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SAMHSA Grant Annoucement RFA

Application Information
Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS)

Request for Applications (RFA)

Cooperative Agreements for Comprehensive
Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families Program

Short Title: Child Mental Health Initiative (CMHI)

(Initial Announcement)

 

This RFA was modified on Nov. 14 to include an additional requirement on page 7:

Applicants must demonstrate how community services and residential services will be coordinated to ensure that a full array of services is available to meet the needs of children, youth and families.

 

Request for Applications (RFA) No. SM-08-004
Posting on Grants.gov: November 7, 2007
Receipt date: February 1, 2008
Announcement Type: Initial

Catalogue of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No.: 93.104

Key Dates:

Application Deadline

Applications are due by February 1, 2008

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.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services is accepting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2008 for Cooperative Agreements for Comprehensive Community Mental Health Services for Children and Their Families (CMHI).  The purpose of this program is to support States, political subdivisions within States, the District of Columbia, Territories, Native American tribes and tribal organizations, in developing integrated home and community-based services and supports for children and youth with serious emotional disturbances and their families by encouraging the development and expansion of effective and enduring systems of care.

A "system of care" is an organizational philosophy and framework that involves collaboration across agencies, families, and youth for the purpose of improving access and expanding the array of coordinated community-based, culturally and linguistically competent services and supports for children and youth with a serious emotional disturbance and their families.  Research has demonstrated that systems of care have a positive effect on the structure, organization, and availability of services for children and youth with serious mental health needs. 

An estimated 4.5 to 6.3 million children and youth in the United States suffer from a serious emotional disturbance and approximately 65% to 80% of these children and youth do not receive the specialty mental health services and supports they need.  Grantees will be expected to develop, implement, expand and disseminate broad, innovative system changes which improve outcomes for children, youth and families and create long-term positive transformation of services and supports.

Child Mental Health Initiative cooperative agreements are authorized under Section 561 of the Public Health Service Act, as amended. This announcement addresses Healthy People 2010 focus area 18 (Mental Health and Mental Disorders).

Eligibility

Eligibility for this program is statutorily limited to public entities such as:

  • State governments;
  • Indian tribes or tribal organizations (as defined in Section 4[b] and Section 4[c] of the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act);
  • Governmental units within political subdivisions of a State, such as a county, city or town;
  • District of Columbia government; and
  • Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Northern Mariana Islands, Virgin Islands, American Samoa and Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands (now Palau, Micronesia and the Marshall Islands). 

If you have previously received a CMHI award, you must specify a geographic service area within the State, county, tribe or territory that is different from the geographic area of your current or past award (See Table 1, pages 24-25).

An exception to this requirement will be made for States whose previous award(s) was to develop systems of care across the entire State.  If your State had a previous CMHI award for a Statewide implementation approach, you may apply for funding under this announcement if your previous award(s) has expired, including all no-cost extension years.  You must also demonstrate that the programs implemented under these previous awards have been sustained and that the population of focus you are now proposing is different from that in the previous award(s).

In keeping with SAMHSA’s commitment to providing opportunities to serve American Indian/Alaska Native communities, an exception will also be made for cities, counties, States or other public entities that received a previous CMHI award but whose new CMHI application focuses on American Indians and Alaska Native children and families living off reservations in urban centers who were not served by a previous award.  Such a new cooperative agreement must be developed in partnership with an American Indian non-profit organization that is recognized by the Indian Health Service Urban Indian Health Program under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, PL 94-437, as amended.

[Note: Please refer to Appendix J of this RFA for a list of current and past CMHI grantees, including the counties in which each of the funded systems of care has been implemented.]

The authorizing legislation for this program limits only one award per public entity.  However, a State, county, city, tribal or territorial government may apply simultaneously for separate cooperative agreements within a State, if the geographic area specified in a CMHI application does not overlap with the geographic area specified in another CMHI  application within the same State.

Eligible applicants must meet the following requirements:

  • The application should be submitted by the Office of the Governor or by the chief executive officer of a tribe, Territory or the District of Columbia.  However, it may also be submitted by the chief executive officer of a State agency, State political subdivision (e.g., county, city), Indian tribe, tribal organization or Territory, as long as this person is specifically designated in writing by the governor or by the chief executive officer of a tribe, territory or the District of Columbia to submit this application.    
  • To ensure sustainability of the proposed project, all government entities applying for this grant must include a letter of assurance from the Governor of the State or Territory, or the Governor’s designee, stating that the applicant will directly provide any service under this grant that is also covered in the State Medicaid Plan.  The letter must also state that the applicant has entered into a participation agreement under the State plan and is qualified to receive payments under this plan.  If the applicant will not provide direct services, the letter of assurance must indicate that the applicant will enter into an agreement with an organization that will provide the service and the organization has entered into a participation agreement under the State Medicaid Plan and is qualified to receive Medicaid payments.
  • In addition, the letter of assurance from the Governor or the Governor’s designee must indicate that the system of care proposed in the application is specifically included in the goals of the State’s or Territory’s Community Mental Health Services Block Grant Plan (as authorized in Section 564 [b] of the PHS Act) and in the State or Territory’s Mental Health Plan for Children and Adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbances (submitted under Public Law [PL] 102-321).  The proposed system of care must also be consistent with plans proposed under any SAMHSA-funded State Incentive Grant or State Infrastructure Grant (SIG) awarded to the State/tribe.  If the proposed system of care is not included in the State’s or Territory’s plans, the letter of assurance should indicate that it will be included in a revision of the plan at its next renewal date.  The letter signed by the Governor or designee should also provide evidence that the Governor supports the proposed system of care and is committed to assist in cultivating the community and interagency partnerships necessary to build and sustain the system of care.

This letter of assurance from the Governor or the Governor’s designee is not required of Indian tribes or tribal organizations.

The letter of assurance must appear in Appendix 2 of the application, "Governor’s Assurance."  The Governor may use this same letter to designate the chief executive officer of the government entity who will sign and submit the application.  

[Note:  No awards will be made to government applicants who do not submit a letter of assurance from the Governor.  Please consult Table 1 below for a summary of eligibility requirements.]

Table 1: Summary of Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicant

Requirement

Signature on Application

Letter of Assurance from Governor

State governments

Eligible if focused on a new population or geographic area; proposed geographic area may not overlap with geographic area in application from a political subdivision of the State.  Exception: If applicant was previously awarded a grant for the entire State, the applicant may be eligible, as long as previous award has expired, including any no-cost extension year. Applicant must also provide evidence that activities awarded under previous CMHI grants have been sustained. Previous grantees are also eligible if application specifies a focus on American Indians/Alaska Native children and families living off reservations that were not served by a previous award. The new cooperative agreement must be developed in partnership with an American Indian non-profit organization recognized by the Indian Health Service Urban Indian Health program under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, PL 94-437, as amended.

Governor or chief executive officer of State agency, designated in writing by the governor.

Yes

Counties, cities, Territories

Eligible if focused on a new population or geographic area; proposed geographic area may not overlap with geographic area from any other concurrent application within the State or Territory. Previous grantees are also eligible if application specifies a focus on American Indians/Alaska Native children and families living off reservations that were not served by a previous award. The new cooperative agreement must be developed in partnership with an American Indian non-profit organization recognized by the Indian Health Service Urban Indian Health program under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, PL 94-437, as amended.

Chief executive officer, designated in writing by the governor or by the chief executive of a Territory or the District of Columbia.

Yes

Tribes

Eligible if tribe or tribal organization has not had a previous CMHI award. If applicant is a previous CMHI grantee, the new application must be focused on a new population or geographic area not served by the tribe’s previous grant.  Applicants may choose to focus on American Indian and/or Alaska Native children and families living off reservations in urban centers that were not served by a previous CMHI award if the new cooperative agreement is developed in partnership with an American Indian non-profit organization that is recognized by the Indian Health Service Urban Indian Health Program under Title V of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, PL 94-437, as amended.

Tribal leader or Tribal council

No

Award Information

Funding Mechanism:

Cooperative Agreement

Anticipated Total Available Funding: $19 million
Anticipated Number of Awards: 19
Anticipated Award Amount:

Up to $1 million in Year 1
Up to $1.5 million in Year 2
Up to $2 million in Year 3
Up to $2 million in Year 4
Up to $1.5 million in Year 5
Up to $1 million in Year 6

Length of Project Period: Up to 6 years

Proposed budgets cannot exceed the allowable amount in total costs (direct and indirect) in any year of the proposed project.  Annual continuation awards will depend on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting project goals and objectives, timely submission of required data and reports and compliance with all terms and conditions of award.

This program is being announced prior to the appropriation for FY 2008 for SAMHSA’s programs, with funding estimates based on the President’s budget request for FY 2008.  Applications are invited based on the assumption that sufficient funds will be appropriated for FY 2008 to permit funding of a reasonable number of applications solicited.  All applicants are reminded, however, that we cannot guarantee that sufficient funds will be appropriated to permit SAMHSA to fund any applications.

Contact Information

For questions on program issues, contact:

Diane L. Sondheimer
Deputy Chief
Child, Adolescent and Family Branch
Division of Service and System Improvement
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 6-1043
Rockville, Maryland 20857
Phone: (240) 276-1980
Fax: (240) 276-1930
diane.sondheimer@samhsa.hhs.gov

or

Gary M. Blau, Ph.D.
Chief
Child, Adolescent and Family Branch
Division of Service and System Improvement
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 6-1041
Rockville, Maryland 20857
Phone: (240) 276-1980
Fax: (240) 276-1930
gary.blau@samhsa.hhs.gov

For questions on grants management issues, contact:

Gwendolyn Simpson
Office of Program Services, Division of Grants Management     
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 7-1085
Rockville, Maryland 20857
(240) 276-1408
gwendolyn.simpson@samhsa.hhs.gov

Documents needed to complete a grant application:

Applications that are not submitted on the required application form will be screened out and will not be reviewed.

Download the complete Announcement No. SM-08-004

MS Word Format Download RFA in MS Word format
PDF Format Download RFA in Adobe PDF format

PHS 5161-1 (revised July 2000): Includes the face page, budget forms and checklist.

Additional Materials

For further information on the forms and the application process, see Useful Information for Applicants

Additional materials available on this website include:



Last Update: 1/14/2009