- Q: Item B, #5 states "subject to appropriation, the grant period will begin no sooner than May 1, 2024 and will continue through June 30, 2024. Am I reading this correctly that the grant period is only two months?
A: The State of Illinois Fiscal Year is from July 1st through June 30th. This grant would be for the remaining 2 months of Fiscal Year 2024, and then for 2 additional 1 year renewals (FY25 and FY26).
- Q: Can this program have a staff driver as allowable staffing costs?
A: Yes. Proposed costs should be included in the budget and budget narrative.
- Q Is it allowable to lease a vehicle(s) as necessary?
A: Yes.
- Q: I am writing to ask about the potential number of discharges the Department expects based on the current number of discharges from Madden?
A: For this pilot project, the following projected number of discharges is expected from Madden: 350, and from Packard: 155.
- Q: Will this include justice-involved clients sent to Madden to get stable from Cook County Jail since they normally get sent back to the jail before they are released back into the community?
A: The individuals served in the pilot will be limited to those discharged to community settings.
- Q: Can we have a pre-release case management position at the hospital?
A: Transition Support Specialists will be providing wellness and recovery support and engagement services and are not intended to fill roles as case managers.
- Q: Can we have an office at the hospital to receive clients pre-release?
A: The Transition Support Specialists will be provided access to private meeting space with individuals to be served, for purpose of meeting at the SOPH.
- Q: Can you provide a list of the new 225 Housing is Recovery providers? We are considering an application under the new 240 NOFO and want to weave this resource into our proposal if there are providers in our service area.
A: This is public information and can be found in CSFA. The current providers are:
- A Safe Haven Foundation
- BEDS Plus Care
- Cornerstone Services
- Ecker Center for Behavioral Health
- Housing Forward
- Thresholds
- Trinity Services Inc.
- Volunteers of America of Illinois
- Q: Are we reading it correctly that only the service areas for Chicago and Springfield are eligible for the grant award?
A: Applicants must be able to serve either Madden Mental Health Center (west side of Chicago) or Packard Mental Health Center (Springfield) and the surrounding area. Successful Transitions is a pilot program that is limited to these two SOPH locations at this time.
- Q: The NOFO speaks about Outreach and Engagement and linkage case management, but not all the other services people usually need when exiting the SOF. Are there agencies set up to accept linkages? What is available in Springfield?
A: Potential grantees should develop relationships with service providers that meet the needs of participants upon discharge, and reflect these relationships in their grant application narrative.
- Q: Are there agencies set up to provide temporary housing while staff look for something more permanent?
A: Potential grantees are encouraged to develop relationships with housing providers to ensure that participants receive support for which they may be eligible upon discharge, and to reflect these relationships in their grant application narrative.
- Q: Are all participants entitled to Permanent Supportive Housing vouchers?
A: IDHS-DMH expects that some participants may be eligible for Permanent Supporting Housing vouchers. Potential grantees are encouraged to develop relationships with housing providers to ensure that participants receive support for which they may be eligible upon discharge, and to reflect these relationships in their grant application narrative.
- Q: The NOFO states an agency needs to have a community presence. Does an agency also need to have a CMHC to apply?
A: A Grantee does not need to be a Community Mental Health Center, but will be required to ensure successful linkage to a community-based mental health provider for program participants.
- Q: Is there any data available for the SOF such as an unduplicated client count or # of discharges for last few years?
A: For this pilot project, the following projected number of annual discharges is expected from Madden: 350, and from Packard: 155.
- Q: Where can I request a copy of the slideshow for today's Technical Assistance session?
A: You can request a pdf copy of the slideshow by emailing DHS.DMHGrantApp@Illinois.gov.
- Q: Will you only be receiving referrals from Madden or Packard for individuals that are planning to come live in your service area?
A: The NOFO states that patients must meet these criteria to be eligible for the Successful Transitions program: (1) Scheduled for discharge within the next 90 days, and (2) Prefer to live within the Grantee's designated service area. Grantees will only receive referrals of consumers who meet both of these criteria.
- Q: Our agency was involved in the Pilot program for 855. Our biggest struggle in general was housing. Can you explain how this program will be different than Program 855?
A: Program 240 is intended to be a coordination and referral type of program in which supports will be offered to help the individual transition into the community. The intention of the program is to support individuals as they are leaving the hospital and transitioning into the community, not to specifically provide housing. DMH is aware that there are numerous challenges with obtaining housing and we would refer you to our Program 225 Housing is Recovery as a possible resource to assist.
- Q: Part of the Performance Measures are how many people are able to find adequate and stable housing, and remain housed. With the large population at Madden and the number of individuals that are unhoused and searching for housing at a group home, nursing home, or other residential program as well as seeking recovery services, in addition to the number of individuals who are undocumented and unable to obtain services, we see this as a significant challenge. How do you propose we address this?
A: The Performance Measures include the number of post-discharge participants linked to a Permanent Supportive Housing provider, not the number who obtain housing. Potential grantees are encouraged to develop relationships with housing providers to ensure that participants receive support for which they may be eligible upon discharge, and to reflect these relationships in their grant application narrative.
- Q: What is the link for additional information about Wellness and Recovery Support?
A: IDHS-DMH Recovery Support Services resources may be found at: https://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=36696.
- Q: The anticipated approximated discharge numbers mentioned is in what time frame?
A: A full year.
- Q: Is there a required timeline for the program launching operations?
A: Potential grantees should indicate their anticipated timeline for launching operations in their application narrative. DMH recognizes that grantees will have a startup period while they hire staff and build referral relationships, but we expect that the awarded grantees will be fully operational by early FY25.
- Q: Are there other allowable staffing outside of the peer staffing that can be brought on such as housing specialists or benefit coordinators?
A: Proposed costs should be included in the budget and budget narrative. This program is not meant to supplant other efforts separately funded by DMH, such as housing programs, or to take the place of Medicaid-billable services.
- Q: Performance Requirements, #5 indicates: "Where clinically appropriate and medically necessary, the Grantee must bill Medicaid for engagement and recovery services that align with Medicaid community-based mental health and substance use treatment services, including case management. The Grantee cannot bill both Medicaid and the Successful Transitions program grant for the same service, and grant funds should be the payer of last resort for engagement services. The Grantee may be reimbursed through the Successful Transitions program grant for services delivered that are not reimbursed through Medicaid." If a nonprofit applicant does not currently bill Medicaid for mental health services, would this preclude the agency from being funded?
A: Grantees do not have to bill Medicaid for mental health services, but do need to be able to link participants to Medicaid-funded mental health services. However, the grant cannot be used to fund the delivery of services that could be reimbursed by Medicaid.
- Q: The 240 Successful Transitions NOFO 24-444-22-3343-01 indicates an award range of $200,000 - $500,000 for FY24 and $1,200,000 - $3,000,000 for FY25. To be eligible for this opportunity, must the proposed FY24 & FY25 program budgets fall within the listed award range? Can a proposal that is below this range be considered and potentially awarded funding?
A: The award range is an estimated range. The applicant should request the amount that they believe will be necessary to provide the services requested in the NOFO.
- Q: Is the CSA Budget submission to be for the last 2 months of FY24 only or is it to be for the 14-month period from May 2024 to June 2025?
A: The FY24 budget should be submitted for 2 months, May and June 2024. The NOFO also requires that a PDF Version of the FY25 Budget, for the period of July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025, be submitted with your application. Therefore, the FY24 2-month budget is entered in the CSA Tracking System and the FY25 budget is submitted as a PDF attachment with the application.
- Q: Per NOFO instructions for the Criteria Capacity/Agency Qualifications we are to provide an organization chart. Is this to be part of the 3-page limit, or is it to be an attachment?
A: It can be an attachment. It is not included in the 3 page limit.
