[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 180 (Monday, September 17, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48058-48060]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-23170]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration on Aging

[Program Announcement No. AoA-01-12]


Grants to Indian Tribal Organizations for the Native American 
Caregiver Support Program

AGENCY: Administration on Aging (AoA), HHS.

[[Page 48059]]


ACTION: Announcement of availability of funds and opportunity to apply 
under the Older Americans Act (OAA), title VI, Part C, Native American 
Caregiver Support Program.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

    Applicant Eligibility and Requirements: The AoA will accept 
applications for funding in fiscal year (FY) 2002 under the OAA, title 
VI, part C, Native American Caregiver Support Program from all title 
VI, part A grantees who are not currently receiving funding. In 
addition, federally recognized Indian tribal organizations that are not 
now participating in title VI, part A, however are applying separately 
for title VI, part A funds as a new grantee for the project period 
April 1, 2002-March 31, 2005 are eligible to apply. Successful 
applications will be funded if funds allow. Current title VI, part C 
grant recipients do not need to reapply for the Native American Family 
Caregiver Support Program.
    Availability of Funds: Approximately $5 million dollars will be 
available in Fiscal Year 2002 to fund both current and new title VI, 
part C grants.

DATES: The deadline date for the submission of applications is January 
18, 2002.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: M. Yvonne Jackson, Ph.D.; Office for 
American Indian, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian Programs; 
Administration on Aging; Department of Health and Human Services; Cohen 
Building; Room 4743; 330 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 
20201; telephone (202) 619-2713; fax (202) 260-1012; e-mail: 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

1. Background and Program Purpose

    The Administration on Aging (AoA) is responsible for administering 
title VI, part C of the OAA, which provides for grants to help families 
caring for an older relative with a chronic illness or disability. The 
program will help tribes in providing multifaceted systems of support 
services for family caregivers and for grandparents or older 
individuals who are relative caregivers.

2. Eligibility of an Indian Tribal Organization or Indian

    To be eligible to receive a grant, a tribal organization must have 
an application approved under title VI, part A. For those applying for 
the project period April 1, 2002-March 31, 2005 funding for title VI, 
part C will be contingent upon approval of one's title VI, part A 
application. A tribal organization must meet the requirements as 
contained in section 631 of the OAA. This section states that in 
providing services under subsection (a), a tribal organization shall 
meet the requirements specified for an area agency on aging and for a 
State in the provisions of subsections (c), (d), and (e) of section 373 
and of section 374. References in such provision to a State program 
shall be considered to be references to a tribal program.

3. Available Funds

    Distribution of funds among tribal organizations is subject to the 
availability of appropriations to carry out title VI, part C. 
Information on estimated grant amounts is given below as a guide to 
possible funding levels for tribes representing the following 
documented numbers of Indian elders over age 60 as stated in your most 
recently approved title VI, part A or B application.
    Estimated Grant Amounts:

$10,000 for populations of 50-100 elders
15,000 for populations of 101-200 elders
20,000 for populations of 201-300 elders
25,000 for populations of 301-400 elders
30,000 for populations of 401-500 elders
35,000 for populations of 501-1500 elders
40,000 for populations of 1501+ elders

4. Application Process

    Applicants should submit applications, describing their proposed 
plans for their Caregiving Program as described in ``Content of the 
Application.''
    The project period for this grant will be April 1, 2002-March 31, 
2005. A three-year project period was chosen to reduce the paperwork 
burden on the grantees and to align this grant with the AoA title VI, 
part A grants.
    Funding will be based on the numbers of eligible elders age 60 and 
over as stated in your most recently approved title VI, part A or part 
B application.
    The progress reports, consisting of a narrative and Financial 
Status Report (Standard Form 269), will be reviewed for compliance with 
the program requirements. Failure to submit the required reports during 
the project period may result in loss of future funds and possibly 
termination of the grant within the project period.
    Thirty days before the end of each budget period within the three-
year project period grantees shall notify AoA about their desire to 
continue as a grantee. Failure to submit this documentation within the 
required timeframe may result in loss of grant funding. At the 
beginning of each budget period within the three-year project period 
grantees will be notified of the funding level for the following year.
    One original application, signed by the principal official of the 
tribe, and two copies of the complete application, including all 
attachments, must be submitted to the Administration receipt point 
named under Address. Tribal resolutions may be included in the 
application, but are not required. Incomplete applications and 
applications postmarked after the closing date will not be considered 
for funding.

5. Content of the Application

    Although these formula grants may build on existing services, these 
grants are not intended merely to augment services being provided 
through title VI, parts A and B. The Caregiver Support Program must 
demonstrate how it will provide the five basic components of the 
program either through these grant funds or coordinating with other 
programs and services to assure the components are provided. The five 
components are: (1) Information to caregivers about available services; 
(2) assistance to caregivers in gaining access to the services; (3) 
individual counseling, organization of support groups, and caregiver 
training to caregivers to assist the caregivers in making decisions and 
solving problems relating to their caregiving roles; (4) respite care 
to enable caregivers to be temporarily relieved from their caregiving 
responsibilities; and (5) supplemental services, on a limited basis, to 
complement the care provided by caregivers. Examples of services in the 
five service categories include:
    Information: Group services, including public education, provision 
of information at community meetings, health fairs, and other similar 
meetings; mass media, including articles and notices in Tribal 
newspaper and newsletters and radio and TV announcements.
    Assistance: Individual one-on-one contact for the purpose of 
linking the caregiver with opportunities and services that are 
available, and when possible, ensuring that the caregiver receives the 
services by establishing adequate follow-up.
    Counseling/Support Groups/Training: Provision of advice, guidance 
and instruction about options and methods for providing support to 
caregivers in an individual or group setting.

[[Page 48060]]

    Respite: Temporary, substitute supports or living arrangements to 
provide brief period of relief or rest for caregivers who are caring 
for a frail elder. It can be in the form of in-home respite care, adult 
day care respite, or institutional respite for an overnight stay on an 
intermittent, occasional, or emergency basis.
    Supplemental Services: Other services, as defined by the Tribe, to 
support the needs of caregivers providing care to frail elders.
    Provisions of the above five services must be addressed in the 
application. Money from this grant does not have to pay for each of 
these five service areas as long as you are able to demonstrate how 
these services will be coordinated and provided as a multifaceted 
program. The application needs to describe how the tribal organization 
will coordinate with the activities of other community agencies and 
voluntary organizations providing caregiver support services and 
activities.
    The application needs to provide information on how older 
individuals with the greatest social and economic need and older 
individuals providing care and support to persons with mental 
retardation and related developmental disabilities will receive 
priority. Finally, the application needs to provide information about 
what quality standards and mechanisms will be established and how these 
standards and mechanisms will be used to monitor the program and 
provide assurances that the tribal organization will submit the 
required reports to the AoA in the format and time frames established 
by AoA.
    The application may be submitted in a narrative format. Grantees 
are required to submit two progress reports consisting of a narrative 
and Financial Status Report (Standard Form 269), within each budget 
period. A Title VI Update with a reporting schedule will be provided 
after the title VI, part C grants are awarded.

6. Closing Date for Application

    All applications must be postmarked on or before January 18, 2002. 
(Applicants are cautioned to request a legibly dated U.S. Postal 
Service postmark, or to obtain a legibly dated receipt for a commercial 
carrier or the U.S. Postal Service. Private metered postmarks are not 
acceptable as proof of timely mailing.)

7. Action on Applications

    Awards will be made by the Assistant Secretary for Aging. Funding 
decisions will be announced as soon as possible.

    Dated: September 10, 2001.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Program #93.655 Grants to 
Indian Tribes and Native Hawaiians. This Program Announcement is not 
subject to EO 12372.

Josefina G. Carbonell,
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 01-23170 Filed 9-14-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P