Request for Applications (RFA)
Application Cover Sheet / Submit signed original to:
Michaela Jennings
Lifespan Health Services
DHHS
301 Centennial Mall South
PO Box 95026
Lincoln NE 68509-5026
RELEASE DATE
March 3, 2017
APPLICATION DEADLINE / POINT OF CONTACT
April 7, 2017, 5:00 p.m. / Michaela Jennings
This form is part of the specification package and must be signed and returned, along with application materials, by the application deadline.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY!
PURPOSE, PROJECT PERIOD and FUNDING SOURCENebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health, Lifespan Health Services, is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA), for the purpose of selecting qualified Sub recipients for Nebraska’s Abstinence Education Grant Program (AEGP).
Funding Source: Administration for Children and Families
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Section 510 of Title V of the Social Security Act (Abstinence Education Grant Program)
CFDA #93.235
Pass through: Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
Division of Public Health
Project Period: July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018
Electronic RFA: Yes
Issuing Office: Lifespan Health Services
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health
301 Centennial Mall South, PO Box 95026
Lincoln NE 68509-5026
(402) 471-0538 – local; (800) 801-1122 -- toll free
APPLICANT MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWINGBy signing this Application Cover Sheet, the Applicant guarantees compliance with the provisions stated in this Request for Application, the general terms and assurances discussed on page 24, and performance of the project as described in the approved application.
ORGANIZATION:
COMPLETE ADDRESS:
TELEPHONE NUMBER: FAX NUMBER:
SIGNATURE:
TYPED NAME & TITLE OF SIGNER:
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Table of Contents
Section 1 – Description of Nebraska Abstinence Education Program 3
1.01 Background 3
1.01.1 Context of Adolescent Health Program 3
1.02 Funding Opportunity Description 5
1.02.1 Federal Legislation and Purpose of Funding 5
1.02.2 Funding Period and Availability of Funds 6
1.02.3 Timeline for Proposal Process, Review, Notification 6
1.02.4 Program Preferences and Requirements 7
1.03 Eligibility Information 13
1.03.1 Eligibility 13
1.03.2 Cost Sharing/Matching 13
1.04 Other Mandatory Requirements 15
1.05 Application Submission Information 16
1.05.1 Questions and Communication with Staff 16
1.05.2 Proposal Submission Requirements 16
1.06 Application Content and Format 18
1.07 Application Review Information 20
1.08 Amendments to the RFA 21
1.09 Open Competition 22
1.10 Withdrawal of Applications 22
Section 2 Terms and Assurances 23
2.01 General 23
2.02 Evaluation by DHHS 24
2.02.1 Criteria and Scoring 24
2.02.2 Reference Checks 24
2.02.3 Protest or Grievance Procedure 24
Section 3 – Appendices (for reference) 25
Appendix 1: Statutory and Regulatory Compliance 25
Administrative and Audit Guidance 25
Appendix 2: Program Specific Allowances and Requirements 27
Appendix 3: Certifications 30
Appendix 4: National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services in Health Care (CLAS) 42
Appendix 5: Evaluation Criteria 45
Appendix 6: Sub recipient Reporting Requirements for PY 2017-2018 47
Section 5 – Attachments 48
Attachment A: Application Requirement Checklist 48
Attachment B: Applicant Profile 49
Attachment C: Work Plan Timeline 54
Attachment D: Project Narrative 55
Attachment E: Personnel Detail 57
Attachment F: Contractor Information 59
Attachment G: 2017-2018 AEGP Budget and Budget Justification 61
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Section 1 – Description of Nebraska Abstinence Education Program
1.01 Background
1.01.1 Context of Adolescent Health Program
Adolescent Health and Development: Adolescence represents a special time in the life cycle. It is a time of great physical, emotional, mental and social change. During this stage, youth are building skills, accomplishing important tasks and making choices that will affect them during adulthood. They are setting the foundation for their health and well-being as adults.
Helping young people achieve their full potential is the best way to help them avoid unhealthy behaviors. Incorporating an understanding of the interconnectedness of youth risk behaviors and related protective factors into our programming strengthens our efforts and enhances the likelihood that our intervention and prevention programs will be successful. To be effective in addressing teen sexual risk behaviors we must also address correlating risk behaviors i.e. poor school performance, alcohol use, poor physical/mental health and social and economic disadvantages. A holistic approach to teen pregnancy and STD prevention, one that addresses the needs of the whole youth and not just a singular behavior, lays a foundation or framework from which all youth services and programs should evolve.
Teen pregnancy and teen birth rates in Nebraska have declined in recently years and are lower than the national rates. Nonetheless, according to the 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey, 35 percent of Nebraska youth ages 15-19 have had sex at least once. By the 12th grade, that percentage increases to 53 percent. Moreover, the rate of unintended pregnancies for women under 20 years old was 75 percent in 2011.
Rates of some sexually transmitted infection such as chlamydia have increased overall across the state and some counties show significant rate increases. Data also show significant disparities among our racial and ethnic minority youth populations. The purpose of this sub grant opportunity is to impact these negative outcomes and adolescent health and development in general by providing for holistic teen pregnancy and STD prevention programming through abstinence education and positive youth development.
Positive Youth Development: The phrase “Positive Youth Development” has several implications dependent on how the phrase is applied or used. The most common or obvious inference is to the process of adolescent physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual growth, i.e. development. The process lasts as long as life and the experience is different for every youth. The goal or objective of all who work with youth is to support and assist them in a way that provides for a positive experience.
Positive Youth Development (PYD) can also be used to mean the way in which we support, provide and work with youth. PYD is an approach that emphasizes building competencies, life skills and fostering the sense of belonging and empowerment in youth rather than putting all our energy into “fixing” existing negative behaviors. PYD approaches incorporate a spectrum of developmental principles to achieve optimal outcomes in a broad range of practices within programs, organizations and initiatives. Research has shown that linking the developmental “process” to approaches that support PYD principles and practices is the most effective way to impact youth behaviors and positive outcomes. In short PYD is a practice based on the belief that adolescents are resources to be nurtured rather than problems to be fixed. The Nebraska Adolescent Health Program advocates for Positive Youth Development approaches in all services, programs and initiatives affecting adolescents in ways that support the following principles:
· Ensure young people have healthy relationships with caring, supportive adults.
· Provide safe, stable and supportive surroundings to succeed and grow.
· Offer opportunities for youth to develop life skills.
· Promote clear expectations and high standards for all youth.
· Provide youth meaningful opportunities to participate in their community.
1.02 Funding Opportunity Description
1.02.1 Federal Legislation and Purpose of Funding
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health announces the availability of funds as an extension to the Title V Abstinence Education Grant Program that was originally a provision of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, Pub.L. 111-148. The purpose of this program is to support decisions to abstain from sexual activity by providing abstinence education as defined by section 510(b) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 710(b)) with a focus on those groups that are most likely to bear children out of wedlock, such as youth in or again out of foster care. These funds are allocated to the states based on a formula. Each state then identifies its priority needs and focal populations for abstinence education. The distribution of the extension funds will be based on the same priority needs of original funding opportunity. States were encouraged to develop flexible, medically accurate, and effective abstinence-based plans responsive to their specific needs.
Nebraska’s priority needs remain centered on reducing the rates of pregnancy, out-of-wedlock births and sexually transmitted infections and disease (STI/STD) among the teen population. A continued focus will be placed on those populations and areas of the state identified in greatest need and/or at highest risk. Identification of these groups and locations was made based on the data drawn from extensive needs assessment processes conducted within the Department on behalf of related MCH programs when this funding stream initiated in 2010.
States expending funds for abstinence education programs may determine the relative emphasis to place on each of the A-H components of Section 510(b)(2).
A. Has as its exclusive purpose, teaching the social, psychological and health gains to be realized by abstaining from sexual activity;
B. Teaches abstinence from sexual activity outside marriage as the expected standard for all school age children
C. Teaches that abstinence from sexual activity is the only certain way to avoid out-of-wedlock pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and other associated health problems;
D. Teaches that a mutually faithful monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of human sexual activity;
E. Teaches that sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects;
F. Teaches that bearing children out-of-wedlock is likely to have harmful consequences for the child, the child’s parents, and society;
G. Teaches young people how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increases vulnerability to sexual advances; and
H. Teaches the importance of attaining self-sufficiency before engaging in sexual activity.
Nebraska’s chosen curricula focuses on components A, G, and H through the implementation of positive youth development programming.
1.02.2 Funding Period and Availability of Funds
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Division of Public Health requests proposals for a twelve (12) period beginning July 1, 2017. These awards are made possible by an extension of the federal Abstinence Education Grant Program in Federal Fiscal Year 2015. Subsequent funds under this program are not presently awarded or approved by the federal government. As such, continuation awards are not expected. Sub-awards will be based upon the proposed program plan and supportive budget.
Federal Fiscal Year / State Project Year / Sub Grant PeriodFY 2017 / Year 1 / July 1, 2017-
June 30, 2018
The projected amount of funds available for twelve (12) month period is $140,000 to fund between six and eight program sites. Actual award(s) number(s) and funded amount(s) will be determined based on the application’s response to the funding priorities and requirements including proposed budget and work plans. Grant funds may be used to enhance/expand/initiate existing, new or corresponding programming and related activities. Grant funds may not be used to supplant (replace) existing funds in place to support current programs and related activities.
DHHS reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, wholly or in part, or to award to multiple applicants in whole or in part. DHHS reserves the right to waive any deviations or errors that are not material, do not invalidate the legitimacy of the proposal and do not improve the applicant’s competitive position. All awards will be made in a manner deemed in the best interest of the State.
1.02.3 Timeline for Proposal Process, Review, Notification
Request for Application issued March 3, 2017
Proposal deadline April 7, 2017
Proposal review April 7 – 21, 2017
Notification of sub grant awards May 5, 2017
Sub awards issued June 1, 2017
Project period begins July 1, 2017
1.02.4 Program Preferences and Requirements
The purpose of this federal grant program is to promote abstinence from sexual activity. The eight criteria (A-H) in section 1.02.1 comprise the federal definition of abstinence education. According to the federal funding announcement, programming delivered with these funds may not “be used in ways that contradict the A-H provisions” and “states…may determine the relative emphasis to place on each of the A-H components of Section 510(b)(2)”. Nebraska will achieve this purpose through sub grants implemented on a statewide basis. Applicants should consider the following preferences and requirements in developing their proposals.
The State of Nebraska opts to promote evidence-based programming that implements positive youth development principles, while also having demonstrated impacts on sexual activity.
State-level Abstinence Education Grant Programs are encouraged to use programming that are:
· Based on sound theoretical frameworks (e.g., social cognitive theory, theory of reasoned action, or theory of planned behavior, etc.).
· The use of intense, high dosage (at least 14 hours) program implement over a long period of time;
· The use of program that encourage and foster peer support of decisions to delay sexual activity;
· The use of programs that select educators with desired characteristics (whenever possible), train them, and provide monitoring, supervisor, and support, and,
· The use of programs that involved multiple people with expertise in theory, research, and sex and STD/HIV education to develop the curriculum.
Required Curriculum
The FY 17 AEGP will support the implementation of Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program ® (TOP®) in an “abstinence only” environment. The TOP® curriculum of Wyman’s Teen Outreach Program® (TOP®) is owned by Wyman Center, Inc., which manages its replication as a youth development approach to build teens’ potential through knowledge, skills and confidence that help them achieve success. TOP® takes a long term, comprehensive, and positive developmental approach. As youth develop their knowledge, skills and confidence through activities and reflection, judgment and choice making skills are strengthened, which also pays dividends in the arena of risk avoidance. TOP®’s documented outcomes include dramatic reductions in teen pregnancy and course failure and school suspension rates. More information about The Wyman Center and the development of the modern-day Teen Outreach Program ® can be found in Appendix 2.
Wyman has completely renewed the TOP® curriculum and starting with the 2017-2018 program year all TOP® clubs will begin using this new curriculum. The existing Changing Scenes© curriculum will no longer be used. All applicants should include purchase of, at minimum, one new set of curriculum. However, one per active facilitator is reasonable. Each set of curriculum will cost of $595 plus shipping, which is assessed at 10% for orders $0-$999, and 5% for orders $1,000-$4,999.