Responses to FFY2010 FAQs
Q. In the past you could only apply for funding that fit into one category of services. We currently provide TLR and would like to also apply for Diversion for a different target group (CPS vs non CPS clients). In reading the RFP, as long as guidelines are followed, it looks like we could do both. Is this correct? Or must we stay in one of the four categories only?
A. Proposals may be submitted for more than one service model, or the same service model at a second site. However, these must be submitted as separate proposals. You cannot combine different service models into one proposal (i.e. services for Diversion Support services under Family Support with Supervised Visitation services under Time-limited Reunification).
In the past, PSSF has not restricted the number of proposals an agency can submit. Please see new guidelines in the RFP on funding and proposals limits.
Q. How do we access a copy of the DHS delinquent audit list?
A. An internal list (DHS) is distributed monthly. The Office of Audits is responsible for communicating with your agency if you are non-compliant with respect to audit requirements and on the delinquent audit list. During the PSSF review process, all applicants are cross-referenced with the current delinquent audit list.
Q. How do we access the Department of Human Services On-line Directives Information System POL 1244, External Entities Audit Standards and Sanctions?
A. http://www.odis.dhr.state.ga.us/1000_adm/1200_fin/1240_aud/audits.htm
The following contract language addresses audit/financial records requirements that PSSF Contractors must meet…
"PARA #402 AUDITS AND FINANCIAL REPORTING REQUIREMENTS:
CONTRACTORS that expend $500,000 or more in Federal funds during their fiscal year agree to have a single entity-wide audit conducted for that year in accordance with the provisions of the Single Audit Act Amendments of 1996 (Public Law 104-156) and their implementing regulation, OMB Circular A-133 entitled, "Audits of States, Local Governments, and Nonprofit Organizations." The audit reporting package shall include the documents listed in the Department of Human Resources On-line Directives Information System POL 1244, External Entities Audit Standards and Sanctions.
CONTRACTORS expending $100,000 or more in State funds during their fiscal year agree to have an entity-wide audit conducted for that year in accordance with Generally Accepted Auditing Standards issued by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The audit reporting package shall include the documents listed in the Department of Human Resources On-line Directives Information System POL 1244, External Entities Audit Standards and Sanctions.
CONTRACTORS expending at least $25,000 but less than $100,000 in State funds during their fiscal year agree to prepare unaudited entity-wide financial statements for that year. Assertions concerning the basis of financial statement preparation must be made by the president or other corporate official as described in the Department of Human Resources On-line Directives Information System POL 1244, External Entities Audit Standards and Sanctions."
Q. With regard to the financial reporting requirements, there is reference in the RFP: "Assertions concerning the basis of financial statement preparation must be made by the president of other corporate official as described in the DHS On-line Directives…" What does this mean?
A. In cases where an independent audit has not been completed to certify the accuracy of financial statements, an officer of the organization or agency is required to provide a statement certifying that the financial reports submitted accurately reflect the financial status of the organization/agency.
Q. The RFP indicates that there are "required" core services for most service models, including the one most applicable to our program. We have not provided these services (assessment and service coordination/case management) in the past when we have received PSSF support. Does this mean our program will not meet the requirements for PSSF funding this year?
A. If "required" core services are included in the service model description, your proposal MUST include these service components in order to be responsive to the RFP and therefore eligible for consideration. This also includes any ancillary service requirements. Just because you may not have provided these in the past, does not mean that you cannot enhance your service array to the families and children you serve by incorporating these components.
The intent is to encourage more responsive services to specific family needs, improve family engagement, and produce desired outcomes. In complex, crisis-driven family situations, more comprehensive assessment and service coordination/case management are required.
Q. Is a nonprofit residential substance abuse treatment center working specifically with mothers and children as well as prenatal women eligible for PSSF funding under TLR Substance Abuse Recovery and Transitional support? We provide supportive housing within this center take referrals from DFACS and focus on family reunification.
A. Yes.
Q. Many times we have families to step down between visits, therefore the Coordinator does not have an opportunity to process a CSQ. How do we address this for the upcoming year's requirements?
A. Although PSSF would like feedback from every client served, sometimes circumstances are beyond our control and services cease without prior notice. However, if this is a fairly regular occurrence at your site and can be anticipated to some degree, your protocol should include providing the CSQ to families before the actual day of the last service.
Q. The RFP application cover asks the applicant to identify the category in which they would like their proposal considered and requires you to select one. Are you able to select multiple service models (i.e. both Prevention and
Early Intervention and Diversion Support) in one category? Or are the categories in this section actually the different service delivery options which would mean, obviously, you can only select one of them.
A. You must select the one service model that best applies to your proposal based on the criteria outlined in the RFP. Each service model addresses unique populations or circumstances that may have precipitated child welfare involvement. As a result, service models are unique to each PSSF category. If you are interested in providing services in more than one service model and/or category, you must submit a separate proposal.
Q. Will the GDHS/Division of Family and Children Services consider a Home - or Center-Based Parent Education curriculum that is listed as a 'Best Practices' model by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services?
A. Yes, provided it is appropriate for your target population.
Q. We make several different types of follow up contacts during the 4-8 weeks after a client leaves the shelter. Should we list them as separate activities?
A. Follow-up contacts are made to provide ongoing support of primary service objectives and may include home visits, on-site, and/or telephone contacts. The duration and intensity of a telephone contact generally is significantly less than a home visit and cost should be reflective of that difference. In cases such as this, you may identify more than one type of the same activity in the service delivery schedule.
Q. How do I determine a "Unit of Service"
A. Typically, a "unit of service" describes the parameters you have identified to provide a service or activity at any given time. If you provide a 2 hour parenting class, the unit of service is "1 class lasting 2 hours". You would report a "unit" each time you provided "1 class lasting 2 hours". If you provide telephone follow up contacts which typically take 15 minutes, you will report 1 unit each time you have that telephone contact with the client to follow up on their primary services objectives.
Although the "unit of service" is defined by the actual direct client contact, the cost of the unit of service also may include indirect costs associated with providing that activity.
Q. What happens if we do not have the in-house ability to provide one of the core services required?
A. Proposal must meet core service requirements in order to be considered for funding. If you do not have the in-house resources to provide all core services, you might consider identifying a qualified, external resource with whom to partner.
Q. How do we determine our "unit cost."
A. What you charge for each service will depend on both direct and indirect costs associate with providing that service. Direct costs might include the hourly rate paid to the individual providing the service, rental of space specifically for the purpose of providing the service and materials used, such as handouts. Indirect costs might include a portion of your agency's insurance premium, flyers printed and distributed to market the service, supervision of the staff providing the service, etc. Indirect costs are not expected to exceed reasonable limits, and must be relevant and proportional to the services proposed. Indirect costs should be limited to 25% of total expenses.
Q. One of the services recommended under Adoption Promotion is respite care. Under the list of approved expenditures it says we cannot use funds that are not directly related to facilitate participation in support services. Could we use funds to pay for after-school programs dealing with the arts such as art classes for some children and/or summer camp? If not, am I correct in assuming the matching funds could be used for those activities?
A. You are not limited to the services listed. Proposals for after-school supervision coupled with enrichment activities and/or educational support could an acceptable use for PSSF. Summer camp is also an acceptable use provided they are linked to program objectives and PSSF outcomes.
Q. In reviewing the RFP and through discussions with staff from other Child Advocacy Centers, it appears that we best meet the crisis intervention category. However, our services are most frequently provided in a warm, child-friendly, easily accessible location, as opposed to in-home. If we provide crisis intervention and behavior management training at our center, must we change and provide those in-home in order to be eligible under this category. This would certainly be a large financial adjustment that some may or not be able to make. Also, would there be any other category where CACs might be a better fit?
A. CAC's could easily fit into the Placement Prevention model, which gives you more flexibility in terms of delivery. In all cases, core services are required. However, there is no limit or requirement with respect to ancillary services that should be more specific to the target population. These could easily address the needs of CAC families.
Q. For the past several years, we received a Family Support funding for case management, assessments and therapeutic counseling. We would like to reapply using the same model since it enhances support services provided by the shelter. Will therapeutic counseling be considered an ancillary service under Family Support for adult victims of domestic violence?
A. You are not limited to the ancillary services that are listed but you must demonstrate that they address the unique needs of your target population, support PSSF objectives and that staff identified are qualified to provide them. Please keep in mind that ALL core service components identified for a service model MUST be included in your service plan.
Q. Can one RFP be written to provide services to clients in two counties?
A. There are no limitations on your proposed service area provided you have demonstrated the need and support for those services in your assessment.
Q. Since Medicaid has a state match requirement, can a portion of Medicaid reimbursements be counted as a PSSF match since that state match is already matching federal Medicaid dollars
A. Medicaid $$ would not be eligible as a match.
Q. Do the matching funds have to be program-specific (i.e. funding streams earmarked for the program for which we are applying) or can they be general organizational/operating streams of funding (interest, fee for service, licensing fees, etc.)
A. The source of matching funds is only limited in that it cannot be other federal funds. Although they can be from general funding streams but they must be clearly earmarked for PSSF services.
Q. Does the program have to have operational history or are new programs eligible .
A. New programs are eligible provided the assessment demonstrates the need, agency meets the qualifications, there is support for the services in the community (referral commitment) and the proposal meet all prescribed criteria and requirements.
Q. Is the cost associated with internet services an allowable expense? It is not specifically listed in the Acceptable Use document.
A. These costs would not be excluded, however, you would have to demonstrate that the expense was a cost associated with the PSSF services proposed and you could only allocate the portion directly related and proportional to PSSF activity. Also, remember that these types of indirect costs are limited to 25% of total expenses.
Q. We are a family visitation center of many years standing and we have always been very court-involved. We are called to testify in court or at panel reviews on a regular basis. We have always billed as "legal advocacy" but this is not listed in ancillary services for supervised visitation. Can we not provide this service anymore?
A. Do not confuse "advocacy" with case management. Please review definitions in Schedule A. This does not mean that you cannot include advocacy services in your service plan if that is what you are providing. Most service models now have required services and these must be included in the proposal. Ancillary services can be any service or activity that your assessment identifies as a needed support/service, and addresses the unique needs of your special population to help meet PSSF objectives.
Q. For the Healthy Marriage and Co-Parenting Support Services all core services are required as well as a minimum of two ancillary services. For one of the ancillary services is it permissible to conduct Relationships Skill Classes?
A. Yes.
Q. Regarding the four core services for the family support service model, do all participants need to receive all 4 core services or can this be on a case-by-case basis? We offer several ancillary services which may be more appropriate for some participants than center-based parenting education or information/referral, for example, in serving their unique needs.
A. Service plan must include all core services. However, it is not expected that all families would receive the same level of services. It is expected that services provided would be predicated on needs identified and prioritized in the assessment. Ancillary services may or may not be utilized by all families and should address the unique needs of the target population.
Q. I am with another DHS division. If we contract with a local agency to provide services, can the cash match come from the local agency, or does it have to come from the state, as we are a state agency as the award recipient?
A. The cash match can be contributed by the local provider (your sub-contractor) as long as it is demonstrated that they are contributing a cash match (versus taking a reduced fee of 25%) and that its source is not federal funds.
Q. We are a new non-profit agency founded and registered with the Secretary of State in Feb 2009. We anticipate notification of our 501(C)3 status within the next 60 days. Can we submit our proposal prior to receiving confirmation of non-profit status?
A. Yes, you may submit a proposal but you will have to include proof of your application in lieu of a copy of your 501(c)3 certification. If your proposal is successful, contract could not be prepared until proof of your 501(c)3 status was submitted.
Q. Our agency was funded this past contract year. Are we are limited to the same geographic areas and/or same amount of funding?
A. There is no restriction on what you can submit in your proposal as long as it meets the stipulated requirements and is responsive to the RFP. By the same token, you will not be adversely impacted if you submit a completely new proposal.
Q. Can we serve more than one target population?
A. Yes, provided service proposed address their unique needs, meet PSSF objectives for that target population and you have the capacity to do so.
Q. Where can I find a current list of service categories and codes typically used by PSSF providers? I don't see them in the RFP or with the supplementary documents on the website.
A. PSSF identifies similar activities by general service descriptions and codes for reporting purposes only. It is not necessary to assign service codes to activities in your proposal. However, here are the basic service codes:
Code Description
1 Adoption Promotion
2 Foster Care Support
3 Case Management
4 Center-based Parent Education
5 Center-based Support Group
6 Child/Family Assessment
7 Childcare
8 Transportation
9 Crisis Intervention
10 Effective Discipline/Behavior Management
11 Family Conference/FTM
12 Family Life Skills
13 Follow-up Services
14 Healthcare Screening/Services
15 Home-based Parent Education
16 Information and Referral Services
17 Legal Advocacy/Services
18 Mentoring and Tutoring
19 Parent/Child Activities
20 Residential Aftercare
21 Respite
22 Stress/Anger Management
23 Substance Abuse Recovery Support
24 Substance Abuse Treatment
25 Supervised Visitation
26 Therapeutic Counseling
99 Other
Q. The directions indicate that the appendices are to be labeled in the top right hand corner. In the case of the letters of support or letter of authorization coming from another source, how should we label them?
A. Label appendices with a small sticky label or with a pen. Do not use paper clips.
Q. Do we understand correctly that as a city government agency we are not required to provide financial statements?
A. Yes, municipal government agencies are not required to submit audits or financial statements.
Q. If we haven’t received our letters of support before the deadline, can we submit them later or have them sent directly to you.
A. Letters of support MUST be included with your proposal and will not be accepted under separate cover or after the deadline. Proposals must be complete at the time of submission.
Q. Does the grant allow for us to budget for an outside evaluator, someone that we would contract with for the evaluation component? Would we be allowed to include this under per diem, fees and contracts?
A. This is not an excluded expense. However, indirect costs are carefully scrutinized. These are limit to 25% of total program costs, and should be proportional and relevant to the services described in your proposal.
Q. We currently provide TLR services as a CASA but would like to add visitation. Do both advocacy and visitation fit the definition of a single service model since both are TLR, i.e., can I write one proposal to handle both services? Or would they require separate proposals?
A. Generally speaking, a “service model” has very specific objectives and/or serves a specific population with specific presenting issues. If you plan to propose both supervised visitation services and CASA services you will need to submit two separate proposals.
Q. We are an advocacy center and we conduct interviews with children who have alleged abuse and provide crisis intervention to the entire family. Could the time spent with families and children be counted as an ancillary service under the Crisis Intervention Category? We understand the other 4 core components would also have to be implemented. Is therapy considered an ancillary service under any category?
A. Generally, advocacy centers fit into the FP Placement Prevention service model, as the FP Crisis Intervention service model tends to be more “home-based” and therapeutic in nature addressing behavioral issues in families to help maintain children in the home. CAC’s often engage with families prior to or as CPS is becoming involved and their core services are more closely aligned with the Placement Prevention model.
You are not limited by the services listed in terms of ancillary services. Ancillary services should address the unique needs of the target population. In your case, yes, therapeutic counseling could be considered an acceptable and appropriate ancillary service.
Q. We are a supervised visitation program. We have been looking at online and cd-rom type courses to make available to our clients here in our offices. Would this satisfy the parent education component for supervised visitation?
A. The parent education component of a supervised visitation program is meant to provide an opportunity for parents with children in foster care to address the parenting challenges that were a factor in the removal of their children. It is not about completing a certain number of hours of parenting in a classroom setting. The parenting component of a visitation program could consist of a pre- and/or post- visit consultation on specific parenting issues (parenting challenges and how to address them during the visit, de-brief on the practice worked, how to be more effective on the next visit, etc., all tied into specific case plan goals and best practices)
