1) A multidisciplinary staff of clinicians that includes licensed psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. These clinicians can be either salaried or contract positions. Additional types of clinicians are permitted. Psychiatrists must be licensed by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. If our agency does not have a psychiatrist on staff or on contract, are we still eligible to apply with other positions in place?
Organizations must have a multidisciplinary staff of clinicians that includes licensed psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers. Providing psychiatric services from a licensed psychiatrist at a trauma recovery center may be accomplished by having a psychiatrist on staff, utilizing telepsychiatry through an intermediary company or contracting with a psychiatrist or another organization.
2) If the psychiatrist is recommended because of medications, if we show an active collaboration with a community clinic physician, will that suffice?
The psychiatrist is required per Government Code 13963.1(h)(5) which prescribes the multidisciplinary staff of clinicians a trauma recovery center shall have.
3) The first paragraph on page 5 of the Notice of Funds Available states, “Additional funds may be available through the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act… available funds may be used to increase the amount granted to the 2016/17 fiscal year awardees or to award grants to additional applicants.” If awarded funds, how might a TRC be eligible for additional monies through the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act (SNSA)? Will there be another RFP process or will a decision be made based on the current submitted proposal?
The potential Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund monies will be awarded through the current Notice of Funds Available either through increased awards to Fiscal Year 2016/17 awardees or awards to additional applicants.
4) Page 5, Eligible Costs, Direct Costs, final bullet states, “Training for evidence-based or evidence-informed practices.” Is this to pay for taking training in these practices or to offer training in these practices? Or can it be both?
An eligible cost is training for trauma recovery staff in evidence-based and evidence-informed practices.
5) Page 7, Reporting Requirements, mental health assessments to be utilized, bullet 4 states, “Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist – Civilian (PCL-C).” Now that it has been validated, is it acceptable to use the PCL-C based off of the DSM-5?
Awardees must utilize the mental health assessments that are outlined in Section 8 (Reporting Requirements) of the Notice of Funds Available. Awardees may use additional mental health assessments based on their treatment model.
6) Page 8, Application Instructions, questions regarding page count states, “Program Narrative that is no longer than eighteen (18) pages.” As they are separate bullets and some have their own specific page counts, are the cover letter, client flow chart, detailed time and task plan, budget, budget narrative, letters of support excluded from the program narrative maximum page count of 18 pages?
Yes, the cover letter, program narrative, client flow chart, time task plan, budget, budget narrative and letters of support are all separate sections of the application packet and excluded from the program narrative maximum page count of 18. Please refer to each application section bullet for any page count limitations.
7) Is the funding of this grant a pass through from federal funding?
No, $2,000,000.00 will be awarded from the Restitution Fund with the potential for additional funding from the Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund.
8) Per AB20, should The Regents of the University of California submit proposals that utilize their negotiated Indirect Cost rate agreement?
No , AB20 does not pertain to this Notice of Funds Available as AB20 affects contracts between the State and The Regents of the University of California and not grant award money.
9) We see that you cannot apply for funds to improve a commercial property, however, is it possible to apply for funds to purchase a commercial property to be a TRC?
No, the purchase of commercial property is an ineligible expenditure.
10) Are faith-based organizations with a proven track-record working with law enforcement and other NGO’s allowed to apply for the TRC grant program?
Yes, faith-based organizations are eligible if they meet the minimum qualifications as outlined in Section 4 (Eligibility Criteria) of the Notice of Funds Available.
11) What determines an awarded agency being reimbursed or not by California Victim Compensation Program upon completion of each fiscal quarter?
Section 15 (Process for Payment) of the Notice of Funds Available states that awardee’s are reimbursed for services rendered on a quarterly basis. All eligible expenses that do not exceed the amounts allocated on the awardee’s budget are eligible for reimbursement.
12) How many unique clients were served annually by past TRC program grantees?
In calendar year 2015, on average, awarded grantees reported serving 990 new clients. TRCs in agreement for less than 12 months in 2015 were excluded from the calculation.
13) For the TRC grant program, do crime victims have to show proof or documentation (police report, medical paperwork, etc.) that they’ve been a victim of a crime? Or, will their disclosing the crimes they’ve been affected by during the intake process be sufficient?
No, clients do not have to provide proof they were a victim of a violent crime in order to receive services from a trauma recovery center.
14) As a human service agency, our multidisciplinary team is made up of both clinicians and non-clinicians. Can we include non-clinician staff, including intake workers and case managers in our budget, as they will be the first to interact with victims of crime?
Yes, an awardee’s staff budget can include both clinician and non-clinician staff.
15) The purpose of the grant is defined as “to provide services to victims of crime. Awardees may see clients that do not meet CalVCP eligibility requirements as long as the services provided are consistent with this NOFA.” Can you clarify what is meant by “Awardees may see clients that do not meet CalVCP eligibility requirements as long as the services provided are consistent with this NOFA?” Does that mean we can provide services and bill for all individuals who have experienced some form of crime in their lifetime?
An awardee may provide services to any victim of violent crime. The victim is not required to meet California Victim Compensation Program eligibility requirements to receive services from a trauma recovery center.
16) In eligible costs, training is included. What sort of trainings are allowable vs. not allowable?
Training of staff in evidence-based and evidence-informed practices is an allowable expense. Any other staff training is not an allowable expense.
17) In reporting, a breakdown of staff allocation and productivity will be required. Can you provide an example of what will be required for staff productivity? How granular should the breakdown be?
Productivity is referring to services provided to a victim by clinical staff and case managers that are funded by this award. Examples of individual services to be reported are mental health sessions, case management, intakes, referrals, etc.
18) On page 3, section 4, Eligibility Criteria, it states that “An eligible applicant must meet all of the following criteria…” Is it correct to assume that this refers to the entire partnership or coalition formed in the application, not just the lead applicant?
Yes, the eligibility criteria may be met through a partnership or coalition.
19) On page 8, section 9, Application Instructions, it states that the program narrative “is no longer that eighteen (18) pages.” Is the client flow chart and detailed time task plan included in the 18 page limit?
No, the 18 page limit for the program narrative does not include the client flow chart and time task plan.
20) Do the client flow chart and detailed time task planned need to be double spaced and in 11-point Arial font?
No, the client flow chart and detailed time task plan can be submitted in the form of a chart, table or other applicable format.
21) Is there a standard or baseline on how long you expect clients to be actively engaged in clinical case management and mental health services?
No, there is no standard or baseline on how long a client will be engaged in clinical case management and mental health services.
22) Are psychotropic medications for people with schizophrenia/bi-polar, etc., an eligible expense?
No, psychotropic medication is not considered an eligible expense.
23) What is the annual number of victims served by current grantees?
In calendar year 2015, on average, awarded grantees reported serving 990 new clients. TRCs in agreement for less than 12 months in 2015 were excluded from the calculation.
24) How many victims do you expect new grantees to serve in year one and in year two?
There is not an exact number of victims expected to be served by a new grantee.
25) How specific would you like the narrative to be regarding facilitating cooperation of victims with law enforcement?
The program narrative should describe the methodology and steps an applicant will take to facilitate cooperation of victims with law enforcement.
26) On page 5, the last bullet under section 6, Eligible Costs, states that “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.” Since CalVCP is partially funded by federal funds, wouldn’t this offering be subject to the 2CFR 200 Uniform Guidance, which allows those without a approved indirect cost rate to use a minimum flat indirect rate of 10% of modified total direct costs?
All funding for the TRC grant program is from state monies and does not include federal funds. Therefore the OMB guidelines are not applicable.