Title XX DFI Self-Sufficiency and Self-Support (DRS)-Individual Blind (24-444-30-1288 DFI-IB)

Summary Information

Awarding Agency Name Illinois Department of Human Services
Awarding Division Name Division of Rehabilitation Services
Agency Contact Kim Borowicz kim.borowicz@illinois.gov
Announcement Type Non-Competitive
Funding Opportunity Title Title XX DFI Self-Sufficiency and Self-Support (DRS)-Individual Blind
Funding Opportunity Number N/A
Application Posting Date N/A
Application Closing Date N/A
Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA) Number 444-30-1288
Catalog of State Financial Assistance (CSFA) Popular Name DFI-Individual Blind
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number(s) 93.667

Applicant Eligibility

This is a non-competitive funding opportunity for services for programs that offer services to individuals who are Blind. Services for individuals between 18 and 54 years of age whose severe visual impairment makes competitive employment difficult to obtain but for whom independent living goals are feasible. Allowable services are described in Funds are used to provide independent living services, conduct activities that will improve or expand services for these individuals and conduct activities to improve public understanding of the problems of these individuals. Services are designed to help persons served under this program to adjust to their blindness by increasing their ability to care for their individual needs.

At a minimum, programs funded by the program are required to provide the following core services: information and referral; skills training; peer counseling; individual and systems advocacy. Services may include: Outreach services; Provision of services and equipment to assist an individual who is blind to become more mobile and more self-sufficient; Mobility training; Braille instruction; Services and equipment to help an individual who is blind adjust to blindness; Guide services; Reader services; interpreter services; Transportation; Other appropriate services designed to assist an individual who is blind in coping with daily living activities and educational challenges including supportive services and rehabilitation teaching services; and Independent Living skills training

Pursuant to 2 CFR 200.202, the Department is required to provide public notice of Federal financial assistance programs. This program is not subject to 2 CFR 200.203 Notice of Funding Opportunity or 200.204 Merit Based Review.

1.Scope of Services

The Division of Rehabilitation Services requires the timely execution of all initial and amended contractual agreements. Grantees will have up to 14 business days from the date the contract is published to sign and return the required contract documents issued by the State, which may include one or more of the following: initial contract signature page and amendment page. Non-compliance may result in a modified start date of the contract to align with the grantee's submission of the required execution documents. Grantees will not be reimbursed for services provided in advance of the modified start date. When a contract amendment is issued to reduce the value of the contract, non-compliance will result in the full de-obligation of the contract balance regardless of the amended amount.

The Final Reconciliation of a contractual agreement will follow prescribed timeframes communicated annually to community providers. This grant will provide services for individuals aged 18 to 54 whose severe visual impairment makes competitive employment difficult to obtain but for whom independent living goals are feasible. Allowable services are described in Funds are used to provide independent living services, conduct activities that will improve or expand services for these individuals and conduct activities to improve public understanding of the problems of these individuals. Services are designed to help persons served under this program to adjust to their blindness by increasing their ability to care for their individual needs.

Services may include:

a. Outreach services;

1.The provision of services and equipment to assist an individual who is blind to become more mobile and more self-sufficient;

2.Mobility training, Braille instruction, and other services and equipment to help an individual who is blind adjust to blindness;

3.Guide services, reader services, interpreter services and transportation;

4. Any other appropriate service designed to assist an individual who is blind in coping with daily living activities, educational challenges, including supportive services and rehabilitation teaching services;

5.Independent Living skills training

Statement of Work To ensure adequate coverage for services provided to customers, grantees are expected to maintain normal business hours Monday-Friday. The Department of Central Management Services maintains an annual Holiday calendar used by the State of Illinois

Any deviation from this calendar must be pre-approved in writing from the Grantor Contact on Exhibit D Contact Information identified in the Uniform Grant Agreement prior to implementation of a change. Unapproved closures for reasons other than natural disasters or other situations when significant numbers of employees are prevented from reporting to work will be deemed as a breach of the Statement of Work and may lead to a prorated financial offset equivalent to the unapproved days of closure.

2.Deliverables

  1. Provide assistive technology devices and aids. As defined in Section 3(4) of the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-364), "assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." Assistive technology devices may include such items as canes, slates, insulin units, CCTV's, computers, adaptive software, magnifiers, adaptive cooking items, adaptive recreational items, handwriting guides, Braillers, large button telephones, etc.
  2. Provide assistive technology services and training. As defined in Section 3(5) of the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 (PL 108-364), "assistive technology service means any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device." Services may include the evaluation of assistive technology needs of an individual, services related to acquisition of technology, costs of loan programs, maintenance and repair of assistive technology, training or technical assistance for the individual or professionals related to the use of assistive technology, programs to expand the availability of assistive technology, low vision therapy services related to the use of optical aids and devices, and other services related to the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device.
  3. Provide community orientation and mobility * (O & M) services or travel training (i.e. learning to access public or private transportation and to travel safely and as independently as possible in the community with or without the use of mobility aids and devices).
  4. Provide communication skills training , reading and writing Braille, keyboarding and computer literacy, computer skills training, using the telephone, handwriting guides, telling time, using readers, use of audio and tactile technologies for home, recreational or educational use, training in the use of newspaper reading services and radio services. Where these activities were able to help them to experience functional gains or were able to successfully restore and maintain their functional ability to engage in their customary life activities within their home environment and community.
  5. Provide personal management and daily living skills training (e.g. training in the use of adaptive aids and assistive technology devices for personal management and daily living, blindness and low vision alternative techniques for food preparation, grooming and dress, household chores, medical management, shopping, recreational activities, etc.)
  6. Provide advocacy training or support network activities such as consumer organization meetings, peer support groups, etc.
  7. Provide awareness and community events throughout the fiscal year. (Awareness events defined as occurring in the Community (State, County and local fairs, Churches, Hospitals, Nursing Homes etc.) providing information about the program, causes of low vision and blindness, impact of blindness on self, family members, friends, general public, professionals and others.)
  8. Provide supportive services (e.g. reader services, transportation, personal attendant services, support service providers, interpreters, etc.) while actively participating in the program or attaining independent living goals.

Program and Financial Reporting Requirements:

  1. Time Period for Required Periodic Financial Reports. Unless a different reporting requirement is specified in Exhibit G, Grantee shall submit financial reports to Grantor pursuant to Paragraph 13.1 and reports must be submitted no later than 15 calendar days after the quarter ends.
  2. Time Period for Close-out Reports. Grantee shall submit a Close-out Report pursuant to Paragraph 13.2 and no later than 15 calendar days after this Agreement's end of the period of performance or termination
  3. Time Period for Required Periodic Performance Reports. Unless a different reporting requirement is specified in Exhibit G, Grantee shall submit Performance Reports to Grantor pursuant to Paragraph 14.1 and such reports must be submitted no later than 15 calendar days after the quarter ends.
  4. Time Period for Close-out Performance Reports. Grantee agrees to submit a Close-out Performance Report, pursuant to Paragraph 14.2 and no later than 15 calendar days after this Agreement's end of the period of performance or termination.
  5. A Monthly Grant Expenditure Report (MGE) will be provided by the 15th of each month. This report is a new requirement for DFI grants. The report must include the number of consumers who participated in individual blind services along with their unique identification number. The number of people served versus identification numbers must match.

3.Performance Measures

# ________of individuals projected to be served in the Fiscal Year.

Measure 1.

# ________of individuals served in the quarterly reporting period. (Note: the number of customers served in each quarterly reporting period should correspond to the total number of individuals projected to be served in Fiscal Year.)

Measure 1.1

# of individuals who have had received recommended assistive technology (AT)services and training. As defined in Section 3(4) of the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-364), "assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." Assistive technology devices may include such items as canes, slates, insulin units, CCTV's, computers, adaptive software, magnifiers, adaptive cooking items, adaptive recreational items, handwriting guides, Braillers, large button telephones, etc.

Measure 1.1a

# and % of individuals who received AT (assistive technology) services and training, who regained, increased or improved functional abilities previously lost as a result of vision loss. (% is related to 1.1)

Measure 1.2

# of individuals who received home/*community orientation and mobility *(O & M) services; (i.e. learning to access public or private transportation and to travel safely and as independently as possible in the community with or without the use of mobility aids and devices). Measure 1.2a # and % of individuals who experienced functional gains or maintained their ability to travel safely and independently in their home and/or* community environment due to the provision * O&M services.

Measure 1.3

# of individuals who received services or training in alternative non-visual or low vision techniques like communication skills training; (i.e.reading and writing Braille, keyboarding and computer literacy, computer skills training, using the telephone, handwriting guides, telling time, using readers, use of audio and tactile technologies for home, recreational or educational use, training in the use of newspaper reading services and radio services. Where these activities were able to help them to experience functional gains or were able to successfully restore and maintain their functional ability to engage in their customary life activities within their home environment and community.)

Measure 1.3a

# and % of individuals of those receiving communication skills training who gained or maintained their functional abilities because due to the provision of the services. Measure 1.4 # of individuals who received skills in personal management and activities of daily living;.(i.e. training in the use of adaptive aids and assistive technology devices for personal management and daily living, blindness and low vision alternative techniques for food preparation, grooming and dress, household chores, medical management, shopping, recreational activities, etc.)

Measure 1.4a

# and % of individuals who can list one or more skill training and experience functional gain, restore or maintained their ability to engage in their customary daily life.

Measure 1.5

# of the individuals served that reported that they are in greater control and are more confident in their ability to maintain their current living situation as a result of skill training services; (i.e., training in the use of adaptive aids and assistive technology devices for personal management and daily living, blindness and low vision alternative techniques for food preparation, grooming and dress, household chores, medical management, shopping, recreational activities, etc.) .

Measure 2

# _________of projected advocacy training or support network activities such as consumer organization meetings or peer support groups etcfor the Fiscal Year.

Measure 2.1

# and % of advocacy training or support network activities such as consumer organization meetings or peer group meeting accomplished in the quarterly reporting period. Peer group meetings defined as meetings in grantee location or in the community with customers to assist them in adjusting to visual impairment and blindness.

Measure 3

#_________of projected awareness and community event for the Fiscal Year.

Measure 3.1

# and % of awareness and community events accomplished in the quarterly reporting period. Awareness events defined as occurring in the Community (State, County and local fairs, Churches, Hospitals, Nursing Homes etc.) providing information about the program, causes of low vision and blindness, impact of blindness on self, family members, friends, general public, professionals and others.

Measure 4

#_______ of projected supportive services(i.e. reader services, transportation, personal attendant services, support service providers, interpreters, etc) while actively participating in the program or attaining independent living goals

Measure 4.1

# and % of supportive services(i.e.. reader services, transportation, personal attendant services, support service providers, interpreters, etc.) while actively participating in the program or attaining independent living goals.

4.Performance Standards

  1. At least 95% of individuals served from the amount projected for the Fiscal Year.
  2. At least 80% of individuals who received AT (assistive technology) services and training, regained, increased or improved functional abilities previously lost as a result of vision loss. As defined in Section 3(4) of the Assistive Technology Act of 2004 (Pub. L. 108-364), "assistive technology device means any item, piece of equipment, or product system whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." Assistive technology devices may include such items as canes, slates, insulin units, CCTV's, computers, adaptive software, magnifiers, adaptive cooking items, adaptive recreational items, handwriting guides, Braillers, large button telephones, etc.
  3. At least 80% of individuals who received AT (assistive technology) services and training, who regained, increased or improved functional abilities previously lost as a result of vision loss.
  4. At least 80% of individuals who received home/community orientation and mobility * (O & M) services, who experienced functional gains or maintained their ability to travel safely and independently in their home and/or community environment.
  5. At least 80% of individuals who received services or training in alternative non-visual or low vision techniques like communication skills training, reading and writing Braille, keyboarding and computer literacy, computer skills training, using the telephone, handwriting guides, telling time, using readers, use of audio and tactile technologies for home, recreational or educational use, training in the use of newspaper reading services and radio services. Where these activities were able to help them to experience functional gains or were able to successfully restore and maintain their functional ability to engage in their customary life activities within their home environment and community.
  6. At least 80% of individuals projected can list one or more skills in activities provide personal management and daily living skills training (e.g. training in the use of adaptive aids and assistive technology devices for personal management and daily living, blindness and low vision alternative techniques for food preparation, grooming and dress, household chores, medical management, shopping, recreational activities, etc.) 67 At least 80% of the individuals served that reported that they are in greater control and are more confident in their ability to maintain their current living situation because of advocacy training or support network activities such as consumer organization meetings, peer support groups, etc services.
  7. At least 90% of the meetings for awareness and community events are provided throughout the Fiscal Year. (Awareness events defined as occurring in the Community (State, County and local fairs, Churches, Hospitals, Nursing Homes etc.) providing information about the program, causes of low vision and blindness, impact of blindness on self, family members, friends, general public, professionals and others.)
  8. At least 90% of the projected supportive services are provided (e.g. reader services, transportation, personal attendant services, support service providers, interpreters, etc.) while actively participating in the program or attaining independent living goals are established for the Fiscal Year.
  9. At least 90% of the projected Satisfaction Surveys conducted in the Fiscal Year.

* O&M in the community must be provided by an individual holding COMS.