PART 1 / DEPARTMENT OF STATE HEALTH SERVICES
CHAPTER 13 / HEALTH PLANNING AND RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT
SUBCHAPTER F / WORKPLACE VIOLENCE PREVENTION GRANT PROGRAM
Rule 6.200 Purpose
The purpose of this subchapter is to implement rules to establish the Workplace Violence Prevention Grant Program, under which the Department awards grant payments to fund innovative approaches for reducing verbal and physical violence against nurses in hospitals, freestanding emergency medical care facilities, nursing facilities, and home health agencies. A grant under this subchapter may be spent only on a program intended to identify and implement efforts to reduce verbal and physical violence against nurses in hospitals, freestanding emergency medical care facilities, nursing facilities, and home health agencies.
Rule 6.201 Authority
The authority for this subchapter is found in Texas Health and Safety Code (HSC), Chapter 105, §105.011.
Rule 6.202 Definitions
The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meaning, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(1) Administer—Includes, but is not limited to, the proposal, development, and implementation of a program, within the parameters of the Request for Applications.
(2) Department –The Texas Department of State Health Services.
(3) Health care facility—Includes any of the following, as defined in HSC 105.001:
A. “Freestanding emergency medical care facility” means a facility licensed under Chapter 254.
B. “Home health agency” means a home and community support services agency licensed under Chapter 142.
C. “Hospital” means a general or special hospital licensed under Chapter 241, a private mental hospital licensed under Chapter 577, or a hospital that is maintained or operated by this state or an agency of this state.
D. “Nursing facility” means an institution licensed under Chapter 242
(4) Request for Applications (RFA)--A type of solicitation notice in which the Department announces available grant funding, sets forth the guidelines governing the program, provides evaluation criteria for submitted applications, and provides instructions for eligible entities to submit applications for such funding. The guidelines governing the program may include a Letter of Intent, eligibility requirements, performance expectations, budget guidelines, reporting requirements, and other standards of accountability for this program.
(5) Workplace Violence Prevention Grant Program--a grant program under which the Department awards grant payments to a health care facility to administer innovative programs designed to reduce verbal and physical violence against nurses in this state.
Rule 6.203 Eligibility
The following are eligible to apply for a grant under the program:
(1) A health care facility;
(2) Institution of higher education;
(3) Researcher; or
(4) A partnership among any of the above.
Rule 6.204 Grant Application Procedures
To qualify for funding consideration, each eligible applicant must submit an application to Department staff identified in the RFA. Each application must:
(1) Be submitted electronically in a format specified in the RFA;
(2) Adhere to the grant program requirements and the funding priorities contained in the RFA; and
(3) Be submitted with proper authorization on or before the date and time specified by the Department in the RFA.
Rule 6.205 Award Amounts
The maximum amount of funding available to the program is dependent on the extent funding is available through fees collected under Texas Occupations Code, Section 301.155(c) for each biennium. Maximum and minimum award levels and maximum number of awards will be specified in the RFA.
Rule 6.206 Award Criteria and Selection for Funding
(1) Applicants shall be selected for funding on a competitive basis.
(2) An application must meet the requirements of the RFA and be submitted with proper authorization on or before the day and time specified by the RFA to qualify for further consideration.
(3) The selection process includes an application review and staff recommendation for funding. Department staff shall facilitate the review of applications by a taskforce assigned by the nursing resource section, defined by HSC 104.0155, to determine if they adhere to the grant program requirements and the funding priorities contained in the RFA.
(4) Each application shall:
(A) Provide a detailed explanation of the applicant's workplace violence prevention program, including a timeline for development and implementation, description of population identified to participate in the program, detailed description of essential budget, and detailed information related to administration and support for the program;
(B) Document how the workplace prevention program would achieve the goals of reducing verbal and physical violence against nurses in the applicant’s respective health care facility; and
(C) Propose performance measures for measuring short- and long-term outcomes of the program including any change in the severity and frequency of verbal and physical violence against nurses.
(5) Priority for selection will be given, in the order stated in paragraphs (A) - (D) of this subsection, to applicants that demonstrate an innovative approach to reducing verbal and physical violence against nurses, and that include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:
(A) Evidence supporting conceptual foundation of proposed program;
(B) Evidence of institutional commitment to reduce workplace violence against nurses;
(C) Evidence of institutional support of proposal, such as staff time, access to institutional resources, and/or funds;
(D) Description of a plan for sustainability of the proposed program.
Rule 6.207 General Information
(1) Cancellation or Suspension of Grant Solicitations. The Department has the right to reject all applications and cancel or suspend a grant solicitation for any reason.
(2) Notice of Grant Award (NOGA). Before release of funds, the successful applicants must sign a NOGA issued by Department staff.
Rule 6.208 Reporting
Each funded applicant shall provide reports to the Department as detailed in the RFA. The reports must include, but are not limited to, descriptions of the following:
(A) Activities funded through the grant;
(B) Any changes in the severity and frequency of verbal and physical violence against nurses; and
(C) Program performance based on stated performance measures; and
(D)Budget expenditures as allowed.
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