HHS – Health Center Program – Service Area Competition (2019)

By NLADA on August 2, 2019

Applications Due: September 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. Supplemental information must be submitted via HRSA EHBs by October 30, 2019 at 5 p.m.

The purpose of this grant program is to improve the health those who are medically underserved by providing primary health care services.

Funding Title: Service Area Competition (SAC)

Agency Name: Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration

Funding Opportunity Number: HRSA-20-018

Funding Instrument Type: Grant

Express Language for Legal Aid: Yes. HRSA Section 330 funding for Community Health Centers is the funding from which community health centers use to fund “enabling services,” which includes legal services through the practice of medical-legal partnership.

Service Descriptors for Form 5A mentions legal aid: “Eligibility assistance services are support to health center patients to establish eligibility for and gain access to appropriate federal, state and local programs that provide or financially support the provision of medical, social, educational, housing, or other related services (e.g., Medicaid, Veteran’s benefits, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Legal Aid).”

Additionally, legal aid is mentioned as an additional enabling/supportive service: “Additional enabling/supportive services are beyond any required case management services and support a health center patient’s access to non-medical, social, educational or other related services (e.g., child care, food banks/meals, employment and education counseling, legal services/legal aid).”

You can access the document stating this either through the link above or going here, clicking on Form 5A: Services Provided, and then clicking on the link “Service Descriptors for Form 5A: Services Provided.”

Target Population: Medically underserved populations, defined as “the population of an urban or rural area designated by the Secretary as an area with a shortage of personal health services or a population group designated by the Secretary as having a shortage of such services.”

Expected Number of Awards: Up to 62

Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement: No.

Estimated Total Program Funding: $223,584,997

Award Ceiling: $0

Award Floor: $0

How to Apply: HRSA requires applicants for this funding opportunity announcement to apply electronically through Grants.gov and in HRSA EHB. Applicants must use a two-tier submission process for the Service Area Competition and follow the directions provided at Grants.gov and in HRSA EHB.

Step 1 – Grants.gov – Required information must be submitted and validated by Grants.gov no later than September 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. ET

Step 2 – HRSA EHB – Supplemental information must be submitted via HRSA EHB no later than October 30, 2019 at 5:00 p.m. ET

Only applicants who successfully submit and have an application validated in Grants.gov (Step 1) by the due date/time may submit the additional required information in HRSA EHB (Step 2). Applicants will be notified by HRSA confirming the successful receipt of the application and requiring the Project Director and Authorized Organization Representative to submit additional information in HRSA EHB.

Current Closing Date for Applications: by September 30, 2019 at 11:59 p.m. Supplemental information must be submitted via HRSA EHBs by October 30, 2019 at 5 p.m.

Eligible Applicants: Only domestic public or nonprofit private entities are eligible. These include: independent school districts, city or township governments, special district governments, nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Native American tribal organizations (other than federally recognized tribal governments), Native American tribal governments (federally recognized), county governments, private institutions of higher education, public and state controlled institutions of higher education, and state governments.

Link to Full Announcement: Link

Contact information: Contact Donna M. Marx, Grants Management Specialist at (301) 594-4245 or email: dmarx@hrsa.go. A technical assistance website has been established to provide you with instructions for, and copies of, forms; FAQs; and other resources that will help you submit a competitive application. To review available resources, visit the SAC Technical Assistance website.