OpportunityTitle: Lifespan Respite Care Program
Description: The goal of this program announcement is to implement the requirements of the Lifespan Respite Care Act of 2006. To that end, AoA is looking to fund projects that propose to serve all eligible respite recipients, including family members, foster parents, or other adults providing unpaid care to adults needing care to meet basic daily needs or prevent injury and to children who require care beyond that required to meet their basic needs and to those who might not otherwise have access to other types of respite care services. AoA understands that the current status of Lifespan Respite Program development may vary from state to state. AoA also recognizes that not all states will start from the same place in designing their programs. Therefore, proposals will be evaluated based on the extent of the progress a state expects to make under the grant in developing Lifespan Respite Programs and not on the current status of such efforts in the states. States that already have systems that include major elements of a Lifespan Respite Care Program will be successful in their applications for funding under this announcement only to the extent that further progress can be demonstrated (e.g., by adding additional functions, expanding target group coverage, etc.). Successful applicants will propose a project that fully implements all required services specified by the Lifespan Respite Care Act, on a statewide basis while ensuring the following: Proposed programs must demonstrate thorough understanding of the population to be served. Knowledge of the family caregiver population for whom lifespan respite program services are to be provided, or for whom respite care workers and volunteers will be recruited and trained, is an essential requirement of any successful application under this Announcement. To that end, the application narrative must fully describe the needs of the caregiver population and the current respite infrastructure in the state. The proposed intervention must fully describe how respite information dissemination and coordination, respite care services and worker and volunteer recruitment and training will be carried out. The plan for administering, collaborating, and coordinating respite care activities in the state with other related services or programs must also be described. Applicants should refer to Section IV, 2.c (Pages 17-21) of this Announcement for a full description of legislatively mandated application narrative requirements. Proposed programs must coordinate with, and on behalf of, existing respite programs and infrastructures. The Lifespan Respite Care Act is designed to facilitate coordination between respite programs in the state and reduce or eliminate duplication of effort and to assist in the development of statewide respite care infrastructure. Grantees under this Program Announcement are required to coordinate with existing public or private respite care programs already in existence when implementing State or local respite programs. Applicants should describe their approach for working with public and private non-profit State respite coalitions or respite organizations to implement a lifespan respite program Proposed programs must help families navigate the respite care system and gain access to those programs most appropriate for their needs. Once operational, Lifespan Respite Programs should assist families by first identifying current respite funding streams in the State and assisting families in determining for which existing program they are eligible. Families who do not qualify for any existing respite programs or services may have those services paid for by the Lifespan Respite Care Program. Applicants under this announcement should clearly describe their approach for coordinating and improving access to existing respite programs and services and filling gaps where necessary. Proposed programs must serve all family members, regardless of age or disability. When preparing applications for submission, states are reminded that the Lifespan Respite Care Act is intended to improve the delivery and quality of respite services available in a state or locality to families across the age and disability spectrum by establishing coordinated lifespan respite systems. All family members, regardless of the age, disability of chronic condition of their loved ones, should be able to access a Lifespan Respite Program to obtain information on how and where to find respite services and providers from among those currently existing. Applicants under this Program Announcement are required to describe their plan for serving all age groups and disability categories, without preference for a select demographic group or disability population. Proposed programs must demonstrate stakeholder collaboration and full implementation. Successful applications will demonstrate the broadest possible collaboration with relevant respite stakeholders from across the age and disability spectrum. Further, applicants must propose a program that immediately addresses the respite needs of all ages and special needs categories. No phase-in or preferences for age groups or disability categories will be permitted. Each application submitted under this Announcement must include a description of the eligible State agency&#146;s:&#149; Ability to work with other State and community-based agencies;&#149; Understanding of respite care, and family caregiver issues across all age groups, disabilities, and chronic conditions; and&#149; Capacity to ensure meaningful involvement of family members, family caregivers, and care recipients. Additionally, a memorandum of agreement regarding the joint responsibility for the eligible State agency&#146;s lifespan respite program between the eligible State agency and a public or private nonprofit statewide respite coalition or organization must be in place at the time of application. A copy of such memorandum must be included as part of the Application package.Required Activities and Use of FundsLifespan Respite programs developed or enhanced under this Announcement must meet the unique needs of the states in which they operate and employ a coordinated approach for ensuring statewide availability of respite services. Application narratives under this Announcement should clearly and completely describe the eligible State agency&#146;s plan for implementing the required services and any optional services listed below. Within that framework, each applicant under this Announcement must fully describe how their program will, at a minimum:&#149; Expand and enhance respite care services to family members;&#149; Improve the statewide dissemination and coordination of respite care; and&#149; Provide, supplement, or improve access and quality of respite care services to family caregivers, thereby reducing family caregiver strain.Each eligible State agency awarded a grant under this Announcement shall use all or part of the funds awarded for the following required services:&#149; Development and enhancement of lifespan respite care at the State and local levels;&#149; The provision of respite care services for family caregivers caring for children or adults;&#149; Training and recruiting of respite care workers and volunteers;&#149; The provision of information to caregivers about available respite and support services; and&#149; Assistance to caregivers in gaining access to such services.Additionally, funds available under this Announcement may be used to develop a range of optional services, including:&#149; Training programs for family caregivers to assist family caregivers in making informed decisions about respite care services;&#149; Other services essential to the provision of respite care as may be specified by AoA; or&#149; Training and education for new caregivers.Grants and SubcontractsEach eligible State agency awarded a grant under this Announcement may carry out the required and optional activities described above directly or by grant to, or contract with, public or private entities. Due to the nature of this program, the State Project Director must have an active role in the implementation and management of this project. Applicants who propose conduit or pass-through funding for another agency to lead the project will not be considered for funding.Applicants under this funding announcement should clearly describe, if necessary, their processes for subcontracting specific activities under this Program Announcement. Additionally, applicants should clearly describe the role of the project director along with the stakeholder group that will guide the design and implementation of the Lifespan Respite Program in the state.Stakeholder Involvement and PartnershipsEligible State agencies awarded a grant under this Announcement must carry out the activities of their programs in partnership with all relevant stakeholders at the state and local levels. Potential stakeholders include (a) entities of state and local government that administer and deliver human services programs designed to meet the respite care needs of family caregivers; and (b) state and local chapters of organizations and entities representing individuals with special needs from across the disease and disability spectrum and for whom respite is an essential component of their ongoing support in a community setting. Collaboration and partnerships among relevant stakeholders are critical elements to the success of development, administration and operation of Lifespan Respite Care programs. It is anticipated that such partnerships will be particularly important to grantees carrying out activities under this funding announcement. Therefore, applications should clearly demonstrate the involvement of key state- and local-level organizations and stakeholders from across the age and disability spectrum as full partners in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the Lifespan Respite Program. For example, such a group might include but is not limited to:&#149; State government agencies providing human services programs, of which respite may (or may not) be a component service;&#149; Providers of respite care serving the full range of population groups with varying, disabilities and service needs and for whom respite is an essential component of remaining in the community; and &#149; Non-profit organizations that function at the state and local levels to enhance services and education to persons with respite care needs, their families, and caregivers to enhance and promote the coordination of a more comprehensive and appropriate service delivery between the social service network and the state service system.ProductsGrantees under this funding announcement will be doing much to advance Lifespan Respite Care Programs at the state and local level. As such, grantees&#146; experiences during the lifespan of the project will be looked at with interest by other states seeking guidance and direction as they embark on the development of similar programs into the foreseeable future. To more easily facilitate replication of programs and approaches by other states and to eliminate the need to &#147;reinvent the wheel,&#148; grantees under this funding announcement will be asked to submit to AoA key products that can serve as resource guides for future Lifespan Respite Care program development, enhancement, and expansion.Grantees will be encouraged to develop for dissemination products such as: (1) a &#147;how-to&#148; manual that will readily allow others to implement a Lifespan Respite Care program within their own state or community; (2) materials (i.e., training tools, surveys, brochures, etc) that can be easily reproduced by others implementing such programs at the state or community level; and (3) a cost assessment methodology that will enable an estimation of the cost of program start-up and operation and the costs of serving clients as the program matures. Copies of all final products should be submitted to AoA at the conclusion of the specified grant period.Information SharingAs a new program, this funding opportunity presents a unique opportunity for grantees to learn from one another and to share their experiences in program implementation with the broader human services community. To facilitate information sharing on a range of program development issues and to provide regular opportunities for peer-to-peer exchange of information and ideas, the AoA Project Officer and grantee Project Directors will meet, at a minimum, every other month by phone. During the bi-monthly phone meetings, the grantee Project Directors and the AoA Project Officer will review project developments and accomplishments as well as discuss future endeavors and goals. These meetings will also be an opportunity to provide guidance and technical assistance regarding program development and to hear from National stakeholder organizations about those issues of importance to Lifespan Respite Care Programs nationwide. Collaboration with Technical Assistance EffortsThe Lifespan Respite Care Act permits the establishment of a resource center to maintain a national database of lifespan respite care, provide training and technical assistance to State, community and non-profit respite care programs, and provide information, referral, and education programs to the public on lifespan respite care. Under a separate Funding Announcement (HHS-2009-AoA-PG-0913), AoA will be developing the resource center activities called for in the Lifespan Respite Care Act and will be working with the grantee to support the work of the state agencies funded under this Program Announcement. Successful grantees under this Program Announcement will be expected to collaborate in technical assistance activities as they pertain to Lifespan Respite Care Program development, enhancement, and expansion.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Rebecca.mann@aoa.gov
GrantorContactText: Rebecca Mann &lt;br/&gt;Grants Management Specialist &lt;br/&gt;