CalVCB Trauma Recovery Center 2021-2022 Grant Questions and Answers

Posted on 12/20/2020

Q1:  The NOFA requires a detailed narrative for each subcontractor and a copy of the contract. Our institution’s department of contracts and grants cannot issue a contract until the grant is funded. We can provide a template of the contract. How do we fulfill this requirement?

A1:  Provide a detailed narrative for each subcontractor and a copy of the contract if already in place. If no contract is currently in place, a finalized copy will be required prior to reimbursement of expenses related to the subcontractor if a grant is awarded.

Q2:  Are you able to post a sample letter of recommendation that meets your approval?

A2:  We do not provide sample letters of recommendation, as the content for each letter varies and is unique in nature based on the relationship of the providing author’s support.

Q3:  In the key of the budget it reads:  License Number If an employee is a clinician, please enter their license number in this field. If they are a psychiatrist, please also enter their American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology certificate number(s). However, there is no field for License Number.

A3:  Licensure and Certificate Numbers should be provided for each clinical employee on the budget worksheet under the Salary and Wages and Fringe Benefits sections under the column titled Clinical Licensure.

Q4:  I am wondering if there is a page limit to the cover sheet. Do the answers for questions 1-11 need to fit on one page? I’m assuming the response to question 12 can go on a separate page, as it is a table?

A4:  Answers to questions 1-11 are not expected to fit on one page. The questions are currently on the first two pages of the “cover sheet” and responses may push the table in question 12 to the third or fourth page.

Q5:  RE:  “For all clinicians provide a copy of license. (All clinicians must be either a licensed clinician or a master’s-level supervised clinician engaged in completion of the applicable licensure process, i.e. registered with either the Board of Behavioral Sciences or Board of Psychology.)”. Do we need to provide paper documentation of our clinicians’ licenses, or can we simply include their license numbers, and the respective Boards with which they are affiliated?

A5:  If a copy of the actual license cannot be provided, a BreEZe printout will suffice.

Q6:  I read that applications must be submitted by mail and e-mail. Could you please send me the link for the application e-mail?

A6:  Grant applications should be in the form of a single PDF file and must be submitted via email to Grants@victims.ca.gov no later than 2:00 p.m. PST on Wednesday, December 30, 2020.

Q7:  My organization has the following questions regarding the TRC grant application. RE:  the budget narrative – Will you accept a draft contract with the application? We can provide details of the prospective vendor but might not be able to provide a fully executed/signed contract. Will copies of contracts count towards the 5 page limit?

A7:  Provide detailed narrative for each subcontractor and a copy of contract if already in place. If no contract is currently in place, a copy will be required prior to reimbursing expenses related to the subcontractor if an award is granted. Copies of agreements with subcontractors do not count toward the budget narrative page limit.

Q8:  Does the budget narrative per subcontractor count towards the five page limit of the overall budget narrative? What kind of subcontractor details should be included in the narrative?

A8:  Agreements with subcontractors do not count toward the page limit for the budget narrative. The detailed narrative for each subcontractor should contain (at minimum):  the nature of the duties being fulfilled, where they will provide their services and how they will work together to serve TRC clients.

Q9:  Given the appropriate licensed supervision, are licensed eligible clinicians acceptable to deliver TRC-therapy services?

A9:  All clinicians need to be licensed or registered with the Board of Behavioral Sciences or Board of Psychology.

Q10:  With COVID restrictions, will digital outreach be permissible?

A10:  Yes, digital outreach is permissible while COVID restrictions remain in place.

Q11:  Are we allowed to use web-based outreach materials vs. paper material to save paper?

A11:  Yes, web-based outreach materials are allowed, and there are no requirements regarding web-based vs. paper materials.

Q12:  My questions for the 2021/22 CalVCB TRC NOFA are below:  Application Cover Sheet, Q4: Would you like us to include the location of our physical office site where all services are provided, or should this also include all potential locations where services might also be provided (e.g. partners, outreach locations, etc.)?

A12:  This should list the primary location of the TRC and any satellite offices operated by the TRC. Partner and outreach locations may be discussed in the program narrative.

Q13:  Section 13 on page 10 indicates that the “performance measures estimate chart, flow chart, organization chart and timetask plan” will be scored at up to 5 points. Can you confirm that the performance estimate chart is the same as question 12 of the application? If it is not, where can we located the directions for that attachment?

A13:  The Performance Measures Estimate Chart is part of Cover Sheet question 12.

Q14:  Please advise whether we should describe how we will conduct services (e.g. outreach, trainings, individual and group psychotherapy, etc.) with consideration of the current health and safety mandates and public health guidelines imposed by COVID-19, OR if we should propose the program and services as they are “typically” provided and would be prior to COVID-19?

A14:  Applicants should include descriptions of all plans for service delivery. If this includes special plans to account for Covid-19 restrictions, those should be included as well.

Q15:  This question concerns the possibility that COVID-19 will still impact service delivery in July 2021. For those services that we cannot deliver remotely, our agency has offered a hazard pay differential for in-person services only (approx $2/hour). Would that be an eligible cost in this budget?

A15:  Yes, this would be an eligible cost to put in the TRC Budget.

Q16:  Are there any specific requirements if we propose to offer telehealth services to clients? (e.g. HIPPA compliant telehealth software; telehealth group psychotherapy and limitations on number of clients in each group?) Are there any limitations/caps to the length of time provided for individual services if they are provided through telehealth? (e.g. 45-minute session versus a 2-hour session)

A16:  There are no limitations or caps on the provision of mental health services via telehealth.