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20-21 Notice of Funds Available

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Notice of Funds Available: California Trauma Recovery Center Grant Fiscal Year July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021

1. Introduction

The California Victim Compensation Board (CalVCB) provides reimbursement to eligible victims of crime for many crime-related expenses. CalVCB funding comes from restitution paid by criminal offenders through fines, orders, penalty assessments and federal grant funds. Government Code sections 13963.1 and 13963.2 mandate that CalVCB administer a program to evaluate applications and award grants to trauma recovery centers (TRCs) in California to provide services to victims of crime.

2. Purpose of the Grant Program

The grant program awards funding for TRCs to provide trauma-informed services to victims of crime. Grantees will serve all victims of crime; whether or not they meet CalVCB’s eligibility requirements provided the services are consistent with this Notice of Funds Available (NOFA).

3. Key Application Dates

  • NOFA Release Date: Wednesday, January 8, 2020
  • Final Date to Submit Questions: Wednesday, January 15, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
  • Response to Questions Posted: Monday, January 20, 2020 by 5:00 p.m. PT
  • Final Application Submission Date: Friday, February 7, 2020 by 2:00 p.m. PT
  • Tentative Board Award Approval Date: Thursday March 19, 2020

4. Eligibility Criteria and Minimum Qualifications

CalVCB uses the May 10, 2017 edition of the evidence-informed model of care developed by the State Pilot TRC (University of California, San Francisco TRC [UCSF]), when it selects, establishes, and administers TRC grants.

All grant applications must demonstrate utilization of the UCSF TRC model in the administration of their TRC program. Grant applications submitted in response to this NOFA must demonstrate how the applicant will meet all the statutory requirements as stipulated under Government Code sections 13963.1 and 13963.2, and additional criteria required by CalVCB as specified below, as these are the minimum requirements for an application to be considered for scoring.

5. Questions

Applicants shall submit any questions regarding this NOFA via email to grants@victims.ca.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. PT on Wednesday, January 15, 2020. Responses to all inquiries will be posted on CalVCB’s NOFA Grant webpage by 5:00 p.m. PT on Monday, January 20, 2020.

6. Application Submission

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. PT on Friday, February 7, 2020. Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of their application. If confirmation is not received within one (1) hour of email submission during regular business hours, applicants should call Jessica Ross at (916) 491-3585 or Kara Poteat at (916) 491-3553. Applications received after 2:00 p.m. PT on Friday, February 7, 2020 will be rejected.

7. Application Instructions

Formatting requirements for Program Narrative, Time Task Plan, and Budget Narrative:

  • Use 11-point Arial font
  • Double-Spaced
  • One-inch margins
  • Number all pages of the application packet

Utilize the 2020 CalVCB Trauma Recovery Center (TRC) Grant Application Cover Sheet and Program Narrative template to complete the application. The application must be completed as follows:

  • Cover Sheet: Fill in responses to sections 1 through 11
  • Program narrative: Written responses to sections 12 through 18 no more than 15 pages in length.
  • Attachments:
    • Flow Chart describing the process of providing services to clients, from intake to discharge
    • Detailed time task plan including dates when eligible goals, objectives, milestones, and activities relating to the implementation of the TRC will be accomplished
      • The time task plan must include the time-frame in which new staff will be hired
    • Completed 2020 TRC Budget Worksheet, available on CalVCB’s website. The budget should meet the following requirements:
      • The award covers two (2) fiscal years and the budgeted period begins July 1, 2020
      • The Personnel component of the budget (salaries, wages, and fringe benefits) must constitute a minimum of 75 percent of the total amount of funds requested
      • Staffed or contracted clinicians must account for a minimum of 60 percent of the funds allocated to the Personnel component of the budget
        • Specify if staff members are salaried or hourly, and include the fringe benefit rate for each employee, if applicable
      • Include any cost of living wage increases as these increases may not be added or modified at a later date
      • If subcontractors will be utilized, a detailed budget for each subcontractor must be included in the operating expenses section of the budget worksheet
      • Operating expenses shall not exceed 25 percent of the total amount of funds requested
      • If funds are allocated to an emergency client fund, indicate what will be allocated to Housing, Transportation, Food, Clothing, and Miscellaneous Crime-Related Emergency Assistance
      • When a proposed budget contains ineligible costs, the requested award amount will be reduced by the dollar amount of the ineligible costs
    • Budget Narrative, no more than five (5) pages in length and describe each portion of the budget. The narrative should describe the following:
      • Each position to be funded including the position type, applicable licensure for each staff member and how the activities of each staff member will be TRC related (All staff to be funded by the grant must perform TRC-related activities)
      • Operating expenses requested
      • Subcontractors that will be utilized along with a detailed narrative for each subcontractor and a copy of the contract
      • Other funding streams including the dollar amount and duration those funds will be received
    • No more than seven (7) letters of support from medical and mental health care providers, law enforcement agencies, county crime victim assistance centers as designated by California Penal Code section 13835.2, sexual assault crisis centers, domestic violence programs, other crime victim service providers, and other social service agencies within the applicant’s designated service area
      • Letters of support should pertain specifically to this project

8. Available Funds

Upon appropriation by the Legislature, CalVCB may award grants totaling up to two million dollars ($2,000,000) per year from the Restitution Fund. Additionally, funds may be available in accordance with the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act. The number of grants awarded will be determined by a variety of factors, including the number of qualified applicants, the amount of funds requested, and the amount of funds available. Program expenses are reimbursed after they have been incurred on a quarterly basis. If necessary, and with prior CalVCB approval, grantees may invoice for reimbursement monthly, but not more frequently.

9. Eligible Costs

The cost of services provided with grant funds must not be charged to or paid for by any other reimbursement sources, including private insurance, federal, state, local funds, grants, or victim compensation funds.

Direct Costs are costs that can be clearly attributed to specific services, examples of direct costs include:

  • Salary and benefits for personnel providing direct treatment, including:
    • Activities such as mental health treatment, clinical supervision, social work, victim advocacy, peer support, and case management
    • Administrative salaries related to the support of direct treatment and other eligible activities
  • Operating expenses related to direct services such as rent, insurance, utilities, postage, telephone service, internet costs, subcontractors, printed outreach materials, and other costs approved by the board
    • Operating expenses shall not exceed 25 percent of the total amount of funds requested
    • The percentage of a grantee’s office space dedicated to TRC services will determine the maximum percentage of a grantee’s rent that can be paid with grant funds (The reimbursement rate cap will also apply to facility-based operating expenses such as telephone service, utilities, and maintenance)
      • Office space charged to the grant cannot exceed 125 square feet per full-time employee (The term “employee” includes documented volunteers. Office space for part-time employees must be prorated)
        • If office space beyond 125 square feet per full-time employee is utilized for TRC services, CalVCB will review all available documentation and determine a reasonable allocation.
      • Facility rental costs per square foot must be based on actual rent paid, not to exceed $1.75 per square foot per month or $21 per square foot annually
        • If the rental cost for office space exceeds these rates, it must be consistent with the prevailing rate in the local area
        • Exceptions to this rate and/or square footage must have prior approval by CalVCB and require appropriate justification
    • Insurance, e.g., vehicle, fire, bonding, theft, general liability, malpractice, and board liability
      • Payments toward insurance policies must be prorated based on the percentage of coverage required for TRC related staff and activities during the grant agreement period
  • Emergency funds to help clients with nominal crime-related costs to meet the immediate needs of TRC clients such as transportation, childcare, food, emergency shelter, or clothing (If an organization elects to budget for an emergency fund, it must be limited to one percent (1%) of the total grant award. Once an emergency fund is exhausted, additional funds cannot be reallocated to that budget line item. Individual emergency fund expenditures should not exceed $500 per client and expenditures exceeding $250 per client require prior CalVCB approval.)
  • Costs associated with community outreach events and activities such as:
    • Meeting with area fee-for-service providers to establish a referral relationship
    • Distributing TRC brochures
    • Meeting individuals at tabling events without providing a specific service
    • Door-to-door outreach
    • Explaining TRC services to stakeholders
    • Providing assertive outreach to individual clients where clinicians reach out to clients in the referral process to build relationships and demonstrate how clients may benefit from services
  • In-state travel costs for staff to perform eligible activities (Travel will be paid according to the state policy in effect at the time the cost is incurred, travel expenses must be reasonable and necessary to the activity being performed)
  • In-state training and conferences for the provision of trauma-informed evidence-based and evidence-informed practices as outlined in the grant application and approved in advance by CalVCB for clinical and nonclinical staff

Indirect Costs are operating expenses that are not directly related to a service or outcome such as human resource expenses

  • Indirect cost allocations are available to grantees that already have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with the state or federal government
    • Allocations are limited to the lesser of the grantee’s approved indirect cost rate or five percent (5%) of the total grant award
    • A copy of the indirect cost allocation plan demonstrating how the indirect cost rate was established must be included with the application for funding
      • All costs included in the plan shall be supported by formal accounting records substantiating the propriety of such charges
  • Indirect cost allocations are not available to applicant organizations that do not have a pre-existing approved indirect cost rate agreement with the state or federal government

10. Ineligible Costs

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:

  • Expenses incurred before the grant agreement is executed
  • Individual emergency fund expenses exceeding $250 per instance or $500 per client when prior authorization was not received
  • The purchase of commercial property
  • All real estate taxes or other nonpayroll-related taxes
  • Payments to impound accounts for taxes and insurance
  • Depreciation charges
  • Any losses, whether actual or estimated, resulting from uncollectible accounts receivable
  • Any costs resulting from attempts to collect on delinquent accounts, prior to writing them off as uncollectible, including related legal and collection expenses
  • In-state travel costs for TRC staff to attend conferences and trainings that are not approved in advance by CalVCB
  • Remodeling or refurbishing costs
  • The purchase or lease of electronic equipment, office furniture, or office fixtures
  • Bonuses and/or commissions to any individual or organization
  • Costs for lobbying activities
  • Costs of conducting fundraising activities
  • Costs of food and beverages that are not related to overnight travel expenses and the costs of food and/or beverages at grant-sponsored conferences, meetings, or office functions
  • Membership dues for the licensing or credentialing of clinical personnel
  • Membership dues such as Amazon Prime, Costco, and Sam’s Club
  • The cost of a professional license or annual dues or fees
  • Finance charges, late payment fees, penalties, returned check charges, and convenience fees
  • Banking service charges and fees
  • Costs related to the preparation of future grant applications
  • Retainer fees
  • Services that have yet to be provided such as prepayment to subcontractors
  • Extravagant or excessive purchases
  • Indirect costs, if your organization does not have a pre-existing indirect cost rate agreement
  • The cost of weapons and/or ammunition of any type

11. Reporting Requirements

Grantees are required to participate in data collection activities using systems and tools designed and provided by CalVCB. Grantees submit data collection reports quarterly. Grantees must keep accurate records as source documentation to support the information in the reports.

The reports provide TRC staff and CalVCB with a formal process to track ongoing program activities and progress toward the achievement of grant deliverables and goals listed in the grant agreement.

These records must be retained by the grantee for at least three years from the end of the grant award period. During programmatic monitoring and site visits, CalVCB may review these records for accuracy and compare that data to the reports submitted by the grantee.

Data collected includes, but is not limited to:

  • Demographic information
  • Client resources
  • Crime information
  • Services provided and referred to the client
  • Session and case management information
  • Assessment data
  • Training provided
  • Community outreach activities
  • Collaborative activities

Grantees will only record data in the collection tool provided for services and activities that are funded by the grant. Data submissions are due by the fifteenth calendar day following the end of each fiscal quarter.

The mental health assessments that will be required may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5)
  • World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF)
  • Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale Self-Report (CPSS-SR)
  • Traumatic Events Screening Inventory (TESI-PRF-R)

The Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5), World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQOL-BREF), and Child Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Scale Self-Report (CPSS) will be administered at intake and every eight sessions thereafter. The Traumatic Events Screening Inventory (TESI) will only be administered at intake.

Software Requirements:

  • Microsoft Excel, 2010 version or newer
  • Microsoft Access, 2010 version or newer

12. TRC Grant Oversight

CalVCB TRC grantees should anticipate and comply with the following:

  • CalVCB staff will conduct a minimum of one site visit to each TRC per fiscal year, and additional site visits may be scheduled if needed.  Each TRC will receive notice of the date and time of the scheduled visit in advance, along with written detail of the scope and objectives of the visit.
  • CalVCB reserves the right to review each TRCs accounting system and records
  • All contracts between TRCs and subcontractors must be reviewed and approved by CalVCB prior to contract execution and/or payment of an invoice requesting reimbursement of sub-contractor fees

13. Grant Review and Award Process

Applicants should anticipate that proposals determined to be nonresponsive to the scope of the solicitation, or that do not include all application elements, will not proceed to the scoring process or receive further consideration. Applicants should also anticipate that failure to submit an application that contains all elements specified in the Application Instructions (Section 7) of this NOFA, may negatively affect the review of their application. Past performance of previous grantees applying for funding will be considered during the grant application review process. Past performance areas of consideration will include, but are not limited to:

  • Quality of services previously provided
  • Prior use of grant funds
  • Compliance with oversight requirements
  • Timeliness of contractually agreed upon activities

Information provided in supplemental documents that are not part of the program narrative, budget, budget narrative, and time task plan will not be considered during the scoring process.

Complete applications will be scored according to the following 100-point scale:

  • Program Narrative – Up to 70 points
  • Performance Measures Estimate Chart, Flow Chart, and Time Task Plan – Up to 5 points
  • Budget – Up to 10 points
  • Budget Narrative – Up to 10 points
  • Letters of Support – Up to 5 points

Applicants must score a minimum of 75 points to be considered for funding.

All applicants awarded funding will be required to enter into a standard Grant Agreement with CalVCB. If, for any reason, a grantee is unable to enter into a Grant Agreement with CalVCB by July 1, 2020, the term of the grant will be less than 24 months and the grant term will end June 30, 2022. Applicants awarded funding are not guaranteed continued funding and may reapply at the end of the 24-month grant award cycle.

Upon award of the grant, the grantee must provide completed copies of the documents listed below. Failure to supply these documents will result in a delay of release of funds.

14. General Terms and Conditions

CalVCB reserves the right to retain all submitted applications and the applications shall become the property of CalVCB. All submitted applications are public record, subject to disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

CalVCB reserves the right to withdraw this NOFA at any time without prior notice. Further, CalVCB makes no representation that any funding will be awarded to any applicant responding to this NOFA.

Acceptance of an application does not constitute a grant award and does not obligate CalVCB to award funds. CalVCB reserves the right to partially fund selected applications. The applicant may request a specific dollar amount to be used for their TRC; however, CalVCB will make the final determination of the dollar amounts awarded. Any portion of a grant that a TRC does not use within the specified grant period shall revert to the funding source.

Both parties reserve the right to terminate the Grant Agreement upon thirty (30) days written notice to the other party. CalVCB may reduce or terminate grant funds for reasons that may include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. If the project fails to comply with any term or condition of the grant award; and/or,
  2. If during the term of the grant award, the state funds appropriated for the purposes of the grant award are reduced or eliminated, or, in the event revenues are not collected at the level appropriated, CalVCB may immediately terminate or reduce the grant award

Should CalVCB deem it necessary to reduce or terminate grant funds, the grantee shall be notified in writing. No such termination or reduction shall apply to allowable costs already incurred by the grantee to the extent that state funds are available for payment of such costs. The grantee shall be reimbursed all reasonable expenses incurred per the approved budget up to the date of termination.

Grant funds must be used to increase the total amount of funds used to provide services to victims of crime and may not be used to supplant current sources of funding that would, in the absence of these grant funds, be available or forthcoming. In addition, grant funds may not be used to defray any costs that the grantee was already obligated to pay at the time the grant was awarded. To prevent the supplanting of grant funds, CalVCB will carefully review all applications, and will conduct post-award monitoring and auditing of any funding and expenditures. Any supplantation of existing funding with these grant funds constitutes grounds for suspension or termination of grant funding and recovery of funds already provided.

A grantee is not guaranteed continued funding and may apply for a consecutive grant to prevent a lapse in funding. CalVCB reserves the right to deny future funding to any project and its officers based on its failure to comply with any term or condition of a current or previous grant award, poor past performance in a previous grant award, or failure to cooperate with state auditors/monitors.

15. Conflict of Interest

The grantee is bound to CalVCB’s best interests during the term of the grant agreement and may not engage in any activity that causes a potential or actual conflict of interest. In the event a potential or actual conflict arises because of the grantee’s participation in, or intent to participate in any activities outside of those found in Attachment A, the grantee shall immediately notify CalVCB and may not commence such other activities without first obtaining written approval to do so from CalVCB. If, in the reasonable judgment of CalVCB, a conflict of interest exists, CalVCB may terminate the grant agreement immediately by sending written notice to the grantee. Termination of the grant agreement shall be effective upon receipt of the written notice.

16. Confidentiality

The grantee agrees not to disclose Board information, and to observe and protect the confidentiality of the Board’s information to the fullest extent pursuant to California Public Records Act (Gov. Code, §6250 et seq.), the Information Practices Act (Civ. Code, §1798 et seq.), and the confidentiality provisions of the California Victim Compensation Program including, but not limited to, Government Code section 13954.

17. Process for Payment

Funds will be released retrospectively on a quarterly basis upon receipt and approval of invoices and supporting documentation detailing program expenditures and the required data as set forth in the Reporting Requirements of this NOFA (Section 9). If necessary and with prior CalVCB approval, grantees may invoice for reimbursement monthly. All invoices must include a certification page, signed by the person named as having signature authority, stating that all information reported is correct and grant expenditures are in accordance with Eligible Costs as set forth in this NOFA.

Hard copies of all invoices for payment must be submitted by mail directly to:

California Victim Compensation Board
Attn: Accounting Office
P.O. Box 1348
Sacramento, CA 95812-1348

The grantee will be required to maintain source documentation to support claimed expenditures and project accomplishments for at least three (3) years from the end of the grant award period. If it is discovered a grantee was reimbursed for expenses deemed ineligible for reimbursement, future reimbursement payments to the grantee will be decreased by the amount of the initial overpayment(s). If it is discovered a grantee was reimbursed for salary and benefit expenses for an employee with insufficient licensure for the activities being performed, future reimbursement payments to the grantee will be decreased by the amount of the initial overpayment(s).

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