Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Funding Opportunities

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

Fiscal Year (FY) 1999 Funding Opportunities

AGENCY: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, HHS.

ACTION: Notice of funding availability.

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SUMMARY: The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) announces the

availability of FY 1999 funds for the following activity. This activity

is discussed in more detail under Section 4 of this notice. This notice

is not a complete description of the activity; potential applicants

must obtain a copy of the Guidance for Applicants (GFA) before

preparing an application.

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Estimated

Activity Application Estimated funds available number of Project period

deadline awards

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School action grant............ 5/24/99 $5 million................ 33 Up to 2 yrs.

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[[Page 11936]]

Note: SAMHSA also published notices of available funding

opportunities for FY 1999 in subsequent issues of the Federal

Register.

The actual amount available for awards and their allocation may

vary, depending on unanticipated program requirements and the volume

and quality of applications. Awards are usually made for grant periods

from one to three years in duration. FY 1999 funds for the activity

discussed in this announcement were appropriated by the Congress under

Public Law No. 105-277. SAMHSA's policies and procedures for peer

review and Advisory Council review of grant and cooperative agreement

applications were published in the Federal Register (Vol. 58, No. 126)

on July 2, 1993.

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 for setting priority areas. The

SAMHSA Centers' substance abuse and mental health services activities

address issues related to Healthy People 2000 objectives of Mental

Health and Mental Disorders; Alcohol and Other Drugs; Clinical

Preventive Services; HIV Infection; and Surveillance and Data Systems.

Potential applicants may obtain a copy of Healthy People 2000 (Full

Report: Stock No. 017-001-00474-0) or Summary Report: Stock No. 017-

001-00473-1) through the Superintendent of Documents, Government

Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402-9325 (Telephone: 202-512-1800).

General Instructions

Applicants must use application form PHS 5161-1 (Rev. 5/96; OMB No.

0937-0189). The application kit contains the GFA (complete programmatic

guidance and instructions for preparing and submitting applications),

the PHS 5161-1 which includes Standard Form 424 (Face Page), and other

documentation and forms. Application kits may be obtained from the

organization specified for the activity covered by this notice (see

Section 4).

When requesting an application kit, the applicant must specify the

particular activity for which detailed information is desired. This is

to ensure receipt of all necessary forms and information, including any

specific program review and award criteria.

The PHS 5161-1 application form and the full text of the activity

(i.e., the GFA) described in Section 4 is available electronically via

SAMHSA's World Wide Web Home Page (address: http://www.samhsa.gov).

Application Submission: Unless otherwise stated in the GFA,

applications must be submitted to: SAMHSA Programs, Center for

Scientific Review, National Institutes of Health, Suite 1040, 6701

Rockledge Drive MSC-7710, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-7710.*

(*Applicants who wish to use express mail or courier service should

change the ZIP code to 20817.)

Application Deadlines: The deadline for receipt of applications is

listed in the table above.

Competing applications must be received by the indicated receipt

dates to be accepted for review. An application received after the

deadline may be acceptable if it carries a legible proof-of-mailing

date assigned by the carrier and that date is not later than one week

prior to the deadline date. Private metered postmarks are not

acceptable as proof of timely mailing.

Applications received after the deadline date and those sent to an

address other than the address specified above will be returned to the

applicant without review.

For Further Information Contact: Requests for activity-specific

technical information should be directed to the program contact person

identified for the activity covered by this notice (see Section 4).

Requests for information concerning business management issues

should be directed to the grants management contact person identified

for the activity covered by this notice (see Section 4).

Table of Contents

1. Program Background and Objectives

2. Special Concerns

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

3.1 General Review Criteria

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored Applications

4. Special FY 1999 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Activity

4.1. Violence Prevention/Resilience Development School and

Community Action Grants (Short Title: School Action Grant, GFA No.

SM 99-009)

4.2. SAMHSA Technical Assistance Workshop

5. Public Health System Reporting Requirements

6. PHS Non-use of Tobacco Policy Statement

7. Executive Order 12372

1. Program Background and Objectives

SAMHSA's mission within the Nation's health system is to improve

the quality and availability of prevention, early intervention,

treatment, and rehabilitation services for substance abuse and mental

illnesses, including co-occurring disorders, in order to improve health

and reduce illness, death, disability, and cost to society.

Reinventing government, with its emphases on redefining the role of

Federal agencies and on improving customer service, has provided SAMHSA

with a welcome opportunity to examine carefully its programs and

activities. As a result of that process, SAMHSA moved assertively to

create a renewed and strategic emphasis on using its resources to

generate knowledge about ways to improve the prevention and treatment

of substance abuse and mental illness and to work with State and local

governments as well as providers, families, and consumers to

effectively use that knowledge in everyday practice.

SAMHSA's FY 1999 Knowledge Development and Application (KD&A)

agenda is the outcome of a process whereby providers, services

researchers, consumers, National Advisory Council members and other

interested persons participated in special meetings or responded to

calls for suggestions and reactions. From this input, each SAMHSA

Center developed a ``menu'' of suggested topics. The topics were

discussed jointly and an agency agenda of critical topics was agreed

to. The selection of topics depended heavily on policy importance and

on the existence of adequate research and practitioner experience on

which to base studies. While SAMHSA's FY 1999 KD&A programs will

sometimes involve the evaluation of some delivery of services, they are

services studies and application activities, not merely evaluation,

since they are aimed at answering policy-relevant questions and putting

that knowledge to use.

SAMHSA differs from other agencies in focusing on needed

information at the services delivery level, and in its question-focus.

Dissemination and application are integral, major features of the

programs. SAMHSA believes that it is important to get the information

into the hands of the public, providers, and systems administrators as

effectively as possible. Technical assistance, training, preparation of

special materials will be used, in addition to normal communications

means.

SAMHSA also continues to fund legislatively-mandated services

programs for which funds are appropriated.

2. Special Concerns

SAMHSA's legislatively-mandated services programs do provide funds

for mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and prevention

services. However, SAMHSA's KD&A activities do not provide funds for

mental health and/or substance abuse treatment and prevention services

except sometimes for costs required by the particular

[[Page 11937]]

activity's study design. Applicants are required to propose true

knowledge application or knowledge development and application

projects. Applications seeking funding for services projects under a

KD&A activity will be considered nonresponsive.

Applications that are incomplete or nonresponsive to the GFA will

be returned to the applicant without further consideration.

3. Criteria for Review and Funding

Consistent with the statutory mandate for SAMHSA to support

activities that will improve the provision of treatment, prevention and

related services, including the development of national mental health

and substance abuse goals and model programs, competing applications

requesting funding under the specific project activity in Section 4

will be reviewed for technical merit in accordance with established

PHS/SAMHSA peer review procedures.

3.1 General Review Criteria

As published in the Federal Register on July 2, 1993 (Vol. 58, No.

126), SAMHSA's ``Peer Review and Advisory Council Review of Grant and

Cooperative Agreement Applications and Contract Proposals,'' peer

review groups will take into account, among other factors as may be

specified in the application guidance materials, the following general

criteria:

Potential significance of the proposed project;

Appropriateness of the applicant's proposed objectives to

the goals of the specific program;

Adequacy and appropriateness of the proposed approach and

activities;

Adequacy of available resources, such as facilities and

equipment;

Qualifications and experience of the applicant

organization, the project director, and other key personnel; and

Reasonableness of the proposed budget.

3.2 Funding Criteria for Scored Applications

Applications will be considered for funding on the basis of their

overall technical merit as determined through the peer review group and

the appropriate National Advisory Council (if applicable) review

process.

Other funding criteria will include:

Availability of funds.

Additional funding criteria specific to the programmatic activity

may be included in the application guidance materials.

4. Special FY 1999 SAMHSA Activities

4.1. Violence Prevention/Resilience Development School and Community

Action Grants (Short Title: School Action Grant, GFA No. SM 99-009)

Application Deadline: May 24, 1999

Purpose: Grants will be awarded to approximately 33 sites.

The goals of the School Action Grant Program are: (1) to obtain

community level buy-in for the changes necessary to provide children

with safe environments in which they can grow into competent and

resilient adults; (2) to help young people develop the skills and

emotional resilience necessary to maintain healthy functioning, engage

in pro-social behavior, decrease suicide, prevent violent behavior, and

decrease the use of alcohol and illicit drugs; (3) to increase the

number of communities using evidence-based exemplary practices to

address youth violence prevention and resilience development among

children and adolescents; and (4) to expand efforts at youth violence

prevention and resilience development beyond the traditional fields of

education, law enforcement, and mental health.

Projects under this grant program will be successful if a grantee

can develop consensus among key stakeholders on the adaptations of the

chosen exemplary practice needed for that community and implement a

plan for adopting that practice in the community.

Priorities: None

Eligible Applicants: Applications may be submitted by

units of State or local governments and by domestic private nonprofit

and for-profit organizations such as advocacy organization; community-

based organizations including ethnic specific organizations, parents

and teachers associations, consumer and family groups; providers,

courts, local police departments, mental health organizations, and

schools.

Grants/Amounts: It is estimated that approximately $5

million will be available to support approximately 33 awards in FY

1999. These grants are for a period of up to 2 years. Award amounts

will range from approximately $50,000 to not more than $150,000 in

total costs (direct and indirect) each year. Actual funding levels will

depend upon the availability of appropriated funds.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.230

Program Contact: For programmatic or technical assistance

contact: Tiffany Ho, M.D., Division of Program Development, Center for

Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 16-C-05, Rockville, MD 20857,

301-443-2892, E-Mail: [email protected]

Questions regarding Grants Management issues may be directed to:

Stephen J. Hudak, Division of Grants Management, OPS, Substance Abuse

and Mental Health Services Administration, 5600 Fishers Lane, Room 15C-

05, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-4456, E-Mail: [email protected]

For application kits, contact: Knowledge Exchange Network

(KEN), P.O. Box 42490, Washington, DC 20015

Voice: (800) 789-2647

TTY: (301) 443-9006

FAX: (301) 984-8796

4.2 SAMHSA Technical Assistance Workshop

SAMHSA is sponsoring three technical assistance workshops for

potential applicants. The workshops will be held at the following

locations: March 11, 1999--Washington, DC; March 17, 1999--Chicago, IL;

and March 19--Los Angeles, CA. For more information, please call Ms.

Lisa Wilder, Workshop Coordinator, at 301-984-1471, extension 333.

5. Public Health System Reporting Requirements

The Public Health System Impact Statement (PHSIS) is intended to

keep State and local health officials apprised of proposed health

services grant and cooperative agreement applications submitted by

community-based nongovernmental organizations within their

jurisdictions.

Community-based nongovernmental service providers who are not

transmitting their applications through the State must submit a PHSIS

to the head(s) of the appropriate State and local health agencies in

the area(s) to be affected not later than the pertinent receipt date

for applications. This PHSIS consists of the following information:

a. A copy of the face page of the application (Standard form 424).

b. A summary of the project (PHSIS), not to exceed one page, which

provides:

(1) A description of the population to be served.

(2) A summary of the services to be provided.

(3) A description of the coordination planned with the appropriate

State or local health agencies.

State and local governments and Indian Tribal Authority applicants

are not subject to the Public Health System Reporting Requirements.

[[Page 11938]]

6. PHS Non-Use of Tobacco Policy Statement

The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to

provide a smoke-free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco

products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of

1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any

portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library,

day care, health care, or early childhood development services are

provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to

protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American

people.

7. Executive Order 12372

Applications submitted in response to all FY 1999 activities listed

above are subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of

Executive Order 12372, as implemented through DHHS regulations at 45

CFR Part 100. E.O. 12372 sets up a system for State and local

government review of applications for Federal financial assistance.

Applicants (other than Federally recognized Indian tribal governments)

should contact the State's Single Point of Contact (SPOC) as early as

possible to alert them to the prospective application(s) and to receive

any necessary instructions on the State's review process. For proposed

projects serving more than one State, the applicant is advised to

contact the SPOC of each affected State. A current listing of SPOCs is

included in the application guidance materials. The SPOC should send

any State review process recommendations directly to: Office of

Extramural Activities Review, Substance Abuse and Mental Health

Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 17-89, 5600 Fishers

Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

The due date for State review process recommendations is no later

than 60 days after the specified deadline date for the receipt of

applications. SAMHSA does not guarantee to accommodate or explain SPOC

comments that are received after the 60-day cut-off.

Dated: March 5, 1999.

Richard Kopanda,

Executive Officer, SAMHSA.

[FR Doc. 99-5907 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]

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