Department of Health and Human Services

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers

(Short Title: Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers)

(Initial Announcement)

Request for Applications (RFA) No. SM-15-011

Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 93.243

PART 1: Programmatic Guidance

[Note to Applicants: This document must be used in conjunction with SAMHSA’s “Request for Applications (RFA): PART II – General Policies and Procedures Applicable to all SAMHSA Applications for Discretionary Grants and Cooperative Agreements”. PART I is individually tailored for each RFA. PART II includes requirements that are common to all SAMHSA RFAs. You must use both documents in preparing your application.]

Key Dates:

Application Deadline / Applications are due by April 27, 2015 /
Intergovernmental Review
(E.O. 12372) / Applicants must comply with E.O. 12372 if their state(s) participates. Review process recommendations from the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) are due no later than 60 days after application deadline.
Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS)/Single State Agency Coordination / Applicants must send the PHSIS to appropriate state and local health agencies by application deadline. Comments from Single State Agency are due no later than 60 days after application deadline.

2

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 3

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION 4

1. PURPOSE 4

2. EXPECTATIONS 4

II. AWARD INFORMATION 13

III. ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION 13

2. COST SHARING and MATCH REQUIREMENTS 14

IV. APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 14

1. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED APPLICATION COMPONENTS 14

2. APPLICATION SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS 15

V. APPLICATION REVIEW INFORMATION 16

1. EVALUATION CRITERIA 16

VI. ADMINISTRATION INFORMATION 21

1. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS 21

VII. AGENCY CONTACTS 21

Appendix I – Confidentiality and SAMHSA Participant Protection/Human Subjects Guidelines 22

Appendix II—Guidelines for Assessing Consumer and Family Participation 26

Appendix III— Definitions and Certificate of Consumer and Consumer Supporter Organization Eligibility 27

Appendix IV - HHS Regions and Groupings within Regions Based on Population and Geographic Area 30

Appendix V – Alternatives Conference 31


EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2015 National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers (Short Title: Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers) grants. The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance to promote consumer-directed approaches for adults with serious mental illnesses. Such programs maximize consumer self-determination and recovery, promote access to treatment, and assist people with serious mental illness, by decreasing their dependence on expensive social services and avoiding psychiatric hospitalization. The entities responsible for providing technical assistance for this program may be either consumer or consumer supporter organizations. (See Appendix III for Definition of Consumer and Consumer Supporter Organizations.)

Funding Opportunity Title: / National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers
Funding Opportunity Number: / SM-15-011
Due Date for Applications: / April 27, 2015
Anticipated Total Available Funding: / $1,805,000
Estimated Number of Awards: / 5 Awards – 3 Consumer Organizations and 2 Consumer Supporter Organizations
Estimated Award Amount: / Up to $335,600 per year
Cost Sharing/Match Required / No
Length of Project Period: / Up to 5 years
Eligible Applicants: / Domestic public and private entities that meet the
the criteria for consumer or consumer supporter
organizations. See Section III-1 of this RFA for complete eligibility information.


Be sure to check the SAMHSA website periodically for any updates on this program.

I. FUNDING OPPORTUNITY DESCRIPTION

1. PURPOSE

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2015 National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers (Short Title: Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers) grants. The purpose of this program is to provide technical assistance to promote consumer-directed approaches for adults with serious mental illnesses. Such programs maximize consumer self-determination and recovery, promote access to treatment, and assist people with serious mental illness by decreasing their dependence on expensive social services and avoiding psychiatric hospitalization. The entities responsible for providing technical assistance for this program may be either consumer or consumer supporter organizations. (See Appendix III for Definition of Consumer and Consumer Supporter Organizations.)

The primary recipients of the Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers’ technical assistance activities will be consumers, consumer organizations, or consumer supporter organizations. Additionally, Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers will provide technical assistance in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regions with a focus on those states where consumer organizations and leadership are underdeveloped. In addition, technical assistance may also be provided to state mental health systems serving adults with serious mental illnesses, service providers, and the general public.

The National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers program seeks to address behavioral health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities by encouraging the implementation of strategies to decrease the differences in access, service use and outcomes among the racial and ethnic minority populations served.

The National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers grants are authorized under Section 520A of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2020 Mental Health and Mental Disorders Topic Area HP 2020-MHMD.

2. EXPECTATIONS

The Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers will advance consumer-directed approaches in two HHS regions while also providing specialized technical assistance on a national level on a specific topic. Topics include, but are not limited to, peer specialists, youth leadership, wellness and integrated care, trauma and disparities. Grantees will be expected to provide technical assistance to consumer and consumer supporter organizations in accordance with the tenets and program goals outlined below.

Grantees are expected to build and maintain collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in the two selected HHS regions (including state and local governments, behavioral health provider associations, family organizations, peer groups, recovery community organizations, and faith-based organizations).

Tenets of Mental Health Consumer Self-Help

The values and philosophies that guide the development and operation of consumer self-help organizations are the driving forces behind their success. SAMHSA expects these values and philosophies to be integrated into the technical assistance activities funded under this announcement. These include:

·  Empowerment – grantees must promote the ability of consumers to make decisions that directly affect their own lives;

·  Independence – grantees must support consumers in striving for self-reliance and in pursuing opportunities to function as productive citizens;

·  Responsibility – grantees must encourage individuals to take responsibility for themselves and others;

·  Choice – grantees must promote an environment in which consumers can make informed choices about treatment, housing, and other services and supports; and

·  Respect and Dignity – grantees must promote the idea that all individuals are valued and have skills and strengths to offer society.

In addition, grantees will be expected to adhere to SAMHSA’s “Guidelines for Assessing Consumer and Family Participation” (see Appendix II).

If your application is funded, you will be expected to develop a behavioral health disparities impact statement no later than 60 days after receiving your award. In this statement, you must propose: (1) the number of individuals to be served during the grant period and identify subpopulations (i.e., racial, ethnic, sexual and gender minority groups) vulnerable to behavioral health disparities; (2) a quality improvement plan for the use of program data on access, use and outcomes to support efforts to decrease the differences in access to, use and outcomes of service activities; and (3) methods for the development of policies and procedures to ensure adherence to the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care. (see Part II: Appendix G – Addressing Behavioral Health Disparities)

SAMHSA strongly encourages all grantees to provide a tobacco-free workplace and to promote abstinence from all tobacco products (except in regard to accepted tribal traditions and practices).

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, individuals who experience mental illness or who use illegal drugs have higher rates of tobacco use than the total population. Data from the National Health Interview Survey, the National Death Index, and other sources indicate earlier mortality among individuals who have mental and substance use disorders than among other individuals.Due to the high prevalence rates of tobacco use and the early mortality of the target population for this grant program, grantees are encouraged to promote abstinence from tobacco products (except with regard to accepted tribal traditional practices) and to integrate tobacco cessation strategies and services in the grant program. Applicants are encouraged to set annual targets for the reduction of past 30-day tobacco use among individuals receiving direct client services under the grant.

Grantees are expected to help facilitate the health insurance application and enrollment process for eligible uninsured clients in their regions. Grantees should also consider other systems from which a potential service recipient may be eligible for services (for example, the Veterans Administration or senior services) if appropriate for and desired by that individual to meet his/her needs.

Recovery from mental disorders and/or substance use disorders has been identified as a primary goal for behavioral health care. SAMHSA’s Recovery Support Strategic Initiative is leading efforts to advance the understanding of recovery and ensure that vital recovery supports and services are available and accessible to all who need and want them. Building on research, practice, and the lived experiences of individuals in recovery from mental and/or substance use disorders, SAMHSA has developed the following working definition of recovery: A process of change through which individuals improve their health and wellness, live a self-directed life, and strive to reach their full potential. See http://store.samhsa.gov/product/SAMHSA-s-Working-Definition-of-Recovery/PEP12-RECDEF for further information, including the four dimensions of recovery, and ten guiding principles. Programs and services that incorporate a recovery approach fully involve people with lived experience (including consumers/peers/people in recovery, youth, and family members) in program/service design, development, implementation, and evaluation.

SAMHSA’s standard, unified working definition is intended to advance recovery opportunities for all Americans, particularly in the context of health reform, and to help clarify these concepts for peers/persons in recovery, families, funders, providers and others. The definition is to be used to assist in the planning, delivery, financing, and evaluation of behavioral health services. SAMHSA grantees are expected to integrate the definition and principles of recovery into their programs to the greatest extent possible.

Over 2 million men and women have been deployed to serve in support of overseas contingency operations, including Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Individuals returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are at increased risk for suffering post-traumatic stress and other related disorders. Experts estimate that up to one-third of returning veterans will need mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and related services. In addition, the family members of returning veterans have an increased need for related support services. To address these concerns, SAMHSA strongly encourages all applicants to consider the unique needs of returning veterans and their families in developing their proposed project and consider prioritizing this population for services where appropriate.

2.1 Required Activities

The National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistance Centers must support infrastructure development to support consumer direct approaches on the regional level. Up to 75 percent of the grant funds must be used to support the following regional activities:

·  Each applicant will be required to prioritize the grouping of the regions from one to five (with one being the top priority) and provide a justification for each choice (See Appendix IV). All regions will be assigned to the five TACs (two regions each by group). National Consumer and Consumer Supporter Technical Assistant Centers (TACs) will be serving all states within the two regions; however, it is not necessary to have staff deployed in each state. Applicants must explain how they will maintain ongoing and effective communication with key stakeholders such as consumer networks and other providers, consumer leadership, regional administrators, behavioral health authorities, etc. in each state and how they will respond to needs equitably throughout the region. NOTE: Decisions related to the selection of the regional grouping for each TAC will be determined using the applicant’s prioritization of the regional groupings, priority score, and coverage of all regions.

·  All five of the Consumer and Consumer Supporter TA Centers will provide basic core services to the states within the selected two regions and will serve as the point of contact to the Regional Administrators in those regions. Grantees will be required to dedicate both resources and technical assistance center staff time (identified in the application) for two regions and states within the regions. In addition, each grantee will provide technical assistance to develop, support, and structure consumer organizations in states; develop the consumer voice to provide input; improve the lives of consumers; and impact the broad mental health system of states within two regions.

·  Regional core activities that are required include technical assistance in business development, training, consultation and support regarding sound business practices for consumer-run programs. The proposed approach for technical assistance must be based on a theoretical framework. Applicants are expected to develop a best practice model that identifies the factors that will impact the technical assistance work and enables the program to anticipate the data and resources that will be needed to achieve goals of the program. Applicants should include the basis for observations, definitions of concepts, research designs, interpretations, and generalizations in their best practice model.

·  Additional emphasis will be on those states within the selected two regions, the District of Columbia and the territories where statewide consumer network organizations are either non-existent or underdeveloped. After award, the grantee will collaborate with the SAMHSA GPO to identify states where consumer network organizations are either non-existent or underdeveloped.

·  Each applicant will be required to coordinate with existing SAMHSA National TA efforts, such as Bringing Recovery Supports to Scale Technical Assistance Center Strategy (BRSS TACS) to ensure non-duplication of effort.