Ohio Department of Youth Services Competitive RECLAIM Request for Proposals

Transcription

1 I. Introduction Beginning in Fiscal Year 2015, the Ohio Department of Youth Services (DYS), will reallocate annually $2.2 million to support the community continuum for serving youth. This realignment of resources has been made possible by the continued success in reducing DYS institutional population (average daily population of 730 youth in 2011 decreased to 508 youth in 2014), which resulted in the closure of the Scioto Juvenile Correctional Facility. This new funding initiative is named,. Our realignment of funds points to our commitment to community-based programming and supports for youth. It reflects ongoing collaborative efforts to serve youth in the right environment with the right treatment. By diverting youth to appropriate community options, juvenile courts have been able to significantly reduce DYS facility population and recidivism. Under, three distinct categories of funding will be made available to juvenile courts. The maximum amount of funding available each year for each category is denoted below. The three categories of funding are: Category I - Three-Year $50,000 Diversion Grants Serving Low Risk to Reoffend Youth (up to 14 grants will be awarded) Category II - Three-Year $100,000 Evidence-Based Program Grants Serving Moderate / High Risk to Reoffend Youth (up to 10 grants will be awarded) Category III Five-Year $250,000 Community-Based In-Home Treatment Grants Serving Youth in a Minimum of Four Counties (up to 2 grants will be awarded) All activities, technical assistance and proposed local awards described throughout this announcement are contingent upon funding availability and final funding approval. DYS reserves the right to make no award, make an award for a lesser amount, make an alternative award for the specified project or make an award for a shorter duration. The Department reserves the right to ask clarifying questions, issue conditional awards, and negotiate a best and final proposal with one or more applicants(s). The Department reserves the right to waive errors and omissions that do not materially affect the proposal. Errors and omissions may also result in lower evaluation scores or rejection of the proposal. As part of the initiative, the juvenile court is expected to participate in scheduled meetings and support the initiative s quality assurance measures, as well as meet the criteria listed in the application. Outcome measures, including those specific to reoffending, are required for all youth 12 months after their successful or unsuccessful completion of the program. Courts awarded grant funds will be required to submit a program amendment to their FY 2015 Subsidy Grant Agreement. 1 P a g e

2 For the purpose of this solicitation, out of home placement is defined as a referral for private out of home placement to address the primary treatment need of a youth. Respite care is permissible for crisis stabilization, and for the purpose of this program limited to no more than seven days. Important dates for this are: II. Eligibility Release Date of August 15, 2014 Bidders Conference Columbus September 10, 2014 Bidders Conference Cleveland September 17, 2014 Letter of Intent (LOI) Due Date Category III October 10, 2014 Category I Proposal Due Date October 15, 2014 Category II Proposal Due Date October 15, 2014 Category III Proposal Due Date 60 days after LOI reviews Grant funds Released January 15, 2015 Only the eighty-eight county juvenile courts are eligible to apply. Courts may submit proposals for any or all of the grant categories. A Juvenile Court may not submit multiple proposals for a single category. III. Due Dates and Submission 1. Category I AND Category II proposals are to be submitted by 5:00PM EST on October 15, Submission may be EITHER hard copy or electronic. Hard copy submissions are to be addressed to the attention of Tony Panzino, Bureau Chief of Subsidies and Grants, Ohio Department of Youth Services, 30 W. Spring Street, FL5, Columbus, Ohio Hard copy submissions must include 4 complete copies of the proposal. Electronically submitted proposals are to be submitted as one PDF document. Electronic submissions are to be sent to Tony Panzino (Tony.Panzino@dys.ohio.gov) and Jeff Spears (Jeff.Spears@dys.ohio.gov ) by 5:00PM EST on October 15, Category III requires both a Letter of Intent and the submission of a proposal. Juvenile Courts interested in submitting a proposal under Category III must first submit an electronic Letter of Intent to Apply to Tony Panzino and Jeff Spears by 5:00PM EST on October 10, Proposals for Category III are due 60 days after the letters of intent are reviewed by DYS with potential applicants. This date will be provided to all Category III applicants once it is determined. As with Category I and Category II, submissions may be EITHER hard copy or electronic. Hard copy submissions are to be addressed to the attention of Tony Panzino, Bureau Chief of Subsidies and Grants, Ohio Department of Youth Services, 30 W. Spring Street, FL5, Columbus, Ohio Hard copy submissions 2 P a g e

3 must include 4 complete copies of the proposal. Electronically submitted proposals are to be submitted as one PDF document. Electronic submissions are to be sent to Tony Panzino (Tony.Panzino@dys.ohio.gov) and Jeff Spears (Jeff.Spears@dys.ohio.gov ) by 5:00PM EST on the established due date after the letters of intent are reviewed. Due to the complexity of the Category III proposals in comparison to Category I and Category II proposals, DYS is providing additional time for their development by the Juvenile Courts. Proposals do not have a page limit, but must be 12-point Times New-Roman font, doublespaced with 1 inch margins and borders. To address questions of Juvenile Courts, a bidders conference will be held in Columbus, Ohio on September 10, 2014 from 10:00AM to 12:00PM EST at DYS Central Office, 30 W. Spring Street, 2 nd, Floor, Columbus, Ohio A second bidders conference will be held in Cleveland, Ohio on September 17, 2014 at 10:00AM to 12:00PM EST at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court, 9300 Quincy Avenue, Jury Assembly Room, 2nd Floor, Cleveland, OH IV. Selection Criteria The selection criteria for each category of funding are provided below. Applicants are to format their proposals to address each selection criterion. Category I - Three-Year $50,000 Diversion Grants Serving Low Risk to Reoffend Youth (up to 14 grants will be awarded) Up to fourteen (14) three-year Diversion Grants of up to $50,000 per year will be awarded to selected county juvenile courts. These grants must address the needs of juvenile court involved youth designated as eligible for diversion services and assessed as low risk to reoffend as minimally determined by the Ohio Youth Assessment System (OYAS). (Sex offenders are not to be considered as a target population for this grant category.) Proposed services for this target population must be consistent with current risk principle research findings. Activities under this category must provide a direct service for a youth and/or family, in addition to merely screening/assessing risk and needs. (Examples of these activities include: diversion hearings, developing youth contracts, community detention alternatives, mediation services, brief interventions and referral to treatment, and mentors, etc.) Selected counties will agree to contract with a university or qualified entity to develop a youth admissions tracking mechanism, quality assurance and program evaluation. Under Category I, DYS seeks conceptually sound proposals with a clearly defined target population along with a commitment to work with a quality assurance partner. Category I proposals are to be formatted using the following headings. 3 P a g e

4 a) Abstract (10 points) The abstract should identity the funding category (Category I) under which the proposal is being submitted, the juvenile court, and if applicable, collaborating partners. It should include a brief description of the project s purpose, the number and population to be served, the activities that the applicant will implement to achieve its goals and projected start date. The abstract should describe how the applicant will measure progress toward its diversion goals. b) Statement of the Problem (10 points) - Briefly describe the nature and scope of the problem that the program will address (e.g., safe school ordinance violations, underage drinking, drug abuse, truancy, youth employment, school performance, etc.). The applicant must include local or state data to provide evidence that the problem exists, demonstrate the size and scope of the problem, and document the effects of the problem on the target population. c) Target Population (10 points) - Provide information on the target population (e.g., race, gender, detention center admissions, truancy, school referrals, children s services referrals, parent referrals, etc.), and the projected number of juveniles to be served each year of the project. Explain when the OYAS will be administered and how it will inform the selection of youth for the program. Describe any tools used to screen and/or assess the risk and needs of youth (e.g., mental health screener/assessment, substanceabuse, reading, achievement testing, MAYSI-2, etc.). d) Selected Intervention (25 points) Describe the intervention that will be used and explain why the intervention was selected. If the intervention is research supported, please provide the appropriate citation. Describe the process for identifying youth, engaging them in the selected intervention, measuring outcomes/progress, and discharging from the program. The intervention must be at minimum evidenceinformed. Juvenile courts selecting interventions having fidelity, adherence, and outcome requirements established by the model developer are required to follow them. A list of links to evidence-informed practices is provided in section V; using intervention strategies from this list is not required. e) Performance Measures (10 points) - Describe how the applicant will document, monitor, and evaluate performance and identify the impact of the strategy once implemented. At a minimum, DYS requires on a quarterly basis for grantees to measure and report: a. # youth enrolled b. OYAS scores of youth enrolled c. Gender, race and age data of enrolled youth d. Length of stay of youth in program e. Identification of youth successfully completing the program 4 P a g e

5 f. Identification of youth unsuccessfully completing the program g. Reasons for unsuccessful completion of the program h. # of youth that reoffend that successfully completed the program (12-month i. # of youth that reoffend that unsuccessfully completed the program (12-month f) Quality Assurance Activities (10 points) - Quality Assurance (QA) refers to services and activities developed to ensure fidelity to a program as outlined and determined by the protocols established by the developers of interventions. The goal of QA is to gauge fidelity to the program, identify issues and concerns, and support activities needed to help the program succeed. For many evidence-informed diversion practices, formalized QA does not currently exist. For this initiative, DYS seeks assurance the funded programs will be implemented effectively and with fidelity. To achieve this, the applicant must identify a university or community partner that will assist them in developing and/or identifying and measuring QA activities. In addition to universities, entities deemed appropriate to provide QA include those with staff having relevancy and sufficient experience, education, and training in the services provided under the proposal. The applicant must provide a letter of collaboration from the university or community partner outlining the QA services proposed. These services may include the development of QA practices by the university/community partner. Grant funds may be used to support QA. g) Budget and Budget Narrative (15 points) Utilizing the standard Subsidy Grant (RECLAIM) Budget forms, provide a budget and budget narrative for a project period of twelve (12) months. Budgets for subsequent years will be requested by DYS through the annual Subsidy Grant Plan and Plan Update and may not exceed the amount of the initial award. h) Collaborating Partners with Letters of Participation (10 points) - Provide a brief narrative identifying the project partners, their expertise and experience with similar projects, and a description of activities each partner will perform for the initiative. A signed Letter of Participation for each project partner must be provided with the application. Category II - Three-Year $100,000 Evidence-Based Program Grants Serving Moderate / High Risk to Reoffend Youth (up to 10 grants will be awarded) Up to Ten (10) Three-Year Program Grants of up to $100,000 per year will be awarded to selected county juvenile courts to address the needs of juvenile court and/or 5 P a g e

6 any juvenile justice cross-system (BH/JJ, CW/JJ DD/JJ) 1 youth designated as moderate to highrisk to reoffend as minimally determined by the OYAS dispositional tool. All awarded programs must be evidence-informed or evidence-based and have fundamentally sound QA and measurable outcomes. The overarching purposes of Category II programs are to serve youth locally with evidenced-informed/evidence-based community programs designed to meet their assessed needs, reduce out of home placement, achieve a reduction in recidivism, and achieve reduced admissions to DYS and/or Community Corrections Facilities (CCF). Selected counties are required to provide a cash match of 10% of the total yearly award amount starting with the second year of program implementation and 25% of the total yearly award amount during the third year of program. This match may include the use of a juvenile court s RECLAIM allocation and documented reimbursement of Medicaid-eligible services to a treatment provider collaborating with the juvenile court. Selected counties will agree to contract with a university partner or qualified entity to develop a youth admissions tracking mechanism, quality assurance and program evaluation. Under Category II, DYS seeks conceptually sound proposals with a clearly defined target population along with a commitment to work with a quality assurance partner. Category II proposals are to be formatted using the following headings. a) Abstract (10 points) The abstract should identity the funding category (Category II) under which the proposal is being submitted, the Juvenile Court, and if applicable, collaborating partners. It should include a brief description of the project s purpose, the number and population to be served, the activities that the applicant will implement to achieve its goals and projected start date. The abstract should describe how the applicant will measure progress toward achieving its goals. b) Statement of the Problem (10 points) - Briefly describe the nature and scope of the problem that the program will address (e.g., family dysfunction, managing antisocial peers and networks, gangs, assessed mental health and substance abuse issues, etc.). The applicant must include local or state data to provide evidence that the problem exists, demonstrate the size and scope of the problem, and document the effects of the problem on the target population. c) Target Population (10 points) - Provide information on the target population (e.g., race, gender, number of out of home placements, crime statistics, gang activity, number of multi-system youth, number of youth presenting behavioral health concerns, etc.), and the projected number of juveniles to be served each year of the project. Explain when the dispositional OYAS will be administered and how it will inform the selection of youth 1 Behavioral Health Juvenile Justice (BH/JJ), Child Welfare Juvenile Justice (Child Welfare Juvenile Justice), Developmentally Delayed Juvenile Justice (DDJJ) 6 P a g e

7 for the program. Describe any tools used to screen and/or assess the risk and needs of youth (e.g., mental health screener/assessment, substance-abuse, reading, achievement testing, MAYSI-2, etc.). d) Selected Intervention (25 points) Describe the intervention that will be used and explain why the intervention was selected. The intervention must be research supported, please provide the appropriate citation(s). Describe the process for identifying youth, engaging them in the selected intervention, measuring outcomes/progress, and discharging from the program. Juvenile courts selecting interventions having fidelity, adherence, and outcome requirements established by the model developer are required to follow them. e) Performance Measures (10 points) - Describe how the applicant will document, monitor, and evaluate performance and identify the impact of the strategy once implemented. At a minimum, DYS requires on a quarterly basis for grantees to measure and report: a. # youth enrolled b. Dispositional OYAS scores of youth enrolled c. Gender, race and age data of enrolled youth d. Length of stay of youth in program e. Identification of youth successfully completing the program f. Identification of youth unsuccessfully completing the program g. Reasons for unsuccessful completion of the program h. # of out of home placements diverted i. # reduced admissions to DYS j. # reduced admissions to Community Corrections Facilities k. # of youth that reoffend that successfully completed the program (12-month l. # of youth that reoffend that unsuccessfully completed the program (12-month f) Quality Assurance Activities (10 points) - Quality Assurance (QA) refers to services and activities developed to ensure fidelity to a program as outlined and determined by the protocols established by the developers of interventions. The goal of QA is to gauge fidelity to the program, identify issues and concerns, and support activities needed to help the program succeed. For Category II proposals, DYS seeks assurance the funded programs will be implemented effectively and with fidelity. To achieve this, the applicant must identify a university or community partner that will assist them in developing and/or identifying and measuring QA activities. In addition to universities, entities deemed appropriate to provide QA include those with staff having relevancy 7 P a g e

8 and sufficient experience, education, and training in the services provided under the proposal. The applicant must provide a letter of collaboration from the university or community partner outlining the QA services proposed. These services may include the development of QA practices by the university/community partner. Grant funds may be used to support QA. g) Budget and Budget Narrative (15 points) Utilizing the standard Subsidy Grant (RECLAIM) Budget forms, provide a budget and budget narrative for a project period of twelve (12) months. Budgets for subsequent years will be requested by DYS through the annual Subsidy Grant Plan and Plan Update and may not exceed the amount of the initial award. h) Collaborating Partners with Letters of Participation (10 points) - Provide a brief narrative identifying the project partners, their expertise and experience with similar projects, and a description of activities each partner will perform for the initiative. A signed Letter of Participation for each project partner must be provided with the application. Category III Five-Year $250,000 Community-Based In-Home Treatment Grants Serving Youth in a Minimum of Four Counties (up to 2 grants will be awarded) Two (2) five-year Regionalization Grant awards of up to $250,000 each year will be given to juvenile courts acting as an administrative agent to a minimum of three surrounding counties to develop and implement in-home evidence-informed services for moderate/high risk to reoffend youth that: (i) is at imminent risk for out of home placement, (ii) has returned from or is transitioning back to their home/ community, or (iii) has significant behavioral health concerns requiring active and intensive crisis stabilization and monitoring. Interested juvenile courts should provide a letter of intent to submit a proposal no later than Friday, October 10, The letter should include a summary of the regionalization approach and services to address the assessed needs of the target population. At a minimum it should identify the administrative juvenile court, the proposed partners, the target population, the intervention, include an overview for regional collaboration and coordination, a mechanism for services delivery, information germane to the availability of existing regionalized resources and service gaps, a preliminary timeline for implementation, and QA process. Upon review of the letter of intent to apply, DYS will confer individually with applicants, discuss operational and service coordination details, and request full proposals from communities still interested in pursuing a Regionalization Grant. The purpose of the individual applicant consultations with DYS representatives is to ensure counties are provided adequate information and resources to develop a competitive proposal. The consultation with DYS may 8 P a g e

9 include subject matter experts and university partners retained by DYS to assist communities with their applications. After conferring with DYS about the letter of intent, a Category III proposal should be developed using the following headings and format. a) Abstract (10 points) The abstract should identity the funding category (Category III) under which the proposal is being submitted, the administrative agent juvenile court, and other participating courts (at least three courts), and if applicable, collaborating partners. It should include a brief description of the project s purpose, the number and population to be served, the activities that the applicant will implement to achieve its goals and projected start date. The abstract should describe how the applicant will measure progress toward achieving its goals. b) Statement of the Problem (10 points) - Briefly describe the nature and scope of the problem that the program will address. The applicant must include local or state data to provide evidence that the problem exists, demonstrate the size and scope of the problem, and document the effects of the problem on the target population. c) Target Population (10 points) - Provide information on the target population (e.g., race, gender, number of out of home placements, crime statistics, gang activity, number of multi-system youth, number of youth presenting behavioral health concerns, etc.), and the projected number of juveniles to be served each year of the project. Explain when the dispositional OYAS will be administered and how it will inform the selection of youth for the program. Describe any tools used to screen and/or assess the risk and needs of youth (e.g., mental health screener/assessment, substance-abuse, reading, achievement testing, MAYSI-2, etc.). d) Selected Intervention (25 points) Describe the intervention that will be used and explain why the intervention was selected. The intervention must be research supported; please provide the appropriate citation(s). Describe the process for identifying youth, engaging them in the selected intervention, measuring outcomes/progress, and discharging from the program. Juvenile courts selecting interventions having fidelity, adherence, and outcome requirements established by the model developer are required to follow them. e) Performance Measures (10 points) - Describe how the applicant will document, monitor, and evaluate performance and identify the impact of the strategy once implemented. At a minimum, DYS requires on a quarterly basis for grantees to measure and report: a. # youth enrolled b. Dispositional OYAS scores of youth enrolled 9 P a g e

10 c. Gender, race and age data of enrolled youth d. Length of stay of youth in program e. Identification of youth successfully completing the program f. Identification of youth unsuccessfully completing the program g. Reasons for unsuccessful completion of the program h. # of out of home placements diverted i. # reduced admissions to DYS j. # reduced admissions to Community Corrections Facilities k. # reduced admissions to community residential facilities l. # of youth that reoffend that successfully completed the program (12-month m. # of youth that reoffend that unsuccessfully completed the program (12-month f) Quality Assurance Activities (10 points) - Quality Assurance (QA) refers to services and activities developed to ensure fidelity to a program as outlined and determined by the protocols established by the developers of interventions. The goal of QA is to gauge fidelity to the program, identify issues and concerns, and support activities needed to help the program succeed. For Category III proposals, DYS seeks assurance the funded programs will be implemented effectively and with fidelity. To achieve this, the applicant must identify a university or community partner that will assist them in developing and/or identifying and measuring QA activities. In addition to universities, entities deemed appropriate to provide QA include those with staff having relevancy and sufficient experience, education, and training in the services provided under the proposal. The applicant must provide a letter of collaboration from the university or community partner outlining the QA services proposed. These services may include the development of QA practices by the university/community partner. Grant funds may be used to support QA. g) Budget and Budget Narrative (15 points) Utilizing the standard Subsidy Grant (RECLAIM) Budget forms, provide a budget and budget narrative for a project period of twelve (12) months. Budgets for subsequent years will be requested by DYS through the annual Subsidy Grant Plan and Plan Update and may not exceed the amount of the initial award. Match funds are not required for Category III grants. h) Collaborating Partners with Letters of Participation (10 points) - Provide a brief narrative identifying the project partners, their expertise and experience with similar projects, and a description of activities each partner will perform for the initiative. A signed Letter of Participation for each project partner must be provided with the application. 10 P a g e

11 The due date of the Category III proposals will be established 60 days after all Letters of Intent are reviewed with juvenile courts. This is being done to ensure all applicants are given adequate time to prepare their application regardless of their scheduled review of their Letter of Intent. V. Examples and Links to Evidence-Informed Services The following is a brief list of links to evidence-informed and evidence-based services and programs. They include information on evidence-based diversion, treatment, in-home interventions, and best practices. Applicants ARE NOT required to use a service listed below, but may find the information contained within the links helpful. OJJDP Model Program Guide OJP Crime SOLUTIONS.gov SAMHSA s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices The California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse Blueprints for Healthy Youth Development Find Youth Info Child Trends Washington Institute for Public Policy National Wraparound Initiative Models for Change ICT IHBT SBIRT - Front-End Diversion Initiative Front-End Diversion Initiative Manual 11 P a g e