UNITY of Greater New Orleans
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
SAMHSA Grants to Benefit Homeless Individuals Program
March 26, 2014
Purpose of RFP
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA’s) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) has released a Request for Applications for the Grants to Benefit Homeless Individuals – Services in Supportive Housing (GHBI-SSH) program. UNITY of Greater New Orleans will be submitting an application for this grant initiative on behalf of the Continuum of Care and is seeking project sponsors for the collaborative project. This RFA is available at http://beta.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/grants/pdf/ti-14-007.pdf
The purpose of this SAMHSA initiative is to support the development and/or expansion of local implementation and community infrastructures that integrate treatment and services for substance use, co-occurring substance use and mental disorders, permanent housing and other critical services for the following: veterans who experience homelessness or chronic homelessness, and other individuals (non-veterans) who experience chronic homelessness. SAMHSA seeks to increase the number of individuals placed in permanent housing that supports recovery through comprehensive treatment and recovery-oriented services for behavioral health.
New Orleans/Jefferson Parish CoC Application
UNITY of Greater New Orleans will be submitting an application to SAMHSA on behalf of the New Orleans/Jefferson Parish Continuum of Care that proposes to provide case management, housing coordination and recovery supports to a minimum of 150 chronically homeless and vulnerable homeless persons to ensure housing stability for program participants. A unique component of the initiative is a partnership with the Louisiana Housing Corporation, which will provide rental assistance to eligible program participants through the Rebuilding Communities Shelter Plus Care program. The primary focus of this application is to assist the state to provide access to PSH by chronically homeless and vulnerable homeless persons who do not yet have SSI or Medicaid and to assist them to quickly get SSI and Medicaid after placement into PSH. Clients will be Medicaid eligible but are not expected to have SSI and/or Medicaid at the time of enrollment in the program. The supportive services will be provided by selected project sponsors that will be instrumental in ensuring the participants’ recovery and housing retention.
UNITY will serve as the Grantee/Local Lead Agency for the Community Consortium. As the Local Lead Agency, UNITY will develop the community infrastructure necessary for the implementation of the program, will coordinate a Steering Committee that oversees the activities of the grant and will act as the grants management entity for the project.
UNITY is seeking project sponsors for the following program components:
1. Case Management, Housing Coordination and Recovery Support Services (3-4 providers)
- SOAR Director for Mainstream Benefit Programs Enrollment (1 provider)
If selected and if UNITY is awarded the grant, project sponsors will be expected to provide the services over a 3-year period estimated to begin October 1, 2014 and to end September 30, 2016.
------Proposals are due to UNITY by noon, April 4, 2014 ------
------Submit via email to: ------
Expectations of Providers Per Program Component
1. Case Management and Recovery Support Services - $80,000-$100,000/year
Three to four experienced Service Providers are being sought to provide case management, housing coordination and recovery support services to chronically homeless individuals. Applicants must be licensed Medicaid providers approved to provide Permanent Supportive Housing services by the State of Louisiana. Eligible providers must currently utilize an electronic health record system.
Services must include the following:
§ Comprehensive case management based on evidenced-based practices including Housing First, Motivational Interviewing, and Harm Reduction.
· Continue to provide case management services for clients after the period of funding for this project.
§ Utilize the SOAR process to assist clients to obtain benefits.
§ Ability to enroll clients in Medicaid-funded services within 6 months.
§ Conduct timely GPRA client assessments and re-assessments.
§ Work with the RC Housing Specialists to ensure clients maintain housing stability.
§ Provide comprehensive recovery support services that could include: linkages with necessary services such as primary care services, substance abuse detoxification/treatment, mental health treatment, treatment services, supportive employment, education.
Budget: Will be finalized in partnership with selected sponsors:
· Budget must include funding for at least 2.5 FTE Case Managers (including salaries/benefits) who will each serve no more than 20 chronically homeless participants at any moment in time. Specify amount for salary and amount for fringe.
· Budget may include no more than 10% for case management supervision (salary/benefits).
· Budget may include no more than 3% for the following expenses incurred through the provision of case management: equipment, supplies, copying/printing, postage, cell phone, mileage.
· Budget may include up to $3000 for staff training.
2.SOAR Project Director for SSI and Medicaid Enrollment $37,500/year
A limited amount of annual funding - $37,500- will fund one provider to ensure program participants enroll in SSI and Medicaid. If selected, the provider’s budget:
· Must fund at least one position for 20-30 hours/week to provide itinerant-based activities targeted only for project participants.
· Conduct SOAR training for project staff no less than annually.
· Manage and supervise the SOAR process used for program participants to ensure success.
· Provide monthly status reports to case managers and the project director about status of benefits for project participants.
· Participate on the project steering committee.
· Responsible for obtaining the output goals that at least 70% of clients receive Medicaid approval for PSH services within 6 months and 90% obtain Medicaid approval for PSH services within 12 months.
Proposal Contents
Please limit your proposal to no more than five pages (not including attachments). Proposals must be submitted via email to no later than noon on Friday, April 4, 2014. A confirmation email will be sent to all proposals received by the deadline.
For more information, please contact Valerie Coffin, UNITY Director of CoC Programs at .
1. Program Component(s): Please specify the Program Component(s) for which you are applying:
· Case Management, Housing Coordination and Recovery Support Services
· SOAR Director - Mainstream Benefit Programs Enrollment
2. Experience and Capacity
· Relevant experience and past performance (per program component) including experience providing housing search, housing placement, supportive stabilization services to homeless persons, and/or SSI and Medicaid enrollment.
· If applicable, describe past performance with SAMSHA-funded projects. Include experience with conducting the GPRA client assessments.
· Indicate whether your organization is a credentialed Medicaid service provider, whether it is authorized by the state to perform Permanent Supportive Housing services, and whether it has experience with the state Rebuilding Communities program.
3. Interest in Working with Chronically Homeless Individuals - Describe the special needs and challenges presented by chronically homeless persons and explain why your agency is interested in serving this population.
4. Housing First Approach to Serving Chronically Homeless Individuals
· Describe your agency’s commitment to a “Housing First” philosophy to provide chronically homeless people housing assistance without requiring compliance with substance abuse and/or mental health treatment or medication.
· Describe which evidenced-based practices are already being utilized by your agency or that you plan to utilize with this program, if funded.
5. Program Design and Budget
· Briefly describe how your agency will design and implement the program if funded.
· Provide resumes of key personnel who will be responsible for the implementation and oversight of the program.
· Provide a brief budget summary for the program.
· Indicate whether new employees will be hired or if existing personnel will be utilized.
· Indicate whether any personnel connected to this project will be a licensed professional (i.e., Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and indicate personnel who have been trained and utilize SOAR.
6. Timeliness - Describe your agency’s ability to get this program up and running by October 1, 2014.
8. Cultural Competence - Describe your organization’s cultural competence. Include experience, in serving with cultural sensitivity, people who are racially, ethnically and religiously diverse; who speak languages other than English; who have a range of physical and mental disabilities; and who are extremely low-income.
9. Attachments
· Attach proof of nonprofit tax-exempt status, if your agency is a non-profit organization.
· Attach copy of last 2 years of audited financial statements with management letter.
· Attach a budget summary using the provided template.