Request for Proposals: Texas Psychology Internships Initiative. Deadline: June 8, 2011

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1 Request for Proposals: Texas Psychology Internships Initiative Deadline: June 8, 2011 The Hogg Foundation for Mental Health invites Texas organizations to submit proposals to create a new pre-doctoral psychology internship program in Texas and pursue program accreditation from the American Psychological Association (APA). The primary goal of this initiative is to attract doctoral students in psychology to careers as mental health providers in Texas by expanding the number of highquality internship programs that enable them to proceed with the education and training required for state licensure and professional practice. A secondary goal is to increase the availability of psychological services in Texas communities that are underserved with respect to mental health services. The foundation anticipates awarding two grants through this initiative. The foundation plans to award each recipient up to $550,000 over a five-year grant period as follows: September 2011 August 2012, $100,000; September 2012 August 2013, $125,000; September 2013 August 2014, $125,000; September 2014 August 2015, $125,000; and September 2015 August 2016, $75,000. Please read the following information carefully before submitting your proposal. Any additional information about this request for proposals (RFP) will be posted on the foundation s Web site at It is the respondent s responsibility to refer to the Web site for the most current information. TABLE OF CONTENTS A. Deadlines and Submission Information 1. Proposal Deadline 2. Submission Process 3. Inquiries 4. Teleconference for Potential Respondents 5. Notification and Release of Funds B. Background C. Program Description D. Program Details 1. Eligible Organizations 2. Grant Period 3. Required Grant Activities 4. Use of Grant Funds 5. Ability to Withdraw or Reissue RFP 6. Review and Selection Process E. Instructions for Grant Proposal 1. Proposal Cover Letter 2. Internship Site Description 3. Description of Internship Training Program 4. APA Accreditation Timeline and Feasibility Analysis 5. Project Budget 6. Budget Narrative 7. Curriculum Vitae of Key Staff 8. Letter of Institutional Support 9. Letter of Support from Partner Organizations (if applicable) 10. Letter of Approval from University Grant Office (if applicable) 1

2 A. DEADLINES AND SUBMISSION INFORMATION 1. Proposal Deadline All proposals must be submitted online by noon central time on Wednesday, June 8, Submission Process All proposals must be submitted online by the deadline via the foundation s Web site at Instructions for submission will be provided on the Web site. See Section E. Instructions for Grant Proposal for a list of required documents and information. A federal tax identification number must be entered to begin the online submission process. Respondents will be instructed to upload the required documents as separate files. The system will notify respondents if their documents were not successfully uploaded. Respondents will receive an notification within three working days that the proposal was received and is complete. If the proposal is incomplete, the respondent will be notified and will have one business day following notification to complete the proposal. 3. Inquiries The foundation s communication with potential respondents is limited to correspondence and the Web site. Please send questions about the RFP by to Grants Management staff at Hogg-Grants@austin.utexas.edu. The foundation will not accept phone calls regarding the RFP except for questions relating to technical problems with the Web site submission process. For assistance with these issues, please contact Grants Management staff at (512) or Hogg-grants@austin.utexas.edu. 4. Teleconference for Potential Respondents The foundation will host an informational teleconference for potential respondents at 2 p.m. central time on Wednesday, April 20, Please register in advance for this call online at Dial-in instructions for the teleconference will be provided to those who have registered in advance. Please questions for the teleconference to Hogg-Grants@austin.utexas.edu by noon central time on Monday, April 18, Information provided during the teleconference will be available on the foundation s Web site at by Wednesday, April 27, Notification and Release of Funds Notice of awards will be made by August Grant funding is expected to begin in September B. BACKGROUND Since its founding in 1940, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health ( has advanced mental health in Texas through the support of effective mental health services, research, policy and public education. The foundation is part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement at The University of Texas at Austin. 2

3 The Hogg Foundation has a long history of grant making to universities, nonprofit organizations and other agencies to support education and training of mental health professionals in Texas. Psychologists are trained under one of two models. The scientist-practitioner model (Ph.D.), also referred to as the Boulder Model, proposes that psychologists must be more than consumers of scientific knowledge, they must also know how to produce it. Throughout their training the roles of scientist and competent researcher are developed alongside that of practitioner. Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) programs produce professionals who are practitioners first and scientists second, still emphasizing the importance of integrating science and practice, but with a focus on applying this knowledge to direct clinical intervention. Psychologists contribution to the field of mental health is distinctive in many respects. Psychologists administer tests and assessments that can help diagnose a mental health condition. This expertise in evaluation is coupled with formal training in diagnosis and psychopathology. Psychologists spend an average of seven years in graduate education training and research before receiving a doctoral degree. They must complete a dissertation and a supervised one-year clinical internship in an organized behavioral healthcare setting before they can complete their degree. Independent practice then comes only after another year of post-doctoral supervision and state licensure. It s this combination of doctoral-level training and a clinical internship that distinguishes psychologists from many other mental health care providers. (American Psychological Association, May 2010). Information from the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists indicates that supply ratios for psychologists in the U.S. increased from 37 to 56 per 100,000 residents between 1999 and 2009, but the number of psychologists in Texas only increased from 24.8 to 25.4 per 100,000 residents (Texas Statewide Health Coordinating Council, 2010). Psychologists in Texas tend to cluster around metropolitan areas, with the largest concentration in Central Texas. Counties in South Texas, West Texas and the Panhandle have considerably fewer psychologists, with 102 counties having no psychologists in Despite gains in 88 Texas counties between 2000 and 2009, 77 counties experienced a decrease, with 14 counties that had one or more psychologists in 2000 having none in It is clear that increasing the number of psychologists in high need and rural areas is an important workforce issue for Texas. However, a major barrier exists due to a lack of accredited internship opportunities in Texas. Students enrolling in one of three professional-track psychology doctoral programs (clinical, counseling or school psychology) must complete a one-year full-time or two-year half-time internship to complete their degree. The Association of Psychology Postdoctoral and Internship Centers (APPIC) holds a nationwide match day annually to pair psychology graduate students with internship positions. In 2009, nearly one in four students seeking an internship failed to match with an available position during the initial matching phase. This led the American Psychological Association (APA) to declare the situation a growing and serious concern (Statement of the APA Board of Directors on the Internship Imbalance Problem, 2009). The internship imbalance poses a tremendous challenge for both students and programs training them. Since the report was issued there have been two more match cycles. In 2010 the number of APA-accredited internship positions in the nationwide match decreased by two, while the number of non-accredited positions increased by 52, and 23 percent of the applicants went unmatched after the initial phase. In 2011 the situation worsened when the number of students participating in the match increased by 309 while the number of available internship positions increased by only 65. 3

4 Creation of new APA-accredited internships is essential for the education and retention of psychologists in Texas. Texas has only five percent of the 464 APA-accredited psychology internships in the U.S., though Texas is the second-largest state with respect to both area and population. Furthermore, internships in Texas cluster around Central Texas, Dallas, Ft Worth and Houston. There is one APA-accredited internship site in College Station and one in Lubbock. El Paso and the Rio Grande Valley have no psychology internship sites, although these areas tend to be underserved with respect to mental health services. C. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION Through this request for proposals, the Hogg Foundation seeks to award grants to Texas organizations to create new pre-doctoral psychology internship programs in Texas and pursue APA accreditation. The primary goal of this initiative is to attract doctoral students in psychology to careers as mental health providers in Texas by expanding the number of high-quality internship programs that enable them to proceed with education and training required for state licensure and professional practice. A secondary goal is to increase the availability of psychological services in Texas communities that are underserved with respect to mental health services. The foundation intends to increase high-quality psychological services in underserved areas by establishing new competitive training programs that attract well-qualified psychology interns to these communities. While the foundation recognizes the need for existing unaccredited internship programs to obtain APA accreditation, only proposed new programs will be eligible for funding through this grant. Consistent with the values of the foundation, there will be a preference for organizations and proposals that include recipients of mental health services and their families in the design, planning and implementation of programs, policies and services, thereby empowering consumers to be agents in their own recovery. The grant program will fund eligible organizations in Texas for up to five years to design internship programs, prepare or hire staff to supervise and operate the program, recruit and support interns, seek APA accreditation, and develop strategies for sustainability. Progress will be reviewed annually. Grant recipients must follow the accreditation timeline set in Section E.4. Timeline for APA Accreditation, and demonstrate substantial progress toward accreditation by January 2014 for funding to continue. Respondents must have a reasonable chance of meeting the APA requirements for accreditation in the designated timeframe, demonstrated by having sufficient psychologists on staff to support interns activities, evidence of institutional support, and a clear and well-defined general plan for developing an internship training program. For more information, see Guidelines and Principles for Accreditation of Programs in Professional Psychology: Quick Reference Guide to Internship Programs, 4

5 D. PROGRAM DETAILS 1. Eligible Organizations Texas-based nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations and governmental entities are eligible to apply. Examples of eligible organizations include armed forces medical centers, veterans affairs, child/adolescent psychiatric or pediatric hospitals or clinics, community mental health centers, prisons or other correctional facilities, outpatient clinics, psychiatric hospitals, school districts, public hospitals, mental health agencies, counseling centers at institutions of higher education, medical schools, or a consortium of these organizations. Private practices and established unaccredited internship sites are not eligible to apply. This grant program will not fund additional intern positions at established internship programs, regardless of their accreditation status. Preference will be shown for proposed internship programs that serve indigent populations, are located in communities with a scarcity of established APA-accredited internship sites, are located in areas underserved by psychologists, and include recipients of mental health services and their families in the design, planning and implementation of programs, policies and services. 2. Grant Period The grant period for this project is five years. The foundation plans to award each recipient up to $550,000 for the five-year grant period as follows: September 2011 August 2012, $100,000; September 2012 August 2013, $125,000; September 2013 August 2014, $125,000; September 2014 August 2015, $125,000; and September 2015 August 2016, $75, Required Grant Activities Grantees must develop a new pre-doctoral psychology internship program according to the terms of their agreement with the foundation, including but not limited to applying for APPIC membership, registering for and participating in the APPIC match, and complying with the designated timeline to apply for APA accreditation. In addition to seeking APA accreditation, other activities include but are not limited to designing an internship program, preparing or hiring staff to supervise and operate the program, recruiting and supporting interns, and developing strategies for sustainability. Each new internship site must begin with at least two interns and expand to three or more interns in subsequent years. Grantees must submit all required documents and reports as specified in their agreement with the foundation. Substantial progression toward APA accreditation must be made by January 2014 for funding to continue. Progress will be reviewed annually. 4. Use of Grant Funds Grant funds must be used for costs directly attributable to developing, implementing and evaluating the new psychology pre-doctoral internship project. 5

6 Grant funds may be utilized for any of the following (or some combination of these): Intern salaries and fringe (internship sites must begin with a minimum of two interns and expand to three or more interns each year after that) Psychologist and/or training director salaries or salary supplement Support staff time for training director APA accreditation and APPIC membership fees (application, membership and site visit) Conference fees and travel to attend self-study workshops and the APPIC annual conference Consultant fees for the APA accreditation process Overhead (maximum of 10 percent) The foundation does not pay for indirect costs to universities, with the exception of the 10 percent overhead. 5. Ability to Withdraw or Reissue RFP The foundation retains the right to withdraw the RFP at any time during the procurement process or to reissue the RFP in the future. 6. Review and Selection Process The foundation anticipates awarding two grants for this initiative. Grants will be awarded based on the merits of the proposals and will depend on the number of proposals submitted, the strength of each proposal, and the total amount of funds requested. Because the available funding limits the number of awards that can be made, this will be a competitive process and it may not be possible to support all worthy proposals. The foundation may include external reviewers to evaluate proposals. If all required information and documents listed in Section E. Instructions for Grant Proposal is not included in the proposal, it will be considered ineligible for review. Although all proposal sections will be considered in the review process, Section E.3. Description of Internship Training Program will be weighed most heavily. An important part of the selection process will be a site visit that tentatively will occur sometime between July 5 and July 14, Factors in evaluating the merit of the proposal include: Reasonable expectation of being able to meet APA requirements for accreditation. Sufficient psychologists on staff to support interns activities. Supervisors who have been through APA-accredited doctoral and internship programs. Psychologists who are trained and prepared to provide high-quality supervision. Cultural and linguistic competency addressed throughout the training. Sustainability plan and evidence of institutional support. Clear and well-defined general plan for developing an internship training program. See Section E.3. Description of Internship Training Program. 6

7 The foundation will show preference for proposed internship sites that currently: Serve communities (areas/counties) where psychologists are underrepresented. Serve communities (areas/counties) where there is a scarcity of APA-accredited internships. Serve communities or populations that are underserved in the area of mental health. Include recipients of mental health services and their families in designing, planning and implementing programs, policies and services. E. INSTRUCTIONS FOR GRANT PROPOSALS Completed proposals must be submitted online and must include the documents listed below. Respondents must put required information in the designated sections described below. Proposals that do not follow this format will not be considered. The following documents must be submitted electronically in the online proposal: 1. Proposal Cover Letter (PDF) 2. Organization Description (Word) 3. Description of Internship Training Program (Word) 4. APA Accreditation Timeline and Feasibility Analysis (Word) 5. Project Budget (Excel template provided on Web site) 6. Budget Narrative (Word) 7. Curriculum Vitae of Key Staff (Word) 8. Letter of Institutional Support (PDF) 9. Letters of Support from Partner Organizations, if applicable (PDF) 10. Letter of Approval from University Grant Office, if applicable (PDF) 1. Proposal Cover Letter The proposal cover letter must be submitted by the lead organization s executive director on the organization s letterhead. The letter should be signed, scanned and submitted as a PDF. It is limited to two pages and should include: a. Primary contact person b. Brief description of the organization c. A statement about the organization s readiness to establish a psychology internship program d. Staff psychologists training and experience in supervision e. Names and contact information of other organizations that would be involved in the internship (i.e. consortium) f. Director s signature 2. Internship Site Description A description of the internship site is limited to a single-spaced, one-page statement and should include the following: a. Type of facility b. Location and accessibility (e.g. on a bus route, taxi vouchers provided, etc.) c. Services provided d. Diversity of consumers served (including services to indigent consumers) e. What is the organization known for? 7

8 If the site will be a consortium of organizations, a separate page with the information above must be provided for each organization. 3. Description of Internship Training Program A description of the proposed internship program is limited to six, single-spaced pages and should include the following: a. Statement of why a training program is desired, the need for one in the organization s geographical area, and how it will benefit the organization and the community. b. Philosophy of the training program. What is the purpose of the training program? Who is it going to serve? What will it teach the interns? c. Statement of the goals and objectives of the training activities. d. Broad overview of planned training activities. e. Direct service activities (client contact): Description of the plan, location and sequence of direct service experiences for the interns. f. Description of how the program will prepare interns to be culturally and linguistically competent. How are cultural and linguistic competency already addressed in the organization? 4. APA Accreditation Timeline and Feasibility Analysis The expected timeline/progress toward APA accreditation is as follows: Recruit first class of interns through 2012 APPIC match and post-match vacancy service. First class of interns, Apply for APPIC membership by September 1, Obtain membership by February 1, Attend workshops on accreditation and write self-study, June 2013 June Apply for APA accreditation by June 1, Approved for site visit by December 1, Site visit in spring of Provide a written analysis of the feasibility of this timeline for your organization. The analysis is limited to two single-spaced pages and should address the following: How will you meet this timeline, what resources do you bring to meeting this timeline, and what challenges do you think you will encounter? Organizations should do an evaluation similar to that of a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats), though not as formal and extensive, noting: - Strengths: internal characteristics of the organization that give it an advantage. - Weaknesses: internal characteristics that place the organization at a disadvantage. - Opportunities: external factors that increase the organization s chances of success in establishing the internship program. - Threats: external elements in the environment that could pose challenges in establishing the internship program. 5. Project Budget Submit a budget (using required Excel form provided on the foundation s Web site) that outlines how grant funds will be spent. Justification and explanation of expenses should be reserved for the budget narrative. 8

9 The maximum five-year grant will be $550,000. The maximum per-year amounts are as follows: September 2011 August 2012, $100,000; September 2012 August 2013, $125,000; September 2013 August 2014, $125,000; September 2014 August 2015, $125,000; and September 2015 August 2016, $75,000. Refer to Section D.4. for expenses allowed under this grant. Note that internship sites must begin with a minimum of two interns and expand to three or more interns in subsequent years. If the budget does not include intern salaries and fringe, coverage of these expenses by other funds must be demonstrated. 6. Budget Narrative State in a narrative format how funds are to be utilized and justify why spending funds in this manner is necessary to establish a pre-doctoral psychology internship program. Please provide as much detail as possible. The budget narrative provides an opportunity to explain expenses reported in the project budget. 7. Curriculum Vitae of Key Staff Submit the curriculum vitae of the training director and other staff who will provide supervision. These will be reviewed to assess their ability to supervise interns in program activities. Each staff member s vitae should include education and employment history, training and experience in supervision, awards, administrative service, any other information relevant to the proposal, and a complete list of publications. For psychologists, APA accreditation status of their doctoral program and internship should be noted. 8. Letter of Institutional Support Provide a letter of support from the lead organization s board chair or, in the case of a university, the administrator in whose portfolio the department is situated. The letter must indicate support for the grant proposal, a commitment to the establishment of a pre-doctoral psychology internship program and APA accreditation process, and a commitment to sustainability of the internship program once grant funding has ceased. The letter should be signed, scanned and submitted as a PDF. 9. Letters of Support from Partner Organizations (if applicable) If the respondent proposes to partner with any other organizations to carry out the proposed project, signed letters of support from those organizations must be provided. A letter of support from the chief executive officer of the partner organization must state their support for the grant proposal, a commitment to establishing the internship program, and the nature of their involvement. The letter should be signed, scanned and submitted as a PDF. 10. Letter of Approval from University Grant Office (if applicable) Respondents with a higher education institution must submit either written approval from the institution s grant office (such as the Office of Sponsored Projects or Grants and Contracts), or a letter stating that such approval is not required for this type of grant proposal. The grant office review and approval process may take several business days. Respondents are strongly encouraged to submit proposals to their grant office with sufficient time for review and approval before the proposal deadline of Wednesday, June 8,