Initiative to Improve Access to Needs-Driven, Evidence-Based/Evidence-informed Mental and Behavioral Health Services in Child Welfare

Initiative to Improve Access to Needs-Driven, Evidence-Based/Evidence-informed Mental and Behavioral Health Services in Child Welfare is sponsored by Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Children's Bureau (CB). This program aims to improve the social and emotional well-being of targeted children and youth in child welfare systems that have mental and behavioral health needs.

Grants will assist public child welfare agencies in improving outcomes by creating a flexible service array that provides early access to effective mental and behavioral health services, including the implementation of evidence-based or evidence-informed screening, assessment, and service array reconfiguration practices in child welfare systems.

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gov Maintenance Calendar HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CO-0279 Initiative to Improve Access to Needs-Driven, Evidence-Based/Evidence-informed Mental and Behavioral Health Services in Child Welfare Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Document Type:Grants Notice Funding Opportunity Number:HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CO-0279 Funding Opportunity Title:Initiative to Improve Access to Needs-Driven, Evidence-Based/Evidence-informed Mental and Behavioral Health Services in Child Welfare Opportunity Category:Discretionary Opportunity Category Explanation: Funding Instrument Type:Cooperative Agreement Category of Funding Activity:Income Security and Social Services Expected Number of Awards:8 Assistance Listings:93.

652 -- Adoption Opportunities Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:No Original Closing Date for Applications:Jul 20, 2012 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p. m. , ET, on the listed application due date.

Current Closing Date for Applications:Jul 20, 2012 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 11:59 p. m. , ET, on the listed application due date.

Archive Date:Jul 23, 2012 Estimated Total Program Funding:$ 5,120,000 Eligible Applicants:Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Private institutions of higher education City or township governments Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) Additional Information on Eligibility:Eligible applicants include State, tribal or county public child welfare agencies and private child welfare agencies under contract with the public child welfare agency.

If the primary applicant responsible for administering the cooperative agreement is not a public child welfare agency, the applicant must document a strong partnership with the public child welfare agency(ies) with responsibility for administering the child welfare program(s) in the targeted geographical area(s) and court(s) having jurisdiction over the targeted child welfare population.

Applicants are required to partner with key agencies, e.g., a university, medical center, mental health agency, and/or community-based provider with nationally demonstrated expertise in child traumatic stress interventions and experience with the population(s) that the applicant proposes to serve with their proposed project.

Collaborative efforts are strongly encouraged, but applicants must identify a primary applicant responsible for administering the cooperative agreement. Faith-based and community organizations that meet eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement.

Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship organizations are not eligible to compete for, or receive, awards made under this announcement. ## Additional Information Agency Name:Administration for Children and Families Description:This forecast updates the previously forecasted Integrating Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Focused Practice in Child Protective Service (CPS) Delivery.

The previously forecasted FOA on Integrating Trauma is now Initiative to Improve Access to Needs-Driven, Evidence-Based/Evidence-informed Mental and Behavioral Health Services in Child Welfare. The Administration for Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Children's Bureau (CB), announces the availability of competitive grant funds authorized by the Adoption Opportunities Program.

The goal of this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is to solicit proposals for projects that will improve the social and emotional well-being of targeted children and youth in child welfare systems that have mental and behavioral health needs.

These grants, in the form of cooperative agreements, are designed to: Assist public child welfare agencies, through interagency collaboration, in improving adoption outcomes by creating a flexible service array that provides early access to effective mental and behavioral health services that match the needs of children, youth, and families in the service population; Support the implementation of evidence-based or evidence-informed screening, assessment, case planning, and service array reconfiguration practices in child welfare systems while simultaneously targeting and de-scaling practices and services that: 1) are not effective; and/or 2) do not meet the assessed needs of the target population; Identify factors and strategies associated with successful installation, implementation, and sustainability of service system changes, and; Evaluate the effect of implemented system changes on safety, permanency, well-being and adoption outcomes.

Applicants should carefully review this full FOA and consider the level of effort necessary to meet the purpose of the FOA and the evaluation-related requirements. To fully meet the intent of the FOA, grantees must adopt and implement a combination of specific, clearly-defined screening, assessment, case planning and service array reconfiguration activities.

To do so, grantees must ensure that their proposed interventions and integrated programs are an appropriate fit for the characteristics and needs of the groups targeted for services. Further, the grantee's approach and plan must be feasible based on the capacity, resources, collaborative infrastructure, and conditions of the systems in which the program strategies are to be delivered.

Grant funds may be used for the process of service transformation efforts to improve access to appropriate, evidence-based or evidence-informed mental and behavioral health services. Activities may include, but are not limited to building collaborative partnerships, assessment, planning, capacity-building, training, installation, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination.

Successful applicants will design a plan to sustain service transformations within their child welfare service delivery systems. It is anticipated that these awards will be for a 60-month project with five 12-month budget periods. The estimated award ceiling is $640,000 per budget period.

Link to Additional Information:http://www. acf. hhs.

gov/grants/open/foa/view/HHS-2012-ACF-ACYF-CO-0279 Grantor Contact Information:If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: ACF Applications Help Desk ACF Applications Help Desk #### Health & Human Services * Frequently Asked Questions ## Your session will expire in 3 minutes. To continue working, click on the "OK" button below. This is being done to protect your privacy.

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