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American Rescue Plan Supplemental Grant for COVID-19

Family Violence Prevention & Services Act American Rescue Plan
Supplemental Grant for COVID-19 Testing, Vaccines, and Mobile Health Units Access

Grant Status Closed

The purpose of Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) funds is to provide shelter, temporary housing, supportive services, information, and assistance to adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, as well as family and household members of such victims, and persons affected by the victimization. The FVPSA program has received supplemental funding through the American Rescue Plan (ARP) to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 by providing access to COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, tribes, rural communities, culturally specific programs, and underserved communities. FVPSA is a program under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Family and Youth Services Bureau, an office of the Administration for Children and Families.

Eligible Entities

Eligible entities include local public agencies or nonprofit private organizations that assist victims (and their dependents) of family violence, domestic violence or dating violence, and have a documented history of working effectively in those areas. Nonprofit private organizations include:

  • faith-based and charitable organizations
  • community-based organizations
  • tribal organizations
  • voluntary associations

If selected, FVPSA grantees must protect the privacy and confidentiality of those being provided services and must adhere to all of the requirements outlined in the request for proposal.

Program Scope

Activities supported by this program are determined by state and federal statutes, federal regulations, and ICJI policies. If an applicant receives an award, the funded project is bound by the provisions of this solicitation, as well as any applicable federal and state laws, regulations, and policies.

All grants from the ICJI Victim Services Division are reimbursement grants. Verification of expenses along with verification of payment of expenses must be provided to ICJI on a monthly or quarterly basis prior to reimbursement of expenses.

The award period the current grant cycle is July 1, 2023 - June 30, 2024..

The purpose of these supplemental funds is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 with an intentional focus of increasing access to COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units to mitigate the spread of this virus and increase supports for domestic violence survivors and their dependents. The activities that will be supported by these funds within these purpose areas include:

COVID-19 TESTING

The intent of the ARP COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units supplemental funding is to assist with:

  • Eliminating barriers to COVID-19 testing and supplies for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities;

  • Providing resources for onsite testing for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities;

  • Providing resources and access to rapid COVID-19 testing and supplies for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities;

  • Maintaining and increasing COVID-19 testing efforts for domestic violence survivors and their dependents;

  • Expanding access to testing for tribes, rural communities, racial and ethnic specific communities, limited English proficient (LEP) individuals; and

  • Expanding the range of COVID-19 mitigation activities for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities.

COVID-19 testing, mitigation, and -related expenses refer to the following:

  • COVID-19 testing includes viral tests to diagnose active COVID-19 infections, antibody tests to diagnose past COVID-19 infections, and other tests that the Secretary and/or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determines appropriate in guidance;

  • Other activities to support COVID-19 testing, including planning for implementation of a COVID-19 testing program, providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals, procuring supplies to provide testing, training providers and staff on COVID-19 testing procedures, and reporting data to HHS on COVID-19 testing activities; or

  • Supplies to provide COVID-19 testing include, but are not limited to:
    • Test kits;

    • Swabs;

    • Storage (e.g., refrigerator, freezer, temperature-controlled cabinet);

    • Storage unit door safeguards (e.g., self-closing door hinges, door alarms, door locks);

    • Sharps disposal containers; and

    • Temperature monitoring equipment.

  • COVID-19 mitigation includes efforts, activities, and strategies to reduce or prevent local COVID-19 transmission and minimize morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in sectors such as schools, workplaces, and health care organizations, described in the CDC Community Mitigation Framework.
    • Mitigation activities may include, but are not limited to, case investigation, contact tracing, COVID-19 screening, COVID-19 testing promotion and confidence building, community education, health behavior promotion, and referrals to testing, clinical services, and support services.

    • COVID-19 testing and mitigation related-expenses include:
      Leasing of properties and facilities as necessary to support COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 mitigation;
      • Digital technologies to strengthen the recipient’s core capacity to support the public-health response to COVID-19;

      • Education, rehabilitation, prevention, treatment, and support services for symptoms occurring after recovery from acute COVID-19 infection, including, but not limited to, support for activities of daily living—this includes services for the range of symptoms described as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) (i.e., long COVID-19) and providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals maintenance;

      • Items and services furnished to an individual during health care provider office visits (including in-person visits and telehealth visits) in connection with an order for or administration of COVID-19 testing or COVID-19 mitigation activities; and

      • Other activities to support COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 mitigation, including, but not limited to, planning for implementation, providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals maintenance, and/or expansion of a COVID-19 testing program and/or COVID-19 mitigation program, procuring supplies to provide COVID-19 testing, training providers and staff on COVID-19 testing procedures or COVID-19 mitigation, and reporting data to HHS on COVID-19 testing activities and COVID-19 mitigation activities.

II. COVID-19 VACCINE ACCESS

The supplemental testing funding can be used for supplies and vaccine administration fees for administering the COVID-19 vaccine are outlined below but are not limited to:

  • Administration of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine;

  • Administration of the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine requiring a series of two or more doses;

  • Administration of the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine requiring a series of two or more doses;

  • Administration of recommended booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; and

  • Other activities to support COVID-19 vaccine access or administration, including planning for implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine program, providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals, procuring supplies to provide vaccines, training providers and staff on COVID-19 vaccine procedures, and reporting data on vaccine activities.

III. MOBILE HEALTH UNITS ACCESS

The supplemental testing funds can be used to establish or maintain contracts with mobile health units for regularly scheduled visits or on-call visits to domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, or rural communities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Additional allowable uses of funds are outlined below but are not limited to:

  • COVID-19 testing and vaccine administration;

  • Preventative health services to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 such as vaccines, primary health care, or behavioral health services; and

  • Operational costs or supply costs associated with the operation of mobile health units to partner with domestic violence shelters, programs, tribes, culturally specific organizations, or rural communities.

IV. WORKFORCE EXPANSIONS, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND SUPPORTS

The supplemental testing funds can be used for COVID-19 workforce related expansions and supports, or to reimburse subrecipients for such costs and for costs that include but are not limited to:

  • Planning for implementation of a COVID-19 testing program, COVID-19 mitigation program, or mobile health units access program;

  • Training providers and staff on COVID-19 testing procedures, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities;

  • Hiring culturally competent and linguistically-appropriate providers and staff to carry out COVID-19 testing procedures, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities;

  • Reporting data to HHS on COVID-19 testing activities, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities; and

  • Expenses to secure and maintain adequate personnel to carry out COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities; may be considered allowable costs under applicable HHS regulations if the activity generating the expense and/or the expenses are necessary to secure and maintain adequate personnel.

The purpose of these allowable workforce capacity building expenses is to ensure the continuity of domestic violence services in local communities by allowing supplement funding to be used to sustain an advocacy workforce to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the needs of domestic violence survivors impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. A sustainable workforce is needed to operate COVID-19 testing programs, COVID-19 mitigation programs, or mobile health units access programs; and to coordinate partnerships with health departments for each local program to keep families healthy and safe during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

If requesting personnel costs for workforce capacity building or to sustain an advocacy workforce, an attachment will need to be added to the application detailing how each position will participate in COVID-19 testing programs, perform mitigation activities or operate mobile health units as part of their job duties.

Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. ยง 10407(b)(2), ICJI will give special emphasis to the support of community-based projects of demonstrated effectiveness that are carried out by nonprofit private organizations whose primary purpose is the operation of shelters for victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and their dependents, or those organizations who provide counseling, advocacy, and self-help services to victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and their dependents.

In coordination with activities for COVID-19 testing, mitigation and mobile health units, the costs associated for personnel, employee benefits, supplies, equipment, and travel to perform the following activities are allowable costs:

  • Prevention services such as outreach, parenting, employment training, educational services, promotion of good nutrition, disease prevention, and substance abuse prevention.

  • Counseling with respect to family violence, counseling or other supportive services provided by peers, either individually or in groups, and referral to community social services.

  • Safety plan development and supporting the efforts of victims to make decisions related to their ongoing safety and well-being

  • Culturally and linguistically appropriate services such as interpreters and/or having documents translated into other languages.

  • Technical assistance with respect to obtaining financial assistance under Federal and State programs.

  • Housing advocacy to assist in locating and securing safe and affordable permanent housing and homeless prevention services.

  • Medical advocacy including referrals for healthcare services (including mental health and alcohol and drug abuse treatment), but shall not include reimbursement for any healthcare services.

  • Legal advocacy to provide victims with information and assistance through the civil and criminal courts, and legal assistance.

  • Children’s counseling and support services, and childcare services for children who are victims of family violence of the dependents of such victims, and children who witness domestic violence.

The following costs are allowable for shelters who provide emergency housing to victims:

  • Operating expenses (rent, utilities, etc.) of the facilities for a shelter at a prorated amount.

  • Supplies for shelter including clothing and toiletries.

The following costs are allowable for the purpose of preventing future incidence of violence:

  • Transportation.

  • Temporary refuge for emergency and immediate shelter including safe homes, rental subsidies, and hotel vouchers.  This does not include transitional or permanent housing.

The following costs are unallowable and will not be supported by this program’s funding:

  • Direct financial assistance to a client such as cash, gift cards, or checks.

  • Moving costs for victims.

  • Food and beverages except emergency food and beverages for victims.

  • Lobbying.

  • Fundraising (including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions) and time spent procuring funding including completing federal and state funding applications.

  • Purchase of real estate.

  • Construction.

  • Physical modification to buildings including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting).

  • Purchase of vehicles.

The match or cost-sharing requirement in section 306(c)(4) of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) shall NOT apply to this supplemental funding.

Reporting

Subrecipients are required to submit programmatic reports based on their specified timeline. To submit a report via IntelliGrants, click the link below.

IntelliGrants

Webinar

In this webinar, ICJI’s Victim Services Division discusses the 2023 FVPSA ARP Supplemental Grant for COVID-19 Testing, Vaccines, and Mobile Health Units Access, important features of the program and how to apply in IntelliGrants.

Download the PowerPoint

TRAINING HUB: For additional webinars on topics ranging from grant writing tips to filling out the Subgrantee Basic Budget form, click here.

Technical Assistance

For technical assistance with submitting an application, contact the ICJI Helpdesk, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET, except state holidays. ICJI is not responsible for technical issues with grant submission within 48 hours of grant deadline.

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