[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36813-36815]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15745]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Final Priority; National Institute on Disability, Independent 
Living, and Rehabilitation Research--Rehabilitation Research and 
Training Centers

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and 
Human Services.

ACTION: Final priority.

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CFDA Number: 84.133B-4.

SUMMARY: The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living 
announces a priority for the Rehabilitation Research and Training 
Center (RRTC) Program administered by the National Institute on 
Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). 
Specifically, we announce a priority for an RRTC on Self-Directed Care 
to Promote Recovery, Health, and Wellness for Individuals with Serious 
Mental Illness (SMI). The Administrator of the Administration for 
Community Living may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year 
(FY) 2015 and later years. We take this action to focus research 
attention on an area of national need. We intend for this priority to 
contribute to improved health and wellness for individuals with serious 
mental illness.

    Note: On July 22, 2014, President Obama signed the Workforce 
Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA was effective immediately. 
One provision of WIOA transferred the National Institute on 
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) from the Department 
of Education to the Administration for Community Living

[[Page 36814]]

(ACL) in the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, 
NIDRR's name was changed to the National Institute on Disability, 
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Because 
of HHS policy, there are changes in the way that NIDILRR will award 
and oversee grants that are made with funds from NIDILRR and other 
agencies. These changes apply for this priority because SAMHSA's 
Center for Mental Health Services provides funding for activities 
carried out under the award. These changes are reflected in the 
final notice, the Notice Inviting Applications, and the grant 
application kit.


DATES: Effective Date: This priority is effective July 27, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlene Spencer, U.S. Department of 
Health And Human Services, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5133, Potomac 
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700. Telephone: (202) 245-
7532 or by email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and 
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to plan and 
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related 
activities, including international activities, to develop methods, 
procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full 
inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living, 
family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals 
with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe 
disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized 
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act).

Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers

    The purpose of the RRTCs, which are funded through the Disability 
and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, is to achieve 
the goals of, and improve the effectiveness of, services authorized 
under the Rehabilitation Act through well-designed research, training, 
technical assistance, and dissemination activities in important topical 
areas as specified by NIDILRR. These activities are designed to benefit 
rehabilitation service providers, individuals with disabilities, family 
members, policymakers and other research stakeholders. Additional 
information on the RRTC program can be found at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/rrtc/index.html#types.

    Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2)(A).

    Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
    We published a notice of proposed priority (NPP) for this program 
in the Federal Register on February 25, 2015 (80 FR 10099). That notice 
contained background information and our reasons for proposing the 
particular priority.
    Public Comment: Eight parties submitted wholly supportive comments 
in response to our invitation in the notice of proposed priority.
    Analysis of the Comments and Changes: An analysis of the comments 
and of any changes in the priority since publication of the NPP 
follows.
    Agency Requirement: SAMHSA/CMHS funds for this Center must be 
applied to clearly defined tasks and must be tracked separately by the 
grantee. In addition, the grantee must provide separate reports for 
activities carried out with NIDILRR and SAMHSA/CMHS funds. In addition 
to funding for training, technical assistance, and knowledge 
translation, CMHS funds can be applied to evaluative studies but not to 
research projects.
    Discussion: Details on the necessary changes to the application 
process will be spelled out in the application kit.
    Changes: Evaluative studies has been added to the priority 
requirements.

Final Priority

    The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living 
establishes a priority for the RRTC on Self-Directed Care to Promote 
Recovery, Health, and Wellness for Individuals with Serious Mental 
Illness (SMI). This RRTC will also support activities funded by the 
Center for Mental Health Services, of the Substance Abuse and Mental 
Health Services Administration. The RRTC will conduct research and 
evaluative studies to develop, adapt, and enhance self-directed models 
of general medical, mental health, and nonmedical services that are 
designed to improve health, recovery, and employment outcomes for 
individuals with serious mental illness. The RRTC must conduct 
research, evaluative studies, knowledge translation, training, 
dissemination, and technical assistance within a framework of consumer-
directed services and self-management. Evaluative studies conducted by 
this RRTC will focus on existing programs or services; research studies 
will generate new knowledge, generalizable to the relevant target 
population(s). Under this priority, the RRTC must contribute to the 
following outcomes:
    (1) Increased knowledge that can be used to enhance the health and 
well-being of individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring 
conditions. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
    (a) Conducting research and evaluative studies to develop a better 
understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of implementing 
models that integrate general medical and mental health care for 
individuals with SMI. These models must incorporate self-management and 
self-direction strategies. The research and evaluative studies must 
specifically examine models that incorporate peer-provided services and 
supports along with research-based service integration strategies such 
as health navigation and care coordination.
    (b) Conducting research to identify or develop and then test 
interventions that use individual budgets or flexible funds to increase 
consumer choice. The RRTC must design this research to determine the 
extent to which the consumer-choice intervention improves health 
outcomes and promotes recovery among individuals living with SMI. In 
carrying out this activity, the grantee must investigate the 
applicability of strategies that have proven successful with the 
general population or other subpopulations to determine if they are 
effective with individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions.
    (2) Improved employment outcomes among individuals with SMI. The 
RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
    (a) Conducting research and evaluative studies to develop a better 
understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of implementing 
vocational service and support models that incorporate self-management 
and self-direction features. These features must include self-directed 
financing and flexible funding of services that support mental health 
treatment and recovery, general health, and employment. These services 
may include services and supports not traditionally supplied by mental 
health or general medical systems.
    (3) Increased incorporation of research and evaluative study 
findings related to SMI, self-directed care, health management, and 
employment into practice or policy.
    (a) Developing, evaluating, or implementing strategies to increase 
utilization of research or evaluative study findings related to SMI, 
co-occurring conditions, health management, and employment.

[[Page 36815]]

    (b) Conducting training, technical assistance, and dissemination 
activities to increase utilization of research and evaluative study 
findings related to self-directed care of individuals living with SMI 
to promote and co-occurring conditions, health management, and 
employment.

Types of Priorities

    When inviting applications for a competition using one or more 
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute, 
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal 
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
    Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only 
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
    Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference 
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1) 
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the 
application meets the priority (45 CFR part 75); or (2) selecting an 
application that meets the priority over an application of comparable 
merit that does not meet the priority (45 CFR part 75).
    Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are 
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority. 
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a 
preference over other applications (45 CFR part 75).
    This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional 
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject 
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through 
a notice in the Federal Register.

    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free 
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the 
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System 
at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of ACL published in the Federal Register, in 
text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have 
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: June 22, 2015.
John Tschida,
Director, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and 
Rehabilitation Research.
[FR Doc. 2015-15745 Filed 6-25-15; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4154-01-P