[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 162 (Thursday, August 21, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 50641-50643]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-21120]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Proposed Changes in Announcement of SAMHSA Discretionary Grant 
Funding Opportunities

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

ACTION: Notice of Sample Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for a 
SAMHSA Services Grant Funding Opportunity.

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SUMMARY: Beginning in Fiscal Year (FY) 2004, the Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) plans to change its 
approach to announcing and soliciting applications for its 
discretionary grant programs. The following is a sample Notice of 
Funding Availability (NOFA) that would be used in conjunction with 
SAMHSA's standard Services Grant announcement. Although based on an 
actual SAMHSA grant program, this is a hypothetical NOFA. It is not an 
actual grant solicitation.

    Authority: Sections 509, 516, and 520A of the Public Health 
Service Act.

    When published in final, NOFAs similar to the following NOFA will 
be used by applicants in conjunction with the standard SAMHSA Services 
Grant announcement to prepare applications for certain SAMHSA grants. 
SAMHSA is providing this sample NOFA for public review and comment in 
order to ensure that the field is aware of the planned change and has 
an opportunity to identify areas where the standard announcements and 
NOFA are unclear and need improvement.

DATES: Submit written comments on this proposal by October 20, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments regarding 
SAMHSA's sample NOFA to: Office of Policy, Planning and Budget, SAMHSA, 
Attn: Jennifer Fiedelholtz, by fax (301-594-6159) or e-mail ([email protected]). Please include a phone number in your e-
mail, so that SAMHSA staff may contact you if there are questions about 
your comments.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Jennifer Fiedelholtz of the Office of 
Policy, Planning and Budget, SAMHSA, by fax (301-594-6159) or e-mail 
([email protected]). If you would like a SAMHSA staff 
person to call you about your questions, please state this is an e-mail 
or fax request and provide a telephone number where you can be reached 
between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Starting in FY 2004, SAMHSA plans to change 
its approach to announcing and soliciting applications for its 
discretionary grants. SAMHSA plans to issue NOFAs similar to the 
following sample NOFA to announce specific funding opportunities within 
four standard grant programs (Services Grants, Infrastructure Grants, 
Best Practices Planning and Implementation Grants, and Service-to-
Science Grants). The standard grant announcements will describe the 
general program design and provide application instructions for each 
type of grant. The NOFA's will:
    [sbull] Identify any specific target population or issue for the 
specific grant funding opportunity,
    [sbull] Identify which of the four standard announcements 
applicants must use to prepare their applications,
    [sbull] Specify total funding available for the first year of the 
grants and the expected size and number of awards,
    [sbull] Specify the application deadline,
    [sbull] Note any specific program requirements for each funding 
opportunity, and
    [sbull] Include any limitations or exceptions to the general 
provisions in the standard announcement.
    A complete description of the proposed process and the four 
proposed standard announcements are contained in separate notices in 
this issue of the Federal Register.
    SAMHSA welcomes public comment on all aspects of the sample NOFA. 
In particular, SAMHSA welcomes comment on the following issues:
    1. Is the difference between the standard announcement and a NOFA 
clear?
    2. Are the special programmatic requirements for the hypothetical 
funding opportunity clear?
    3. If you are a potential applicant for a SAMHSA grant, do you 
believe you will be able to use the standard grant announcements with 
the NOFAs to prepare your application? Will the ability to anticipate 
programmatic requirements improve your ability to prepare a solid 
application? Is the additional benefit ``worth'' the ``cost'' of having 
to use two different documents to prepare your application?
    Sample NOFA Text [Note: The following is not an actual funding 
opportunity. Certain information, such as size and number of awards, 
has been deliberately left out. This NOFA is provided as an opportunity 
for public comment on SAMHSA's proposed

[[Page 50642]]

approach to announcing and soliciting applications for discretionary 
grant funding opportunities in FY 2004.]: The Substance Abuse and 
Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance 
Abuse Treatment (CSAT), announces the availability of FY [XXXX] funds 
for the grant program described below. A synopsis of this funding 
opportunity, as well as many other Federal Government funding 
opportunities, is also available at the Internet site: http://www.fedgrants.gov.
    This notice is not a complete description of the program. Potential 
applicants must obtain a copy of SAMHSA's standard Services Grants 
Program Announcement (SVC-04 PA), and the PHS 5161-1 (Rev. 7/00) 
application form before preparing and submitting an application. The 
SVC-04 PA describes the general program design and provides 
instructions for applying for most SAMHSA Services Grants. Additional 
instructions and specific requirements for this funding opportunity are 
described below.
    Funding Opportunity Title: Development of Comprehensive Drug/
Alcohol and Mental Health Treatment Systems for Persons Who Are 
Homeless--Short Title: Treatment for Homeless.
    Announcement Type: Initial.
    Funding Opportunity Number: TI 04-XX.
    Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 93.243.
    Due Date for Applications: TBA.
    Funding Instrument: Grant.
    Funding Opportunity Description: SAMHSA's Services Grants provide 
funds to expand and strengthen effective, culturally appropriate 
substance abuse and mental health services at the State and local 
levels. Services grants must be used primarily to support service 
delivery. The services implemented through SAMHSA's Services Grants 
must incorporate the best objective information available from 
recognized experts regarding effectiveness and acceptability.
    Treatment of Homeless is one of SAMHSA's Services Grants programs. 
The purpose of this funding opportunity is to enable communities to 
expand and strengthen their treatment services for homeless individuals 
with substance abuse disorders, mental illness, or with co-occurring 
substance abuse disorders and mental illness. ``Homeless'' persons are 
those who lack a fixed, regular, adequate nighttime residence, 
including persons whose primary nighttime residence is: a supervised 
public or private shelter designed to provide temporary living 
accommodations; a time-limited/nonpermanent transitional housing 
arrangement for individuals engaged in mental health and/or substance 
abuse treatment; or a public or private facility not designed for, or 
ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping accommodation. ``Homeless'' also 
includes ``doubled-up''--a residential status that places individuals 
at imminent risk for becoming homeless--defined as sharing another 
person's dwelling on a temporary basis where continued tenancy is 
contingent upon the hospitality of the primary leaseholder or owner and 
can be rescinded at any time without notice.
    Exceptions to the SVC-04 PA and Other Special Requirements: 
Applicants for Treatment for Homeless grants must address the following 
requirement(s) in the Project Narrative of their application:
    [sbull] In Section C of the Project Narrative, applicants must 
comprehensively describe how treatment services are linked with housing 
programs and other services for homeless persons, e.g., primary health 
care.
    [sbull] In Section C of the Project Narrative, applicants must 
describe how the proposed project will be coordinated with other 
existing SAMHSA-funded grant projects in the target area, if there are 
any. The application must clearly state that there are no existing 
SAMHSA-funded grant projects in the target area, if this is the case.
    [sbull] All grantees are required to report on the following client 
outcomes for their grant-funded projects, and applicants must document 
their ability to collect and report on these client outcomes in Section 
E of the Project Narrative: participants reporting abstinence at 
discharge; participants improving employment/school attendance; 
participants having no criminal justice involvement; participants 
having stable living situations; and participants reporting (consumer/
family) improvement in behavioral/emotional symptoms.
    Estimated Funding Available/Number of Awards: It is expected that 
[$$] million will be available to fund [] awards in 
FY [XXXX]. The awards will be up to [$$] in total costs (direct and 
indirect) per year. Applications with proposed budgets that exceed [$$] 
in any year will be returned without review.
    Period of Support: Up to five years, with annual continuations 
depending on the availability of funds, grantee progress in meeting 
program goals and objectives, and timely submission of required data 
and reports.
    Eligible Applicants: Eligibility is restricted by statute to 
community-based public and private non-profit entities. These include 
county governments, city or township governments, Native American 
tribal governments (Federally recognized), public housing authorities/
Indian housing authorities, nonprofits other than institutions of 
higher education with 501(c)(3) IRS status, nonprofits other than 
institutions of higher education without 501(c)(3) IRS status, and 
private institutions of higher education. State-supported, non-
governing, community-based entities such as colleges, universities, and 
hospitals whose State support is for education and/or treatment 
services are eligible if such services are provided only to the local 
community. States are not eligible to apply under this statute.
    Additional information regarding eligibility (including experience, 
licensing, accreditation, and certification requirements), program 
requirements, and formatting requirements is provided in the SVC-04 PA. 
Applications that do not comply with these requirements will be 
screened out and will not be reviewed.
    Is Cost Sharing or Matching Required: No.
    How To Get Full Announcement and Application Materials: Complete 
application kits may be obtained from: the National Clearinghouse for 
Alcohol and Drug Information (NCADI) at 1-800-729-6686. When requesting 
an application kit, the applicant must specify the funding opportunity 
title and number for which detailed information is desired. All 
information necessary to apply, including where to submit applications 
and application deadline instructions, is included in the application 
kit. The PHS 5161-1 application form and the full text of the program 
announcement are also available electronically via SAMHSA's World Wide 
Web Home Page: http://www.samhsa.gov. (Click on `Grant Opportunities'.)
    When submitting an application, be sure to type ``TI 04-XX, 
Treatment for Homeless'' in Item Number 10 on the face page of the 
application form.
    Intergovernmental Review: Executive Order 12372, as implemented 
through Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) regulation at 45 
CFR part 100, sets up a system for State and local review of 
applications for Federal financial assistance. Instructions for 
complying with E.O. 12372 are provided in the SVC-04 PA.
    Public Health System Impact Statement: The Public Health System 
Impact Statement (PHSIS) is intended to keep State and local health 
officials informed of proposed health services

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grant applications submitted by community-based, non-governmental 
organizations within their jurisdictions. State and local governments 
and Indian tribal government applicants are not subject to the Public 
Health System Reporting Requirements. Instructions for complying with 
the PHSIS are provided in the SVC-04 PA.
    Application Review Information: In compliance with Sec. 506 of the 
Public Health Service Act, in making award decisions, SAMHSA will give 
preference to entities that provide integrated primary health, 
substance abuse, and mental health services to homeless individuals, 
and to entities that have experience in providing substance abuse and 
mental health services to homeless individuals. Additional information 
concerning evaluation criteria, the review and selection process, and 
award criteria is available in the SVC-04 PA.
    Award Administration: Award information, including information 
about award notices, administrative requirements and reporting 
requirements is included in the SV-04 PA.
    Contact for Additional Information: [NAME], [ADDRESS], [PHONE], [E-
MAIL].

    Dated: August 13, 2003.
Anna Marsh,
SAMHSA, Acting Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. 03-21120 Filed 8-20-03; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4162-20-P