2016 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Scholarship Grant Program

2016 Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Scholarship Grant Program Application Guidelines Office of Rural Health & Primary Care The purpose of this document is to assist you in preparing an application for funds to support employee scholarship programs designed to bolster the education and training of workforce in home and community-based services providers. This document has four sections. The first explains the funding source and background of the program. The second provides instructions for the preparation of the application. The third section summarizes the criteria to be used for selecting grant applications. The fourth and final section is a checklist to ensure all components are included. Section I Background, purpose, and funding source Home and Community-Based (HCBS) Scholarship Grant Program Office of Rural Health and Primary Care BACKGROUND Minnesota Statutes Section 144.1503 authorizes the Commissioner of Health to award grants to eligible providers under the Home and Community-Based (HCBS) Scholarship Grant Program. The program exists to help HCBS providers enhance the education and training of their workforce through in-house employee scholarship programs. A. Eligible Grant Applicants An eligible applicant for this program meets all of the following criteria: Is located in Minnesota; Primarily provides services in home and community-based settings to individuals who are 65 years of age or older; Is one of the following providers: o Housing with Services establishment as defined in MN Statute 144D.01 o Adult Day Care facility as defined in MN Statute 245A.02 o Home Care Services providers as defined in MN Statute 144A.43, subd. 3 Offers an in-house employee scholarship program to its staff, or is developing a scholarship program for this grant program B. Duration of Funding Awards will be made for a period of 12-24 months and extensions may be possible. Applicants should include a realistic estimate of the time the scholarship program will require. 1

C. Total Available Funding Fiscal Year 2016 total funding will be approximately $950,000. Given the level of funding, MDH is limiting the maximum award amount to $50,000. If more applications are selected than can be supported at their full request, MDH may reduce the requested grant amounts for individual grantees. D. Eligible Scholarship Recipients Eligible scholarship recipients from in-house scholarship programs must work at least an average of 16 hours per week for the organization during the scholarship period. Eligible courses of study for scholarship recipients include trainings, workshops, and degree programs directly related to the delivery of patient or client care in home and community-based services settings. This includes job-related training or degree programs in the field of long-term care, including care for persons with disabilities, social work, occupational therapy, physical therapy, nursing, or other relevant degrees. Other eligible courses of study may include single class trainings, training for medical care interpreter services, or job-related English as a second language. Courses of study not directly related to the delivery of care, such as accounting, coding, human resources, or management are not eligible for scholarship funds. Individual trainings not directly related to the improvement of patient or client care for example, HIPAA training, or required orientation or annual trainings for employees are not eligible for scholarship funds E. Eligible Expenses for Grant Funds Grant funds can be spent on direct scholarship awards to employees of grantee organizations or to schools, or on direct payment to providers of eligible trainings. Eligible scholarship expenses include tuition, books, and fees related to an employee s course of study, and/or costs related to obtaining a certificate or license expected to lead to career advancement within the organization or within the field of long-term care. Grant funds cannot be spent on administration, salary or fringe, out of state travel or lodging, supplies, equipment, or capital improvements. F. MDH Administrative/Technical Program Support MDH will provide consultation and guidance in completing the application process. For assistance, contact Will Wilson, Office of Rural Health & Primary Care at: 800-366-5424 or 651-201-3842. G. Timeline RFP published: August 31, 2015 Application due in WebGrants no later than 4 p.m.: October 30, 2015 Application decisions: Approx. November 20, 2015 Contracts completed, funds available: Approx. January 4, 2016 2

Section II - Preparing the Application 2016 HCBS Scholarship Grant Program Office of Rural Health and Primary Care Electronic Submission The following outline and instructions should be used to prepare the grant application, and be submitted using the WebGrants @ MDH electronic grant management system, available at: https://www.grants.health.mn.gov/home.do WebGrants @ MDH supports electronic forms, electronic signatures, and attachments. Attachments must be typewritten, double-spaced, consecutively numbered, and saved in standard office software such as Microsoft Word or PDF. While additional documentation may be submitted, such material should be relevant to the specific scope of the grant. Required Forms and Documents A. Grant Application Form. Applicants are required to complete and submit this form in WebGrants. Complete all items. B. Due Diligence Review and Financial Questionnaire. Applicants are required to complete and submit this form in WebGrants. This form is required from all applicants for grants up to $50,000. All applicants are required to complete this form. C. Organization Financial Statement (attach only relevant documentation) Applicants must include a current financial statement of the organization, to demonstrate solvency. This can be a recent 990 form, a professionally prepared audit, balance sheet, or income statement that shows the most recently available annual revenue and expenses. Attached documentation must be specific to the HCBS provider where the scholarship program will be administered, not documentation from a larger organization. D. Proof of Active Licensure or Registration (attach only relevant documentation) Applications must include documentation of current registration as a housing with services establishment, or licensure as an adult day care facility or a home care agency. E. Program Description (5 pages maximum). Write a summary of the existing provider organization, which includes the following: o Description of the organization s history, location, staff, administrative structure, partnerships, and budget; o Description of the organization s emphasis and/or specialty, including the population served, evidence that the organization serves primarily older Minnesotans, cultural competencies of the organization, and any unique characteristics; 3

o Description of existing staff retention concerns, including any evidence of staff turnover, recruitment efforts, and plans to retain workforce not receiving scholarships; o Description of plans for retaining any scholarship recipients after the degree is obtained or the training is completed; o Statement of need for state grant funds. Applicants are encouraged to submit information about their program costs, other funding sources and other information on the need for state support. Applicants are also encouraged to request less than the maximums allowed; awards may be made for reduced amounts, especially if more competitive applications are received than can be funded at their full requests. F. Description of the Existing or Proposed Scholarship Program (10 pages maximum). Each applicant must describe in detail the nature, intent, and scope of the existing or proposed scholarship program. At a minimum, an eligible scholarship program must cover employees costs related to a course of study that is expected to lead to career advancement with the provider, or in the field of long-term care, including home care, care of persons with disabilities, or nursing. Eligible scholarship recipients must work at least an average of 16 hours per week for the provider while they are studying. In the description, include sufficient detail to define: o The organization s need for a scholarship program. How has the organization determined the demand for the program? What are the specific goals (short-term) and outcomes (long-term) to be achieved with the program? o The projected recipients. How many employees will be eligible for scholarship funding? What courses of study and/or trainings will be available for scholarship funding? o The amount to be offered to scholarship recipients. How will the organization determine award amounts? Will award amounts be consistent for all employees? o The organization s scholarship selection process. How will employees be notified of availability of the scholarship program? What criteria will be used to ensure fairness to all employees seeking scholarship funds? What criteria will be used to select scholarship recipients? o The distribution of funds for the scholarship program. How many awards will be offered? What is the proposed method and timeframe for distributing scholarship awards? What is the proposed length of the grant period with MDH, to accommodate distribution of awards? o The scholarship program s method of verification. How will the organization verify that degrees are obtained or trainings are completed? How will the organization verify that scholarship funds will be spent only on eligible expenses? 4

G. Grant Budget A. Grant Budget Form: required from all applicants. Complete the Budget Form in WebGrants. Include a description of funding requested by budget line item, and any non-state funds that will be used for the scholarship program during the grant period. B. Grant Budget Justification Narrative (3 pages maximum) In order to explain each line entered on the Grant Budget Form, attach a narrative description of the requested grant funds. For example, if you are requesting funds for trainings expenses, include a breakdown of the costs or estimates used to calculate the amount requested. Also describe the source and amount of any non-state funds that will be used in the scholarship program. Attach the form where required. More detail on the lines of the budget: Employee tuition, books, and fees related to a degree or certificate These are costs incurred by the employee which are directly related to an eligible degree or certificate program. A description of how these costs will be paid should be included in the Description of Existing or Proposed Scholarship Program document, detailed above. For this document, include a breakdown of the costs or estimates used to calculate the amount requested. For example, the assumptions of how much each scholarship award will be, and the number of anticipated recipients. Employee costs related to obtaining a certificate or license These are costs required by licensing boards for the employee to obtain an active license or certificate. For example, assumptions of the licensing fee from the Board of Nursing, and the number of anticipated recipients. Training Expenses These are costs associated with eligible trainings to be attended by employees. Include information on estimated cost for training from vendors. For example, assumptions of the costs per student to attend an eligible one-day training program, and the number of employees anticipated to attend. Other All eligible costs should be included in the previous categories, but if a requested expense does not fit these categories, include detailed information describing the cost, and reasonable assumptions for the cost. MDH may not fund all requested expenses for the grant. 5

Section III Review Criteria 2016 HCBS Scholarship Grant Program Office of Rural Health and Primary Care A. Review Process After the submission deadline, MDH will review all submitted applications for eligibility and completeness. Complete applications from eligible applicants will move forward to a competitive review process. Applications will be scored by a grant review committee, using the criteria listed below. The review committee will also discuss other relevant factors. Review committee recommendations will be transmitted to the Commissioner for final funding decisions and subsequent contracting. B. Review Criteria All complete applications from eligible applicants will be scored on a 100-point scale. Below is a breakdown of that scale, and the component of the application where the information must be present o 30 points: Organization Description Is the organization description complete? Does the description adequately explain the organization s administrative structure, and budget? Does the description provide sufficient information about the organization s emphasis and population served? Does the organization serve underserved populations? o 50 points: Description of the Scholarship Program Is the description complete? Does the description clearly define a need for a scholarship program? Does the description adequately define the process by which scholarships will be made available and selected? Does the description clearly define which courses of study and trainings will be eligible for scholarship funding? Does the description clearly define how award amounts will be determined? Is the proposed timeframe reasonable? o 10 points: Sustainability Is there sufficient evidence that scholarship recipients supported by grant funds will be retained after the grant period? o 10 points: Proposed budget and proposed use of funds Is the proposed budget clear? Does the program description give adequate detail in how funds will be awarded and distributed? Is the budget reasonable? 6

Section IV - Application Checklist 2016 HCBS Scholarship Grant Program Office of Rural Health and Primary Care I. Required Forms in WebGrants: o o o Grant Application Form Due Diligence Review and Financial Questionnaire Grant Budget Form II. III. IV. Organization Financial Statement Attach financial documentation specific to the applicant organization Proof of Active Licensure or Registration Attach documentation verifying an active license or registration Organization Description (5 pages max) Attach a narrative description of the program s history, structure, emphasis, and recent outcomes V. Description of the Scholarship Program (10 pages max) Attach documentation detailing the size and scope of the existing or proposed scholarship program VI. Grant Budget Justification Narrative (3 pages max) Attach a narrative description of each line entered in the Grant Budget Form, with anticipated costs and/or estimates used to calculate requested grant funds If selected, the state will reimburse grantees after receipt of an invoice, and a progress report. MDH will provide a template progress report, which will include, at a minimum: o The total amount spent on scholarships during the invoice period o The number of employees who received scholarships o The amount awarded to each recipient o The name of all scholarship recipients o The current position of all scholarship recipients in the organization o Verification that each recipient has worked at least an average of 16 hours per week for the organization while studying o The education institution attended by each recipient o The nature of the educational program into which each recipient has enrolled o The expected completion date of the educational program for each recipient o A narrative description of the implementation and management of the scholarship program during the invoice period 7

Once grant selections are announced, all submitted application documentation becomes public data. 8