Q&A (26-444-22-3072-01)

Q: Would this grant opportunity allow for a juvenile reentry program, or is there a grant out there specifically for this?
A: The Successful Re-Entry program will operate in up to three IDOC centers: Lincoln Correctional Center, Logan Correctional Center and/or Decatur Correctional Center. These three facilities all house and serve an adult population. Therefore, juveniles are not a part of the participant population for this program.
Q: The NOFO lists a Project Director and a CRSS or CPRS as required staff. Are there any other required staffing qualifications?
A: No
Q: How many staff are required, and is there a minimum or maximum staff to client ratio?
A: There is not a required number of staff for the program, but the application must at a minimum include a Project Director who will be responsible for all aspects of development and oversight of the Successful Reentry Program and either a Certified Recovery Support Specialist (CRSS) or Certified Peer Recovery Specialist (CPRS) who is credentialed or can obtain one of these credentials within one year of date of hire. There is not a minimum or maximum staff to client ratio.
Q: In addition to the correctional facilities listed on the NOFO, are there any designated counties or service areas that are required under this program?
A: Not that are required, no. The application narrative should identify the proposed service area to be covered.
Q: In section C. of the NOFO (Executive Summary), the text states that eligible clients must be "scheduled for parole within six months of entering the program." However, in Section III (Program Requirements), the NOFO states that eligible clients must be "scheduled for parole within the next 12 months." What is the minimum timeframe for parole for eligible clients?
A: The minimum timeframe for parole eligible clients is 6 months. Given that adjustments for 'good time' do occur for individuals in custody, participants can be enrolled with a release date up to 12 months out.
Q: Under this NOFO, how is "serious mental illnesses or co-occurring mental health and substance use challenges" defined? Are there examples of targeted diagnoses?
A: Rather than identifying particular diagnoses, individuals eligible for this program would be selected from those that IDOC designate as "on the mental health caseload."
Q: Are applicants required to diagnose program participants?
A: No
Q: Is there opportunity for renewal of funds beyond the grant term? If so, for what renewal length?
A: Per the NOFO, Section A 5, Successful applicants under this NOFO may be eligible to receive two subsequent one-year grant renewals for this program. Renewals are at the discretion of the Department and are based on sufficient appropriation and performance criteria including, but not limited to:
1. Grantee has performed satisfactorily during the previous reporting period.
2. All required reports have been submitted on time, unless a written exception has been provided by the Division/Department.
3. No outstanding issues are present (e.g., in good standing with all pre-qualification requirements and no outstanding corrective action, etc.).
Q: Our organization provides new shoes to those in need. We would like to partner with an agency to provide footwear for those inmates recently released. Can the awarded agency provide shoes to those participating in the program?
A: Yes. An applicant can provide new shoes to an inmate that has been recently released, or they may subcontract with another agency to provide that service.
Q: What are the 3 locations served by Program 235?
A: The Successful Re-Entry program will operate in up to three IDOC centers: Lincoln Correctional Center, Logan Correctional Center and/or Decatur Correctional Center.
Q: Can applicants apply for any of the three facilities to do the pre-release work or only one?
A: Applicant may apply for 1, 2 or all 3 locations based upon their capacity to serve the individuals at those locations.
Q: Can you only serve individuals returning to a specific region of the state?
A: The individual being served needs to be returning to a service area that your organization covers so that they are able to continue receiving post-release services from the same organization they received their pre-release services from.
Q: May the awarded grantee subcontract some or all of the services, and is there a process?
A: Yes the grantee may subcontract services. The applicant would need to explain in the Program Narrative as well as the budget what services the subcontractor would be providing as well as how the grantee plans to provide oversight of the subcontractor. The applicant would need to include the subcontractor budget within the CSA budget as well as on a separate pdf using the budget template.
Q: Are there any restrictions on the types of basic needs that can be funded (i.e. cash assistance)?
A: Assistance provided by the grantee to the individual being served cannot be in cash or cash equivalent such as a gift card. Assistance must be paid for directly by the grantee for services such as housing location. Assistance is not a stipend and is not intended to pay for monthly rent, but rather is intended as a bridge subsidy to get the individual situated and settled into the community. For housing assistance, the payment must occur within the 30 days post-release from incarceration.
Q: A client cannot be supported for housing for more than 30 days using grant funds, but could other funds outside of State of Illinois grant funding be used to continue to provide support?
A: Yes. If your organization has other funding sources that you utilize to help individuals with housing, you may use those funds after the 30 days have ended. Grant funds are intended to be used as a short term solution during the time immediately after release where the individuals needs are high and resources are sometimes not easily accessed until the individual is connected to a longer term solution.