FR Doc 05-6744 [Federal Register: April 6, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 65)] [Notices] [Page 17422-17425] From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] [DOCID:fr06ap05-58] Download: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools; Overview Information; Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems; Notice Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2005 Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.215M. Dates: Applications Available: April 5, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2005. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 18, 2005. Eligible Applicants: State educational agencies (SEAs), local educational agencies (LEAs), and Indian tribes. LEAs or consortia of LEAs that have ever received funds or services under the Safe Schools/ Healthy Students Initiative (CFDA Number 84.184L), or will receive funds under the FY 2005 competition for CFDA Number 84.184L, are not eligible for funding under this program. Estimated Available Funds: $4,960,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$350,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 20. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 18 months. Full Text of Announcement I. Funding Opportunity Description Purpose of Program: Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems will provide funds to increase student access to high-quality mental health care by developing innovative approaches that link school systems with the local mental health system. Priority: In accordance with 34 CFR 75.105(b)(2)(iv), this priority is from section 5541 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended by the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (ESEA) (20 U.S.C. 7269). Absolute Priority: For FY 2005 and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition, this priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority. This priority is: Increasing student access to quality mental health care by developing innovative approaches to link local school systems with the local mental health system. A program funded under this absolute priority must include all of the following activities: (1) Enhancing, improving, or developing collaborative efforts between school-based service systems and mental health service systems to provide, enhance, or improve prevention, diagnosis, and treatment services to students. (2) Enhancing the availability of crisis intervention services, appropriate referrals for students potentially in need of mental health services, and ongoing mental health services. (3) Providing training for the school personnel and mental health professionals who will participate in the program. (4) Providing technical assistance and consultation to school systems and mental health agencies and families participating in the program. (5) Providing linguistically appropriate and culturally competent services. (6) Evaluating the effectiveness of the program in increasing student access to quality mental health services, and making recommendations to the Secretary about sustainability of the program. Additional Requirements: (a) Coordination of Activities: Recipients funded under this competition will be required to coordinate activities under this program with projects funded under the Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental [[Page 17423]] Health Services Administration's Mental Health Transformation State Infrastructure Grants (MHTSIG), if a grantee's State receives a MHTSIG award. If a recipient of a grant under this program also has received or receives a Department of Education Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) grant (CFDA 84.184E), the recipient must also coordinate mental health services activities under this grant with those planned under its ERCM grant. (b) Application Requirements: Applicants for an award under this program must develop and submit with their application a preliminary interagency agreement (IAA). The preliminary IAA submitted with application must contain the signatures of an authorized representative of (1) one or more SEAs or LEAs or Indian tribes; (2) one or more juvenile justice authorities; and (3) one or more State or local public mental health agencies. At a minimum, the preliminary IAA submitted with the application must include the following information that details the work to be completed should the applicant receive a grant award under this competition: (1) The designation of a lead agency that will direct, in compliance with section 5541(e) of the ESEA, the establishment of the grantee's final interagency agreement among LEAs, juvenile justice authorities, mental health agencies, and other relevant entities in the State, in collaboration with local entities and parents and guardians of students; (2) Commitment of the parties in the applicant's preliminary IAA to participate in the development of the final interagency agreement described in (1). The final interagency agreement must specify, with regard to each participating agency, authority, or entity-- Financial responsibility for the services that it will provide as part of the program; Conditions and terms of responsibility for the services, including quality, accountability, and coordination of services; Conditions and terms of reimbursement with and among the other agencies, authorities, or entities that are parties to the interagency agreement, including procedures for dispute resolution; and Policies and procedures to ensure appropriate parental or caregiver consent for any planned services, pursuant to state or local laws or requirements. (3) A statement that the parties in the preliminary IAA will complete the required final IAA and submit it to the U.S. Department of Education no later than 12 months after the award date. (4) An assurance that: Persons providing services under the grant will be adequately trained to provide such services; Services provided under the grant will be consistent with the six requirements in the absolute priority; Teachers, principal administrators, and other school personnel will be made aware of the program; and Parents of students participating in services under the program will be involved in the design and implementation of the services. Applications that fail to include the required preliminary IAA (with required content and signatures) will not be submitted for peer review. Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure Act (5 U.S.C. 553) the Department generally offers interested parties the opportunity to comment on priorities and other grant requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of the General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) (20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1)), however, allows the Secretary to exempt from rulemaking requirements, regulations governing the first grant competition under a new or substantially revised program authority. This is the first competition for Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant awards, under section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the Additional Requirements and the eligibility restriction pertaining to LEAs or consortia of LEAs that have received or will receive funding under the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative (84.184L). These Additional Requirements and the eligibility restriction will apply to the FY 2005 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards based on the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7269. Applicable Regulations: The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) in 34 CFR parts 74, 75, 77, 79, 80, 81, 82, 84, 85, 97, 98, 99, and 299. Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 79 apply to all applicants except federally recognized Indian tribes. II. Award Information Type of Award: Discretionary grants. Estimated Available Funds: $4,960,000. Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2006 from the list of unfunded applications from this competition. Estimated Range of Awards: $150,000-$350,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $250,000. Estimated Number of Awards: 20. Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice. Project Period: Up to 18 months. III. Eligibility Information 1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, LEAs, and Indian tribes. LEAs or consortia of LEAs that have ever received funds or services under the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative (CFDA Number 84.184L), or will receive funds under the FY 2005 competition for CFDA Number 84.184L, are not eligible for funding under this program. 2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not involve cost sharing or matching but does have a supplement-not-supplant requirement. Any services provided through programs carried out under this grant must supplement, and not supplant, existing mental health services, including any services provided under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.). IV. Application and Submission Information 1. Address to Request Application Package: Education Publications Center (ED Pubs), P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398. Telephone (toll free): 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (301) 470-1244. If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may call (toll free): 1-877-576-7734. You may also contact ED Pubs at its Web site: http://www.ed.gov/pubs/edpubs.html or you may contact ED Pubs at its e-mail address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov. If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to identify this competition as follows: CFDA number 84.215 M. You may also download the application from the Department of Education's Web site at: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapps/index.html. Individuals with disabilities may obtain a copy of the application package in an alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette) by contacting the program contact person listed in this section. The public can also obtain applications directly from the program [[Page 17424]] office: Dana Carr, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E242, FB-6, Washington, DC 20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 260- 0823 or by e-mail: 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. 2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements concerning the content of an application, together with the forms you must submit, are in the application package for this program. 3. Submission Dates and Times: Applications Available: April 5, 2005. Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: May 16, 2005. Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically using the Electronic Grant Application System (e- Application) accessible through the Department's e-Grants system, or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. For information (including dates and times) about how to submit your application electronically, or by mail or hand delivery, please refer to section IV.6. Other Submission Requirements in this notice. We do not consider an application that does not comply with the deadline requirements. Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: July 18, 2005. 4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this program. 5. Funding Restrictions: We reference additional regulations outlining funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. 6. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants under this competition may be submitted electronically or in paper format by mail or hand delivery. a. Electronic Submission of Applications. If you choose to submit your application to us electronically, you must use e-Application available through the Department's e-Grants system, accessible through the e-Grants portal page at: http://e-grants.ed.gov. While completing your electronic application, you will be entering data online that will be saved into a database. You may not e-mail an electronic copy of a grant application to us. Please note the following: Your participation in e-Application is voluntary. You must complete the electronic submission of your grant application by 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. The e-Application system will not accept an application for this competition after 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the application deadline date to begin the application process. The regular hours of operation of the e-Grants Web site are 6 a.m. Monday until 7 p.m. Wednesday; and 6 a.m. Thursday until midnight Saturday, Eastern Time. Please note that the system is unavailable on Sundays, and between 7 p.m. on Wednesdays and 6 a.m. on Thursdays, Eastern Time, for maintenance. Any modifications to these hours are posted on the e-Grants Web site. You will not receive additional point value because you submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize you if you submit your application in paper format. You must submit all documents electronically, including the Application for Federal Education Assistance (ED 424), Budget Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary assurances and certifications. Any narrative sections of your application should be attached as files in a .DOC (document), .RTF (rich text), or .PDF (Portable Document) format. Your electronic application must comply with any page limit requirements described in this notice. Prior to submitting your electronic application, you may wish to print a copy of it for your records. After you electronically submit your application, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement that will include a PR/Award number (an identifying number unique to your application). Within three working days after submitting your electronic application, fax a signed copy of the ED 424 to the Application Control Center after following these steps: (1) Print ED 424 from e-Application. (2) The applicant's Authorizing Representative must sign this form. (3) Place the PR/Award number in the upper right hand corner of the hard-copy signature page of the ED 424. (4) Fax the signed ED 424 to the Application Control Center at (202) 245-6272. We may request that you provide us original signatures on other forms at a later date. Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of System Unavailability: If you are prevented from electronically submitting your application on the application deadline date because the e- Application system is unavailable, we will grant you an extension of one business day in order to transmit your application electronically, by mail, or by hand delivery. We will grant this extension if-- (1) You are a registered user of e-Application and you have initiated an electronic application for this competition; and (2) (a) The e-Application system is unavailable for 60 minutes or more between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date; or (b) The e-Application system is unavailable for any period of time between 3:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, on the application deadline date. We must acknowledge and confirm these periods of unavailability before granting you an extension. To request this extension or to confirm our acknowledgement of any system unavailability, you may contact either (1) the person listed elsewhere in this notice under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT (see VII. Agency Contact) or (2) the e- Grants help desk at 1-888-336-8930. If the system is down and therefore the application deadline is extended, an e-mail will be sent to all registered users who have initiated an e-Application. Extensions referred to in this section apply only to the unavailability of the Department's e-Application system. If the e- Application system is available, and, for any reason, you are unable to submit your application electronically or you do not receive an automatic acknowledgement of your submission, you may submit your application in paper format by mail or hand delivery in accordance with the instructions in this notice. b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail. If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the applicable following address: By mail through the U.S. Postal Service: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.215M), 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202-4260 or [[Page 17425]] By mail through a commercial carrier: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center--Stop 4260, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.215M), 7100 Old Landover Road, Landover, MD 20785-1506. Regardless of which address you use, you must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following: (1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark, (2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service, (3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier, or (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education. If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing: (1) A private metered postmark, or (2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service. If your application is postmarked after the application deadline date, we will not consider your application. Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with your local post office. c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery. If you submit your application in paper format by hand delivery, you (or a courier service) must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address: U.S. Department of Education, Application Control Center, Attention: (CFDA Number 84.215M), 550 12th Street, SW., Room 7041, Potomac Center Plaza, Washington, DC 20202-4260. The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Eastern Time, except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department: (1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in Item 4 of the ED 424 the CFDA number--and suffix letter, if any--of the competition under which you are submitting your application. (2) The Application Control Center will mail a grant application receipt acknowledgment to you. If you do not receive the grant application receipt acknowledgment within 15 business days from the application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288. V. Application Review Information 1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are in the application package. 2. Review and Selection Process: Additional factors we consider in selecting an application for an award are the equitable distribution of grants among the geographical regions of the United States and among urban, suburban, and rural populations. VI. Award Administration Information 1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award Notification (GAN). We may also notify you informally. If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, we notify you. 2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the application package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part of your binding commitments under the grant. 3. Reporting: At the end of your project period, you must submit a final performance report, including financial information, as directed by the Secretary. You must also submit a progress report nine months after the award date. This report should provide the most current performance and financial expenditure information, including baseline data. 4. Performance Measures: The Secretary has established the following key performance measures for assessing the effectiveness of the Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program: a. The percentage of schools served by the grant that have comprehensive, detailed linkage protocols in place will increase; and b. The percentage of school personnel served by the grant who are trained to make appropriate referrals to mental health services will increase. These two measures constitute the Department's indicators of success for this program. Consequently, applicants for a grant under this program are advised to give careful consideration to these two outcomes in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of their proposed project. If funded, applicants will be asked to collect and report data in their performance and final reports about progress toward these goals. The Secretary will also use this information to respond to the evaluation requirements concerning this program established in Section 5541(f) of the ESEA. VII. Agency Contact FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Carr, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E242, Washington, DC 20202- 6450. Telephone: (202) 260-0823 or by email: 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 program contact person listed in this section. VIII. Other Information 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. Dated: March 31, 2005. Deborah A. Price, Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools. [FR Doc. 05-6744 Filed 4-5-05; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4000-01-P