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Posted 2/26/18: Notice of Funds Available: California Trauma Recovery Center Grant, Fiscal Year July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019

HOME » About the Board » Grant Opportunities » Posted 2/26/18: Notice of Funds Available: California Trauma Recovery Center Grant, Fiscal Year July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019

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 matching funds. On July 1, 2013, Government Code section 13963.1 became law stipulating that the 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 will award funding for TRCs to provide trauma-informed services to victims of crime. Awardees will serve all victims of crime; whether or not they meet CalVCB’s eligibility requirements provided those services are consistent with this Notice of Funds Available (NOFA).

3. Key Application Dates

  • Notice of Funds Available Release Date: Monday, February 26, 2018
  • Final Date to Submit Questions: Friday, March 9, 2018 by 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time (PT)
  • Response to Questions Posted: Friday, March 16, 2018
  • Final Application Submission Date: Friday, March 30, 2018 by 2:00 p.m. PT
  • Tentative Board Award Approval Date: Thursday, May 17, 2018

4. Eligibility Criteria and Minimum Qualifications

CalVCB uses the May 10, 2017 edition of the evidence-informed Integrated Trauma Recovery Services (ITRS) Model Technical Assistance Manual developed by the State Pilot TRC (University of California, San Francisco TRC), when it selects, establishes, and administers TRCs.

All grant applications must demonstrate utilization of the ITRS model in the administration of their TRC program. Program narratives must demonstrate how a TRC will meet all of the following statutory requirements and additional criteria required by CalVCB as these are minimum requirements in order for an application to move on to the scoring process:

Statutory Requirements:

  • Provide outreach and services to crime victims who typically are unable to access traditional services, including, but not limited to, victims who are:
    • homeless
    • chronically mentally ill
    • members of immigrant and refugee groups
    • disabled
    • experiencing severe trauma-related symptoms or complex psychological issues
    • of diverse ethnicity or origin, or
    • juvenile victims, including minors who have had contact with the juvenile dependency or justice system
  • Serve victims of a wide range of crimes, including, but not limited to all of the following:
    • victims of sexual assault
    • domestic violence
    • battery
    • crimes of violence
    • vehicular assault
    • human trafficking, and
    • family members of homicide victims
  • Offer evidence-based and evidence-informed mental health services and support services that include individual and group treatment, medication management, substance abuse treatment, case management, and assertive outreach. This care shall be provided in a manner that increases access to services and removes barriers to care for victims of violent crime, and may include providing services to a victim in his or her home, in the community, or at other locations conducive to maintaining quality treatment and confidentiality.
  • Provide a complete multidisciplinary staff of clinicians, including a clinical director and the following clinicians:
    • at least one social worker on staff
    • at least one licensed psychologist on staff, and
    • at least one licensed psychiatrist on staff, or contracted (utilization of telepsychiatry is permitted)
    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.
  • Offer mental health services and case management that are coordinated through a single point of contact for the victim, with support from an integrated multidisciplinary treatment team. Each client receiving mental health services shall have a treatment plan in place, which is periodically reviewed by the multidisciplinary team.Per the ITRS model, the clinician acts as the single point of contact for the victim and provides most services including clinical case management, psychotherapy, advocacy, and substance abuse treatment, and conducts assertive outreach as needed to initiate treatment and keep the client engaged. If services are split between clinicians and case managers, there is a single point of responsibility for the coordination of the client’s treatment, and care is taken to ensure a unified team approach and clear communication among all service providers.
  • Deliver services that include assertive outreach and case management including, but not limited to:
    • accompanying a client to court proceedings, medical appointments, or other appointments as needed,
    • assisting with filing an application for the California Victim Compensation Board, filing police reports or filing restraining orders,
    • assisting with obtaining safe housing and financial benefits,
    • helping a client obtain medical care,
    • providing assistance securing employment, and
    • working as a liaison to other community agencies, law enforcement, or other supportive service providers as needed.
  • Offer outreach and case management services to clients without regard to whether clients choose to access mental health services.
  • Ensure that no person is excluded from services solely on the basis of emotional or behavioral issues resulting from trauma, including, but not limited to, substance abuse problems, low initial motivation, or high levels of anxiety.
  • Utilize established, evidence-based and evidence-informed practices in treatment. These practices may include, but are not limited to:
    • Motivational interviewing
    • Harm reduction
    • Seeking safety
    • Cognitive behavioral therapy, and
    • Trauma-focused cognitive processing therapy
    Clinicians shall meet the training or certification requirements for the evidence-based practices they use.
  • Ensure that no person is excluded from services based on immigration status.
  • Provide training to law enforcement, community-based agencies, and other health care providers on the identification and effects of violent crime.

Additional Criteria Required by CalVCB:

  • Participate in community outreach events to reach potential clients.
  • Provide clinical supervision and other supports to ensure the highest quality of care and to help staff manage vicarious trauma they may experience as service providers to victims of violent crime.
  • Include a completed TRC Budget Worksheet utilizing the current form available on CalVCB’s website and provide a corresponding budget narrative.

CalVCB reserves the right to reject any application received in response to this NOFA.

5. 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 through 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 and the amount of funds requested.

6. Eligible Costs

The cost of services provided with grant funds must not be charged to or paid for by any other sources of reimbursement 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, utilities, postage, telephone service, internet costs, subcontractors, printed outreach materials, and other costs approved by the board.
    • Operating expenses shall not exceed 25% of the total amount of funds requested
    • The percentage of an awardee’s office dedicated to TRC services will determine the maximum percentage of an awardee’s rent or other operating expenses that can be paid with grant funds
  • 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 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 require prior CalVCB approval
  • Other assistance provided to clients such as paying transportation costs for clients (including bus passes and taxi vouchers for treatment visits)
  • 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
    • Hosting open houses or other events
    • Explaining TRC services to a group of individuals without knowledge of victimization
  • Assertive outreach to individual clients where clinicians reach out to clients in the referral process in order to build relationships and demonstrate how clients can 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 for the provision of trauma-informed evidence-based practices as outlined in the grant application and approved by CalVCB.

Indirect Costs:

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 awardees that already have an approved indirect cost rate agreement with the state or federal government.
    • Allocations are limited to the lesser of the awardee’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 which substantiate 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.

7. Ineligible Costs

Ineligible costs include, but are not limited to:

  • Expenses incurred before the grant agreement is executed
  • The purchase of commercial property
  • Travel costs for TRC staff to attend conferences and trainings that are not previously approved 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
  • Membership dues for the licensing or credentialing of professional personnel
  • Late fees and payment convenience fees associated with operating expenses
  • Costs related to the preparation of future grant applications
  • Costs of services that have yet to be provided such as prepayment to subcontractors.
  • Indirect costs, if your organization does not have a pre-existing indirect cost rate agreement

8. Reporting Requirements

Awardees are required to participate in data collection activities. TRCs awarded grant funding are required to participate in data collection activities using systems and tools designed and provided by CalVCB. Awardees submit data collection reports quarterly. Awardees 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 awardee 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 awardee.

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

Awardees will only record data 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

CalVCB is actively pursuing alternative methods for data collection. All TRCs will be required to migrate to the new data collection and reporting method.

9. 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 sub-grantees must be reviewed and approved by CalVCB prior to contract execution and/or payment of an invoice requesting reimbursement of sub-contractor fees.

10. Application Instructions

Grant applications must be submitted by both email and by mail. Emailed applications are due Friday, March 30, 2018 by 2:00 p.m. PT, and must also be submitted by mail, postmarked on or before Friday, March 30, 2018. We strongly recommend emailed applications to be submitted in the form of a single PDF file. Mail applications to California Victim Compensation Board, P.O. Box 3036, Sacramento, CA 95812-3036, Attn: Scott Harris. Email applications to Grants@victims.ca.gov and Scott.Harris@victims.ca.gov. 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, call Scott Harris at (916) 491-3682. If you do not receive confirmation by the submittal deadline and CalVCB does not receive your electronically submitted application by the submittal deadline, then it will not be considered.

Formatting:

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

The PDF file must contain a:

  • Cover letter no more than one (1) page in length including:
    • The amount of grant funds requested
    • The legal name of the organization that will be responsible for grant administration
    • Complete contact information for a primary contact (person authorized to manage and oversee the grant), and a secondary contact
    • Indicate the person with signature authority
  • Program narrative no more than 15 pages in length. The narrative should describe:
    • The geographic area the applicant will serve (including information such as population demographics, economic indicators and crime rate)
    • How the applicant will accomplish the activities enumerated in the Eligibility Criteria (Section 4) of this NOFA
    • A summary of the evidence-based and evidence-informed practices that will be implemented and who is certified in the practice
    • How the applicant’s organization is trauma-informed and provides trauma-informed services
    • If an existing program, how the program is being expanded, what staff will be hired, and what new services will be available
    • The scope of work for the licensed clinicians involved with the project
    • How the clinicians will collaborate with other service providers in the community in the implementation of services
    • The services that will be provided by salaried and/or contracted TRC staff and what client services will be referred to outside providers
    • The applicant’s understanding of CalVCB benefits
    • The identified gap in victim services that will be addressed with these grant funds
  • Completed Performance Measures Estimate chart utilizing the current form available on CalVCB’s website. The Performance Measures Estimate chart illustrates the current and projected total number of clients receiving services and other TRC activities.
  • 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
  • Budget (see Attachment 1) for each fiscal year of the grant period, depicted by each fiscal quarter. Because the award covers two (2) fiscal years, an applicant seeking funding from this NOFA will not be eligible to apply for additional grant money in 2019/2020. July 1, 2018 marks the beginning of the state fiscal year and that is the date funds are anticipated to be authorized for expenditure.
    • The Personnel component of the budget (salaries, wages, and fringe benefits) must constitute a minimum of 75% of the total amount of funds requested. Staffed or contracted clinicians must account for a minimum of 60% of the funds allocated to the Personnel component of the budget. Cost of living increases must be established in the budget proposal and may not be modified at a later date.
    • If subcontractors will be utilized, a detailed cost breakdown for each subcontractor must be included. Include the fringe benefit rate for each employee, if applicable.
    • If any portion of the TRC activities are being funded by a source outside of this grant, please indicate the source of those funds in the Budget Narrative.
    • The award amount requested on applications with proposed budgets containing ineligible costs will be reduced by the dollar amount of the ineligible costs.
  • Awardees may allocate a portion of the grant award to establish an emergency fund. An emergency fund can be used to cover 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 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 require prior CalVCB approval.
  • Budget narrative describing each portion of the budget, including, but not limited to, each position to be funded and types of operating expenses requested. All staff to be funded by the grant must perform TRC-related activities. The budget narrative should illustrate how the activities of each staff member will be TRC related. The budget narrative must also include a complete list of the applicant’s other funding streams including the dollar amount and duration those funds will be received. If the TRC has no other funding streams, that must be stated in the budget narrative. The budget narrative should be no more than five (5) pages in length.
  • Include a copy of the contract for any subcontractors that will be utilized by the TRC.
  • No more than seven 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. The letters of support should pertain specifically to this project.

11. 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 Friday, March 9, 2018. Responses to all inquiries will be posted on CalVCB’s website on the Grant Opportunities page on Friday, March 16, 2018.

12. Application Due Dates

Applications must be postmarked on or before Friday, March 30, 2018 and received by email no later than 2:00 p.m. PT on Friday, March 30, 2018. Any emailed applications received after 2:00 p.m. PT on Friday, March 30, 2018, or mailed applications postmarked after Friday, March 30, 2018, will be rejected.

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 review process or receive further consideration. Applicants should anticipate that failure to submit an application that contains all elements specified in the Application Instructions (Section 10) of this NOFA, may negatively affect the review of their application. Past performance of previous awardees 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, time task plan, and letters of support will not be considered during the scoring process.

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

  • Program Narrative – Up to 72 points
  • Performance Measures Estimate Chart and Flow Chart – Up to 3 points
  • Time Task Plan – Up to 5 points
  • Budget and Budget Narrative – Up to 10 points
  • Letters of Support – Up to 5 points

Applicants must score a minimum of 70 points to be considered for funding.

CalVCB staff will review submitted applications and develop funding recommendations for the consideration and approval of the Board. The approval to fund grant awards to selected applicants will most likely occur at the Board meeting scheduled for Thursday, May 17, 2018.

Past performance will be considered for applicants that are currently in contract with CalVCB.

All applicants awarded funding will be required to enter into a standard Grant Agreement with CalVCB. If, for any reason, an awardee is unable to enter into a Grant Agreement with CalVCB by July 1, 2018, the term of the grant will be less than 24 months and the grant term will end June 30, 2020. Applicants awarded funding are not guaranteed continued funding and may reapply at the end of the 24-month grant award cycle.

14. General Terms and Conditions

CalVCB reserves the right to retain all submitted applications and the applications shall become the property of CalVCB. All applications submitted will be considered public records.

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 source of the funding. Both parties reserve the right to terminate the Grant Agreement upon thirty (30) days written notice to the other. The Awardee 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.

An applicant awarded funding is not guaranteed continued funding and may apply for a consecutive grant to prevent a lapse in funding.

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 as a result of the grantee’s participation in, or intent to participate in any activities outside of those found in section 4 of this NOFA (Eligibility Criteria), 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. Notice to Proceed

The Notice to Proceed is a formal notification from CalVCB that authorizes the grantee to begin the project and incur costs. It is issued after the grantee and CalVCB have both signed the grant agreement. Applicants are not permitted to incur any grant-related costs prior to the issuance of the Notice to Proceed.

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 database data as set forth in the Reporting Requirements of this NOFA (Section 8). If necessary and with prior CalVCB approval, grantees may invoice for reimbursement on a monthly basis. All invoices must include a certification page (Attachment 2), 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 awardee 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 awardee will be decreased by the amount of the initial overpayment(s).

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