To strengthen the collaboration of state and local efforts to weave mental health supports and services into a seamless system of care for children, youth and their families. Authentic Youth and Young Adult Engagement Initiative Request for Proposal Date of Release: May 18, 2015 Supported by Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Grant # 1U79SM061219-01 Coordinated by University of Texas at Austin Center for Social Work Research Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health 1717 West 6th Street, Suite 310 Austin, Texas 78703 1
Authentic Youth and Young Adult Engagement Request for Proposal Overview Texas System of Care (TxSOC), in partnership with Allies Cultivating Change by Empowering Positive Transformation (ACCEPT) and the Texas Institute for Excellence in Mental Health (TIEMH), is accepting proposals from agencies interested in enhancing efforts toward the authentic engagement of youth and young adults (AYYAE). This effort is supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA grant number 1U79SM061219-01. Purpose: Maximum Award: $5,000 Number of Awards: 2 Application Due Date: July 1, 2015 Estimated Funding Date: September 1, 2015 Organizations who provide services and supports to children and youth can benefit from well- planned strategies to engage youth in using their lived experience as a mechanism to advocate for positive change in systems. Similarly, community collaborations that focus on issues relevant to young people are strengthened by the active participation of youth and young adults. Youth voice can be garnered at various levels, including as active participants in their own services, as participants in program development, hiring, training, and evaluation activities, and as members of decision- making boards or councils. The purpose of this grant is to support local communities or organizations to plan and implement strategies to enhance youth voice, especially for youth with mental health challenges. Each agency or community is different and, accordingly, interacts with the young people within the community differently. Eligible organizations (or lead organizations within a collaborative) will identify planned strategies to enhance youth voice within their care system, based on current strengths or needs related to youth engagement. Technical assistance will be available to selected organizations through Texas System of Care and youth leaders participating in ACCEPT. Technical assistance can include an organizational assessment of authentic youth and young adult engagement, facilitation of strategic planning activities, training for youth leaders and/or agency leadership, technical assistance for youth outreach and communication, and evaluation of youth- related activities. 2
Examples of possible funding requests include: Training for youth and young adults Training for agency leaders Training for agency staff Travel and stipends to support youth participation in councils/boards Travel support for youth attendance at conference/training Materials or supplies for youth meetings Startup costs for youth internship Eligible Respondents: Eligible communities include agencies that provide services or supports to children and/or youth, including youth between 13 and 18 years of age who experience mental health challenges. Community collaborative groups can also apply by identifying one lead organization as the primary applicant. Eligible applicants do not have to be mental health or health care providers, but should be involved in providing social services to the identified population. Organizations will be selected in a competitive process based on a review of the application and scoring criteria (see below). The project budget can be up to $5,000 and may not be used to support the purchase of food (other than through travel per diem). Each applicant agency must identify a lead contact and will be encouraged to build a workgroup to support the identified activities. Applications should include a statement of support from the agency s Executive leadership. Scoring Criteria Applications will be reviewed based on the following criteria: Description of Community/Organization Efforts at Youth Engagement and Local Needs Proposed Engagement Goals and Activities Executive Support Submission Requirements and Deadline Interested agencies must submit a completed proposal no later than July 1, 2015. Proposals may be submitted by regular mail, by fax, or electronically by email. An acknowledgement of receipt will be sent to the Agency Team Lead indicated in the application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 3
Proposal Submission Process To be considered for participation in this initiative, each step described below must be completed in its entirety. Step 1: A cover letter including contact information for the lead agency and contact. A brief description of the agency. Step 2: Provide a written proposal, not to exceed five pages in length, single- spaced, with one- inch margins, addressing the questions posed in the proposal template. Step 3: Submit a statement of support from the agency s executive director. Step 4: Submit the application in one of the following ways: o Email: m.cox@austin.utexas.edu (Subject line: AYYAE Proposal) o Fax: (512) 232-0613, Attention: AYYAE Project/Michael Cox o Mail: Institute for Excellence in Mental Health (Attn: Michael Cox) 1717 W. 6 th St. Suite 310 Austin, TX 78703 Review Process and Selection Criteria All completed applications will be scored based on the criteria outlined below. Multiple reviewers, with knowledge of system of care values and principles, will be identified to review and score proposals. Notification The Agency Workgroup Team Lead, identified in the application, will receive notification of the review outcome no later than July 27, 2015. The Agency Workgroup Team Lead will be responsible for notifying appropriate partners of the outcome. For More Information Please send any questions and/or requests for clarification to m.cox@austin.utexas.edu by close of the business day, Monday, May 25, 2015. Responses to questions and requests for clarification will be responded to during an informational webinar to be held on Wednesday, May 27, 2014 at 1:30 pm. Responses will also be posted on the TXSOC website following the webinar. No response will be made to questions and/or requests for clarification submitted after the webinar. To participate in the webinar click on the Youth RFP link on the Texas System of Care website www.txsystemofcare.org. 4
Texas System of Care Authentic Youth and Young Adult Engagement Proposal Provide a Written Response to each of the areas indicated below. The written narrative should not exceed 5 pages in length, single- spaced, with one- inch margins. I. Description of Community/Organization (20 points) 1. Description of community s area of focus for this proposal. 2. Please provide a brief overview of the agency or community collaborative, including structure and organization, and any partners currently involved. 3. Please describe the nature of the organization s involvement with youth, the number of youth served, demographics and characteristics of the youth served, and the nature of services and supports provided. Provide information on the percentage of youth served with mental health challenges. 4. Describe the planned leadership for the initiative. If an individual will be responsible, please provide information on his/her role in the agency and experience working with young people. If the initiative will be led by a youth group or community collaborative, describe the group as well as any support by staff members. II. Efforts at Youth Engagement and Local Needs (20 points) 1. Please describe the organization s past and current efforts to engage young people, including successes and barriers encountered. Are the barriers consistent with other youth oriented agencies within the community? 2. Please describe the key issues that need to be addressed to better engage young people (within your agency, community and include if and how young people provided information on the stated needs). Please be specific, using examples and supporting data, if available. 3. Identify how youth were involved or helped inform the goals and activities proposed in the application. III. Proposed Engagement Goals and Activities (40 points) 1. Identify the goals related to youth engagement that your agency hopes to achieve over the one year of the project. To the extent possible, include information from stakeholders (youth and young adults) and their potential involvement. 2. Describe the activities planned under this initiative to achieve the goals. Provide information on who will organize each of the activities. Provide a timeline of key accomplishments. 5
3. Describe how the goals will further the organization s long- term mission. Identify how the efforts will be sustained and the possible next steps the organization will take to continue progress in youth engagement. IV. Executive Support (20 points) 1. Include a statement of support from the agency s Executive Leadership, including commitment to sustaining efforts beyond the initial year. 6