Competitive Preference Priority 2--Protecting Freedom of Speech and Encouraging Respectful Interactions in a Safe Educational Environment (0 to 5 points). Developing positive learning environments that promote strong relationships among students and school personnel to help prevent bullying, violence, and disruptive actions that diminish the opportunity for each student to receive a high-quality education.

Application Requirements: We are establishing these application requirements for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).

The applicant must include the following in its application:

(a) Description of the severity and magnitude of the problem and identification of schools to be served by the proposed project.

Applicants must describe how the lack of school-based mental health services providers is specifically affecting students in schools to be served by project activities. Applicants must describe the nature of the problem for the LEA, based on information such as, but not limited to, the most recent available ratios of school-based mental health service providers to students enrolled in schools in each high-need LEA that is part of the School-Based Mental Health partnership (in the aggregate and disaggregated by profession (e.g., social workers, school psychologists)). The description may also include LEA and school-level demographic data, school climate surveys, school violence/crime data and data related to suicide rates. In order to help the Department assess the magnitude of the problem and ensure the applications selected will serve high-need LEAs, data cited must be compared to similar data at the State or local level, and on a per capita basis when available.

(b) Collaboration and coordination with related Federal, State, and local initiatives.

Applicants must describe how they intend to collaborate with State, regional, and local chapters of social workers, psychologists, and nurses associations, and describe their relationship and coordination with regional and local mental health, public health, child welfare, and other community agencies, to achieve project goals and objectives of establishing a pipeline program to train and expand the capacity of school-based mental health service providers in high-need LEAs. Applicants must also describe proposed coordination with existing federally funded efforts related to elementary and secondary school counseling and mental health promotion. Evidence of collaboration and coordination must be provided through letters of support or Memoranda of Agreement/Memoranda of Understanding (MOAs/MOUs) from State, regional, or local chapters or agencies, if applicable. Applicants must describe how they will use the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program funds to complement, rather than duplicate, existing, ongoing, or new efforts to expand the pipeline of school-based mental health services providers to be employed by schools and LEAs qualified to provide school-based mental health services. Finally, applicants must include estimates of the number of mental health service providers they expect to train and have placed into employment by high-need schools and high-need LEAs each year.

(c) Enhancing LEA capacity to provide mental health services to students.

Applicants must describe the specific activities they will conduct to expand and improve LEA capacity to serve students in high-need LEAs and ensure that students receive appropriate mental health services. To meet this requirement, the applicant must propose a School-Based Mental Health partnership (as defined in this notice) established for the purpose of placing graduate students of university academic programs in school-based mental health fields into schools served by the participating high-need LEAs to complete required field work, credit hours, internships, or related training as applicable for the degree, license, or credential program of each student. If the applicant intends to establish a program that directly benefits an individual graduate student, such as through a stipend or tuition credit, the Department encourages the applicant to describe its approach, if any, to implementing a service obligation for such graduate student as a school-based mental health services provider in a high-need school commensurate with the level of support the graduate student receives.

(d) Enhancing LEAs ability to assess and address the needs of students in high-need LEAs.

Applicants must describe the specific process and activities they will use to ensure students in high-need who may be in need of school-based mental health services, are properly targeted, assessed, and provided the appropriate school-based mental health service.

Definitions:

Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline for that measure.

Baseline means the starting point from which performance is measured and targets are set.

Eligible institution of higher education means an institution of higher education that offers a program of study that leads to a masters or other graduate degree—

(a) In school psychology that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in school-based psychology;

(b) In school counseling that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in school counseling;

(c) In school social work that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in school social work;

(d) In another school-based mental health field that prepares students in such program for the State licensing or certification examination in such fields as behavioral health aides, school nurses, and clinical psychologists employed by the schools or under contract with LEAs to provide evaluations, if applicable; or

(e) In any combination of study described in subparagraphs (a) through (d).

High-need local educational agency an LEA- (a)(1) For which not less than 20 percent of the children served by the agency are children from low-income families;

(2) That serves not fewer than 10,000 children from low-income families;

(3) That meets the eligibility requirements for funding under the Small, Rural School Achievement (SRSA) program under section 5211(b) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7345(b)); or

(4) That meets eligibility requirements for funding under the Rural and Low-Income School (RLIS) program under section 5221(b) of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7351(b)); and

(b)(1) For which there is a high percentage of teachers not teaching in the academic subject areas or grade levels in which the teachers were trained to teach; or

(2) For which there is a high teacher turnover rate or a high percentage of teachers with emergency, provisional, or temporary certification or licensure.

High-need school means a school that, based on the most recent data available, meets one or both of the following:

(a) The school is in the highest quartile of schools in a ranking of all schools served by an LEA, ranked in descending order by percentage of students from low-income families enrolled in such schools, as determined by the LEA based on one of the following measures of poverty:

(1) The percentage of students aged 5 through 17 in poverty counted in the most recent census data approved by the Secretary.

(2) The percentage of students eligible for a free or reduced price school lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

(3) The percentage of students in families receiving assistance under the State program funded under part A of title IV of the Social Security Act.

(4) The percentage of students eligible to receive medical assistance under the Medicaid program.

(5) A composite of two or more of the measures described in subclauses (I) through (IV).

(b) In the case of—-

(1) an elementary school, the school serves students not less than 60 percent of whom are eligible for a free or reduced price school lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act; or

(2) any other school that is not an elementary school, the other school serves students not less than 45 percent of whom are eligible for a free or reduced price school lunch under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act.

Institution of higher education has the meaning given to such term in section 102 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1002), but excludes any institution of higher education described in section 102(a)(1)(C) of such Act.

Local educational agency means:

(a) A public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.

School-Based Mental Health partnership means a State-licensed or State-certified school counselor, school psychologist, school social worker, or other State licensed or certified mental health professional qualified under State law to provide mental health services to children and adolescents.

State educational agency has the meaning given the term in section 8101 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7801).

Student from a low-income family means any student whose family meets any of the poverty thresholds established in ESEA section 1113 for the relevant grade level.

Frequently Asked Questions Administrative

1. What is the deadline date for this competition?

The deadline for this competition is August 5, 2019.

2. May I get an extension of the deadline date?

Waivers for individual applications failing to meet the deadline will not be granted, regardless of the circumstances. Under very extraordinary circumstances the Department may change the closing date for a grant competition. When this occurs, the Department announces such a change in a notice published in the Federal Register.

3. Do I have to submit my application electronically?

Yes. Unless you qualify for an exception in accordance with the instructions found in the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA), you must submit your application electronically.

4. How do I submit my application electronically?

You must submit your application electronically via Grants.gov. For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the “Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs” published in the Federal Register on June 10, 2019. The Grants.gov “Submission Procedures and Tips” document found in this application package; and/or visit www.grants.gov.

5. How do I register to submit my grant electronically?

If you are a new user, you will need to register to use Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps see the Grants.gov Submission Tips and Procedures for Applicants on pages 32-35 of this document or please go to: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/get_registered.jsp.

6. How do I should I submit forms with signatures?

We strongly encourage you to scan and upload signed versions of the forms, in a .PDF format, to the Other Attachments Form section of the application package on Grants.gov or you may fax the signed forms to the Department.

These documents may be faxed to the attention of Earl Myers at 202-453-6716 and must be received within three days of your application submission.

7. What information do I enter in box 4 Applicant Identifier, box 5a Federal Entity Identifier, and box 5b Federal Award Identifier on the SF-424 form?

These boxes are not applicable for this competition. Please leave boxes 4, 5a, and 5b blank. You may input “NA” in each box but be sure not to include a slash (i.e., “N/A”), the system will not allow you to input special characters.

8. How does the Freedom of Information Act affect my application?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information. All U.S. Government agencies are required to disclose records upon receiving a written request for them, except for those records that are protected from disclosure by the nine exemptions listed in the FOIA. All applications submitted for funding consideration under this grant competition are subject to the FOIA. To read the text of the Freedom of Information Act, visit http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/foiatoc.html.

9. For my GEPA 427 statement is it adequate to state that our organization does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, etc.?

No. An organization’s non-discrimination statement is not sufficient to meet the GEPA requirements. A GEPA statement should outline an entity’s potential barriers and solutions to equal access, specific to the proposed project.

10. Is this program covered by Executive Order 12372?

Yes. This means applicants must submit a copy of their application to their State Single Point of Contact for review and upload the transmittal letter in the Other Attachments Form section in Grants.gov (refer to page 56). On the application for Federal Assistance (Standard Form 424), you must check box (a) in item 19 and provide the date on which you made your application available for review. Note that the Department is prohibited from making an award to an entity that has not provided an opportunity for its State to review the application. The only exceptions to this requirement are applicants from States that have chosen not to participate or have indicated they do not wish to review applications from this competition. In either of these cases, applicants should check box (b). Do not check box (c) since this grant program is covered by Executive Order 12372. For more information about this requirement, see the Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs section in this application package.

11. What is required from an applicant whose State Single Point of Contact indicates that they are not reviewing applications for this grant competition?

Applicants should include a copy of such a response from the State Single Point of Contact in their application package submitted to the Department and check the appropriate line on the SF 424 form.

12. By what date do applicants have to submit their application to their State Single Point of Contact, if participating?

Applicants must submit their application to the State Single Point of Contact by the deadline date for transmitting their application to the Department.

13. What steps should the applicant’s Authorized Representative take before signing a grant application?

The standard form that serves as a cover sheet for grant applications includes a certification statement that accompanies the authorized representative’s signature. That certification indicates that the information provided in the grant application is true and complete to the best of the authorized representative’s knowledge, and that any false, fictitious, or fraudulent statements or claims may subject the authorized representative to administrative, civil, or criminal penalties. As a result, an authorized representative should carefully review a grant application before signing in order to be sure that all information contained in the application package is correct. Additionally, an authorized representative should be sure that the application describes a project that has the organization’s support and reflects an approach that the organization is committed to implementing.

14. What should I include in the “Table of Contents”?

The Table of Contents shows where and how the important sections of your proposal are organized and should not exceed one double spaced page. The application package shows the “Table of Contents” falling within the “Project Narrative,” but the “Table of Contents” should be comprehensive, covering all application content.

Eligibility

15. Who is eligible to apply?

Eligible applicants are High-need LEAs; SEAs on behalf of one or more high-need LEA(s). Applicants must propose to work in partnership with an eligible IHE.

Are colleges or universities eligible to apply for this grant?

No. Colleges and universities are not considered LEAs and thus are not eligible to apply for this grant. However, applicants must propose to work in partnership with an eligible IHE.

Priorities

16. Must all applicants address the Absolute Priority to be eligible for funding?

Yes, all applications must address the Absolute Priority - Expand the capacity of high-need LEAs in partnership with IHEs to train school-based mental health services providers, as defined in this notice, with the goal of expanding the pipeline of these professionals into high-need public elementary schools and secondary schools in order to address the shortages of school-based mental health service providers in such schools.

17. Are applicants required to address each of the two competitive priorities?

No. Applicants are not required to address each of the competitive preference priorities. Applicant may elect to address one, two, or none of the competitive priorities.

18. If we decide to apply for the competitive preference priority, are we required to state our intention to do so in the abstract section of the application?

Yes. In order to be eligible for earning competitive preference priority points, an applicant must state in the abstract section of its application that it is seeking points under the competitive preference priority, and we encourage you to specifically identify your response to the competitive preference priority to assist reviewers. Applications that fail to clearly state in the abstract section that they are seeking to earn points under the competitive preference will not be reviewed against the competitive preference priority and will not be awarded competitive preference priority points.

19. Where should we provide supporting information to address the competitive preference priority for purposes of earning competitive preference priority points?

Applicants should discuss in more detail how you will be addressing the competitive preference priority (or priorities), as part of the overall proposed project goals and objectives in the application narrative.

Requirements

20. What Assurances and Certifications are required?

Be certain to complete all required assurances and certifications in Grants.gov and include all required information in the appropriate place on each form. The assurances and certifications required for this application are:

· Assurances for Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B Form)

· Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF LLL Form)

· Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013 Form)

· General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) Requirements – Section 427

21. What are the Project Performance Measures for this program?

The Department has established the following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 performance measures for the Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grant Program:

(a) The unduplicated number of school-based mental health services providers employed by schools and LEAs as of the date for each annual reporting period of the grant who have been trained and placed by the grant to provide school-based mental health services.

(b) Number of school-based mental health services providers employed by schools and LEAs retained on an annual basis by a high-need local educational agency to provide school-based mental health services.

22. What technical assistance is available for applicants?

The Office of Safe and Supportive Schools plans to conduct a technical assistance (TA) conference call designed to assist applicants who might have questions related to the application process and procedure for this grant program. Applicants are encouraged to read through the entire application package before participating in this TA call. The tentative date and time is July 8, 2019 at 2:00pm Eastern Time. Applicants should reference our website at: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/promoting-mental-health for follow-up information related to this call.

Application Review

23. How will applications be reviewed?

The Department will first screen applications to determine which applications should be forwarded to reviewers based on the adequacy of the applications’ response to the absolute priorities, eligibility, and other requirements published in the NIA.

The Department intends to use non-federal reviewers from various backgrounds and professions with relevant expertise. These reviewers will use their professional judgment to evaluate and score each application based on the selection criteria.

24. Will an applicant receive its scores and reviewer comments after the competitions are completed?

Yes. Both funded and unfunded applicants will receive a copy of the technical review form completed by the peer reviewers. Individual reviewer names are deleted from the forms to preserve confidentiality.

25. Will the reviewers have access to every part of each application?

Yes. Reviewers will have access to every part of the application (including the budget narrative, and project narrative, among others). For this reason and to facilitate the review, the Department encourages applicants to carefully follow the directions in the application package. Applicants should pay particular attention to the flow of the narrative and correctly label all attachments.

Budget

26. Is there a maximum award amount for this competition?

Yes. We will reject any application that proposes a budget exceeding $500,000 for a single budget period of 12 months. The Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education may change the maximum amount through a notice published in the Federal Register.

27. What is an indirect cost?

An indirect cost is an expense that you incur that is necessary for implementing the grant but may be difficult to identify directly with your grant. For example, indirect costs may include money spent for heat, light, rent, telephone, security, accounting, and Internet use.

28. How do I obtain a negotiated, restricted indirect cost?

Your organization may already have a negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate with a Federal government agency. If your organization has not negotiated this rate in the past, please contact the Department of Education’s Indirect Cost Group at Indirectcostgroup@ed.gov.

29. Who in my organization may be able to provide information about our negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate?

If you do not know your negotiated, restricted indirect cost rate, please contact your business office. In most cases, SEAs calculate and assign indirect cost rates to their LEAs. Please note you will need to submit proof of this cost rate, such as a signed letter or a page from a state Web site. This proof of your cost rate will need to be uploaded to the Other Attachments Form section in Grants.gov.

30. What is an administrative cost?

Administrative costs are normal and customary expenses of administering the grant. For example, since the project director is responsible for administering the grant, their salary and benefit costs are taken out of the administrative cost threshold, as well as any other costs the applicant may have for carrying out the grant.

31. Are there guidelines for how much money can be spent on consultants?

No. Under EDGAR 75.515, a grantee must use its general policies and practices when it hires, uses, and pays a consultant as part of the project staff. However, grant funds may not be used to pay a consultant unless there is a need in the project for the services of that consultant and the grantee cannot meet that need by using an employee rather than a consultant. Costs associated with a consultant must be reasonable, allocable, and allowable.

32. Are applicants required to secure cost sharing or matching funds?

No. The applicants are not required to secure cost sharing or matching funds under this grant program.

33. What is the project and budget period for these grants?

The project period for this grant is up to five years (60 months). Each grant year is considered its own budget period. The application should include a description of the proposed activities for all five years, as well as a budget narrative that includes information for each budget year. Continuation awards are made based on an applicant’s ability to demonstrate substantial progress in their required annual performance reports.

34. What should I use as the project start date?

Should you receive a grant, the start date will depend on when funds can be awarded and obligated. In general, applicants should use October 1, 2019 as a project start date; however, the proposed project start date might be slightly modified once a grant is received.

35. What should be included in the budget narrative?

As explained in the application package, an application should include one budget narrative. This narrative should provide a detailed description of how the applicant plans to use its requested grant funds and should be of sufficient scope and detail for the Department to determine if the costs are necessary, reasonable, and otherwise allowable, and for the reader to understand how the applicant proposes to use Federal and non-Federal funds to support the proposed project.

Additionally, the “Budget Narrative” section of the application package provides extensive detail, including examples, on how an applicant might present the assumptions on which the proposed performance-based compensation costs are based.

36. Who should I contact for more information about this grant competition?

Any questions pertaining to this grant competition should be directed to Earl Myers, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20202-6450, Phone: 202-453-6716, Email: Mental.Health@ed.gov.

Technical Assistance Workshops for Prospective Applicants Technical Assistance – The Office of Safe and Supportive Schools will conduct technical assistance (TA) conference calls designed to assist applicants who might have questions related to the application process and procedure for this grant program. Applicants are encouraged to read through the entire application package before participating in a TA call. The tentative date and time are listed below. Applicants should reference our website at: https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/promoting-mental-health for follow-up information related to these conference calls.

July 8, 2019 at 2:00 P.M., Eastern Time

Preparing and Submitting an Application Beginning the Application Process

· Read this application package in its entirety and make sure you follow all instructions.

· Use the tools we have provided to help you, including:

· Frequently Asked Questions section in this application package.

· Resources related to this specific grant competition on our website at https://safesupportivelearning.ed.gov/promoting-mental-health

· If you do not understand an instruction or requirement, contact Earl Myers, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Supportive Schools at Mental.Health@ed.gov or (202) 453-6716 for information about this grant competition.

· Please note that we anticipate receiving a large volume of inquiries and recommend contacting us via email with any questions. We will do our best to respond to inquiries within 24-48 hours. Please do not wait until the closing date to contact us with questions, as we may not be able to respond prior to competition closing time.

Preparing Your Application

· Organize your narrative according to the selection criteria headings and respond comprehensively.

· Be thorough in your responses. Write so that someone who knows nothing about your community and the proposed activities, curricula, programs, and services can understand what you are proposing and why.

· Make sure your budget provides sufficient itemization and detailed descriptions about planned expenditures so ED staff can easily determine how amounts were calculated. Make sure you have an itemized and detailed narrative for each year you are requesting funding.

· Link your planned expenditures to the proposed activities, curricula, programs, and services. Do not request funds for miscellaneous purposes. Make sure you demonstrate that your proposed expenditures are necessary to carry out your program.

· Please be sure to budget for all required grantee meetings.

Submitting Your Application

· Use the checklist provided in this application package to ensure your application is complete before submitting it.

· Make sure all required forms are included and signed by an authorized representative of your organization.

· Transmit your application by the deadline date and time. When submitting your application electronically, you must use Grants.gov at: www.grants.gov. Unless you qualify for an exception in accordance with the instructions found in the Notice Inviting Applications, you must submit your application electronically.

What Happens Next?

· If you submit your application electronically, the PR/Award number will be generated automatically when you submit your application. Please refer to this PR/Award number if you need to contact us about your application.

· Staff members screen each application to ensure that all program eligibility requirements are met and that all forms are included and signed by the Authorized Representative.

· Your application will be assigned to a three-person panel of independent reviewers who will evaluate and score your proposal according to the selection criteria in this package. Your application will receive a score from 0 to 100, depending upon how well it addresses the selection criteria. Your application may receive an additional 10 points depending on if and how well it addresses the competitive preference priorities.

· A Grant Award Notification will be sent to applicants whose proposals rank high enough to be awarded a grant. Both successful and unsuccessful applicants will receive peer reviewers’ comments approximately 6 to 8 weeks after grant awards are announced. Unsuccessful applicants also will receive a notification letter. Please be sure your application contains a valid mailing address for both the Project Director and the Authorized Representative so that reviewers’ comments can be successfully delivered.

Application Submission Procedures

The deadline for submission of Mental Health Service Professional Demonstration Grants applications through Grants.gov is 11:59:59pm on August 5, 2019.

Application Transmittal Instructions Attention Electronic Applicants: This program requires the electronic submission of applications--specific requirements and instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice. Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper format unless, as described in the Federal Register notice for this competition, you qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions.

Applications Submitted Electronically

We are participating as a partner in the Government-wide Grants.gov site. Submit applications electronically using Grants.gov. Do not email them.

On December 31, 2017, Grants.gov retired the Legacy PDF format for submitting grant applications. A Grants.gov applicant must apply online using Workspace, a shared environment where members of a grant team may simultaneously access and edit different web forms within an application. An applicant can create an individual Workspace for each application notice and establish for that application a collaborative application package that allows more than one person in the applicant’s organization to work concurrently on an application. The Grants.gov system also enables the applicant to reuse forms from previous submissions, check them in and out to complete them, and submit the application package. For access to further instructions on how to apply using Grants.gov, refer to: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html. You may access the electronic grant applications at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA number. Do not include the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your search (e.g., search for 84.184 not 84.184X).

Please note the following:

•Applicants needing assistance with Grants.gov may contact the Grants.gov Support Center either by calling 1–800–518–4726 or by sending an email to support@grants.gov. The Grants.gov Support Center is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for Federal holidays.

•Applications received by Grants.gov are date- and time-stamped upon submission. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted and must be date- and time-stamped by the Grants.gov system no later than 11:59:59p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will not accept your application if it is received—that is, date- and timestamped by the Grants.gov system—after 11:59:59 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov, we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it was late.

•The amount of time it can take to upload an application will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of the application and the speed of your internet connection. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you leave yourself plenty of time to complete your submission.

•You should review and follow the Education Submission Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that are included in the application package for the program to ensure that you submit your application on time. You can also find the Education Submission Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the Department’s G5 system home page at www.G5.gov. In addition, for specific guidance and procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov, please refer to the Grants.gov website at: www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/apply-for-grants.html .

•When you submit your application electronically, all documents must be submitted in this manner, including all information you typically provide on the following forms: The Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget Information—Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications.

•When you submit your…