[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 186 (Wednesday, September 27, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66456-66457]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-21046]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement the 
Link Center: Bridging Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities 
(I/DD) and Mental Health Systems Cooperative Agreement

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the 
intent to award a single-source supplement to the current cooperative 
agreement held by the National Association for State Directors of 
Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) for the Link Center: 
Bridging I/DD and Mental Health Systems cooperative agreement. The 
purpose of this project is to improve the quality of life for people 
with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and mental 
health conditions by supporting state agencies with policy development, 
service design, and service coordination resources, and sharing 
resources to individuals, families, direct support professionals, 
clinicians, and other policymakers. The administrative supplement for 
FY 2023 will amount to $540,000, bringing the total award for FY 2023 
to $1,214,978.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or comments 
regarding this program supplement, contact Allison Cruz, U.S. 
Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community 
Living, Administration on Disabilities, (202) 795-7334 or via email 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This supplementary funding from the 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will 
expand The Link Center: Bridging I/DD and Mental Health Systems by 
coordinating, planning, and implementing activities to support 988 call 
centers to support people with I/DD and mental health conditions. A key 
activity will be the 988 Policy Academy. As a result of this funding, 
ACL and SAMHSA expect that:
     Up to 6 States will improve their systems to more 
effectively address the needs of individuals with I/DD and mental 
health conditions.
     Targeted State teams will have engaged in six (6) virtual 
learning engagements and participated in a two-day session to finalize 
actions steps. These States will receive follow-along supports towards 
implementations and sustainability activities to more effectively 
address the needs of individuals with I/DD and mental health 
conditions.
    This supplement will fund the following.

Academy Structure

Membership

    The policy academy will be open to 5-6 states. Each state will 
bring a team of partners, including:

 SAMHSA 988 Office and CMHS leadership and/or key staff, 
including the representatives from the Lifeline network administrator
 State mental health authority leadership and core staff 
involved in 988 and Crisis Response
 State I/DD authority leadership and core staff involved in 
supporting individuals with complex support needs
 State Medicaid leader(s) with knowledge and oversight of MH 
and/or LTSS
 State Head Injury Administrators/core staff or partner 
organizations
 People with lived experience
 One or more State DD Act Partner organizations (DD Councils, 
UCEDDs, Protection and Advocacy Organizations)
 Leadership from the National Association of County Behavioral 
Health & Developmental Disability Directors

    Optional:

 Child welfare officials, especially those supporting children 
with complex support needs
 Law enforcement
 Other partners as determined by the state

    Each team should be led by 2-3 individuals from State Mental 
Health, 988/Lifeline and I/DD Agencies. Each state team may consist of 
8-10 individuals. Team composition should reflect a lens toward 
ensuring that the state-level solutions will be informed by diversity, 
equity, and inclusion. States may include team members that are key to 
building a responsive network of information sharing, potential warm 
hand-offs, and available supports.

Approach

    Exploratory survey/Environmental scan:

 Prior to selection of state participants, collect information 
related to general areas of need that will inform and give an aggregate 
scope of focus for succeeding academy activities
    State Tailored Interventions:

 State specific planning meetings with state leads
 Convene state-level (virtual) town hall discussions to provide 
landscape information on areas of need
 Develop target areas for state team

    Virtual Learning Opportunities:

 Based on state target areas, develop series of six (6) virtual 
learning engagements for cross-state participation (identifying peers 
for both elevation of good practice and group solution identification)

    In Person Academy:

 Convene a two-day symposium in the Washington DC area focused 
on cultivating sustainable networks and ongoing information sharing 
(Strongly encourage in-person participation, accommodate virtual if 
needed). Will include group learning and state-specific breakout 
sessions to optimize learning, sharing and action plan development.
[cir] Will include pre-planning with each state (two meetings)
[cir] Will include post-meeting follow up activities, including plan 
for implementation and sustainability

    Post Meeting Activities and Follow-Along Technical Assistance:
     TA Collaborative will meet with state teams to finalize 
action steps developed from in person meeting;
     TA Collaborative will meet monthly with state teams to 
provide follow-along support toward implementation and sustainability 
activities.
     A post convening synthesis will be developed as a resource 
for partners engaged in this work.
    Program Name: The Link Center: Bridging I/DD and Mental Health 
Systems.
    Recipient: The National Association of State Directors of 
Developmental Disabilities Services.
    Period of Performance: The supplement award will be issued for the 
second year of the five-year project period of September 30, 2023, 
through August 31, 2024.
    Total Supplement Award Amount: $540,000.
    Award Type: Cooperative Agreement.
    Statutory Authority: This program is authorized under the 
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 
Public Law 106-402, section 161(2)(B), (C), and (D).
    Basis for Award: The National Association of State Directors of 
Developmental Disabilities Services is

[[Page 66457]]

currently funded to carry out The Link Center Project for the period of 
September 1, 2022, through August 31, 2027. Much work has already been 
completed and further tasks are currently being accomplished. It would 
be unnecessarily time consuming and disruptive to the Link Center 
project and the beneficiaries being served for ACL to establish a new 
grantee at this time when critical services are presently being 
provided in an efficient manner. SAMHSA also has determined that the 
award of another contract or grant to provide these services would 
duplicate the activities carried out under this cooperative agreement. 
SAMHSA has further determined that a grant supplement to support the 
988 State Policy Academy through this cooperative agreement is likely 
to be less expensive than a separate arrangement. This agreement 
promotes government efficiency and reduces the possibility of costly 
duplication of effort.

    Dated: September 21, 2023.
Alison Barkoff,
Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator and the 
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2023-21046 Filed 9-26-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P