Announcement of Availability of Grants for General Family Planning Training Projects

SUMMARY: The Office of Family Planning (OFP) of the Office of

Population Affairs requests applications for grants under the Family

Planning Service Training Program authorized under section 1003 of the

Public Health Service (PHS) Act (42 U.S.C. 300a-1(a)). Funds are

available to train family planning personnel in order to maintain the

high level of performance of family planning services projects funded

under Title X of the PHS Act. Training is provided at general training

centers in the ten Department of Health & Human Services' (DHHS)

regions.

ADDRESS: Application kits may be obtained from and applications must be

submitted to: Grants Management Office, Office of Population Affairs,

East-West Towers, suite N1115, Rockville, MD 20857.

DATES: Applications must be postmarked or received at the above address

no later than June 6, 1994. Private metered postmarks will not be

acceptable as proof of timely mailing. Applications which are

postmarked or delivered to the Grants Management Office later than June

6, 1994 will be judged late and will not be accepted for review.

Applications which do not conform to the requirements of the program

announcement or meet the applicable requirements of 42 CFR part 59,

subpart C will not be accepted for review. Applicants will be notified,

and applications will be returned.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Sam Taylor, Acting Director,

Office of Family Planning at (301) 594-4008 is available for assistance

on scientific, technical and program aspects, or Mrs. Barbara N.

Rosenberg, Grants Management Officer at (301) 594-4012 is available for

business management issues. Staff are available to answer questions and

provide limited technical assistance in the preparation of grant

applications.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Title X of the PHS Act, 42 U.S.C. 300, et

seq., authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to award

grants for projects to provide training for family planning service

personnel. (Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number 93.260). This

notice announces the availability of approximately $2.7 million in

funding and solicits applications for ten general training projects to

assist in the establishment and operation of regional training centers.

Grants will be funded within certain ranges, as set out below. The

funding ranges for the regions are determined based on the assessment

of the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs (DASPA) of the

regions' relative need for training funds; funding of individual grants

within each funding range will be based on the DASPA's assessment of

such factors as the training needs within the region and the cost and

availability of personnel for funding.

The training projects are as follows:

One general training grant for DHHS Region I (Connecticut, Maine,

Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont). A funding

range of $181,500-$200,600 is available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region II (New Jersey, New

York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands). A funding range of

$288,500-$318,900 is available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region III (Delaware, Maryland,

Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia). A

funding range of $299,500-$331,000 is available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region IV (Alabama, Florida,

Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, N. Carolina, S. Carolina and

Tennessee). A funding range of $350,300-$387,200 is available for this

grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region V (Illinois, Indiana,

Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin). A funding range of $315,400-

$348,600 is available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region VI (Arkansas, Louisiana,

New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas). A funding range of $269,800-$298,200 is

available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region VII (Iowa, Kansas,

Missouri, Nebraska). A funding range of $168,400-$186,100 is available

for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region VIII (Colorado, Montana,

N. Dakota, S. Dakota, Utah, Wyoming). A funding range of $169,300-

$187,100 is available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region IX (Arizona, California,

Hawaii, Nevada, American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia,

Republic of Marshall Islands, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana

Islands, Republic of Palau and Guam). A funding range of $252,200-

$278,700 is available for this grant.

One general training grant for DHHS Region X (Alaska, Idaho,

Oregon, Washington). A funding range of $154,900-$171,200 is available

for this grant.

Statutory and Regulatory Background

Title X of the PHS Act, enacted by Public Law 91-572, authorizes

grants for projects to provide family planning services to persons from

low-income families and others. Section 1001 of the Act, as amended,

authorizes grants ``to assist in the establishment and operation of

voluntary family planning projects which shall offer a broad range of

acceptable and effective family planning methods and services,

(including natural family planning methods, infertility services, and

services for adolescents).'' Section 1003 of the Act, as amended,

authorizes the Secretary to make grants to entities to provide the

training for personnel to carry out the family planning services

programs.

The regulations set out at 42 CFR part 59, subpart C, govern grants

for family planning services training. Prospective applicants should

refer to the regulations in their entirety.

Role and Operation of the Training Program

Under the regulations, ``training'' means job-specific skill

development. Continuing education activities that are innovative or

non-traditional are encouraged. The development or use of self-paced,

self-instructional or mediated training materials which utilize

technological advancements in the learning field are also acceptable.

The purpose of the general training program is to provide short-

term training, continuing education, inservice education and staff

development for personnel to improve or maintain at a high level the

performance of Title X family planning services providers.

Successful applicants will be required to work closely with a

network of other PHS agencies, including the central and regional

office staffs, Title X service delivery providers, and regional

training advisory committees which provide representation from all

service grantees. Successful applicants will be required to review and

consider policy and program goals of the Title X family planning

program, solicit advice from the regional training advisory committee,

and consult with Title X service delivery providers about training

priorities, course content, and curriculum. Because of outcomes from

the community planning process and emphasis on community involvement,

successful applicants should also stress mechanisms that solicit input

from the ``customer,'' both clinician and client.

In developing their curricula and training schedules, general

training programs supported under this announcement should be sensitive

to the importance of supporting the program priorities of the Title X

services program, which include:

Expansion of current clinic sites and development of new

clinics in high need areas;

Outreach to low-income women, adolescents and persons at

high risk of unintended pregnancy or infection with STD (including HIV)

not now receiving family planning services;

Increased emphasis on services to adolescents, including

enhanced counseling as well as new service arrangements for providing

services to teens;

Increased focus on quality and comprehensiveness of

services, including treatment of STD's, screening for cervical cancer

and prevention of breast cancer, substance abuse counseling, and

counseling on avoidance of high risk behavior which may place clients

at risk for STD and HIV, and

Increased emphasis on training and retention of Family

Planning nurse practitioners, particularly minority nurse practitioners

and those working in clinics serving high risk populations.

Training programs should also be sensitive to the need to focus

training on emerging priorities, such as the revised Title X Guidelines

(when issued), the requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act,

health care reform, changes in delivery of traditional family planning

in nontraditional sites and program data reporting requirements

currently under revision.

The application should set out how the general training program

will address the national health objectives relating to family planning

that are discussed in section 5 of the PHS document, Healthy People

2000. In the context of Healthy People 2000, attention should be given

to training which would enable trainees to: Work more effectively to

reduce teen pregnancy; reduce unintended pregnancy among all women;

reduce the initiation of sexual activity by teenagers; increase the

effectiveness of contraception, including barrier contraception, among

all women; implement pre-conception care; and reduce sexually

transmitted diseases, including HIV.

Successful applicants will be responsible for the overall

management of a general training program within the geographic area for

which the grant is made. This responsibility includes:

Developing an annual training plan, which reflects

national and regional goals and the training needs of local Title X

service grantees;

Developing criteria for selection of staff for training,

including prerequisite qualifications. Such criteria should reflect a

sensitivity to the unique needs of grantees for certain types of

training, priority for trainees serving rural areas or Health

Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs), or other relevant factors;

Developing a process to review training applications

submitted by Title X services grantee personnel. Training grantees will

make the final decision about candidates' suitability for training,

applying the criteria discussed above;

Maintaining data on general training characteristics

sufficient to allow evaluation by central and regional offices, and

self-evaluation by the training grantees;

Developing and implementing general training plans and

continuing professional education programs which include measurable

objectives;

Sharing materials developing with other training programs

so as to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort. All materials

developed with Title X funds must be made available at cost to other

Title X projects upon request;

Facilitating trainees' receipt of continuing education

units where appropriate, and

Planning an annual continuing education conference and

attending at least one national training meeting annually.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted on the forms supplied (PHS-5161-1)

(OMB Approval No. 0937-0189) and in the manner prescribed in the

application kits available from the Office of Grants Management.

Applicants are required to submit an application signed by an

individual authorized to act for the applicant agency or organization

and to assume for the organization the obligations imposed by the terms

and conditions of the grant award. Applicants are required to submit an

original application and two copies.

Accepted applications will be subjected to a competitive review

process. The results of this review will assist the Deputy Assistant

Secretary for Population Affairs in considering competing applications

and in making the final funding decisions.

Any public or private nonprofit organization or agency is eligible

to apply for a grant. It is not required that an entity applying for a

grant be physically located in the region to be served by the proposed

project.

A copy of the legislation and regulations governing this program

will be sent to applicants as part of the application kit package.

Applicants should use the legislation, regulations and information

included in this announcement to guide them in developing their

applications. Applications should be limited to 50 doubled-spaced

pages, not including appendices providing curriculum vitae or

statements of organizational capabilities. Awards will be made only to

those applicants who have met all applicable requirements.

The Public Health Service (PHS) is committed to achieving the

health promotion and disease prevention objectives of Healthy People

2000, a PHS-led national activity which involves the establishment and

pursuit of goals designed to prevent disease and promote health. This

announcement is related to the priority areas of Family Planning and

Educational and Community-Based Programs. Potential applicants may

obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full Report: Stock No. 017-001-

00474-0) or Healthy People 2000 (Summary Report; Stock No. 017-001-

00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC 20402-0325. (Telephone (202) 783-3238.)

Grant Award

Eligible competing grant applications will be reviewed and assessed

against the following criteria:

1. The extent to which the proposed training program will increase

the delivery of services to Title X clients, particularly persons from

low-income families. (15 points)

2. The extent to which the proposed training program has the

potential to fulfill the training needs of the family planning services

grantees in the areas to be served, which may include among other

things:

a. Development of a capability within family planning services

projects to provide pre- and in-service training to their own staffs;

b. Improvement of the family planning service delivery skills of

family planning and health services personnel; and

c. Improvement in the utilization and career development of

paraprofessional and paramedical manpower in family planning services.

Total consideration for a, b, and c. (15 points)

3. The extent to which the training program proposes appropriate

strategies to improve the provision of family planning services in

rural areas and HPSAs. (15 points)

4. The capacity of the applicant to make rapid and effective use of

the training grant. (10 points)

5. The administrative and management capability and competence of

the applicant. (15 points)

6. The competence of the project staff and/or trainers in relation

to the services to be provided. (15 points)

7. The degree to which the project plan adequately provides for the

requirements set forth in 42 CFR 59.205, including the applicant's

presentation of the project's objectives, the methods for achieving

project objectives, the ability to involve providers and the regional

office, and the results or benefits expected. (15 points)

In making grant award decisions the Deputy Assistant Secretary for

Population Affairs (DASPA) will fund those projects which will in his

judgment best promote the purposes of section 1003 of the Act, within

the limits of funds available for such projects.

Grants will be approved for project periods of up to 5 years.

Grants are funded in annual increments (budget periods). Funding for

all approved budget periods beyond the first year of the grant is

contingent upon satisfactory progress of the project, efficient and

effective use of grant funds provided, and availability of funds.

Review Under Executive Order 12372

Applicants under this announcement are subject to the review

requirements of Executive Order 12372, State Review of Applications for

Federal Financial Assistance, as implemented by 45 CFR part 100. As

soon as possible, the applicant should discuss the project with the

State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for each State in the area to be

served. The application kit contains the currently available listing of

the SPOCs which have elected to be informed of the submission of

applications. For those States not represented on the listing, further

inquiries should be made by the applicant regarding the submission to

the relevant SPOC. The SPOC's comment(s) should be forwarded to the

Grants Management Office, Office of Population Affairs, East-West

Towers, suite N1115, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857. Such

comments must be received by the Office of Population Affairs by June

6, 1994 to be considered.

When final funding decisions have been made, each applicant will be

notified by letter of the outcome. The official document notifying an

applicant that a project application has been approved for funding is

the Notice of Grant Award, which specifies to the grantee the amount of

money awarded, the purposes of the grant, and terms and conditions of

the grant award.

Dated: February 22, 1994.

Gerald J. Bennett,

Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Population Affairs.

[FR Doc. 94-8154 Filed 4-5-94; 8:45 am]

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