FR Doc 06-4947
[Federal Register: May 30, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 103)]
[Notices]
[Page 30777-30780]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30my06-120]
[[Page 30777]]
Download: 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Part IV
Department of Education
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems; Notice
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006; Notices
[[Page 30778]]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems
AGENCY: Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of final requirements.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools
announces five requirements under the Grants for the Integration of
Schools and Mental Health Systems program. We may use these
requirements for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2006 and later years.
We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an
identified national need. We intend the requirements to improve the
linkages among local school systems, local mental health systems, and
local juvenile justice systems.
DATES: Effective Date: These requirements are effective June 29, 2006.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Carr, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E242, FB-6, Washington, DC
20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 260-0823 or via Internet:
dana.carr@ed.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONTACT.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Grants for the Integration of Schools
and Mental Health Systems program seeks to enhance access to mental
health services through improved linkages among school, mental health,
and juvenile justice systems in a manner that is complementary to and
does not duplicate any previous or ongoing efforts.
We published a notice of proposed requirements for this competition
in the Federal Register on March 9, 2006 (71 FR 12187). The notice of
proposed requirements included a discussion of the significant issues
that support the need for these requirements.
There are no differences between the notice of proposed
requirements and this notice of final requirements.
Analysis of Comments and Changes
In response to our invitation in the notice of proposed
requirements, we received two comments on the proposed requirements. An
analysis of the comments and of any changes in the requirements since
publication of the notice of proposed requirements follows.
We group major issues according to requirement. Generally, we do
not address technical and other minor changes--and suggested changes
the law does not authorize us to make under the applicable statutory
authority.
Requirement 1--Coordination of Activities
Comment: One commenter suggested that we require applicants from
States with awards under the Department of Health and Human Services'
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Mental
Health Transformation State Infrastructure Grants (MHTSIG) program
(CFDA 93.243) to provide specific information relative to some MHTSIG
components as part of their application for a grant under this program.
Discussion: Although we appreciate receiving information on the
types of approaches that an applicant may take to demonstrate
coordination with its State's MHTSIG grant, we believe that imposing
specific coordination steps might actually limit the flexibility of
grantees in developing coordination activities that address their
unique circumstances. We do plan, however, to include the suggestions
provided in the comment in the application package as examples of how
applicants could coordinate their proposed projects with their State's
MHTSIG grant.
Change: None.
Requirement 2--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Recipients Excluded from
Receiving Awards
Comment: One commenter recommended that we allow former Safe
Schools/Healthy Students grantees to apply under the Grants for the
Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program in unique
circumstances, such as if the community has demonstrated making
significant progress towards improved linkages.
Discussion: The intent of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students program
is to create system-level change that continues after the grant period,
with the goal of sustaining linkages between schools and community
systems that provide services to students and families. Awarding a
grant under this program to a Safe Schools/Healthy Students program
grantee would result in the duplication of this systems-level
infrastructure development effort, and concentration of limited
financial resources in projects that have already received significant
funding to support similar activities. Therefore, we believe that no
change in the proposed requirement is merited.
Change: None.
Requirement 3--Preliminary Interagency Agreement (IAA)
Comment: One commenter suggested that the process of developing the
required preliminary agreement might be more important than the
agreement itself. This commenter recommended that applicants document
the process involved in developing relationships and involving parents,
in addition to providing the required preliminary IAA.
Discussion: We agree with the commenter that the process of
developing the required preliminary agreement will likely be an
important part of efforts to establish a long-term collaboration
between partners. However, additional documentation requirements would
impose a significant burden on grantees.
Change: None.
Requirement 4--Inclusion of Parental Consent Considerations in Final
IAA
Comment: One commenter suggested that parents should be
significantly involved in developing the IAA and processes for parental
consent, and that parent involvement should be paramount throughout the
integration process.
Discussion: Parents or other caregivers must provide consent for
planned mental health services, consistent with State or local laws or
other requirements. We encourage grantees to include parents in
developing policies and procedures for furnishing parental consent, as
well as in broader efforts to establish meaningful collaboration;
however, imposing additional specific requirements for parental
involvement may limit the flexibility of grantees to design and
implement a project that appropriately responds to local conditions and
circumstances.
Change: None.
Requirement 5--Provision of Direct Services
Comment: One commenter recommended that we allow grantees to use
program funds to support direct services to students in school-based
settings.
Discussion: We believe that using limited program funds to hire or
contract for services will do little to improve collaborative efforts
or community infrastructure. If these funds were used to cover the
costs of providing mental health services, the
[[Page 30779]]
significant associated costs would not only restrict the available
funding under the program to a very limited number of sites, but would
also divert funding from efforts to create a sustainable infrastructure
that improves students' access to mental health services. Additionally,
the Department of Education offers other grant opportunities, including
Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative grants and Elementary and
Secondary School Counseling grants that provide financial support for
the provision of mental health services in school-based settings.
Change: None.
Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use these requirements, we invite applications
through a notice in the Federal Register.
Requirements
Requirement 1--Coordination of Activities
Recipients of a grant under the Grants for the Integration of
Schools and Mental Health Systems program are required to coordinate
project activities with projects funded under the Department of Health
and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's Mental Health Transformation State Infrastructure
Grants (MHTSIG) program (CFDA 93.243), if a grantee's State receives a
MHTSIG award. If a recipient of a grant under the Grants for the
Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program has received
or receives a grant under the Department of Education's Emergency
Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) program (CFDA 84.184E), the
recipient must coordinate mental health service activities under this
grant with those planned under its ERCM grant. Projects funded by this
program must complement, rather than duplicate, existing or ongoing
efforts.
Requirement 2--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Recipients Excluded From
Receiving Awards
Former or current recipients under the Safe Schools/Healthy
Students program (CFDA 84.184L) are not eligible to receive a Grant for
the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program.
Recipients of Safe Schools/Healthy Students awards are responsible for
completing a scope of work under that program that is very similar to
the activities required under the Grants for the Integration of Schools
and Mental Health Systems program. By restricting the applicant pool to
eliminate former or current grantees under the Safe Schools/Healthy
Students program, we will be able to focus Federal funds on entities
that have not yet received Federal support to develop and implement
strong linkages with other entities in their communities for the
provision of mental health services to students.
Applicants may compete for both the Grants for the Integration of
Schools and Mental Health Systems and Safe Schools/Healthy Students
programs in the same year; if applicants are deemed eligible for
funding in both grant competitions, the applicant will receive the
larger and more comprehensive of the awards.
Requirement 3--Preliminary Interagency Agreement
Applicants for an award under the Grants for the Integration of
Schools and Mental Health Systems program must develop and submit with
their applications a preliminary interagency agreement (IAA). The IAA
must contain the signatures of an authorized representative of at least
(1) one or more State or local educational agencies or Indian tribes;
(2) one or more juvenile justice authorities; and (3) one or more State
or local public mental health agencies. This preliminary IAA would
confirm the commitment of these partners to complete the work under the
proposed project, if funded. If the applicant is funded, recipients
will complete a final IAA as required by section 5541(e) of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The
final IAA must be completed and submitted to us, signed by all parties,
no later than 12 months after the award date.
Applications that do not include the proposed preliminary IAA with
all of the required signatures will be rejected and not be considered
for funding.
Requirement 4--Inclusion of Parental Consent Considerations in Final
IAA
The final Interagency Agreement (IAA) must include a description of
policies and procedures that would ensure appropriate parental or
caregiver consent for any planned services, pursuant to State or local
laws or other requirements.
Requirement 5--Provision of Direct Services
Grant funds under this program must not be used to provide direct
services to students.
Executive Order 12866
This notice of final requirements has been reviewed in accordance
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
The potential costs associated with the notice of final
requirements are those resulting from statutory requirements and those
we have determined as necessary for administering this program
effectively and efficiently.
In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative
and qualitative--of this notice of final requirements, we have
determined that the benefits of the final requirements justify the
costs.
We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of
their governmental functions.
We summarized the costs and benefits in the notice of proposed
requirements.
Intergovernmental Review
This program is subject to Executive order 12372 and the
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive
Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened
federalism.
The Executive order relies on processes developed by State and
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal
financial assistance.
This document provides early notification of our specific plans and
actions for this program.
Electronic Access to This Document
You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this
Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable
Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister
.
To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available
free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, call the U.S.
Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free, at 1-888-293-6498; or in
the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO Access at:
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.html.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7269.
(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 84.215M)
[[Page 30780]]
Dated: May 24, 2006.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 06-4947 Filed 5-26-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P