NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS*; PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES AND HOSPITALS; DISABILITY-SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS; COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS; CONSORTIA, GROUPS OR PARTNERSHIPS AMONG ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations whose staff was involved in the development of this Request for Proposal are not eligible to directly apply or be included as a sub-contractor for another applicant.

*Note: the lead applicant cannot be a for-profit organization; however, for-profit organizations may serve as subcontractors to the lead applicant.

To fund one grantee up to $600,000 ($200,000 per year for a three year period) to establish an infrastructure to locally implement the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Positive Adult Development (PAD) trainings for family caregivers of individuals with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities.

OVERVIEW

The intent of this DDPC initiative is to provide family caregivers with continued opportunities for support training. The proposed project will implement two evidenced-based trainings models, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Positive Adult Development (PAD), to assist caregivers in stress reduction and teach them effective coping mechanisms for both short- and long-term stressful situations. Both models were developed by Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities based on research that uncovered “peer-led interventions targeting parental well-being can significantly reduce stress, depression and anxiety in mothers of children with disabilities”. The DDPC seeks to harness these highly effective strategies and employ them for family caregivers throughout New York State.

MBSR is a strategy for increased coping and decreased reactivity to physical and emotional difficulties. MBSR sessions introduce caregivers to mindfulness practice in the form of sitting meditation, body awareness and mindful movement. PAD is a cognitive-behavioral approach training to help caregivers manage stress by reducing negative thinking and enhancing more effective problem solving.

Implementation of both models includes one trained clinical staff (e.g. psychologist or mental health professional) and one to two trained family caregiver facilitators. The selected grantee will be expected to purchase the site license and training curriculum for themselves as well as all the local organizations and remain current on any updates or changes made to the curriculum.

Approach

DDPC will select one grantee to identify and work with local organizations and groups from throughout New York State to deliver both the Vanderbilt Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and Positive Adult Development curricula to family caregivers of children and adults with developmental and other disabilities. The selected grantee will provide training to the local organizations and groups on model implementation to ensure fidelity, provide ongoing technical assistance, evaluate the trainings, and track and measure short-term and long-term outcomes for family caregivers.

Training is typically delivered in 1-1.5-hour group sessions each week. The curriculum also can be run back to back in a weekend retreat format. The MBSR sessions include both discussion and practicing mindfulness-based techniques, such as deep belly breathing, and gentle movements like yoga. The PAD training focus is on identifying character strengths, practicing kindness and gratitude and tempering such emotions as guilt, conflict, worry, and pessimism by identifying and using character strengths and virtues. The participants engage in discussions and take home handouts to practice the learned techniques at home.

The selected grantee will:

• Establish an advisory committee representing key stakeholders who will guide the initiative

• Receive training from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center on implementation of both models, MBSR and PAD, including how to prepare family caregivers and clinical staff to serve as facilitators

• Select 6-8 local organizations and groups in year 1

• Purchase the curriculum and site license from Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

• Train facilitators and have the 6-8 local organizations and groups pilot either the MBSR, PAD, or both, trainings for family caregivers (12-16 trainings in total) in different regions throughout New York State, with a minimum of 10-12 participants for MBSR and up to 20 participants for PAD trainings

• From each cohort, select at least one participant, from each training cycle, who will be trained as a mentor/facilitator for subsequent trainings.

• Recruit and train 20-25 new local organizations and groups per year in years 2 and 3 who will be expected to implement the 2 cycles of either the MBSR, PAD or both trainings per year with a minimum of 3 organizations in each of the OPWDD regions (see Attachment B)

• Provide technical assistance to the local organizations and groups on implementation

• Develop evaluation tools for the local organizations and groups to use to evaluate both individual and program short- and long-term outcomes, as well as participant satisfaction

• Identify the most successful outreach and promotion strategies, and best practices in training approaches to continually modify the training delivery accordingly, on an ongoing basis

• Collect data to measure success of the initiative including caregiver outcomes

• Ensure that the training materials are culturally competent and linguistically relevant to participants from culturally diverse and un- and underserved groups within NYS

• Assist local organizations and groups with identifying strategies to continue to offer the training locally, and

• Explore long-term funding options and sustainability measures to continue implementation of the trainings throughout New York State.

The local organizations and groups will:

• Identify clinical staff who will co-facilitate curriculum implementation with family caregiver

• Market the trainings and recruit family caregivers of children and adults with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities interested in participating in either or both trainings

• Implement 2 cycles of MBSR and PAD each year

• Select family caregivers who successfully complete the training to serve as facilitators for future trainings

• Collect and analyze pre- and post-training outcome and data, and

• Report training lessons learned and outcomes to the DDPC grantee.

The full RFP can be downloaded from http://ddpc.ny.gov/council_funding_announcements_responsive.

All interested applicants are required to submit a one page letter of intent by February 1, 2017 to [email protected]. Letters of intent are required for applications to be accepted for this RFP.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the DDPC website periodically for any amendments to the RFP. All changes will be posted by February 10, 2017 at http://ddpc.ny.gov/council_funding_announcements_responsive. No other notifications will be given.

All final grant applications should be sent to the address listed below and to the attention of Sheila Carey, Executive Director, and must be received by the DDPC office by 3:00 pm on March 3, 2017. No applications will be accepted after this deadline.

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS*; PUBLIC OR PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS UNIVERSITIES, COLLEGES AND HOSPITALS; DISABILITY-SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS; COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS; CONSORTIA, GROUPS OR PARTNERSHIPS AMONG ORGANIZATIONS

Organizations whose staff was involved in the development of this Request for Proposal are not eligible to directly apply or be included as a sub-contractor for another applicant.

*Note: the lead applicant cannot be a for-profit organization; however, for-profit organizations may serve as subcontractors to the lead applicant.

To fund one grantee up to $600,000 ($200,000 per year for a three year period) to develop a multimedia messaging service (MMS) campaign that will provide Text-based and other customizable information on topics including health, wellness and resources for family caregiver of children with intellectual, developmental and other disabilities.

OVERVIEW

The DDPC, in an attempt to address caretaker health concerns, intends to establish a text-based caregiver support network that will disseminate timely and relevant self-care and stress-management support through text messaging and web-based channels. The text-based approach will be a highly effective medium to reach family caregivers, being that 81% of Americans own a cell phone, and text messaging is commonplace. The aim of this grant is to provide support for family caregivers of family members with intellectual and developmental disabilities so that these individuals can receive the optimal care possible, and so that family caregivers are able to maintain a sense of health and wellness.

Approach

DDPC will fund one grantee to develop, pilot and implement a statewide family caregiver support initiative modeled after Text4baby.

Text4baby is a mobile information service designed to promote maternal and child health through text messaging. Text4baby is a free service of the nonprofit National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) and was created in 2010. The Text4baby service includes text messages, appointment reminders, educational videos, health hotlines, and additional resources. The Text4baby service includes over 250 free messages that are sent 3 times a week with the most critical information that experts want pregnant women and moms with infants under the age of one to know.

DDPC funds will be used to develop a text-based caregiver initiative similar to the Text4baby service, but focused on supporting family caregivers and providing them with customizable information based on the age of the family member with a disability, as well as the caregiver’s age. The service should include topics on health and wellness and provide caregivers with available services and resources. At a minimum, all content will be available in both English and Spanish, however the selected grantee will need to address other language requests should they be made.

This initiative will be implemented using a secure multimedia messaging system (MMS) platform which allows texts, pictures, video or audio content to be shared between devices such as cell phones, and tablets. For caregivers who do not have access to devices that support MMS, an accompanying website will also need to be developed.

Family caregivers text messages will include but not be limited to:

• Behavioral health and emotional well-being

• Health

• Nutrition

• Exercises and physical activity

• Self-care

• Recognizing caregiver fatigue

• NY State specific information and resources

• Caregiver trainings

The following components should be incorporated into this service:

• Free weekly text messages

• Appointment reminders

• Hotlines 4 Caregivers (health services, social services, legal services, etc.)

• Text4Caregivers website and/or Application (App)

• On-line forum where caregivers can provide peer support

• Educational Videos

• Social Media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Google ads, and blogs), and

• “Alert" message with breaking news related to health, disability, programs, or policy changes

The full RFP can be downloaded from http://ddpc.ny.gov/council_funding_announcements_responsive.

All interested applicants are required to submit a one page letter of intent by February 1, 2017 to [email protected]. Letters of intent are required for applications to be accepted for this RFP.

It is the applicant’s responsibility to check the DDPC website periodically for any amendments to the RFP. All changes will be posted by February 10, 2017 at http://ddpc.ny.gov/council_funding_announcements_responsive. No other notifications will be given.

All final grant applications should be sent to the address listed below and to the attention of Sheila Carey, Executive Director, and must be received by the DDPC office by 3:00 pm on March 3, 2017. No applications will be accepted after this deadline.

PUBLIC OR NOT FOR PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS; ZOOS, BOTANICAL GARDENS, HERBARIUMS, ARBORETUMS, AQUARIUMS, BIRD SANCTUARIES, NATURAL HABITAT PRESERVES, NATURAL SCIENCE MUSEUMS, AND NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL CENTERS WHICH OWN, HOUSE AND CARE FOR LIVING OR SYSTEMATICALLY ORGANIZED COLLECTIONS OF BIOLOGICAL SPECIMENS AND WHICH PRIMARILY PROVIDE SUCH SERVICES TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON A REGULAR AND PREDICTABLE BASIS

Grants will be awarded for a four year period, commencing on April 1, 2017, and expiring March 31, 2021.

Competitive applications to receive aid are required and must be completed and submitted no later than March 6, 2017. Funding for local assistance grants is made available through an appropriation from the State's Environmental Protection Fund.

For an application contact: http://grantsgateway.ny.gov or calI Ian Benjamin (518) 474-0428