DV FVPSA ARP
The purpose of these allowable workforce capacity building expenses are to ensure the continuity of domestic violence services in local communities by allowing supplement funding to be used to sustain an advocacy workforce to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the needs of domestic violence survivors impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. A sustainable workforce is needed to operate COVID-19 testing programs, COVID-19 mitigation programs, or mobile health units access programs; and to coordinate partnerships with health departments for each local program to keep families healthy and safe during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
The implementation of this supplemental funding aligns with the FVPSA definition for supportive services. Supportive services is defined as services for adult and youth victims of family violence, domestic violence, or dating violence, and their dependents that are designed to meet the needs of such victims and their dependents for short-term, transitional, or long-term safety and recovery. Supportive services include, but are not limited to: direct and/or referral-based advocacy on behalf of victims and their dependents, counseling, case management, employment services, referrals, transportation services, legal advocacy or assistance, child care services, health, behavioral health and preventive health services, culturally and linguistically appropriate services, and other services that assist victims or their dependents in recovering from the effects of the violence. To the extent not already described in this definition, supportive services also include but are not limited to other services identified in FVPSA at 42 U.S.C. 10408(b)(1)(A)-(H). Supportive services may be directly provided by recipients and/or by providing advocacy or referrals to assist victims in accessing such services (45 CFR § 1370.2).
Please also note that the implementation of this supplemental funding also aligns with medical advocacy and other services in FVPSA at 42 U.S.C. 10408(b)(1)(A)-(H). Specification, FVPSA Section 308 includes the following for allowable activities as supportive services: (iii) medical advocacy, including provision of referrals for appropriate health care services (including mental health, alcohol, and drug abuse treatment).
All FVPSA grant recipients are trusted messengers and are expected to provide consistent, fact-based public health messaging to help domestic violence survivors make informed decisions about their health and COVID-19, including steps to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. The below four sections provide detailed information on the following allowable uses of funds for: COVID-19 testing; COVID-19 vaccine access; mobile health unit access; and workforce expansions, capacity building, and supports. Please note that FVPSA grant recipients are expected to use educational materials authorized by federal agencies and/or local public health departments.
Agencies must meet the Tennessee Family Violence Shelter Standards and must include funding allocated for the health and wellness of program participants and staff in relation to preventing, mitigating and responding to the COVID pandemic. Agencies are encouraged to build off of their community assessment of COVID related needs from the FVPSA CARES funding and partner with local health departments, and community health providers to assess ongoing and emerging needs and work with community partners to meet the needs of survivors. The purpose of this funding is to build upon creative policies and practices developed during COVID, promoting COVID prevention and mitigation, enhance health advocacy and access for survivors and their children and build workforce support and resilience to ensure ongoing access to services.
Examples of health and wellness activities include, but are not limited to:
· Implementing and strengthening innovative partnerships and pilot programs that will provide domestic violence survivors with access to COVID-19 testing; and COVID-19 vaccine programs/supports, and/or access to mobile health units.
· Provision of safe sheltering for victims to address their COVID status and mitigate transmission to others.
· Supporting access to mental health and substance use treatment and recovery services for clients; on site, virtually or via community based partners.
· Supplies and technology enhancements to ensure ongoing advocacy, case management and supportive services are available virually as well as in person as necessitated by the COVID pandemic.
· Assistance with transportation to further health outcomes; and assistance with job skills and employment assistance given workforce changes as a result of COVID 19.
· Providing resources to support advocates and organizations in addressing and preventing burnout and secondary trauma during COVID-19
· Enhancing benefits and pay for shelter staff; as per agency policy and prorated across all funding (must align with Please review HHS regulations 45 CFR § part 75 “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for HHS Awards,” Subpart E—Cost Principles, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E?toc=1 Grant recipients should thoroughly review these regulations before developing your proposed budget.). **** If this item is include in your budgets then agencies must submit their related agency policies.
All grant recipients are trusted messengers and are expected to provide consistent, fact-based public health messaging to help domestic violence survivors make informed decisions about their health and COVID-19, including steps to protect themselves, their families, and their communities. Please note that grant recipients are expected to use educational materials authorized by federal agencies and/or local public health departments.
Agencies should be following the Sheltering With Care: Tennessee Domestic Violence Shelter Best Practices Manual, and, in addition, should be in compliance with the Family Violence Shelter Standards.
The intent of the ARP COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units supplemental funding is to assist states, and territories with:
• Eliminating barriers to COVID-19 testing and supplies for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, and rural communities;
• Providing resources for onsite testing for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, and rural communities;
• Providing resources and access to rapid COVID-19 testing and supplies for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, and rural communities;
• Maintaining and increasing COVID-19 testing efforts for domestic violence survivors and their dependents;
• Expanding access to testing for rural communities, racial and ethnic specific communities, limited English proficient (LEP) individuals; and
• Expanding the range of COVID-19 mitigation activities for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, and rural communities.
The ARP COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units supplemental funding can be used for COVID-19 testing and mitigation-related expenses or to reimburse subrecipients for such expenses. Funding should assist the states, and territories with expanding testing and mitigation-related activities to best address the needs of the local communities in the service area(s). This includes both direct and indirect costs of COVID-19 testing and mitigation and other related expenses. It is important for states, and territories to demonstrate that each related expense is directly and reasonably related to the provision of COVID-19 testing or COVID-19 mitigation activities. Each related expense must be reasonable and appropriate given relevant clinical and public health guidance.
COVID-19 testing, mitigation, and -related expenses refer to the following:
• COVID-19 testing includes viral tests to diagnose active COVID-19 infections, antibody tests to diagnose past COVID-19 infections, and other tests that the Secretary and/or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) determines appropriate in guidance;
• Other activities to support COVID-19 testing, including planning for implementation of a COVID-19 testing program, providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals, procuring supplies to provide testing, training providers and staff on COVID-19 testing procedures, and reporting data to HHS on COVID-19 testing activities; or
• Supplies to provide COVID-19 testing including, but not limited to:
· Test kits,
· Swabs,
· Storage (e.g., refrigerator, freezer, temperature-controlled cabinet),
· Storage unit door safeguards (e.g., self-closing door hinges, door alarms, door locks),
· Sharps disposal containers, and
· Temperature monitoring equipment.
• COVID-19 mitigation includes efforts, activities, and strategies to reduce or prevent local COVID-19 transmission and minimize morbidity and mortality of COVID-19 in sectors such as schools, workplaces, and health care organizations, described in the CDC Community Mitigation Framework.
· Mitigation activities may include, but are not limited to, case investigation, contact tracing, COVID-19 screening, COVID-19 testing promotion and confidence building, community education, health behavior promotion, and referrals to testing, clinical services, and support services.
· COVID-19 testing and mitigation related-expenses include:
o Leasing of properties and facilities as necessary to support COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 mitigation;
o Digital technologies to strengthen the recipient’s core capacity to support the public-health response to COVID-19;
o Education, rehabilitation, prevention, treatment, and support services for symptoms occurring after recovery from acute COVID-19 infection, including, but not limited to, support for activities of daily living—this includes services for the range of symptoms described as Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) (i.e., long COVID-19) and providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals maintenance;
o Items and services furnished to an individual during health care provider office visits (including in-person visits and telehealth visits) in connection with an order for or administration of COVID-19 testing or COVID-19 mitigation activities; and
o Other activities to support COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 mitigation, including, but not limited to, planning for implementation, providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals maintenance, and/or expansion of a COVID-19 testing program and/or COVID-19 mitigation program, procuring supplies to provide COVID-19 testing, training providers and staff on COVID-19 testing procedures or COVID-19 mitigation, and reporting data to HHS on COVID-19 testing activities and COVID-19 mitigation activities.
The intent of this supplemental funding is to provide resources for states and territories, to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines for domestic violence survivors and their dependents including individuals from vulnerable and medically underserved communities. States and territories and subrecipients may use funds to address any barriers to vaccines that may be experienced by domestic violence survivors and their dependents.
The supplemental testing funding can be used for supplies and vaccine administration fees for administering the COVID-19 vaccine are outlined below but are not limited to:
• Administration of a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine,
• Administration of the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine requiring a series of two or more doses,
• Administration of the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine requiring a series of two or more doses,
• Administration of recommended booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, and
• Other activities to support COVID-19 vaccine access or administration, including planning for implementation of a COVID-19 vaccine program, providing interpreters and translated materials for LEP individuals, procuring supplies to provide vaccines, training providers and staff on COVID-19 vaccine procedures, and reporting data on vaccine activities.
Allowable uses of funds may include, but are not limited to, the development and sharing of vaccine related outreach and education materials that are culturally competent or linguistically appropriate, conducting face-to-face outreach as appropriate, making phone calls or other virtual outreach to community members for education and assistance, providing information on the closest vaccine locations, organizing pop-up vaccination sites, making vaccine appointments for individuals, making vaccine reminder calls/texts, and arranging for transportation and childcare assistance to vaccine appointments, as needed, and using interpreters and translated materials for communications with LEP individuals.
The implementation of this supplemental funding is intended to build upon national vaccine education and outreach efforts (including the HHS-funded programs listed under technical assistance resources below), while tailoring approaches to meet the unique needs of the community. Further, this funding will directly support the increase in state, territorial, and local domestic violence workforce needed to implement this supplemental funding, support access to vaccines, and support coordination with the local health department, health centers or Indian Health Service (IHS) centers that will support addressing any barriers to vaccination for domestic violence survivors and their dependents, including individuals from vulnerable, underserved, rural and racial or ethnic specific communities.
Implementation efforts are expected to be coordinated with the local health department or IHS and may include, but are not limited to: vaccine promotion, information dissemination to survivors about how and where to get vaccinated, coordinating with existing vaccination sites and public health partners to identify isolated and/or vaccine hesitant populations, and increased community and individual patient literacy on benefits of broad vaccination and the safety of vaccines.
Mobile health units are an innovative model of health care delivery that could help alleviate health disparities among vulnerable populations and individuals with chronic diseases. The target populations of mobile health units include vulnerable communities such as the homeless, displaced populations, immigrant communities, migrant workers, the under-insured, and children. Historically, these populations and communities are often disconnected from traditional health care settings and require support in accessing health care.
Mobile health units travel to partnering locations and provide services on a recurring basis. For example, mobile health units across the country have successfully partnered with other agencies serving the homeless in the community, such as homeless shelters, faith-based organizations, and food banks. Access to services, engagement in care, and successful utilization of needed services may lead to measurable improvements in health care outcomes among homeless populations of individuals and families.
The FVPSA Program is providing supplemental testing funding to assist states and territories domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific programs, and rural communities with establishing partnerships with health departments, hospitals, and IHS facilities to access mobile health units to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 for domestic violence survivors and their dependents.
Specifically, this supplemental funding is intended to assist states, territories, shelters, culturally specific organizations, and rural communities with establishing or maintaining contracts with existing mobile health units operated by hospitals, medical clinics, health centers, and public health nonprofit organizations. This funding is intended to provide resources for states, territories, shelters, domestic violence programs, and culturally specific organizations to have contractual agreements with mobile health units to make regular visits each week to shelter locations, program locations, or transitional housing locations. FVPSA grant recipients are not expected to purchase or operate their own mobile health units.
Partnerships with mobile health units can FVPSA recipients expand access for survivors and their dependents who are in rural parts of their state, or who are members of underserved communities by giving them greater flexibility to bring health care services even closer to survivors who may be isolated from health care.
In terms of access to mobile health units, the International Journal for Equity in Health states that there are an estimated 2,000 mobile clinics operating across the United States (US), serving 7 million people annually, (Attipoe-Dorcoo, S., Delgado, R., Gupta, A., Bennet, J., Oriol, N. E., & Jain, S. H. (2020). Mobile health clinic model in the COVID-19 pandemic: lessons learned and opportunities for policy changes and innovation. International journal for equity in health, 19(1), 73. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-020-01175-7).
Mobile health unit is defined “as a unit that is staffed by clinicians working for or on behalf of a health center, hospital, or medical association to provide medical or oral health services at one or more locations” (Yu, S., Hill, C., Ricks, M. L., Bennet, J., & Oriol, N. E. (2017). The scope and impact of mobile health clinics in the United States: a literature review. International journal for equity in health, 16(1), 178. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-017-0671-2).
The supplemental testing funds can be used to establish or maintain contracts with mobile health units for regularly scheduled visits or on-call visits to domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, or rural communities to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Additional allowable uses of funds are outlined below but are not limited to:
• COVID-19 testing and vaccine administration;
• Preventative health services to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 such as vaccines, primary health care, or behavioral health services; and
• Operational costs or supply costs associated with the operation of mobile health units to partner with domestic violence shelters, programs, culturally specific organizations, or rural communities.
The supplemental testing funds can be used for COVID-19 workforce related expansions and supports, or to reimburse subrecipients for such costs and for costs that include but are not limited to:
• Planning for implementation of a COVID-19 testing program, COVID-19 mitigation program, or mobile health units access program;
• Training providers and staff on COVID-19 testing procedures, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities;
• Hiring culturally-competent and linguistically-appropriate providers and staff to carry out COVID-19 testing procedures, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities;
• Reporting data to HHS on COVID-19 testing activities, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities; and
• Expenses to secure and maintain adequate personnel to carry out COVID-19 testing, COVID-19 mitigation activities, or mobile health unit coordination activities; may be considered allowable costs under applicable HHS regulations if the activity generating the expense and/or the expenses are necessary to secure and maintain adequate personnel. Please review HHS regulations 45 CFR § part 75 “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for HHS Awards,” Subpart E—Cost Principles, https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-A/part-75/subpart-E?toc=1. These requirements apply to all FVPSA grant recipients, and any subrecipients. All FVPSA grant recipients should thoroughly review these regulations before developing your proposed budget. Such expenses may include:
· Hiring bonuses and retention payments,
· Childcare,
· Transportation subsidies, and
· Other fringe or personal benefits authorized by HHS regulations (45 CFR part 75).
The purpose of these allowable workforce capacity building expenses are to ensure the continuity of domestic violence services in local communities by allowing supplement funding to be used to sustain an advocacy workforce to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the needs of domestic violence survivors impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency. A sustainable workforce is needed to operate COVID-19 testing programs, COVID-19 mitigation programs, or mobile health units access programs; and to coordinate partnerships with health departments for each local program to keep families healthy and safe during the COVID-19 public health emergency.
PARTNERSHIPS
The impact of experiencing domestic violence has lifelong, health related consequences for survivors, including chronic pain, traumatic brain injury, digestive problems, reproductive and maternal health concerns, and the potential loss of a medical home. Housing instability and homelessness exacerbate this problem. Health care providers, working in partnership with states, territories, domestic violence service providers, and culturally specific organizations, represent important opportunities for mitigating the spread of COVID-19 through integrated health and community-based supports for families that face particular barriers at the intersection of domestic violence, homelessness, and health care.
A consortium of community partners and health care providers enables domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, and rural communities to support the safety and health needs of domestic violence survivors and increases health supports to mitigate the spread of COVID-19.
Partnership Resources:
• CDC Community coalition-based COVID-19 Prevention and Response provides guidance on using a whole-community approach to prepare for COVID-19 among people experiencing homelessness, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/homeless-shelters/unsheltered-homelessness.html#coalition.
• The FVPSA-funded National Health Resource Center on Domestic Violence has developed two resources that can help states, territories, shelters, programs, and health care providers build and sustain strong partnerships.
• A step-by-step online guide for community health centers on building partnerships with Domestic Violence (DV) and Sexual Assault (SA) advocacy, addressing violence in health centers, and promoting prevention: IPVHealthPartners.org.
• An online toolkit for health care providers and DV advocates to prepare a clinical practice to address domestic and sexual violence, including screening instruments, sample scripts for providers, patient and provider educational resources: IPVHealth.org.
Partnering organizations may include entities such as:
• Community-based organizations (including faith-based organizations and social service organizations),
• Local chapters of national medical/health associations,
• Local health departments,
• IHS,
• HRSA-funded health centers,
• Health centers and other community-based health providers,
• Culturally specific community-based organizations,
• Philanthropic organizations,
• Local municipal entities, such as fire departments and Emergency Medical Services,
• Social service providers (e.g., food banks, community transportation, childcare),
• Runaway and homeless youth programs, and
• Community Action Coalitions, Chambers of Commerce, Health Equity Councils, and other community groups.
Partnering with Health Departments
Health departments can facilitate the development of important partnerships with health care providers and officials to increase COVID-19 health services coordination. The CDC has contact information on state and territorial health departments that can be accessed through the following website link, https://www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/healthdepartments.html
The following are FVPSA specific unallowable costs: FVPSA Federal Legislative Authority
- Direct monetary funds given to the client (cash, gift cards or checks written to the client). (However, providing Specific Assistance to individuals that may include making payments on behalf of shelter residents for needed emergency items while they are in shelter, is allowable.)
- If a client moves from the shelter into an apartment or house, but later requests direct assistance with rent, utilities or other expenses, FVPSA funds may not be used for this purpose. (However, providing Specific Assistance to individuals who are in the process of moving out of the shelter facility, including the payment of rent, utilities or other expenses on behalf of the shelter resident, is allowable.
- FVPSA funds may not be used for fundraising, including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions
- FVPSA funds may not be used to pay for food and beverages with the exception of food and beverages used within the shelter and for shelter residents.
- Construction costs
- Renovation costs
All subrecipients are responsible for periodic reporting on their projects to OCJP.
Reporting requirements include:
- Quarterly Progress Report
This report form is completed by the subrecipient, and it is due, by email submission, to the OCJP Program Manager within 30 calendar days of the close of the reporting period. This report provides a narrative description of the project progress for the reporting period and is program and subrecipient specific. The Quarterly Report includes annual reporting section to be completed in the 4th quarter of the fiscal year (April – June reporting period).
- The annual report section requires a description of the following:
Describe how equipment purchased with ARP funds for your agency.Summarize project goals identified in the “Project Goals” section of your grant application narrative and briefly state, as of the date of this report, your progress in meeting each goal.
- F & A Invoice For Reimbursement(PLEASE CONTACT YOUR OCJP PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE PROPER INVOICE FOR REIMBURSEMENT FORM.)
Invoice forms must be submitted, at a minimum, on a quarterly basis and should reflect actual expenditures for the period.E-MAIL invoice to the Office of Business and Finance: obf.grants@tn.gov for Questions and Inquiries and OBF.Grants@tn.gov for Invoicing.
- Program Income Report
This report form is completed by the subrecipient, and it is due, by email submission, to the OCJP Program Manager within 15 calendar days of the close of the state fiscal year. This report is program and subrecipient specific and it will be provided to the subrecipient(s) by OCJP.
- Project Equipment Summary Report
This report form is completed by the subrecipient, and it is due, by email submission, to the OCJP Program Manager within 15 calendar days of the close of the state fiscal year. This report is program and subrecipient specific, and it will be provided to the subrecipient(s) by OCJP.These reports are used to monitor projects, provide information for state strategies and implementation plans, and to assist OCJP in determining project success and funding allocations. Examples of forms are provided via the referenced links above, or via the links in the ICAC Reporting Table of this manual.Forms may be reproduced locally, but must maintain the original format and content and must be submitted electronically.
The Project Director is responsible for timely submission of completed reports.
REQUIREMENT: A copy of each report submitted must be saved in the corresponding grant file.
All materials and publications (written, visual, or sound) resulting from FVPSA grant activities shall contain the following statements where applicable:
“This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.”
“This project was supported by Award No. _________ awarded by the State of Tennessee, Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Criminal Justice Programs for the FVPSA Formula Grant Program. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Children and Families.”
All reports, studies, notices, informational pamphlets, press releases, signs, billboards, DVDs, public awareness kits, training curricula, webinars, websites and similar public notices (written, visual or sound) prepared and released by the subrecipient shall include the statement:
“The opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations contained within this document are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Health and Human Services or the State of Tennessee, Office of Children and Families.”
"This publication (or project) was made possible by the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Family and Youth Services Bureau, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this publication/program/exhibition are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the State or the Department of Health and Human Services."
The above information is specific to FVPSA funds used to create and produce publications. For additional required information regarding Publications, see Chapter XI – Printing, Publications and Media.