[Federal Register: May 28, 2004 (Volume 69, Number 104)]
[Notices]
[Page 30656-30658]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr28my04-58]
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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services
[CMS-2195-N]
RIN 0938-ZA47
Medicaid Program; Demonstration To Improve the Direct Service
Community Workforce
ACTION: Notice.
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Part 1. Overview Information.
Funding Opportunity Title: Medicaid Program; Demonstration To
Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) No: 93.779.
DATES: No new applications will be accepted.
Part 2. Full Text of the Announcement.
I. Funding Opportunity Description
This notice announces the award of approximately $6 million in
funding through our ``Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service
Community Workforce'' initiative pursuant to the President's Executive
Order 13217 ``Community-Based Alternatives for Individuals with
Disabilities'' and authorized under section 1110 of the Social Security
Act. The ``Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community
Workforce'' grants are designed to assist States and others develop
innovative programs that improve recruitment and retention of direct
service workers. The House of Representatives Conference Report (HR
Conf. Rpt No. 108-401, at 784 [2003]) that accompanied the Consolidated
Appropriations Act, 2004 (Pub. L. 108-199) outlines the scope of this
project.
These grants are a part of the President's New Freedom Initiative
to eliminate barriers to equality and grant a ``New Freedom'' to
children and adults of all ages who have a disability or long-term
illness so that they may live and prosper in their communities. This
notice also contains information about the manner in which we will
continue the award process that originally started in fiscal year (FY)
2003. We will not accept any new applications for the ``Demonstration
to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce'' grants in FY 2004.
The purpose of this demonstration program is to develop and
implement programs that will increase the pool of direct care service
workers, who help support people with disabilities in the community,
through recruitment and
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retention strategies. Examples of potentially fundable demonstration
programs might include, but are not limited to wage or time-off
incentives, continuing education, outreach to underserved populations,
cultural, or logistical barriers.
II. Award Information
On March 20, 2003, we published a notice titled ``Emergency
Clearance: Public Information Collection Requirements Submitted to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and Solicitation of
Applications'' in the Federal Register (68 FR 13715). The full
solicitation is available at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/newfreedom/dswsolicitation.pdf.
Under this notice, we invited proposals from
States and others, in partnership with their disability and aging
communities, to create systems that will improve the recruitment and
retention of direct service workers. Grant applications were due August
12, 2003.
The response of States and other eligible entities to this
opportunity was extraordinary: we received over 100 applications for
these grants. The response revealed a strong interest on the part of
States and their citizens to address the need for a stable direct
service community workforce. In October 2003, we announced the award of
five grants totaling $4,370,000. Each of these grants had a 36-month
budget period.
Due to the extraordinary response we received from the
``Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce''
solicitation in FY 2003, we will not accept any new applications in FY
2004. Instead, we will continue to process the ranked applications
submitted in FY 2003, beginning with the highest-ranked applications
that were not funded in FY 2003. Each of the FY 2004 grants awarded in
this notice has a 36-month budget period.
III. Eligibility Information
1. Eligible Applicants
We have offered FY 2004 funding to those eligible applicants.
Eligible applicants are those applicants who (1) submitted an
application in FY 2003 and (2) received from us written notification
indicating that their application received a score from the review
panel in a range that will permit us to make an award in FY 2004.
2. Cost Sharing or Matching
Matching funds of either in-kind or cash contributions totaling 5
percent of the project's total value are required.
IV. Application and Submission Information
1. Address To Request Application Package
No new applications will be accepted. Only eligible applicants will
be funded.
2. Content and Form of Application Submission
No new applications will be accepted.
3. Submission Dates and Times
No new applications will be accepted.
4. Funding Restrictions
Proposals that included a health insurance intervention were
eligible for funding up to $1,403,000 and proposals that targeted other
interventions were eligible for funding up to $680,500.
V. Application Review Information
1. Criteria
Since we received far more applications in FY 2003 than we were
able to fund, we are announcing our intention to continue the award
process for eligible applicants (see definition of eligible applicants
in the eligibility information section of this notice).
2. Review and Selection Process
We have used the review panel scores from FY 2003 to determine the
ranking of applications and will attempt to provide funding for
applications where funding was previously unavailable. We reserve the
right to reallocate those funds to the next highest-ranked eligible
applicant(s) if eligible applicants are subsequently determined not to
have met all of the requirements as detailed in the award information
section of this notice, the terms and conditions of grant awards, or
otherwise fail to respond to us. We have determined that we will be
able to fund, in FY 2004, five new ``Demonstration to Improve the
Direct Service Community Workforce'' grants.
3. Anticipated Announcement and Award Dates
We anticipate that these grants will be officially awarded on or
before September 30, 2004. New grantees may expend grant funds over a
36-month period from the date of the award. New grantees are listed in
``Chart--2004 Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community
Workforce Grant Awards'' in section VIII of this notice.
VI. Award Administration Information
1. Award Notices
No new applications will be accepted. Eligible applicants will
receive an official Notice of Grant Award (Form CMS 6-U6-PG) along with
terms and conditions of the grant award.
2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements
Specific administrative and policy requirements of grantees,
including the matching fund requirements, as detailed in the full
solicitation, available section II of this notice, will continue to
apply to all Eligible Applicants that receive awards in FY 2004.
3. Reporting
Specific reporting requirements of grantees, as detailed in section
II of this notice, will continue to apply to all eligible applicants
that receive awards in FY 2004.
VII. Agency Contacts
Programmatic questions about the Demonstration to Improve the
Direct Service Community Workforce grants may be directed to: Kate
King, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Center for Medicaid and
State Operations, DEHPG/DCSI, Mail Stop S2-14-26, 7500 Security
Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21244-1850, 410-786-1283 (voice), 410-786-9004
(fax), or by e-mail at kking@cms.hhs.gov.
Administrative questions about the Demonstration to Improve the
Direct Service Community Workforce grants may be directed to: Nettie
Faulkner, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Acquisition and
Grants Group, AGG/DRCG, Mail Stop C2-21-15, 7500 Security Boulevard,
Baltimore, MD 21244-1850, 410-786-6639 (voice), 410-786-9088 (fax), or
by e-mail at nfaulkner@cms.hhs.gov.
VIII. Other Information
Chart--2004 Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community
Workforce Grant Awards
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State or other entity Grant amount
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Arkansas Department of Human Services, Little Rock, $680,000
Arkansas............................................
Bridges, Inc., Gary, Indiana......................... 1,403,000
[[Page 30658]]
Home Care Quality Authority, Olympia, Washington..... 1,403,000
Seven Counties Services, Inc., Louisville, Kentucky.. 680,000
Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services, 1,403,000
Richmond, Virginia..................................
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IX. Collection of Information Requirements
This notice informs applicants of the ``Demonstration to Improve
the Direct Service Community'' that CMS has awarded 5 grants in FY
2003. Due to the extraordinary response received, CMS will not accept
any new applications in FY 2004, but will continue to process the
ranked applications submitted in FY 2003, beginning with the highest-
ranked applications that were not funded in FY 2003.
This information collection requirement is subject to the PRA;
however, it has already been approved under OMB control number 0938-
0836 entitled ``Real Choice Systems Grants; Nursing Facility
Transition/Access Housing Grants; Community Personal Assistance Service
and Supports Grants, National Technical Assistance and Learning
Collaborative Grants to Support Systems Change for Community Living''
with a current expiration date of 1/31/2007.
Dated: March 12, 2004.
Dennis G. Smith,
Acting Administrator, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
[FR Doc. 04-12172 Filed 5-27-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4120-01-P