 State Letter #99-05
Refugee Preventive Health Grant Announcement
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Agency, Action, and Summary |
| • | Part I: Background - Legislative Authority, Funding Availability, Purpose and Objectives |
| • | Part II: Project and Applicant Eligibility - Eligible Applicants, Project Period |
| • | Part III: The Review Process - Intergovernmental Review, Initial ACF Screening, Competitive Review, Review Criteria |
| • | Part IV: The Application - Application Development, Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description, Application Submission, Paperwork Reduction, Regulations, and Reporting |
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AGENCY: Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), ACF, DHHS
ACTION: Notice of Availability of FY 1999 discretionary funds to States for preventive health services to newly arriving refugees
SUMMARY: The Office of Refugee Resettlement invites eligible entities to submit competitive grant applications for preventive health services for newly arriving refugees to prevent and control communicable diseases. Further, these services should improve the general health status of the refugee population through health screening and referral for treatment of those health conditions that may impede effective resettlement and prevent economic self-sufficiency. Applications will be screened and evaluated as indicated in this program announcement. Awards will be contingent on the outcome of the competition and the availability of funds.
CLOSING DATE: for submission of applications is April 30, 1999. See Part IV of this announcement for more information on submitting applications.
ANNOUNCEMENT AVAILABILITY: This announcement is published on the ORR website at: http://www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/orr/.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Anna Mary Portz, Preventive Health Program Manager, ACF/ORR Division of Community Resettlement, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., 6th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20447 telephone (202) 401-1196, or e-mail: aportz@acf.dhhs.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This announcement consists of four parts: Part I. Background - Legislative Authority, Funding Availability, Purpose and Objectives; Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility - Eligible Applicants, Project Period; Part III. The Review Process - Intergovernmental Review, Initial ACF Screening, Competitive Review, Review Criteria; and, Part IV. The Application - Application Development, Guidelines for Preparing a Project Description, Application Submission, Paperwork Reduction, Regulations, and Reporting.
Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average four hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and reviewing the collection of information. The following information collections are included in the program announcement: OMB Approval No.0970-0139, ACF UNIFORM PROJECT DESCRIPTION (UPD), which expires 10/31/2000, and OMB Approval No. 0970-0036, ORR Quarterly Performance Report (QPR). An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number.
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LEGISLATIVE AUTHORITY: Section 412(b)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), 8 U.S.C. 1522(b)(5) authorizes the Director of the Office of Refugee Resettlement (hereafter referred to as the Director) to provide medical screening and initial medical treatment to all arriving refugees. ORR has available $4,835,000 for preventive health services as part of the FY 1999 appropriation for the Department of Health and Human Services (Pub.L. No. 105-277). The FY 1999 House Appropriations Committee Report (H.R. Rept. No. 105-635) provides that preventive health service activities "may be conducted under the social services program in accord with the ORR protocol on domestic preventive health activities for refugees." ORR’s social service program is authorized by section 412(c)(1)(A) of the INA.
AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS: ORR expects to award FY 1999 Preventive Health funds of $4,835,000 through approximately 40 preventive health awards ranging in amounts from $15,000 to $850,000. ORR intends to award an aggregate of approximately $4.6 million to agencies designated by States as responsible for refugee health and preventive health screening.
ORR will award approximately 60 percent of the available Preventive Health funds to successful State applicants based upon the number of refugee arrivals in FY 1998, and the number of arrivals for FY 1999 as projected by the Department of State Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration. Attachment 1 presents these arrival figures and a proposed share for each State, were this amount to be awarded strictly on a proportionate basis. However, these funds are subject to competition. A State is not guaranteed an award of any amount. Attachment 1 is provided as guidance only.
ORR will award the remaining forty percent of available funds among those applicants whose applications justify their need for funds above the amount shown on Attachment 1. If a State is competing for a portion of this additional funding, the application narrative should justify the need for funding above the proposed level, and the budget should reflect the level requested.
No applicant is guaranteed that the award will exceed the amount reflected in
Attachment 1.
In providing justification for funding:
Funding requests should be at least $15,000.
Only costs and activities not eligible for reimbursement to the applicant from any other federal funding source will be considered. Costs covered under Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA) or Medicaid, for example, will not be considered.
The request must demonstrate that funding from all other sources does not meet the refugee preventive health program needs.
The request should describe the use of RMA funds in providing health screenings within the first 90 days.
States with Medicaid plans which include health screening and preventive services should describe the extent to which Medicaid, and Medicaid-contracted health maintenance organization (HMO) programs cover refugee health screening services.
The Director reserves the right to award more or less than the funds described in the absence of worthy applications or such other circumstances as may be deemed to be in the best interest of the government. Applicants may be required to reduce the scope of selected projects based on the amount of the approved grant award.
PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES: This program announcement governs the availability of and award procedures for the FY 1999 Preventive Health Program. The purpose of these awards is to assist States and localities in providing health screenings as suggested in the Medical Screening Protocol For Newly Arriving Refugees (Attachment 2) and follow-up activities to newly arriving refugees for problems of public health concern. These funds are to augment Federal, State and local resources where necessary.
Refugee health screenings are intended to identify and lead to the treatment of health conditions that could: 1) affect the public health or the personal well-being of refugees, and 2) impede their effective resettlement.
In making these funds available, ORR recognizes the need for State level coordination of public health programs, general health screenings, and referrals for medical, mental health, dental, rehabilitative, and social services.
ORR emphasizes the need to intensify and maintain efforts to improve upon resettled refugees’ orientation and access to healthcare in the United States, as well as follow-up with refugees starting and completing immunizations and preventive therapy treatments.
ORR expects RMA and Medicaid funds to cover the costs of most refugee health screenings. Applicants may apply for preventive health funds to augment RMA and Medicaid to ensure a high level of refugee health screenings and to cover the costs associated with administering project activities.
ORR recognizes that existing resources may be inadequate to provide refugees comprehensive screening services which are culturally and linguistically appropriate. Therefore, applicants may apply for funding for interpreter training and services and bilingual (matched to newly arriving populations) outreach. Allowable activities include, for example: informing refugees, in their own language, about the screening tests they receive, the results of the tests, and the need for obtaining additional care, testing, and treatment for an identified health problem, and about health care providers and managed care in the United States. The applicant may also provide or coordinate the provision of training toward culture and language sensitivity for staff working with refugees.
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Part II. Project and Applicant Eligibility
ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS: are a) those agencies of State governments which are responsible for the refugee program under 45 CFR 400.5 - or a State agency designee, and b) an agency which has State-wide responsibility for an alternative to the State-administered program in lieu of the State under a Wilson/Fish grant. Such State or State-alternative agencies which administer refugee programs may apply directly to ORR for refugee preventive health funds. A State may delegate authority to respond to this program announcement to any State health agency responsible for refugee health or preventive health screening, or to a county or metropolitan public health agency currently receiving a grant from the ORR Preventive Health Program.
PROJECT PERIOD: This announcement invites applications for project periods up to two years. Awards, on a competitive basis, will be for a one-year budget period, although project periods may be for two years. Applications for second-year continuation grants funded under these awards will be entertained on a noncompetitive basis, subject to: availability of funds, grantee’s performance of health screening and approved preventive health services as reported on required forms, satisfactory progress of the grantee, and a determination that continued funding would be in the best interest of the Government.
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INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW: This program is covered under Executive Order 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," and 45 CFR Part 100, "Intergovernmental Review of Department of Health and Human Services Programs and Activities." Under the Order, States may design their own processes for reviewing and commenting on proposed Federal assistance under covered programs. NOTE: STATE/TERRITORY PARTICIPATION IN THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS DOES NOT SIGNIFY APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE UNDER A PROGRAM. A POTENTIAL APPLICANT MUST MEET THE ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROGRAM FOR WHICH IT IS APPLYING PRIOR TO SUBMITTING AN APPLICATION TO ITS SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT (SPOC), IF APPLICABLE, OR TO ACF.
As of November 20, 1998, the following jurisdictions have elected not to participate in the Executive Order process. Applicants from these jurisdictions or for projects administered by federally-recognized Indian Tribes need take no action in regard to E.O. 12372:
Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Colorado, Connecticut, Kansas, Hawaii, Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Palau, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.
Although the jurisdictions listed above no longer participate in the process, entities which have met the eligibility criteria of the program may still apply for a grant even if a State, Territory, Commonwealth, etc. does not have a SPOC. All remaining jurisdictions participate in the Executive Order process and have established SPOCs. Applicants from participating jurisdictions should contact their SPOCs as soon as possible to alert them of the prospective applications and receive instructions. Applicants must submit any required material to the SPOCs as soon as possible so that the program office can obtain and review SPOC comments as part of the award process. The applicant must submit all required materials, if any, to the SPOC and indicate the date of this submittal (or the date of contact if no submittal is required) on the Standard Form 424, item 16a. Under 45 CFR 100.8(a)(2), a SPOC has 60 days from the application deadline to comment on proposed new or competing continuation awards.
SPOCs are encouraged to eliminate the submission of routine endorsements as official recommendations. Further, SPOCs are requested to clearly differentiate between mere advisory comments and those official State process recommendations which may trigger the "accommodate or explain" rule.
When comments are submitted directly to ACF, they should be addressed to: Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Sixth Floor East, Washington, D.C. 20447.
A list of the Single Points of Contact for each State and Territory is included with this program announcement.
INITIAL ACF SCREENING: Each application submitted under this program announcement will undergo a pre-review to determine that (1) the application was received by the closing date and submitted in accordance with the instructions in this announcement and (2) the applicant is eligible for funding.
COMPETITIVE REVIEW AND REVIEW CRITERIA: Applications which pass the initial ACF screening will be evaluated and rated by an independent review panel.
The review criteria are closely related and are considered as a whole in judging the overall quality of an application. Points are awarded only to applications which are responsive to the criteria within the context of this program announcement. Applicants are encouraged to organize their narrative accordingly. Proposed projects will be reviewed based on the following criteria.
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Need - The applicant’s detailed description of existing health services, including screening and preventive services under the applicant’s State Medicaid and RMA plans, provides adequate justification and demonstrates the need for preventive health funds. The application describes the precise location of the project and boundaries of the area to be served. (Maps or other graphic aids may be attached.) (20 points)
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Approach - The application includes a project plan that ensures maximum preventive health screening outcomes and integrates refugees into existing health services consistent with the State Refugee Resettlement Plan. Applicant describes the extent to which contact, with newly arriving refugees to explain available health services and arrange health screenings, either through voluntary resettlement agency affiliate staff or through other arrangements, is ensured. Efforts to overcome any special barriers to refugees receiving health screening are outlined. The application includes a description of the procedures for referring refugees with identified health problems to the appropriate health care provider for treatment and for follow-up to ensure that appointments are kept.
The approach indicates an understanding of the importance of preventive health education as part of the health screening process in order for refugees to be successfully assimilated into the healthcare system. (30 points)
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Results - The proposed objectives are specific, measurable, realistic, time-phased, and related to the requirements of this program announcement. The State’s past performance and funding history document a capacity to implement the project plan. (30 points)
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Budget - The budget narrative provides reasonable justification in relation to the proposed activities and anticipated outcomes. If ORR has approved the applicant State’s plan for RMA funds to cover the costs of screening, the approved plan including these costs is provided. The applicant demonstrates access to and integration of other funding resources. (20 points)
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Part IV. The Application
APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT: In order to be considered for a grant under this program announcement, an application must be submitted on the Standard Form 424 and in the manner prescribed by ACF. Applicants are encouraged to limit project descriptions to 15 pages (typewritten, double-spaced on standard, letter-size paper) plus no more than 20 pages of appended material. These limitations should be considered as a maximum, and not necessarily a goal to be achieved. Applicants are advised to use standard (12 point) font size for the application narrative. Standard Federal application forms and instructions are available from the contact named in the preamble of this announcement.
GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING A PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The project description provides a major means by which an application is evaluated and ranked to compete with other applications for available assistance. The project description should be concise and complete and should address the activity for which Federal funds are being requested. Supporting documents should be included where they can present information clearly and succinctly.
Applicants are encouraged to provide information on their organizational structure, staff, related experience, and other information considered to be relevant. Awarding offices use this and other information to determine whether the applicant has the capability and resources necessary to carry out the proposed project. It is important, therefore, that this information be included in the application. However, in the narrative the applicant must distinguish between resources directly related to the proposed project from those that will not be used in support of the specific project for which funds are requested.
General Instructions: Cross-referencing should be used rather than repetition. ACF/ORR is particularly interested in specific factual information and statements of measurable goals in quantitative terms. Project descriptions are evaluated on the basis of substance, not length. Extensive exhibits are not required. (Supporting information concerning activities that will not be directly funded by the grant or information that does not directly pertain to an integral part of the grant-funded activity should be placed in an appendix.) Pages should be numbered and a table of contents should be included for easy reference.
Budget and Budget Justification: Provide line item detail and detailed calculations for each budget object class identified on the Budget Information form. Detailed calculations must include estimation methods, quantities, unit costs, and other similar quantitative detail sufficient for the calculation to be duplicated. The detailed budget must also include a breakout by the funding sources identified in Block 15 of the SF-424.
Provide a narrative budget justification that describes how the categorical costs are derived. Discuss the necessity, reasonableness, and allocability of the proposed costs.
Program income from activities funded underthis program may be added to the funds committed to the project (if any income is expected to be generated from this project).
Additional Information: Following is a description of additional information that should be placed in the appendix to the application.
Organization Profiles – Provide information such as organizational charts, financial statements, audit reports, and other documentation of professional accreditation, information on compliance with Federal/State/local government standards, documentation of experience in the program area, and other pertinent information on the applicant organization and cooperating partners.
Staff and Position Data – Provide a biographical sketch for each key person appointed and a job description for each vacant key position. A biographical sketch will also be required for new key staff as appointed.
Third-Party Agreements – Include written agreements (or proposed requests for proposals or agreement language) between grantees and sub-grantees or subcontractors or other cooperating entities. These agreements must detail scope of work to be performed, work schedules, remuneration, and other terms and conditions that structure or define the relationship.
Letters of Support – Provide statements from community, public and commercial leaders that support the project proposed for funding.
Non-competing Continuations: For subsequent budget periods of successful projects, ORR will invite an abbreviated application. Continuation award levels will be calculated based on the description in Part I. above using FY 1999 actual arrivals and projected arrivals for FY 2000. Grantees’ performance and reporting of health screenings will be taken into consideration. A full project description will not be required unless requested in writing by the Director of ORR, an ACF Program Official.
Supplemental Applications: For a supplemental assistance request, grantees may explain the reason for the request and justify the need for additional funding. Such requests should include a budget and budget justification only for those costs for which additional funds are requested.
APPLICATION SUBMISSION:
1. Mailed applications shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are either received on or before the deadline date or sent on or before the deadline date and received by ACF in time for the independent review to: DHHS, ACF, Office of Refugee Resettlement, Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer, 370 L'Enfant Promenade, S.W., Sixth Floor, Washington, D.C. 20447.
Applicants must ensure that a legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark or a legibly dated, machine-produced postmark of a commercial mail service is affixed to the envelope/package containing the application(s). To be acceptable as proof of timely mailing, a postmark from a commercial mail service must include the logo/emblem of the commercial mail service company and must reflect the date the package was received by the commercial mail service company from the applicant. Private metered postmarks shall not be acceptable as proof of timely mailing. (Applicants are cautioned that express/overnight mail services do not always reflect the date of mailing on the package or deliver as agreed.)
Applications hand-carried by applicants, couriers, or by other representatives of the applicant shall be considered as meeting an announced deadline if they are received on or before the deadline date, between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., EST, at the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Refugee Resettlement, ACF Mailroom, 2nd Floor (near loading dock), Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20024, between Monday and Friday (excluding Federal holidays). The address must appear on the envelope/package containing the application with the note "Attention: Shirley B. Parker, ORR Grants Officer."
ACF cannot accommodate transmission of applications by fax or through other electronic media. Therefore, applications transmitted to ACF electronically will not be accepted regardless of date or time of submission and time of receipt.
2. Late applications. Applications which do not meet the criteria above are considered late applications. ACF shall notify each late applicant that its application will not be considered in the current competition.
3. Extension of deadlines. ACF may extend an application deadline when circumstances such as acts of God (floods, hurricanes, etc.) occur, or when there is widespread disruption of the mail service, or in other rare cases. Determinations to extend or waive deadline requirements rest with ACF's Chief Grants Management Officer.
PAPERWORK REDUCTION, REGULATIONS, AND REPORTING: Under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13, the Department is required to submit to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and approval any reporting and record keeping requirements in regulations, including program announcements. All information required hereunder is covered by OMB Approval No.0970-0139, ACF UNIFORM PROJECT DESCRIPTION (UPD), which expires 10/31/2000.
Applicable HHS regulations can be found in 45 CFR Parts 92 and 74.
Grantees under this program announcement will be required to provide semi-annual program performance reports on the ORR Quarterly Performance Report (QPR - OMB Approval No. 0970-0036) including appropriate reports on Schedules B and C. Grantees will submit semi-annual financial reports using the Financial Status Report form (SF-269). A Final Financial and Program Report shall be due 90 days after the end of the Grant Project Period (i.e. only after the final budget period).
Dated:
Lavinia Limon, Director
Office of Refugee Resettlement
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