[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 191 (Tuesday, October 4, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60137-60144]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-21631]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Applications for New Awards; School-Based Mental Health Services
Grant Program
AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of
Education.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2022 for
[[Page 60138]]
the School-Based Mental Health Services (SBMH) Grant Program,
Assistance Listing Number (ALN) number 84.184H. OMB has approved the
information collection related to this notice.
DATES:
Applications Available: October 4, 2022.
Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: November 3, 2022.
Pre-Application Webinar Information: The Department will hold pre-
application meetings via webinar for prospective applicants on October
11th and 19th, 2022, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the
Federal Register on December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979. Please note that these Common
Instructions supersede the version published on February 13, 2019, and,
in part, describe the transition from the requirement to register in
SAM.gov a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number to the
implementation of the Unique Entity Identifier (UEI). More information
on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Amy Banks, U.S. Department of
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E257, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 453-6704. Email:
[email protected].
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Full Text of Announcement
I. Funding Opportunity Description
Purpose of Program: The SBMH program provides competitive grants to
State educational agencies (SEAs) (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(30)),
local educational agencies (LEAs) (as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49),
and consortia of LEAs to increase the number of credentialed (as
defined in this document) school-based mental health services providers
(as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7112(6)) providing mental health services to
students in LEAs with demonstrated need (as defined in this document).
Background:
Like good physical health, positive mental health promotes success
in life. As defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), ``Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and
social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also
helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make
healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life,
from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.'' \1\
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\1\ www.cdc.gov/mentalhealth/learn/index.htm.
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The increases in mental health needs, including those resulting
from traumatic events such as the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19) pandemic, community violence, and adverse childhood
experiences, have brought on challenges for children and youth that
impact their overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being
and their ability to fully engage in learning. The disruptions in
routines, relationships, and the learning environment have led to
increased stress and trauma, social isolation, and anxiety.
The Department aims to help address these mental health needs and
provide support to students, families, and schools by using the
increased funds available from the FY 2022 Appropriations Act and the
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to dramatically increase the number of
credentialed school-based mental health services providers in LEAs with
demonstrated need through awards in FYs 2022-2026 under the SBMH grant
program. The priorities for the FY 2022 competition, described further
in this notice, are intended to accomplish this goal by increasing
recruitment and retention-related incentives for school-based mental
health services providers; promoting the respecialization and
professional retraining of existing mental health services providers to
qualify them for work in LEAs with demonstrated need; and increasing
the diversity, and cultural and linguistic competency, of school-based
mental health services providers, including competency in providing
identity-safe services.
Note: The provision of medical services by such services providers
is not an allowable use of funds under this grant.
Priorities: This competition has two absolute priorities and two
competitive preference priorities. These priorities are from the notice
of final priorities, requirements, and definitions published elsewhere
in this issue of the Federal Register.
Absolute Priority: For FY 2022 and any subsequent year in which we
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this
competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34 CFR
75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that meet these absolute
priorities. Absolute Priority 1 is only applicable to SEAs. Absolute
Priority 2 is only applicable to LEAs or consortia of LEAs.
These priorities are:
Priority 1--SEAs Proposing to Increase the Number of Credentialed
School-Based Mental Health Services Providers in LEAs with Demonstrated
Need.
To meet this priority, an SEA must propose to increase the number
of credentialed school-based mental health services providers by
implementing plans that address recruitment (as defined in this
document) and retention (as defined in this document) of services
providers in LEAs with demonstrated need. Applicants must propose plans
that include both of the following:
(a) Recruitment. An applicant must propose a plan to increase the
number of credentialed services providers serving students in LEAs with
demonstrated need.
(b) Retention. An applicant must also propose a plan to increase
the likelihood that credentialed services providers providing services
in LEAs with demonstrated need stay in their position over time.
Priority 2--LEAs or Consortia of LEAs with Demonstrated Need
Proposing to Increase the Number of Credentialed School-Based Mental
Health Services Providers.
To meet this priority, an LEA or consortium of LEAs with
demonstrated need must propose measures to increase the number of
credentialed school-based mental health services providers, including
plans to address the recruitment and retention of credentialed services
providers in the LEA(s). Applicants must propose plans that include
both of the following:
(a) Recruitment. An applicant must propose a plan to increase the
number of credentialed services providers serving students in the
LEA(s) with demonstrated need.
(b) Retention. An applicant must also propose a plan to improve the
likelihood that credentialed services providers providing services in
the LEA(s) with demonstrated need stay in their position over time.
Note: The Secretary intends to create two funding slates for SBMH
applications, one for applications that meet Absolute Priority 1 (SEA
applicants) and a separate slate for
[[Page 60139]]
applications that meet Absolute Priority 2 (LEA or a consortium of LEA
applicants). As a result, the Secretary may fund applications out of
the overall rank order.
Competitive Preference Priorities: For FY 2022 and any subsequent
year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications
from this competition, these priorities are competitive preference
priorities. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award an additional 5
points for Competitive Preference Priority 1 to any application from an
SEA that addresses this priority. We award up to an additional 10
points for Competitive Preference Priority 2 to any application from an
SEA, LEA, or consortium of LEAs, depending on how well the application
meets the priority. The total number of competitive preference points
an SEA applicant may compete for is 15. The total number of competitive
preference points an LEA or consortium of LEAs applicant may compete
for is 10. As stated previously, these entities will not be competing
against one another.
An applicant must clearly identify in the project abstract and the
project narrative section of its application the competitive preference
priority or priorities it wishes the Department to consider for
purposes of earning competitive preference priority points.
These priorities are:
Competitive Preference Priority 1--SEAs Proposing Respecialization,
Professional Retraining, or Other Preparation Plan for Existing Mental
Health Services Providers to Qualify Them for Work in LEAs with
Demonstrated Need. (Up to 5 points)
To meet this priority, an applicant must propose a respecialization
(as defined in this document), professional retraining, or other
preparation plan that leads to a state credential as a school
psychologist, school social worker, school counselor, or other school-
based mental health services provider and that is designed to increase
the number of services providers qualified to serve in LEAs with
demonstrated need.
Competitive Preference Priority 2--Increasing the Number of
Credentialed School-Based Mental Health Services Providers in LEAs with
Demonstrated Need Who Are from Diverse Backgrounds or from Communities
Served by the LEAs with Demonstrated Need. (Up to 10 Points)
To meet this priority, applicants must propose a plan to increase
the number of credentialed school-based mental health services
providers in LEAs with demonstrated need who are from diverse
backgrounds or who are from communities served by the LEAs with
demonstrated need.\2\
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\2\ All strategies to increase the diversity of school-based
mental health services providers must comply with applicable Federal
civil rights laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964.
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Applicants must describe how their proposal to increase the number
of school-based mental health services providers who are from diverse
backgrounds or who are from the communities served by the LEA with
demonstrated need will help increase access to mental health services
for students within the LEA with demonstrated need and best meet the
mental health needs of the diverse populations of students to be
served.
Requirements: These requirements are from the notice of final
priorities, requirements, and definitions published elsewhere in this
issue of the Federal Register. We are establishing these application
and program requirements for the FY 2022 grant competition and any
subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition. Application requirement (a) would
apply to SEAs only, and application requirement (b) would apply to LEAs
or a consortium of LEAs only. All of the remaining application
requirements would apply to all eligible applicants. For FY 2022 and
any subsequent year in which we make awards from the list of unfunded
applications from this competition, the following requirements apply:
Eligible Applicants: SEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49), or
LEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(30), including consortia of LEAs.
Program Requirements:
(a) Applicants that receive an award under this program must ensure
that any school-based mental health services provider hired under this
grant, including any services provider that offers telehealth services,
is credentialed by the State to work in an elementary school (as
defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(19)) or secondary school (as defined in 20
U.S.C. 7801(45)).
(b) Applicants that receive an award under this program must ensure
that any school-based mental health services provider offering services
(including telehealth services) does so in an equitable manner and
consistent with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA),
the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA), the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act, and the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as all other
applicable Federal, State, and local laws and profession-specific
ethical obligations.
Application Requirements:
(a) Describe the LEAs with demonstrated need designated by the SEA
to be served by the proposed project.
SEA applicants must describe the LEAs with demonstrated need
designated to benefit from the SBMH program.
(b) Describe how the LEA, or each LEA in the proposed consortium
(if applicable), meets the definition of an LEA with demonstrated need.
To meet this requirement, an LEA applicant or the lead LEA
submitting an application on behalf of a consortium must describe how
the LEA or each LEA in the consortium meets the definition of an LEA
with demonstrated need.
(c) Describe the importance and magnitude of the problem.
Applicants must describe the lack of school-based mental health
services providers and its effect on students in the LEA(s) to be
served by the grant. This must include a description of the nature of
the problem for the LEA(s), based on information, including, but not
limited to, the most recent available ratios of school-based mental
health services providers to students enrolled in the LEA(s), or for
SEA applicants, the LEAs designated by the SEA to benefit from the SBMH
program. These data must be provided in the aggregate and disaggregated
by profession (e.g., school social workers, school psychologists,
school counselors) as compared to local, State, or national data. The
description may also include LEA-level or school-level demographic data
(including rates of poverty; rates of chronic absenteeism; the
percentage of students involved in the juvenile justice system,
experiencing homelessness, or in foster care; and discipline data),
school climate surveys, school violence/crime data, data related to
suicide rates, and descriptions of barriers to hiring and retaining
credentialed school-based mental health services providers in the LEA.
(d) Logic Model.
The applicant must describe its approach to increase the number of
credentialed school-based mental health services providers using a
logic model (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1), including the key project
components and relevant outcomes (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1). The
description should indicate how the proposed approach taken under this
program will improve or expand on any previous approaches, how the new
approach will address barriers, and how the applicant will sustain the
increased number of school-based mental health
[[Page 60140]]
services providers after the performance period has ended.
(e) Detailed project budget, including matching funds.
To promote the sustainability of the school-based mental health
services, all applicants must include non-Federal matching funds in the
amount of at least 25 percent of their budgets.
Budgets must describe how the applicant will meet the matching
requirement for each budget period awarded under this grant and must
indicate the source of the funds, such as State, local, or private
resources. The Secretary may consider decreasing or waiving the
matching requirement post award, on a case-by-case basis, if an
applicant demonstrates a significant financial hardship.
Budgets must also specify the portion of funds that will be used
for respecialization, if applicable.
Administrative costs for SEA applicants may not exceed 10 percent
of the annual grant award. This includes funding for State-level or
LEA-level administrative costs that promote respecialization, if
applicable. Administrative costs for applicants that are LEAs and
consortia of LEAs may not exceed 5 percent of the annual grant award.
(f) Number of providers.
Applicants must include the most recent available data on the
number of school-based mental health services providers in the
identified LEA(s), disaggregated by profession (e.g., school social
workers, school psychologists, school counselors), and the projected
number of school-based mental health services providers that will be
placed into employment in the identified LEA(s) for each year of the
plan using funds from this grant or matching funds. If applicable,
applicants should provide data on the current and projected
unduplicated numbers of school-based mental health services providers
disaggregated by profession (e.g., school social workers, school
psychologists, school counselors), offering telehealth services.
(g) A plan for collaboration and coordination with related Federal,
State, and local organizations, and school-based efforts.
Applicants must propose a plan describing how they will collaborate
and coordinate with related Federal, State, and local organizations,
and school-based efforts (e.g., professional associations; colleges or
universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities,
Minority Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities;
local mental health; public health; child welfare; or other community
agencies, including school-based health centers), to achieve plan goals
and objectives of increasing the number of school-based mental health
services providers in LEAs with demonstrated need. The plan must
include a description of how such collaboration and coordination will
promote program success across multiple programs.
(h) Use of grant funds to supplement, and not supplant, existing
school-based mental health services funds and to expand, not duplicate,
efforts to increase the number of providers.
Applicants must describe how project funds will supplement, and not
supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be available for
activities funded under this program.
Applicants must describe how they will use the SBMH program funds
to expand, rather than duplicate, existing or new efforts to increase
the number of credentialed school-based mental health services
providers in LEAs with demonstrated need and how they will integrate
existing funding streams and efforts to support the plan.
(i) Plan for prompt delivery of services to students. For SEA
applicants, applicants must describe their plan to ensure the prompt
delivery of services to students (i.e., as soon as possible, but no
later than 180 days from award), including via subgrants to LEAs, as
appropriate. For LEA applicants and consortia of LEAs, applicants must
describe their plan to ensure the prompt delivery of services to
students (i.e., as soon as possible, but no later than 180 days from
award). Additionally, SEA and LEA applicants must describe how leaders
across all levels of the project will be engaged in the implementation
and evaluation of the project.
Definitions:
The definitions of ``credentialed,'' ``LEA with demonstrated
need,'' ``recruitment,'' ``respecialization,'' ``retention,'' and
``telehealth'' are from the notice of priorities, requirements, and
definitions published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
The following definitions are from 34 CFR 77.1: ``ambitious,''
``baseline,'' ``logic model,'' ``project component,'' and ``relevant
outcome.'' The following definitions are from 20 U.S.C. 7801: ``local
educational agency'', ``State educational agency.'' The definition of
``school-based mental health services provider'' is from 20 U.S.C.
7112. These definitions apply to the FY 2022 School-Based Mental Health
Services Grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Ambitious means promoting continued, meaningful improvement for
program participants or for other individuals or entities affected by
the grant, or representing a significant advancement in the field of
education research, practices, or methodologies. When used to describe
a performance target, whether a performance target is ambitious depends
upon the context of the relevant performance measure and the baseline
for that measure.
Baseline means the starting point from which performance is
measured and targets are set.
Credentialed means an individual who possesses a valid license or
certificate from the SEA or relevant regulatory body as a school
psychologist, school counselor, or a school social worker, or other
mental health services provider, approved by the State to provide
school-based mental health services.
Local educational agency means a public board of education or other
public authority legally constituted within a State for either
administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service
function for, public elementary schools or secondary schools in a city,
county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a
State, or of or for a combination of school districts or counties that
is recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public
elementary schools or secondary schools.
(a) The term includes any other public institution or agency having
administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or
secondary school.
(b) The term includes an elementary or secondary school funded by
the Bureau of Indian Education but only to the extent that including
the school makes the school eligible for programs for which specific
eligibility is not provided to the school in another provision of law
and the school does not have a student population that is smaller than
the student population of the LEA receiving assistance under the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) with
the smallest student population, except that the school shall not be
subject to the jurisdiction of any SEA other than the Bureau of Indian
Education.
(c) The term includes educational service agencies and consortia of
those agencies.
(d) The term includes the SEA in a State in which the SEA is the
sole educational agency for all public schools.
LEA with demonstrated need means an LEA that has a significant need
for
[[Page 60141]]
additional school-based mental health services providers based on--
(1) High student to mental health services provider ratios as
compared to other LEAs statewide or nationally;
(2) High rates of community violence (including hate crimes),
poverty, substance use (including opioid use), suicide, or trafficking;
or
(3) A significant number of students who are migratory,
experiencing homelessness, have a family member deployed in the
military or with a military-service connected disability (including
veterans), have experienced a natural or man-made disaster or a
traumatic event, or have other adverse childhood experiences, such as
repeated disciplinary exclusions from the learning environment.
Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a
framework that identifies key project components of the proposed
project (i.e., the active ``ingredients'' that are hypothesized to be
critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the
theoretical and operational relationships among the key project
components and relevant outcomes.
Project component means an activity, strategy, intervention,
process, product, practice, or policy included in a project. Evidence
may pertain to an individual project component or to a combination of
project components (e.g., training teachers on instructional practices
for English learners and follow-on coaching for these teachers).
Recruitment means strategies that help attract and hire
credentialed school-based mental health services providers, including
by doing at least one of the following:
(1) Providing an annual salary or stipend for school-based mental
health services providers who maintain an active national
certification.
(2) Providing payment toward the school loans accrued by the
school-based mental health services provider.
(3) Creating pathways to grant cross-State credentialing
reciprocity for school-based mental health services providers.
(4) Providing incentives and supports to help mitigate shortages.
These may include, for example, increasing pay; offering monetary
incentives for relocation to high-need areas; providing services via
telehealth; creating hybrid roles that allow for leadership, academic,
or research opportunities; developing induction programs; developing
paid internship programs; focusing on recruitment and support of
underrepresented populations; and offering service scholarship programs
such as those that provide grants in exchange for a commitment to serve
in the LEA for a minimum number of years.
Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) or other outcome(s)
the key project component is designed to improve, consistent with the
specific goals of the program.
Respecialization means strategies that provide opportunities for
professional retraining and alternative pathways to obtain a state
credential, aligned with the standards of the relevant professional
organization, as a school-based mental health services provider for
individuals who hold, at a minimum, a degree in a related field (e.g.,
special education, clinical psychology, community counseling),
including by doing one or more of the following:
(1) Revising, updating, or streamlining requirements for such
individuals so that additional training or other requirements focus
only on training needed to obtain a credential as a school-based mental
health services provider.
(2) Providing a stipend or making a payment to support the training
needed to obtain a credential as a school-based mental health services
provider.
(3) Offering flexible options for completing training that leads
such professionals to meet State credentialing requirements as a
school-based mental health services provider.
(4) Establishing a provisional, time limited, and nonrenewable
credential to allow individuals seeking respecialization to provide
school-based mental health services under the direct supervision of a
fully credentialed school-based mental health services provider of the
same profession.
(5) Offering other meaningful activities that result in existing
mental health services providers obtaining a state credential as a
school-based mental health services provider.
Retention means strategies to help ensure that credentialed
individuals stay in their position to avoid gaps in service and
unfilled positions, including by--
(1) Providing opportunities for advancement or leadership, such as
career pathways programs, recognition and award programs, and
mentorship programs; and
(2) Offering incentives and supports to help mitigate shortages.
These may include, for example, increasing pay; making payments toward
student loans; offering monetary incentives for relocation to high-need
areas; providing services via telehealth; offering service scholarship
programs, such as those that provide grants in exchange for a
commitment to serve in the LEA for a minimum number of years; and
developing paid internship programs.
School-based mental health services provider means a State-licensed
or State-certified school counselor, school psychologist, school social
worker, or other State licensed or certified mental health professional
qualified under State law to provide mental health services to children
and adolescents.
State educational agency means the agency primarily responsible for
the State supervision of public elementary schools and secondary
schools.
Telehealth means the use of electronic information and
telecommunication technologies to support and promote long-distance
clinical health care, patient and professional health-related
education, public health, and health administration. Technologies
include videoconferencing, the internet, store-and-forward imaging,
streaming media, and landline and wireless communications.
Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 7281.
Note: Projects will be awarded and must be operated in a manner
consistent with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in Federal
civil rights laws.
Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97,
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR
part 3474. (d) The notice of final priorities, requirements, and
definitions published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.
II. Award Information
Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
Estimated Available Funds: $143,900,000.
Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of
applications, we may make additional awards in subsequent years from
the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to 3,000,000.
Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,750,000.
Estimated Number of Awards: 50-150.
[[Page 60142]]
Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
Project Period: Up to 60 months.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(49), or
LEAs, as defined in 20 U.S.C. 7801(30), including consortia of LEAs.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching: a. This program requires cost sharing
or matching requirements. See ``Application Requirements'' in Section
I.
b. Indirect Cost Rate Information: This program uses an
unrestricted indirect cost rate. For more information regarding
indirect costs, or to obtain a negotiated indirect cost rate, please
see www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/intro.html.
c. Administrative Cost Limitation: This program involves
administrative costs for SEAs, LEAs and consortia of LEAs. See
``Application Requirements'' in Section I.
3. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant funding requirements. See ``Application Requirements'' in
Section I.
4. Limitation on Awards: a. The Department will make only one award
that serves any individual LEA.
b. The Department will only make an award to LEAs that are not
subgrantees of a current SBMH project.
5. Subgrantees: Under 34 CFR 75.708(b) and (c) an SEA grantee under
this competition may award subgrants to directly carry out project
activities described in its application to the following types of
entities: LEAs. The SEA grantee may award subgrants to entities it has
identified in an approved application or that it selects through a
competition under procedures established by the grantees. However, an
SEA grantee is not required to award subgrants and may instead
administer the program directly.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal
Register on December 27, 2021 (86 FR 73264) and available at
www.federalregister.gov/d/2021-27979, which contain requirements and
information on how to submit an application. Please note that these
Common Instructions supersede the version published on February 13,
2019, and, in part, describe the transition from the requirement to
register in SAM.gov a DUNS number to the implementation of the UEI.
More information on the phase-out of DUNS numbers is available at
https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ofo/docs/unique-entity-identifier-transition-fact-sheet.pdf.
2. Intergovernmental Review: This competition is subject to
Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However,
under 34 CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to
make awards by December 31, 2022.
3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. In
addition, we remind applicants that sections 4001(a) and 4001(b) of the
ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7101) apply to this program. Section 4001(a) requires
entities receiving funds under this program to obtain prior, written,
informed consent from the parent of each child who is under 18 years of
age to participate in any mental-health assessment or service that is
funded under this program and conducted in connection with an
elementary or secondary school. Section 4001(b) prohibits the use of
funds for medical services or drug treatment or rehabilitation, except
for integrated student supports, specialized instructional support
services, or referral to treatment for impacted students, which may
include students who are victims of, or witnesses to, crime or who
illegally use drugs. This prohibition does not preclude the use of
funds to support mental health counseling and support services,
including those provided by a mental health services provider outside
of school, so long as such services are not medical.
4. Recommended Page Limit: The application narrative is where you,
the applicant, address the selection criteria that reviewers use to
evaluate your application. We recommend that you (1) limit the
application narrative to no more than 25 pages and (2) use the
following standards:
A ``page'' is 8.5'' x 11'', on one side only, with 1''
margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.
Double space (no more than three lines per vertical inch)
all text in the application narrative, including titles, headings,
footnotes, quotations, references, and captions, as well as all text in
charts, tables, figures, and graphs.
Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no smaller
than 10 pitch (characters per inch).
Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier,
Courier New, or Arial.
The recommended page limit does not apply to the cover sheet; the
budget section, including the narrative budget justification; the
assurances and certifications; or the one-page abstract, the resumes,
the bibliography, or the letters of support. However, the recommended
page limit does apply to all of the application narrative.
V. Application Review Information
1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are
from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all selection criteria is 100
points. The points assigned to each criterion are indicated in
parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will evaluate and score each
application program narrative against the following selection criteria:
(a) Need for the Project (10 points).
The Secretary considers the need for the proposed project. In
determining the need for the proposed project, the Secretary considers
the extent to which specific gaps or weaknesses in services,
infrastructure, or opportunities have been identified and will be
addressed by the proposed project, including the nature and magnitude
of those gaps or weaknesses. (Up to 10 points)
(b) Quality of Project Personnel (30 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will
carry out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race,
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. (Up to 10 points)
(2) In addition, the Secretary considers:
(i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience,
of key project personnel. (Up to 10 points)
(ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and
experience, of project consultants or subcontractors. (Up to 10 points)
(c) Quality of Project Design and Project Services (35 points).
(1) The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the
proposed project and the quality of the services to be provided by the
proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the
proposed project, the Secretary considers the extent to which the
goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project
are clearly
[[Page 60143]]
specified and measurable. (Up to 10 points)
(2) In determining the quality of the services to be provided by
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the quality and
sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and treatment for
eligible project participants who are members of groups that have
traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, national
origin, gender, age, or disability. (Up to 10 points)
(3) In addition, the Secretary considers the extent to which the
training or professional development services to be provided by the
proposed project are likely to alleviate the personnel shortages that
have been identified or are the focus of the proposed project. (Up to
15 points)
(d) Management Plan and Adequacy of Resources (25 points). The
Secretary considers the management plan and adequacy of resources for
the proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan
and the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary
considers:
(1) The adequacy of mechanisms for ensuring high-quality products
and services from the proposed project. (Up to 10 points)
(2) The relevance and demonstrated commitment of each partner in
the proposed project to the implementation and success of the project.
(Up to 5 points)
(3) The potential for continued support of the project after
Federal funding ends, including, as appropriate, the demonstrated
commitment of appropriate entities to such support. (Up to 5 points)
(4) The adequacy of the procedures for ensuring feedback and
continuous improvement in the operation of the proposed project. (Up to
5 points)
2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition,
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary
requires various assurances, including those applicable to Federal
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR
200.206, before awarding grants under this program the Department
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR
200.208, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, under 2 CFR
3474.10, in appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant
if the applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not
responsible.
4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.206(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
Please note that, if the total value of your currently active
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal
funds you receive exceed $10,000,000.
5. In General: In accordance with the Office of Management and
Budget's guidance located at 2 CFR part 200, all applicable Federal
laws, and relevant Executive guidance, the Department will review and
consider applications for funding pursuant to this notice inviting
applications in accordance with:
(a) Selecting recipients most likely to be successful in delivering
results based on the program objectives through an objective process of
evaluating Federal award applications (2 CFR 200.205);
(b) Prohibiting the purchase of certain telecommunication and video
surveillance services or equipment in alignment with section 889 of the
National Defense Authorization Act of 2019 (Pub. L. 115-232) (2 CFR
200.216);
(c) Providing a preference, to the extent permitted by law, to
maximize use of goods, products, and materials produced in the United
States (2 CFR 200.322); and
(d) Terminating agreements in whole or in part to the greatest
extent authorized by law if an award no longer effectuates the program
goals or agency priorities (2 CFR 200.340).
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally,
also.
If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding,
we notify you.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:
We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the
application package and reference these and other requirements in the
Applicable Regulations section of this notice.
We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding
commitments under the grant.
3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works.
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables.
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR
3474.20.
[[Page 60144]]
4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition,
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170
should you receive funding under this competition. This does not apply
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual
performance report that provides the most current performance and
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting,
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
(c) Under 34 CFR 75.250(b), the Secretary may provide a grantee
with additional funding for data collection analysis and reporting. In
this case the Secretary establishes a data collection period.
5. Performance Measures: For the purpose of Department reporting
under 34 CFR 75.110, we have established the following performance
measures for the School-Based Mental Health Services Grant Program:
(a) The unduplicated, cumulative number of new school-based mental
health services providers hired for each LEA with demonstrated need as
a result of the grant.
(b) The unduplicated, cumulative number of school-based mental
health services providers retained in LEAs with demonstrated need as a
result of the grant.
(c) The ratio of students to school-based mental health services
providers for each LEA with demonstrated need served by the grant, and
the numbers of school-based mental health services providers and
students used to calculate the ratio.
(d) The attrition rate of school-based mental health services
providers for each LEA with a demonstrated need that is participating
in the grant.
(e) The total number of students who received school-based mental
health services as a result of the grant.
(f) For grantees that addressed competitive preference priority 2,
the number of such grantees that met their goal of increasing the
diversity of school-based mental health services providers.
These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant
under this program to give careful consideration to these measures in
conceptualizing the approach for its proposed project plan. Each
grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and
final reports, data about its progress in meeting these measures. These
data will be considered by the Department in making potential
continuation awards.
Consistent with 34 CFR 75.591, grantees funded under this program
must meet the requirements of any evaluation of the program conducted
by the Department or an evaluator selected by the Department.
Performance measure targets: The applicant must propose annual
targets for the measures listed above in their application. Applicants
must also provide the following information as directed under 34 CFR
75.110(b) and (c):
(1) An explanation of how each proposed performance target is
ambitious (as defined in this notice) yet achievable compared to the
baseline (as defined in this notice) for the performance measure.
(2) An explanation of the data collection and reporting methods the
applicant would use and why those methods are likely to yield reliable,
valid, and meaningful performance data; and
(3) An explanation of the applicant's capacity to collect and
report reliable, valid, and meaningful performance data, as evidenced
by high-quality data collection, analysis, and reporting in other
projects or research.
Note: If the applicant does not have experience with collection and
reporting of performance data through other projects or research, the
applicant should provide other evidence of capacity to successfully
carry out data collection and reporting for its proposed project.
The reviewers of each application will score related selection
criteria on the basis of how well an applicant has considered these
measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of the project.
All grantees must submit an annual performance report and final
performance report with information that is responsive to these
performance measures.
6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things, whether a grantee
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
VII. Other Information
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document and a copy of the application package in an
accessible format. The Department will provide the requestor with an
accessible format that may include Rich Text Format (RTF) or text
format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file, Braille, large print,
audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published
in the Federal Register, in text or 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.
James F. Lane,
Senior Advisor, Office of the Secretary, Delegated the Authority to
Perform the Functions and Duties of the Assistant Secretary for the
Office Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2022-21631 Filed 10-3-22; 8:45 am]
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