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Community Action Grants Available To NAMI Organizations

For Immediate Release, April 26, 2000
Contact: Chris Marshall
703-524-7600

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*Note - The following information on Community Action Grants is provided by the Center for Mental Health Services. NAMI organizations and members are encouraged to examine this opportunity for funding for the development of new evidence-based service systems like PACT (Program of Assertive Community Treatment), and innovative programs like CITs (Crisis Intervention Teams), family and consumer facility monitoring programs, Family to Family, family and consumer education programs, and CSTs (Consumer Satisfaction Teams).

COMMUNITY ACTION GRANTS FOR SERVICE SYSTEM CHANGE

Purpose: The Community Action Grant Program--developed by the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)--is designed to stimulate the community adoption of exemplary practices by convening partners, building consensus, aiding in decision-support and adaptation of service models. Grants do not support direct funding of services, but are designed to help communities identify and build consensus around exemplary service delivery practices that meet local needs.

The Action Grant program is part of a larger set of CMHS program activities known as Knowledge Development and Application (KDA). The overall goal of KDA activities is to promote continuous improvement of service delivery systems for people with serious mental illnesses and children with serious emotional disturbances.

Potential Applicants: Applicants may be any organization that is willing to sponsor an exemplary practice and take responsibility for facilitating its adoption in a specific community. Consumer and family groups, community leaders, providers and public agencies are good examples of potential applicants.

Availability of Funds: The maximum amount available for Community Action Grants is $150,000 in total costs. The grant period is one year.

Program Status: Since FY 1997, CMHS has funded 67 Phase I Community Action Grants for consensus building and 14 Phase II grants for help with implementation. Examples of exemplary practices funded include integrated mental health and substance abuse services, wrap around services for emotionally disturbed children, supported employment models, law enforcement training, consumer leadership training, assertive community treatment programs, strengths-based case management, integrated services for homeless individuals, family education about mental illness, and gatekeeper programs for at-risk elderly. It is expected that 20-25 new Phase I awards will be made in FY 2000.

Program Announcement (PA): Applicants compete for funding by responding to PA-00-003. It is listed on the SAMHSA World Wide Web page http://www.samhsa.gov/GRANT/0100titles.htm Applications are received on May 10 and September 10 each year. (NAMI recognizes that most NAMI organizations would have extreme difficulty meeting the May 10 deadline, and if NAMI organizations decide to apply, we recommend aiming for the September 10 deadline.)

Program Contacts: For more information contact Santo "Buddy" Ruiz (sruiz@samhsa.gov) on 301-443-3653.

To obtain a printed copy of the Guidance for Applicants, contact: Center for Mental Health Services Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN) at 800-789-2647 Voice; 301-443-9006 TTY; 301-984-8796 Fax or e-mail: ken@mentalhealth.org

NAMI STAFF CONTACTS

The following NAMI staff can provide NAMI organizations with background information on existing program models that could be replicated:

PACT (Program for Assertive Community Treatment) Elizabeth Edgar Elizabeth@nami.org

CITs (Crisis Intervention Teams)
Ron Honberg
Ronh@nami.org

CSTs (Consumer Satisfaction Teams)
Clarke Ross
Clarke@nami.org

Facility Monitoring Teams
Clarke Ross
Clarke@nami.org

Family to Family
Lynne Saunders
Lynne@nami.org

Consumer Education Programs
Maggie Scheie-Lurie
Maggie@nami.org

The national NAMI regional directors for your state may also be helpful to you.

NAMI Field Operations

Katrina Gay
Director of Regional Operations
Email: kgay21761@aol.com

Region I
Michael J. Fitzpatrick
Regional Director
Email: mfitznami@aol.com
States: CT, DE, DC, ME, MD, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, VT, VA

Region 2
Brenda W. Johnson
Email: brenda.w.johnson@worldnet.att.net
States: AL, FL, GA, IN, KY, LA, MS, NC, PR, SC, TN, WV

Region 3
Joleen Bagwell
Regional Director
Email: jbagwell@nami.org
States: AR, AZ, CO, IL, IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, NM, OK, TX, WI

Region 4
Ardia Johnson
Regional Director
Email: ardianami@aol.com
States: AK, CA, HI, ID, MT, NV, ND, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY

MORE BACKGROUND INFORMATION

PROGRAM PLAN

PHASE I GOALS

The goal of the Phase I projects is to obtain a decision to adopt an exemplary practice in mental health services in the target community. The decision to adopt includes approval of a financing plan for the exemplary practice.

The following are examples of activities that may be supported within the applicant's work plan to achieve consensus for implementing the exemplary practice:

• Convening of key stakeholders (e.g., consumers, family members, providers, advocates, legislative representatives, public authority representatives) and the facilitation of the consensus building and decision support process;

• Providing monetary support for travel and other logistical costs necessary to ensure participation by consumers, family members and others needing financial assistance;

• Providing consultation and training for consumers, family members and others on project goals, objectives and processes within the project;

• Providing education, training and technical assistance that will promote the understanding and awareness of the proposed exemplary practice, the pros and cons for adopting the practice, the mechanics of the consensus building processes, and models for technology transfer and application;

• Providing education and training on the dynamics of organizational change; the dissemination of information to the community-at-large; and the expert consultation on mental health and substance abuse issues;

• Providing consultation for implementing strategies that result in local or state changes essential for the adoption and maintenance of the exemplary practice;

• Identifying and organizing financing strategies for the exemplary practice;

• Providing expert consultation on conducting a community needs assessment, developing service models and adapting exemplary practices to unique community requirements, and;

• Providing expert consultation on conducting an evaluation of the consensus building process and outcomes.

DESIGN - PHASE I

In order to accomplish the goals for Phase I, grantees will be expected to (1) identify an exemplary practice and (2) conduct a consensus building process that will build support among all key stakeholders for the adoption of an exemplary practice.

Exemplary Practice: An exemplary practice is a consistently applied service delivery mechanism which meets the specific criteria and is intended to improve outcomes for adults with serious mental illness or children with serious emotional disorder or persons with a co-occurring substance abuse disorder. It might be specific, such as a precise clinical or related service protocol designed to ameliorate one aspect of an individual's disorder, or it might be general, such as a set of principles and criteria for treating individuals within the target population, such as a system of care for children with serious emotional disturbance. In each case, the practice must be fully documented with a detailed description of key operational components.

Consensus Building: Is a process that identifies all key stakeholder and addresses all issues (e.g., key stakeholder attitudes, needs, lack of understanding, buy-in; delivery systems policies, reorganization, staff training or education, appropriations, funding and maintenance of the exemplary practice) necessary to reach agreement among key stakeholders that the exemplary practice can and should be implemented.

PHASE II GOALS

The goal of the Phase II projects is to implement the exemplary practice in the target community. The following are examples of activities that may be supported within the applicant's work plan for the implementation of the exemplary practice:

• Maintaining and strengthening support for the decision by key stakeholders to implement the exemplary practice;

• Providing consultation and training for consumers, family members and others on project goals, objectives and processes within the project;

• Providing monetary support for travel and other logistical costs necessary to ensure participation by consumers, family members and others needing financial assistance in the implementation process;

• Disseminating information to stakeholders and members of the community-at-large regarding the impact of the exemplary practice on services;

• Planning and conducting any necessary reorganization of an agency or its components, hiring or reassignment of staff; development of job descriptions and program operation manuals;

• Providing education, training and technical assistance for staff in areas such as policy development, management and service delivery to support the implementation of the exemplary practice model;

• Providing consultation for implementing strategies that result in local or state changes essential for the implementation and maintenance of the exemplary practice;

• Facilitating the negotiation of agreements between or among collaborative and other participating agencies or providers,

• Updating and refining a financing plan for maintaining the implemented initiative, and;

• Conducting an evaluation of the implementation process and outcomes.

DESIGN - PHASE II

In order to accomplish the goals of Phase II, the grantee is expected to implement a plan that will successfully adopt the exemplary practice into a system of care, including funding and maintenance of the practice supported by permanent funding sources. The plan will:

• Identify all barriers with approaches to overcome them;

• Ensure consumer and family involvement in the planning, implementation, and initiative monitoring strategies.

• Assure the exemplary practice is implemented with fidelity to all service recipients.

• Include any necessary orientation, training or consultation to support the implementation of the exemplary practice.

• Assure that evaluation process is formulated and understood by all constituents.

 

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