[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 10, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11938-11940]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-5814]


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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 Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) 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     number of      Project period
                                                  deadline        available          awards
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Family Strengthening........................         5/24/99      $10 Million           80-100           2 yrs.
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    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 
Pub. L. 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 deadlines 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.

[[Page 11939]]

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. Cooperative Agreements for Parenting and Family 
Strengthening Prevention Interventions: A Dissemination of 
Innovations Study (Short Title: Family Strengthening, GFA No. SP 99-
02)
    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 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   Cooperative Agreements for Parenting and Family Strengthening 
Prevention Interventions: A Dissemination of Innovations Study (Short 
Title: Family Strengthening, GFA No. SP 99-02)

     Application Deadline: May 24, 1999.
     Purpose: Cooperative agreements will be awarded to develop 
and operate 80-100 Program Sites and one Program Coordinating Center. 
This program has three specific purposes: (1) To increase the capacity 
of local communities to deliver best practices in effective parenting 
and family programs in order to reduce or prevent substance abuse,

[[Page 11940]]

(2) to document the decision-making processes for the selection and 
testing of effective interventions in community settings, and (3) to 
determine the impact of the interventions on the target families within 
the study.
    Applicants will be selected on the basis of capacity to deliver 
family services and will be supported to select a sound family-focused 
intervention that is best matched to their target population to 
maximize effectiveness in preventing or reducing alcohol, tobacco or 
other illegal drug use as well as associated social, emotional, 
behavioral, cognitive and physical problems of parents and their 
children.
     Priorities: None.
     Eligible Applicants: Applications may be submitted by 
public and domestic private nonprofit and for-profit entities, such as 
units of State or local government, community-based organizations, 
faith communities, local and national coalitions and civic groups, and 
public or private schools, universities, colleges, and hospitals.
     Cooperative Agreements/Amounts: Approximately $10 million 
is available to support approximately 80-100 Program Sites and one 
Program Coordinating Center under this GFA in FY 1999. The average 
award is expected to be $80,000-$100,000 in total costs (direct 
+indirect) per year. The Program Coordinating Center award is expected 
to be approximately $750,000 in total costs (direct + indirect) per 
year. Actual funding levels will depend upon the availability of funds.
     Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 93.230.
     Program Contact: For programmatic or technical assistance 
contact: Soledad Sambrano, Ph.D., Division of Knowledge Development and 
Application Center for Substance Abuse Prevention, Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration, Rockwall 11, Suite 1075, 5600 
Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-9110.
    Grants Management Contact: For business management assistance, 
contact: Peggy Jones, Division of Grants Management, OPS, Substance 
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Rockwall 11, Suite 630 
5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857, (301) 443-3958.
    Application Kits: Application kits are available from: National 
Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI), P. O. Box 2345, 
Rockville, MD 20847-2345, 1-800/729-6686, 1-800/467-4859.

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.
    Application guidance materials will specify if a particular FY 1999 
activity described above is/is not subject to the Public Health System 
Reporting Requirements.

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, Pub. L. 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 4, 1999.
Richard Kopanda,
Executive Officer, SAMHSA.
[FR Doc. 99-5814 Filed 3-9-99; 8:45 am]
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