Illinois Welcoming Center Direct Services Program Narrative (25-444-80-1493-01)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (5 pts)

• The Executive Summary will serve as a stand-alone document that may be shared with various state-level stakeholders and others requesting a brief overview of each funded project. It will also be scored for completion. Therefore, applicants should be concise and direct in their description.
• Provide a one-page summary of the proposal, including the completion of the information below.
  1. Geographic coverage of the entire application and description of the need for a Welcoming Center in this area (e.g. statewide, County, zip code, specific communities):
  2. Target population served:
  3. Language capacity in-house (languages covered at the agency, must identify bilingual/bicultural staff and languages spoken):
  4. Indicate the site location(s) of where IWC services will be performed in this community; Indicate if the location is a main office, administrative office, satellite office, or sub-recipient location.
  5. Indicate number of years of experience the applicant organization have delivering immigrant, refugee and LEP services to individuals living in communities within the service area for which the applicant is applying.
  6. Indicate number of years of experience the applicant organization has collaborating with other community agencies to achieve a common goal
  7. List the trainings to be provided to Illinois Welcoming Center staff.
  8. Specific deliverables for the grant period:
     1. Annual projected number of unduplicated clients/households to be served
     2. Total number of individuals benefitted from IWC services.
     3. Annual number of case management sessions completed (Required comprehensive assessment, case management, linkages with in-house or external services)
     4. Annual number case management sessions with case resolution
     5. Total number of unduplicated clients/households served under case management
     6. Annual number of crisis intervention sessions
     7. Annual number of crisis intervention sessions with a resolution
     8. Total number of unduplicated clients served under crisis intervention
     9. Annual Number of clients provided with an external referral
     10. Number of successful client connections to external referral
     11. Annual Number of external referrals provided
     12. Total number of unduplicated clients served under referral services
     13. Number of workshops offered
     14. Topics of the workshops
     15. Number of workshop participants projected for the year
     16. Number of outreach activities
     17. Type of outreach activities
     18. Number of individuals served via outreach
     19. Community alliance:
         1. Number of meetings annually
         2. Key service providers
         3. List of attendees per meeting
         4. Schedule 

AGENCY QUALIFICATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY (25 pts)

• The purpose of this section is for the applicant to present an accurate picture of their ability to implement Welcoming Center One-Stop program as outlined in this NOFO. The applicant must demonstrate evidence of linguistic and cultural competence throughout. Information in this section should include, but not necessarily be limited to, the following:
  1. Give a brief overview of the agency, outlining its primary programs and services offered. Describe how the applicant's mission statement and goals align with the purpose of this funding opportunity.
  2. Discuss why your agency is qualified to provide the proposed services specific to the immigrant, refugee, asylee, and LEP communities. Discuss any appropriate certifications that apply. Describe the organization's cultural and linguistic capacity.
  3. Describe the applicant agency's established physical presence in the community for which they are proposing to provide services; include the address(es) of physical locations; indicate how long the applicant has been in each location; indicate if each location is for administration or direct services or both.
  4. Describe how the agency collects and maintains data, measures activities versus outcomes, and how data is used for program planning, evaluation, and improvement.
  5. Describe the applicant's administrative and fiscal capacity and experience managing state and/or federal grants.
  6. Provide an implementation plan as Appendix 3 for service provision commencing on the contract start date (July 1, 2024). The implementation plan must include the following:
     1. Describe the applicant agency's plan for staffing to carry out and execute this program. Provide a description of qualifications of key staff who will be responsible for the delivery of the services including their educational background, years of experience, language capacity and other relevant information. Include BOTH the Agency's and Illinois Welcoming Center's organizational chart and staffing plan as Appendix 4. Include resumes and/or job descriptions of the staff responsible for implementing this program as Appendix 5.
     2. Discuss the applicant agency's readiness in terms of the physical space where program activities will be carried out. If applicable, describe whether this space the applicant agency currently occupies (and/or pays for), whether it is under construction, if arrangements to rent/lease/buy or build a physical facility are or are not yet final.
     3. Describe the training program staff have had and will receive to ensure their ongoing ability to successfully perform the duties of their position.

COMMUNITY IDENTIFICATION AND DESCRIPTION OF NEED (15 pts)

1. Describe the proposed population to be served by this grant. Include information such as: country of origin, language(s), estimated size, age groups, general economic status of the community and the number/percentage of low-income households.
2. What are the areas of greatest service needs for the proposed population? What are the common barriers they face while trying to access human services?
3. If the applicant is a new organization proposing services under this initiative, how do you propose to recruit/identify customers? What organizations or agencies are currently serving the populations for whom you are proposing services?

EQUITY AND RACIAL JUSTICE COMITTMENT (10 pts)

• The purpose of this section is for the applicant to demonstrate understanding of the history and impact of racism and inequity on Immigrant, refugee, asylee and LEP communities and to describe the organization's response to address racial inequity. The applicant should provide a clear picture of its work to counteract systemic racism and inequity and to prioritize and maximize diversity and equity throughout its service provision process.
  1.  Describe the applicant's commitment and actions to address equity and racial justice. Examples of commitment and activities may include but are not limited to, having leadership (board and/or executive staff) that is reflective of the community/population being served; having (or an intention to have) a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)/equity and racial justice plan that outlines how the organization ensures equity in access to its supports/services as well as equity in outcomes; having a plan to identify and address implicit bias in all areas of the organization, including programming; having (or an intention to have) an equity and racial justice training plan.
  2. If no equity and racial justice efforts are currently being practiced, describe the applicant's plan to implement those efforts, including a timeline of activities.
  3. Identify and describe some of the potential root causes of racial inequity within the targeted communities; address and/or include how historical factors have contributed to the conditions of the communities as appropriate. Include recommendations on how to address inequities.
  4. Describe how the applicant will use an equity lens when creating and implementing programming. An equity lens is a process that analyzes the impact of policies and practices on marginalized communities to inform and ensure equitable outcomes. Include applicant organization's written commitment to advancing equity and racial justice. If one is not yet written, please detail when and how such a statement will be institutionalized.
  5. Describe how the applicant will intentionally and deliberately analyze the delivery and/or impact of the program on underserved and marginalized groups (including communities of color, people with disabilities, gender nonconforming people, etc.), and how barriers to program participation will be addressed.
  6. Describe how the applicant will provide trauma informed behavioral health services to address the disparate impact of immigration, discrimination, and racial profiling on communities of color.
  7. Include demographic information of program staff and agency leadership (board and/or executive staff) and discuss if these demographics match the designated community(ies). Describe plans to continue to increase diversity and representation within the agency.
  8. Based on racial demographic data, provide the number, and briefly describe policies, practices and procedures that have been implemented, revised, or repealed to reduce racial disparities at your agency.

PROGRAM DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION (25 pts)

• The purpose of this section is for the applicant to provide a comprehensive, clear, and accurate picture of its intended program design. The applicant must demonstrate evidence of linguistic and cultural competence throughout. At minimum, the proposal must describe how the organization will provide the proposed services and activities consistent with the Office of Welcoming One-Stop health and human service office.

  1. Comprehensive case management services

     1. Describe the path of a case management client from first interaction to resolution.
     2. How does your agency prioritize services to stabilize a client in crisis? What services would be provided via in-house linkage or via referral with an existing community partner? How do you follow-up with a client after crisis intervention?
     3. Detail which services are available in-house, and which are likely to be referred out. Describe how a client is guided through the referral process. What is the follow-up protocol?

  2. Community education workshops and outreach:

     1. Describe your agency's success in facilitating workshops for the community. How do you measure this success? What are some barriers to successful workshop events? What have you done to address those barriers?
     2. How often does your agency conduct outreach events? Why is this frequency appropriate for your agency? If you have not conducted outreach, what is your implementation plan?

  3. Development of community alliances:

     • Each agency is required to facilitate community alliance meetings:
       1. Identify the stakeholder groups that the applicant agency has worked with and in what capacity. Describe existing community alliances, partnerships, and linkages with community providers for the provision of appropriate services.
       2. Describe applicant ability and experience in building and sustaining community alliances, and collaborative efforts with community providers and public agencies.

BUDGET AND COST JUSTIFICATION (15 pts)

• Applicant needs to submit a budget for the period for which the services are anticipated to be delivered, within the State Fiscal Year 2025.
  1. Thorough and clear justification for all proposed line-item expenditures.
  2. All expenditures and program costs are reasonable and allowable.
  3. Proposed staffing is sufficient to address client projections and client language needs.
  4. Where available, supplemental or companion funding is clearly identified.
  5. Budget Narrative is clear and provides context. In this section provide a detailed Budget Narrative of the items allocated within your proposed budget. Identify the source of those funds and detail how the specified resources and personnel are being allocated to ensure the tasks, activities, goals, and objectives described in your proposal will be implemented. If you plan to use additional state or federal funds, or other funds to support the program, please also describe how these additional funds will be utilized to implement the program.
  6. Emergency/crisis response- NOTE: These line items are for emergency situations ONLY and should be awarded to clients experiencing a crisis. You may not request this funding for every household you are proposing to serve. Evidence of emergency and immediate need may be requested from you. You may use up to 5% of your total budget amount for crisis funds.
     1. One time $300 gift card/per household.
     2. One time emergency/Crisis intervention:
     3. Up to1 week in a hotel
     4. 1 month rent
     5. The maximum amount a household can receive is $900 for one month (per unduplicated client).
        1. While previous recipients of IDHS rental assistance program are not disqualified from this assistance, an explicit emergency/crisis must exist in order to be eligible. Proof of emergent need and crisis (lack of job, no income, at risk of homelessness) will be required. 
        2. This funding is not limited to asylum seekers only, it is available to all LEP residents of Illinois in crisis.
        3. You will be asked to report separately on the above listed categories.
        4. Back up documentation is required for the above, such as application, proof of emergency, signed attestation from participant funds were received, copies of funds provided (rent: check or card provided to participant; hotel: invoice, copy of check paid).
• Note: Applicants must enter their budget into CSA and attach a PDF IDHS: Uniform Grant Budget Template (state.il.us) form to application.

PRIORITY CONSIDERATION (5 pts)

• Applications from not-for-profit community-based organizations (501c 3) may submit, a "Statement of Priority", if they are led by immigrant, refugee and LEP individuals that share the same linguistic and cultural background of the community being served.
• Include a "Statement of Priority" as Appendix 10 for review and consideration as part of the application process. If the applicant organization is an otherwise qualified applicant under this funding notice, and is able to demonstrate and attest to being led by immigrants, refugees or LEP individuals and/or individuals that share the cultural background of the community being served, as defined by the make-up of the Board of Directors and the Organizations' leadership and management being more than 50% led by immigrants, refugees or LEP individuals and/or individuals that share the cultural background of the community being served, the applicant will receive up to 5 priority points as part of the application review/scoring process.