OpportunityTitle: Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities
CategoryExplanation: https://grants3.hrsa.gov/2010/Web2External/Interface/FundingCycle/ExternalView.aspx?fCycleID=d93e707d-a0c7-4f81-880a-0fe7da9e871a
AdditionalInformationOnEligibility: Eligible applicants include only Governor-designated, State government entities. &#160;In addition to U.S. States, eligible applicants include the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau. &#160;Private institutions are not eligible to apply for these grant dollars. &#160;States are encouraged to work with Tribal entities to facilitate greater consultation and coordination between State and Tribal governments.   Please note that both &#8220;new&#8221; and &#8220;competing continuation&#8221; applicants are eligible to apply. However, for the purposes of this competition, both types of applicants will be applying as &#8220;NEW,&#8221; and should note that on the application.&#160; For purposes of eligibility only, a &#8220;new&#8221; applicant is a State that does not currently receive funding through this grant program; a &#8220;competing continuation&#8221; applicant is defined as a current grantee for the program whose grant is scheduled to end on August 31, 2015. &#160;   If a State is a current grantee of this program with a project period that extends beyond August 31, 2015, the State is NOT eligible to apply for new funding under this funding opportunity announcement.
Description: This announcement solicits applications for the Grants to States to Support Oral Health Workforce Activities program. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement is to support States in developing and implementing innovative programs to address the oral health workforce needs of designated Dental HPSAs. Funds must be used to develop and implement a workforce program(s) designed to support innovative oral health service delivery models that will increase access to high quality oral health services for underserved populations located in Dental HPSAs or in other areas specifically designated as underserved by the State&#8217;s Governor. Eligible applicants include only Governor-designated, State government entities, such as the office of the State&#8217;s dental director or a State-run university or dental school. Applications must define how the State government will be actively involved in the project, including defining the State&#8217;s investment of resources to the project and any planned coordination of activities at the State level. As mandated by statute, States must demonstrate commitment to their projects by providing a 40 percent non-Federal match. Applicants are encouraged to define how they will leverage State laws, regulations and policies to meet the oral health workforce needs of underserved populations within the State. Applications for this program must propose innovative oral health care delivery models to address a State&#8217;s oral health workforce needs. Applicants must choose from one or more of the following six Focus Areas: 1. Integrating oral and primary care medical delivery systems for underserved communities; 2. Programs to support oral health providers practicing in advanced roles specifically designed to improve oral health access in underserved communities; 3. Practice support through teledentistry to improve access for underserved communities; 4. Community-based prevention service programs for underserved populations, such as water fluoridation and dental sealant programs; 5. Programs to establish or expand oral health services and facilities in Dental HPSAs, such as the establishment or expansion of community-based dental facilities, free-standing dental clinics, school-linked dental facilities, and mobile or portable dental clinics; and 6. Grants and low-interest or no-interest loans to help dentists who participate in the Medicaid program to enhance capacity, such as through equipment purchases or the sharing of overhead costs to allow for additional hours of operation. Applicants will be required to clearly describe how the proposal is innovative and how the program is expected to improve access and quality of care for underserved populations. To support the proposal to develop and implement an innovative oral health care delivery model, funds may be used for the following: &#183; To partner with dental training institutions to ensure providers are prepared to practice and lead in the State&#8217;s innovative service delivery models. Training may be targeted at any level of education, including continuing dental education, and may include establishment or expansion of dental residency programs in States without dental schools, with the primary focus of encouraging trainees to ultimately practice in a Dental HPSA within the State; and/or &#183; To expand the State dental office to support the proposed grant activities, including enhancing capacity to develop and analyze data and policy related to oral health access and workforce needs of Dental HPSAs. Because each State&#8217;s racial and ethnic composition may vary, applicants will be encouraged to recruit, train, and retain a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of their State such as underrepresented minorities, and/or those from rural or disadvantaged backgrounds. Applicants should describe the current diversity of the oral health workforce in relation to their State and outline a plan to address diversity in the proposed project.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: Contact Karen Beckham, MA, CHES at (301)443-7050 or email kbeckham@hrsa.gov
GrantorContactText: Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration&lt;br/&gt;kbeckham@hrsa.gov&lt;br/&gt;