Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2014 ACF ACYF CO 0798
Apply for HHS 2014 ACF ACYF CO 0798
- The Administration for Children and Families ACYF/CB in the income security and social services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.652 Adoption Opportunities.
- This funding opportunity was created on Apr 9, 2014 and posted on Apr 9, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 9, 2014 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $1,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $1,000,000.00 in funding.
- The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
- Eligible applicants include: Private institutions of higher education Small businesses Public and State controlled institutions of higher education Special district governments Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses State governments City or township governments Independent school districts Unrestricted (i.e., open to any type of entity above), subject to any clarification in text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) County governments.
- Statute states that eligible entities are public or private agencies or organizations. Faith based and community organizations that meet the eligibility requirements are eligible to receive awards under this funding opportunity announcement. Faith based organizations are encouraged to review the ACF Policy on Grants to Faith Based Organizations at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/acf policy on grants to faith based organizations. Applications from individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietorship for profit organizations are not eligible and will be disqualified from competitive review and from funding under this announcement.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative is a federal discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACYF/Children's Bureau), designed to strengthen how child welfare systems and behavioral health providers support children and youth connected to adoption and guardianship. The core aim is to build national capacity so that professionals are better prepared to address the mental health, trauma, attachment, and permanency related needs of youth who are moving toward permanency through adoption or guardianship, as well as those who are already living in adoptive or guardianship homes. The underlying policy goal is improved well-being and more stable permanency outcomes, including fewer disruptions and stronger post-permanency supports that match the clinical and family needs of this population.
The initiative is structured as a single, five-year cooperative agreement, meaning the federal agency expects to have an active partnership role with the awardee rather than simply issuing funds and stepping back. Only one award is expected nationwide, and the project is intended to operate as a national resource that states and other jurisdictions can use and integrate into their own systems. The program is explicitly framed as building on earlier adoption competency models while complementing other efforts already underway to improve practice for children and youth whose permanency plan is adoption or guardianship.
The work plan described in the announcement centers on five major activities. First, the awardee must assess existing adoption competency mental health training curricula and identify gaps in the critical competencies that practitioners need. Second, the awardee must select, adapt, and deliver up-to-date, evidence-informed curricula in web-based formats, with separate training models tailored for two distinct audiences: child welfare staff and mental health practitioners. Third, the awardee must provide technical assistance to all states on how to use and implement these web-based training models, supporting real-world adoption and integration rather than leaving states to figure out implementation on their own. Fourth, the awardee must evaluate the training models, focusing on delivery, utilization, and effectiveness, which implies tracking not just completion but whether the training is being used, how it performs across settings, and whether it improves knowledge, practice, and outcomes. Fifth, the initiative must develop a national certification process for adoption-competent mental health practice that can be used broadly across the country.
The expected results are practical and national in scope. One key outcome is the creation of high-quality, state-of-the-art, adoption-competent mental health web-based curricula for both child welfare professionals and mental health clinicians, including quality improvement components so the content can be refined over time based on feedback and performance data. Another outcome is stronger adoption competence infused into day-to-day practice in child welfare systems, with success demonstrated through improved child well-being and increased stability in adoptive and guardianship homes. The announcement also expects that states will actively utilize and incorporate the web-based trainings into their own training infrastructures, which signals an emphasis on scalability, interoperability with existing learning platforms, and implementation supports. Finally, the certification component is meant to create a shared national benchmark for competence that can be used not only by states but also by tribes and U.S. territories, encouraging consistency in what it means to be adoption-competent in mental health practice while still being flexible enough for diverse jurisdictions.
From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is identified as Funding Opportunity Number HHS-2014-ACF-ACYF-CO-0798, under CFDA 93.652 (Adoption Opportunities). The funding instrument is a cooperative agreement, and the activity category is Income Security and Social Services. The estimated total funding is $1,000,000, with an award ceiling of $1,000,000 and an award floor of $500,000, and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement. The posting date was April 9, 2014, with an application deadline of June 9, 2014 (electronically submitted applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time), and the opportunity was later archived on July 9, 2014.
Eligibility is broad and includes public or private agencies or organizations, with examples spanning state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than sole proprietorships), small businesses, and other eligible public entities like special district governments and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible if they meet the general requirements, with a reference to ACF policy on grants to faith-based organizations. The announcement also clearly states ineligible applicants: individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietor for-profit organizations are not eligible and would be disqualified from competitive review and funding.
In practical terms, this opportunity is best understood as a national infrastructure-building project focused on training, technical assistance, evaluation, and credentialing. Rather than funding direct clinical services, the grant is designed to strengthen the workforce and systems that support adoption and guardianship permanency, using standardized web-based curricula and a certification pathway to spread consistent, adoption-informed mental health practice across jurisdictions.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training Initiative?
It is a federal discretionary grant opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Administration on Children, Youth and Families (ACYF), Children's Bureau. The initiative is designed to strengthen how child welfare systems and behavioral health providers support children and youth connected to adoption and guardianship.
What is the main purpose of this grant?
The core aim is to build national capacity so professionals are better prepared to address mental health, trauma, attachment, and permanency-related needs of children and youth who are moving toward permanency through adoption or guardianship, as well as those already living in adoptive or guardianship homes.
What policy outcomes is the initiative trying to support?
The underlying policy goal is improved well-being and more stable permanency outcomes, including fewer disruptions and stronger post-permanency supports that match the clinical and family needs of this population.
What kind of funding instrument is this?
This opportunity is a cooperative agreement. That means the federal agency expects to have an active partnership role with the awardee rather than only issuing funds.
How many awards will be made?
Only one award is expected nationwide.
How long is the project period?
The initiative is structured as a single, five-year cooperative agreement.
Is this a national project or state-by-state funding?
It is intended to operate as a national resource that states and other jurisdictions can use and integrate into their own systems, rather than separate awards to multiple states.
Does the initiative build on existing adoption competency models?
Yes. The program is framed as building on earlier adoption competency models while complementing other efforts already underway to improve practice for children and youth whose permanency plan is adoption or guardianship.
What are the major required activities under the work plan?
The announcement describes five major activities: (1) assess existing adoption competency mental health training curricula and identify competency gaps; (2) select, adapt, and deliver evidence-informed curricula in web-based formats with separate models for child welfare staff and for mental health practitioners; (3) provide technical assistance to all states on how to use and implement the web-based training models; (4) evaluate the training models (delivery, utilization, and effectiveness); and (5) develop a national certification process for adoption-competent mental health practice.
Who are the two primary training audiences?
The web-based training models are tailored for two distinct audiences: child welfare staff and mental health practitioners.
What does "web-based formats" imply for the training products?
It means the selected/adapted curricula must be delivered through online formats, with the expectation that they can be used broadly and integrated into state and jurisdiction training infrastructures.
What kind of technical assistance is expected?
The awardee must provide technical assistance to all states on how to use and implement the web-based training models, with an emphasis on supporting real-world adoption and integration rather than leaving implementation to states without support.
What does the evaluation component focus on?
Evaluation is expected to address training delivery, utilization, and effectiveness. This implies tracking not only training completion, but also how the training is used across settings and whether it improves knowledge, practice, and outcomes.
What is the national certification process expected to do?
The initiative must develop a national certification process for adoption-competent mental health practice that can be used broadly across the country, creating a shared benchmark for competence that can be used by states as well as by tribes and U.S. territories.
What deliverables or outcomes are expected from the initiative?
Expected results include: high-quality, state-of-the-art adoption-competent mental health web-based curricula for both child welfare professionals and mental health clinicians; quality improvement components to refine content over time based on feedback and performance data; stronger adoption competence infused into day-to-day child welfare practice; active state utilization and incorporation of the trainings into state training infrastructures; and a certification component that supports consistency in adoption-competent mental health practice across jurisdictions.
Is the grant meant to fund direct clinical services?
No. The opportunity is best understood as a national infrastructure-building project focused on training, technical assistance, evaluation, and credentialing, rather than funding direct clinical services.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FON)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is HHS-2014-ACF-ACYF-CO-0798.
What CFDA program is associated with this opportunity?
This opportunity is under CFDA 93.652 (Adoption Opportunities).
What is the activity category for this opportunity?
The activity category is Income Security and Social Services.
How much funding is available?
The estimated total funding is $1,000,000.
What are the award ceiling and award floor?
The award ceiling is $1,000,000 and the award floor is $500,000.
Is cost sharing or matching required?
No. There is no cost-sharing or matching requirement.
When was the opportunity posted and when was it due?
The posting date was April 9, 2014. The application deadline was June 9, 2014, with electronically submitted applications due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The opportunity was later archived on July 9, 2014.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes public or private agencies or organizations. Examples include state and local governments, tribal governments and tribal organizations, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), for-profit organizations (other than sole proprietorships), small businesses, and other eligible public entities such as special district governments and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities.
Are faith-based and community organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based and community organizations are explicitly eligible if they meet the general requirements, with reference to ACF policy on grants to faith-based organizations.
Who is not eligible to apply?
Individuals, foreign entities, and sole proprietor for-profit organizations are not eligible and would be disqualified from competitive review and funding.
Does the project need to support all states?
Yes. The announcement expects technical assistance to all states for implementation of the web-based training models, reflecting the initiative's national scope.
What does "active utilization by states" mean in practice?
The announcement expects states to actively utilize and incorporate the web-based trainings into their own training infrastructures. This signals an emphasis on scalability, interoperability with existing learning platforms, and implementation supports to help states integrate the training into real systems.
Who benefits from the initiative's training and certification components?
The intended beneficiaries include professionals in child welfare systems and behavioral health providers who serve children and youth connected to adoption and guardianship, as well as the children, youth, and families whose stability and post-permanency support needs are a focus of the initiative.
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