- Q: I noticed the separation of Award Ranges for Cook County ($17,500-$350,000) and Outside of Cook County ($17,500-$200,000). Since our involvement with the 230 Program, it has been our position to receive referrals from anywhere in the State, including but not limited to Cook County. Are we to now decide which area we want to serve (Cook County OR all other IL Counties) and budget accordingly? Or is there some flexibility in continuing to serve the State as a whole?
A: Section II. A. 6 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity states "More than one application per entity is permitted; Agencies may submit one application that is Cook County specific and one application for programming in another county or counties."
Agencies who wish to apply to perform grant-funded activities in both Cook County and any other portion of the state are encouraged to submit multiple applications each fully describing the scope of their proposed programming and the budgetary requirements to perform these activities in each region.
- Q: Do the performance measures differentiate between UST cases and NGRI cases?
A: No, they do not. We consider an outpatient referral to be from both of those categories. However, as is mentioned in the technical assistance presentation, we often do ask our grantees for additional information during the performance period. So outside of required performance measures, DMH gathers Information from the grantees to better understand the caseload as they are managing it. At that point we may be differentiating in those additional surveys or outreach between the UST caseload and the NGRI caseload.
- Q: For accepted outpatient referrals, does that mean all active outpatient referrals or just new?
A: As you are going throughout the performance period - in this case a quarter - we are looking to make sure those that are on your roster of outpatient consumers served are all receiving continuing services. This means continuing referrals and those new referrals received during the performance period.
- Q: Are teletherapy services allowed or do services have to be all in person?
A: Teletherapy is allowed, however, teletherapy may not be appropriate for all cases. Teletherapy can be established and is acceptable if it is ongoing and successful. But if it becomes unsuccessful or if it is an untenable situation for the consumer, then the provider would default back to in-person or the consumer to in-patient. One of the things that impacts the success of teletherapy is if someone does not have the mechanism to participate. This may happen mostly with homeless referrals who do not have access to a computer or cannot log on and participate. We do have some situations where consumers are able to go to, for instance, some type of community center to have their sessions or to the office of the public defender.
- Q: Can an applicant propose services inside and outside of Cook county?
A: The NOFO does allow for multiple applications. If your entity wants to propose a program for Cook County, and then a program for somewhere else in the state, the process would be to submit multiple applications and Program Narratives. Entities will need to identify the location on their grant application using the location suffix listed below. And, then going along with this question, two budgets will need to be submitted if entities are proposing multiple programs (One application, Program Narrative and one budget for counties outside of Cook County and a second application, Program Narrative and budget if you plan to propose to serve Cook County as well).
- Q: Will GATA accept two budgets (Cook & Other)
- A: The CSA Tracking System is where budgets are submitted. The CSA Tracking System will accept two budgets (Cook and Other). A separate budget and budget narrative must be completed, for each location for which you are applying. Under "Grant Suffix" Column in CSA you must include the suffix listed.
- The locations and suffixes are as follows:
- Location 1. Cook County: Suffix: L01
- Location 2 - Outside of Cook County: L02
- Q: If we propose to do a telehealth program covering Cook County Residents and residents from other counties, will we be eligible for teletherapy. Does that mean we need to submit more than one application?
A: It does yes. So, one of your applications needs to be Cook County specific and only cook County, and then the other application would be for the counties other than Cook County, where you want to provide services. A budget for each is needed as well.
- Q: Is this required even if we're doing it all by teletherapy?
A: Yes, teletherapy is acceptable, however, the applicant needs to be prepared to provide in-person services for an outpatient referral should teletherapy not be an effective method of interacting with that consumer. We want to make sure that entities aren't stating that services are all or only telehealth. Ideally, we want in-person services to be available for those consumers who cannot successfully connect via telehealth. So yes, telehealth is acceptable, but a program cannot rely completely on telehealth services. This applies to applicants submitting proposals to serve only Cook County and applicants submitting proposals for other parts of the state.
- Q: Historically we have had 1 grant application/renewal, and we have been flexible to serve other counties (including Cook recently) when asked by DMH. Does this mean that we would need to apply for a separate Cook grant in order to continue serving the recent Cook referral we accepted if the person stays in treatment past FY25?
A: Though you only recently began serving Cook County, FY26 is a competitive grant year so there are not renewals going into FY26.
- Q: Barb, What is the dollar amount of the 230 grant award that we should use for the budget?
A: You should apply for an amount within the award range based on what you propose to meet the deliverables of the NOFO requirements and the associated costs.
- Q: Our agency is interested in submitting two applications; one for Cook County and a second for Outside of Cook County. Please advise how to handle this in CSA when entering the budget.
- A: Instructions regarding submitting budgets in CSA can be found in the NOFO Section IV A 4.
- A separate budget and budget narrative must be completed, for each location for which you are applying. Under "Grant Suffix" Column in CSA you must include the suffix listed. The locations and suffixes are as follows:
- * Location 1 Cook County: Suffix: L01
- * Location 2 - Outside of Cook County: L02
- Q: The NOFO lists "licensed mental health professionals." Do all staff who work for the program have to be fully licensed, as in having an LCPC or LCSW, or is an LSW or LPC sufficient to meet this criteria?
A: There may be unlicensed MHPs that provide the didactic restoration services but it must be under supervision of a licensed staff member. The courts typically want to see the signature of a Licensed Clinical Psychologist to Psychiatrist (or APRN).
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Q: Can other staff who are not licensed work underneath a licensed staff?
A: Many courts will still accept the sign off of an LCSW, LCPC or LPC.
- Q: Does each person who provides service at the agency need to go through the training by IDHS/DMH forensic staff, or can our agency have one coordinator who receives the training and informs other service providers? What are the specifics regarding this training?
A: DHS provides a training and agencies can train a coordinator or all staff. DHS provides a training and agencies can train a coordinator or all staff.
- Q: Can psychiatric services/evaluations be provided by a psychiatric APRN as opposed to a psychiatrist?
A: Yes
- Q: What qualifications does the person supplying the 30-day report to the court need to have?
A: Needs to be signed by a LPHA, Clin Psych, Psychiatrist or APRN. Some counties accept LCSW, LCPC or LPC.
- Q: In the performance requirements, it notes: "Monitor up to five outpatient NGRI consumers per discretion of the grantee". Can you define what specifically is meant by "monitor"?
A: NGRI consumers are approved by the courts to receive outpatient services. Some have their own provider and the program 230 agency may elect to provide outpatient clinical services, but they need monitoring for the purpose of reporting their progress to the court on a quarterly basis.
- Q: We have a subcontractor on our project. Does the subcontractor need to sign their budget form, or does the applicant institution sign the subcontractor's budget form?
A: Sub-contractor may sign their budget form. This budget is not entered in CSA.
- Q: How are the Conflict of Interest and Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance submitted?
A: They are submitted via email to DHS.DMHGrantApp@Illinois.gov. Per the NOFO, Section V (C) (2) "Applicants must electronically submit the complete application packet which includes the following as separate pdf documents". Applications must be sent electronically to DHS.DMHGrantApp@Illinois.gov : Uniform Application for State Grant Assistance, Program Narrative, Grantee Conflict of Interest Disclosure, Subcontractor Budget (if applicable), and the Advance Payment Request Cash Budget Form (if applicable).
- Is it also through the CSA application portal or do we email them along with the project narrative?
No, they are submitted via email to DHS.DMHGrantApp@Illinois.gov.
