American Rescue Plan Supplemental Grant for COVID-19

The purpose of these supplemental funds is to prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVID-19 with an intentional focus of increasing access to COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units to mitigate the spread of this virus and increase supports for domestic violence survivors and their dependents. The activities that will be supported by these funds within these purpose areas include:

I. COVID-19 TESTING

The intent of the ARP COVID-19 testing, vaccines, and mobile health units supplemental funding is to assist with:

• Eliminating barriers to COVID-19 testing and supplies for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities;
• Providing resources for onsite testing for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities;
• Providing resources and access to rapid COVID-19 testing and supplies for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities;
• Maintaining and increasing COVID-19 testing efforts for domestic violence survivors and their dependents;
• Expanding access to testing for tribes, rural communities, racial and ethnic specific communities, and limited English proficient (LEP) individuals; and
• Expanding the range of COVID-19 mitigation activities for domestic violence shelters, domestic violence programs, culturally specific organizations, tribes, and rural communities.

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 include, but are 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 healthcare 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:  
    • Leasing of properties and facilities as necessary to support COVID-19 testing and COVID-19 mitigation;
    • Digital technologies to strengthen the recipient’s core capacity to support the publichealth response to COVID-19;
    • 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;
    • 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
    • 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.

II. COVID-19 VACCINE ACCESS

The supplemental testing funding can be used for supplies and vaccine administration fees for administering the COVID-19 vaccine are outlined below:

• 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; » Development and sharing of vaccine related outreach and education material 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 closest vaccine locations, organizing pop up vaccination sites, making vaccine appointments for individuals, making reminder calls/texts, and arranging for transportation and childcare assistance to vaccination appointments; 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.

III. MOBILE HEALTH UNITS ACCESS

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, tribes, 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, tribes, culturally specific organizations, or rural communities.

IV. WORKFORCE EXPANSIONS, CAPACITY BUILDING, AND SUPPORTS

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.

The purpose of these allowable workforce capacity-building expenses is to ensure the continuity of domestic violence services in local communities by allowing supplemental 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.

If requesting personnel costs for workforce capacity building or to sustain an advocacy workforce, an attachment will need to be added to the application detailing how each position will participate in COVID-19 testing programs, perform mitigation activities, or operate mobile health units as part of their job duties.

Pursuant to 42 U.S.C. § 10407(a)(2)(iii), ICJI will give special emphasis to the support of community-based projects of demonstrated effectiveness that are carried out by nonprofit private organizations whose primary purpose is the operation of shelters for victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and their dependents, or those organizations who provide counseling, advocacy, and self-help services to victims of family violence, domestic violence, and dating violence, and their dependents.

The following costs are unallowable and will not be supported by this program’s funding:

• Direct financial assistance to a client such as cash, gift cards, or checks.


• Moving costs for victims.


• Food and beverages except emergency food and beverages for victims.


• Lobbying.


• Fundraising (including financial campaigns, endowment drives, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred solely to raise capital or obtain contributions) and time spent procuring funding including completing federal and state funding applications.


• Purchase of real estate.


• Construction.


• Physical modification to buildings including minor renovations (such as painting or carpeting).


• Purchase of vehicles.

The match or cost-sharing requirement in section 306(c)(4) of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA) shall NOT apply to this supplemental funding.

1. Total Agency Budget: If the applicant agency is a nonprofit, nongovernmental entity, please complete and upload a “Subgrantee Basic Budget (non-profit Applicant budget form)”. Be sure to complete both the Organizational tab and the Employee tab. The form can be found on the ICJI website here. This does not apply to units of government.
2. Indirect Cost Rate: Ifthe applicant agency has a federally approved indirect costrate, ICJI will accept this rate. You must provide ICJI with a copy of the approval lettershowing the rate and effective date. If the applicant elects to use the de minimis rate of 10% ofmodified total direct costs (MTDC), then you must provide a list of indirect costs and the calculation used to determine the amount charged.
3. Sustainability Plan: Please attach a document detailing the applicant’s plan to maintain the program once the grant fund period expires.
4. Timeline: Please attach a timeline for the completion of the project and/or expenditure of the grant funds.
5. Letters of Endorsement: Please attach at least one letter of endorsement evidencing community support for the applicant’s 2024 FVPSA -ARPTesting program.
6. Miscellaneous
   1. If applying for funds for Personnel costs, attach the relevant job descriptions.
   2. If requesting funds for workforce capacity building or sustaining workforce, attach a summary of how each position will perform mitigation activities.
   3. If applicable, attach other requested information.