Request for Proposals (RFP) Strategic Prevention Framework Community Implementation

Purpose of this Announcement DAS is soliciting applications from qualified private and public entities to work with a community to implement the New Jersey Strategic Prevention Framewo

NEW JERSEY DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES

Division of Addiction Services

Request for Proposals (RFP)

Strategic Prevention Framework Community Implementation

Proposal Due: February 11, 2009 _

Date of Issuance: December 15, 2008

Mandatory Bidders’ Conference/Contacts for Further Information 9Contract Overview/Expectations 10 General Contracting Information 18

Review and Award Information 25

Addendum to Request for Proposal for Social Service and Training Contracts 29 Department of Human Services Statement of Assurances 31Certification Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility 33Dates and Locations/Directions for Mandatory Bidder’s Conferences 36

Agency

The Department of Human Services (DHS) Division of Addiction Services (DAS) is issuing this Request for Proposals (RFP)

Purpose of this Announcement

DAS is soliciting applications from qualified private and public entities to work with a community to implement the New Jersey Strategic Prevention Framework (NJ SPF), a data driven planning process designed to effectively prevent alcohol and drug abuse in communities, with an emphasis on underage drinking Proposals must address the

priority issue to reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use among

18 to 25 year olds.

Funding is targeted for community-level implementation of the NJ SPF DAS will fund approximately 12 to 15 projects for up to three years, based on availability of Federal funds and satisfactory project performance Awards are expected to range from

approximately $200,000 to $300,000 yearly, depending upon the size of the targeted community, with a project start date of May 1, 2009 Note that these awards are strictly federally funded, and as such, applicants should NOT expect State funds to continue the award beyond the contract period Sustainability is a key component of the SPF process and contractees will receive extensive guidance and technical assistance in thisarea

Cost sharing is not required Actual funding levels will depend on the availability of funds This will be a three year contract that is annually renewable Annual

continuation and renewal are subject to availability of funds, satisfactory performance,

as well as compliance and completion of all required/requested reports

 prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse, including childhood and underage drinking,

 reduce substance abuse-related problems in communities, and;

1 Implement the five-step SPF planning process at the State and community level;

2 Build sustainability and cultural competency into each step of the process;

3 Implement evidence-based prevention programs, policies and practices based onepidemiological analysis and needs assessment;

4 Evaluate results and communicate them to policymakers and the public;

5 Efficiently coordinate multiple streams of prevention funding in order to achieve the targeted outcomes linked to each funding source, and maintain

accountability; and

6 Achieve changes in the substance abuse related problems, consumption

patterns, and causal factors identified at the community level, and if possible, the State level

Strategic Prevention Framework

Research has shown that a broad array of evidence-based programs can effectively

prevent substance abuse, promote mental health, and prevent related health and social problems by reducing risk factors and increasing protective factors The NJ SPF is a community-based approach to prevention within a population-based public health model that is based upon a series of guiding principles that can be utilized at the federal, State/tribal and community levels The NJ SPF requires States and communities to systematically:

1 Assess their prevention needs based on epidemiological data,

2 Build their prevention capacity,

3 Develop a strategic plan,

4 Implement effective community prevention programs, policies and practices, and

5 Evaluate their efforts for outcomes

This five step process is represented in Figure 1 Central to the five (5) steps are two (2) concepts critical to long-term prevention efforts—cultural competence and

sustainability

Figure 1Five Steps of the Strategic Framework Process

Drug and Alcohol Problems in New Jersey

Alcohol and other drug abuse in New Jersey pose problems that cut across all

geographic, socio-economic, racial, and cultural boundaries Epidemiological data on consumption and consequences for four major substances (alcohol, marijuana, heroin, and cocaine) indicate that while declining for some, the burden of substance abuse in New Jersey is a pressing issue for certain populations in particular As a requirement

of the Federal SPF-SIG, New Jersey established a State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup (SEOW) to apply systematic, analytical thinking about the causes of

substance use problems in the State In a nine month process, the SEOW analyzed State and national epidemiological data collected over the past five (5) years and

developed a state-level Epidemiological Profile These data point to a number of

substance abuse problems in New Jersey First among the issues identified by the SEOW is the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18-25 year olds The State Epidemiological Profile for Substance Abuse can be found on the DAS

of New Jersey’s 18 to 25 year olds were dependent on alcohol in the past year, an increase from the prior year’s survey

The 2003 New Jersey Household Survey indicated that 56% of 18 to 24 year olds used alcohol in the past month and 12.5% of this age group reported heavy drinking in the past month Data from the 2006 Survey of Social Norms from the CORE Institute indicate that, of New Jersey’s college students surveyed, 43% were binge drinking in the last two weeks

The 2005-2006 NSDUH also indicated that 19.6% of 18 to 25 year olds in New Jersey reported illicit drug use in the past month Marijuana use in the past month was at 15.9% for 18 to 25 year olds According to the 2003 New Jersey Household Survey, heroin use among New Jersey 18 to 25 year olds was 5%, while it was only 2% for the same age group at the national level The 2006 Survey of Social Norms indicates that

of New Jersey’s college students who were surveyed, 13% use marijuana on a monthly basis Cocaine use in the past year was at 6.1% for this age group

According to data from the New Jersey Substance Abuse Monitoring System

(NJ-SAMS) there were 12,554 substance abuse treatment admissions for 18 to 25 year olds

in 2007 Heroin and other opiates was the most prevalent drug at admission (43%) for this group, followed by marijuana (26%) and alcohol (21%) Cocaine comprised 7% of admissions for this age group The five (5) counties with the greatest number of

substance abuse admissions for this age group were Ocean (11%), Monmouth (10%), Camden (9%), Gloucester (6%) and Middlesex (6%)

Intoxicated driving is also a concern in New Jersey Impaired driving is a severe threat

to public safety The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates alcohol was involved in 40% of fatal crashes in 2000 and the highest intoxication rates in fatal crashes were for drivers aged 21 to 24 years old (27%) Also, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention reports that alcohol-impaired driving is highest among persons aged 21 to 24 years old

The rate of driving under the influence of alcohol among current drivers aged 18 or older

in New Jersey between 2004 and 2006 was 11.3% (NSDUH) The Fatal Accident Reporting System (FARS) data for 2006 indicate that 44% of all fatal motor vehicle crashes involved alcohol in New Jersey, making it the 14th highest percentage in the nation Data from New Jersey’s Intoxicated Driving Program for 2007 indicate that 28%,

or 4,714 of the participants are 18 to 25 years old

Consequently, based on the prevalence of substance use and misuse, the impact of the consequences, and perception that with effective intervention both the substance use and the resulting harm can be reduced, the NJ SPF- SIG Advisory Council, with input

from CSAP, identified the reduction of harmful consequences of alcohol and drug

use among 18 to 25 year olds as New Jersey’s priority problem The need for effective

data driven approaches to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance abuse problems in New Jersey, especially underage drinking, is very clear

New Jersey’s Implementation of the SPF

The purpose of the NJ SPF is to institutionalize a data driven planning process

throughout the State prevention system to decrease both underage drinking and the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds at the

community level The NJ SPF is a public health, outcomes-based prevention approach that uses data to drive prevention decision-making The goals and objectives of the NJ SPF are being achieved through strong collaborations among State, community, and academic partners, who work together to implement the NJ SPF, and develop

prevention expertise and infrastructure to sustain the process in selected communities.Moving SAMHSA’s SPF from concept to practice is a process that State and communitystakeholders must undertake in partnership In order to meet the requirements of the SPF-SIG and lay the groundwork for community implementation of the NJ SPF, DAS has successfully operationalized the NJ SPF at the State level and will provide the necessary leadership and technical support to ensure that selected community

applicants implement the steps of the NJ SPF The State-level implementation of the NJSPF over the past one and a half (1 ½) years is described below

1 Conducting a Statewide Needs Assessment

New Jersey assessed State prevention needs and resources through collection and analyses of epidemiological and other data The process included assessment of the magnitude of substance abuse in the State; identification of gaps in data collection; and identification of a priority issue based on data analyses by the SEOW In order to

identify and rank appropriate data indicators on substance use and substance related consequences and describe the nature and extent of the problem, New Jersey called upon the NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council, which represents both State and community partners in the prevention system The NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council made the final decision on New Jersey’s priority problem, acting on data and recommendations

furnished by the SEOW

2 Building State and Community Prevention System Capacity

New Jersey has been involved in engaging key stakeholders, coalitions and service providers to plan and implement the NJ SPF The NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council was created to provide oversight and guidance for this project This infrastructure will be critical in sustaining the NJ SPF Members of the NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council include representatives from:

 Substance Abuse Mental Health

Services Administration – Center

for Substance Abuse Prevention

(funder)

 Governor’s Office

 Division of Addiction Services,

Department of Human Services

 Governor’s Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse

 Juvenile Justice Commission

 New Jersey State Police

 New Jersey Prevention Network

 Northeast Center for Applied Prevention Technologies

(Lead Agency)

 Childhood Drinking Coalition

 County Alcohol and Drug Directors

 Department of Education

 Department of Health and Senior

Services

 Division of Highway Traffic Safety

 Drug Enforcement Administration

 Department of Labor and

 Hispanic Family Center

3 Developing a Comprehensive Statewide Strategic Plan

The NJ SPF planning model is collaborative, diverse, and community-oriented This model considers community needs and resources as described by quantitative and qualitative data as well as State resources to address capacity building to improve communities’ ability to address priority substance problems The integration of State and community expertise in planning is an important component of New Jersey’s State Strategic Plan It is also flexible so that the emphasis within and across the State is ultimately determined by the specific needs and characteristics of New Jersey’s

communities Using data from the State Epidemiological Profile and other information from key stakeholders, New Jersey’s State Strategic Plan identified the harmful

consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds as the priority issue for the NJ SPF and described the process by which DAS would institutionalize the five (5) steps of the NJ SPF at the State level using a comprehensive approach to address alcohol and drug consumption and consequences, including underage drinking The New Jersey State Strategic Plan for Substance Abuse Prevention can be found at:

implementation through training and technical assistance provided by the Northeast Center for Applied Prevention Technologies (NECAPT), as well as staff from DAS

5 Monitoring Process, Evaluating Effectiveness, Sustaining Effective

Programs/Activities, and Improving or Replacing Those That Fail

New Jersey’s DAS is accountable for all results of the NJ SPF DAS and its academic partner, the Institute for Families at Rutgers University, will provide ongoing monitoring and evaluation of all NJ SPF activities, as well as training and technical assistance regarding evaluation and performance measurement to NJ SPF contractees Through these efforts, New Jersey will assess project effectiveness, identify successes,

encourage needed improvements, and promote cultural competency and sustainability

of effective policies, practices, and programs

Who Can Apply?

The following eligibility criteria shall apply:

Under the NJ SPF, DAS seeks to fund communities rather than agencies or programs

As such, proposals may be submitted by partnerships, task forces, or coalitions with one entity acting as the lead or by an organization acting as the lead partner among a group of organizations The lead applicant must demonstrate collaboration and

partnership with at least two (2) other outside entities

1 Applicants may be community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, schools/universities, military organizations, other public entities (including tribal entities, local or county governments, etc.), or private non-profit organizations – all of whom must apply on behalf of their partnership, task force, or coalition

2 Local government entities and nonprofit agencies may apply as the lead agency

on behalf of a partnership/coalition or task force The lead agency will accept fiduciary, coordinating and convening responsibility for the partnership/coalition

If the applicant must secure a fiscal agent, a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the fiscal agent must be included as part of this application

3 Applicants must have a New Jersey address and be able to conduct business from a facility located in New Jersey

4 Non public applicants must demonstrate that they are incorporated through the New Jersey Department of State, and provide documentation of their current non-profit status as applicable

5 Applicants must not be suspended or debarred by DAS or any other State or Federal entity from receiving funds

6 An applicant that is a current DHS/DAS contractee must be in compliance with the terms and conditions of its current contract Agencies that have been notified

by DAS that they are currently “not in good standing” with DAS may apply, but will have fifteen points administratively deducted from their average score

received after review

7 Applicants must have all outstanding Plans of Correction (PoC) for deficiencies

submitted to DAS for approval prior to submission

8 Applicants must have a governing body that provides oversight as is legally permitted No member of the Board of Directors can be employed as a

consultant to the successful applicant

a NOTE: If, at the time of receipt of the proposal, the applicant does not

comply with this standard, the applicant must submit evidence that it has begun to modify its structure and that the requirement will be met by the

time the contract is executed If this required organizational structure is

not in place before the start date, the contract will not be executed and the funding will be waived.

9 Applicants must also attend one (1) of the Mandatory Bidders’

Conferences/Trainings (see Attachment 4 for dates/locations/directions)

RFP Package

The proposal package includes the following:

 RFP including narrative instructions for this specific contract

 DAS Contract Application

How to Get a RFP Package

 Contact Helen Staton

Office of the Director

DAS

P.O Box 362

Trenton, NJ 08625

(609) 633-8781

 Download the RFP from the DHS/DAS website at

http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/publicnotice.html Click on the link entitled

“Grants, RFP’s, Public Notices” and download the RFP under “Request for Proposals (RFP’s)”

 Download the contract application forms from the DAS website at

http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/das/dascontracts.htm

 Attend one of the Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings

Due Date

Proposals must be received by 5:00 p.m on February 11, 2009, and include one (1) signed original and seven (7) copies Faxed or electronic applications, as well as those received after the deadline, will not be reviewed

Where to Send Proposals

Send the signed original and seven (7) copies of your proposal to DAS

For United States Postal Service, please address to:

Mandatory Bidders’ Conference/ Contacts for Further

Information

Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings will be held on January 5, 6, and 7, 2009 in various locations to meet the travel needs of interested parties Attendance is required

at one (1) of the Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings See Attachment 4 of the

RFP for locations and directions Attendance at one (1) of these Mandatory Bidder’s Conferences/Trainings will provide applicants an opportunity to ask questions about the RFP requirements or the award process, as well as clarify any changes that may be made to this RFP This ensures that all potential applicants will have equal access to information The Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings will also provide training onthe NJ SPF, which will aid applicants understanding of the process and thoughtful submission of proposals

Applicants are requested to notify Helen Staton by email at

will attend When registering for one (1) of the three (3) the Mandatory Bidders’

Conferences/Trainings, please indicate if special accommodations are needed pursuant

to the Americans with Disabilities Act

Applicants are guided to rely upon the information in this RFP and the details provided

at the Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings to develop their proposals

Substantive questions regarding intent or allowable responses to the RFP, outside the Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings, will not be answered Any necessary response to questions posed by a potential applicant during the Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings that cannot be answered at that time will be furnished via

electronic mail to all potential applicants registered as being in attendance Specific

guidance will not be provided to individual applicants at any time All attendees of all Mandatory Bidders’ Conferences/Trainings will receive the questions and answers from all three (3) conferences/trainings

Contract Overview/Expectations

Definition of Community:

For purposes of this announcement a broad definition of “community” has been

adopted A community is a group of individuals defined by a common interest or

purpose For example, a community MAY be defined by geographic boundaries,

political boundaries, or demographic characteristics A community can be a

neighborhood, municipality, county, or even defined within a particular setting such as the school system, worksites, or a healthcare delivery system

For purposes of NJ SPF funding and programming, other examples of possible

communities could be (though this brief list is by no means exhaustive):

 Local or county government

 Faith-based organizations

 Colleges or universities

 Military bases/National Guard

 Community coalitions

A fundamental requirement of any successful applicant is that it has data specific to the

“community” These data must provide evidence that the prevalence of the harmful effects of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds is widespread and constitutes

a significant problem within that community Applicants must also demonstrate the ability to collect data throughout the project – or have a means of accessing current data to demonstrate community-level change in prevalence/incidence of harmful

consequences Also, successful applicants must represent a partnership or coalition among several different entities, with a clear commitment to collaborate in the planning process and evidenced based intervention One member of the partnership/coalition

must be designated as the lead partner accepting fiduciary, coordinating and convening responsibilities for the partnership/coalition The lead partner must also demonstrate a track record of working in the proposed community and adequately represent the needs and interests of the community Local government entities and nonprofit agencies may

apply as the lead agency on behalf of a partnership/coalition

Funding is targeted for community-level implementation of the NJ SPF Applicants mustsubmit proposals that clearly describe how the NJ SPF will be implemented within their community, specifically addressing the elements A to I as described below

In addition, the amount of each award will depend upon:

 The quality of proposal;

 The projected size of the population to be addressed by the initiative; and

 The extent to which the applicant has coordinated and leveraged other local prevention initiatives that may contribute to the successful effort described in theirapplication

A Priority Issue

As noted earlier, New Jersey’s SPF-SIG priority is: reducing the harmful

consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds Some examples

of harmful consequences are: motor vehicle crashes, alcohol related deaths, alcohol poisoning, injuries, drug arrests, overdoses, etc Included within the category of alcoholuse is underage drinking among 18-20 year olds Applications must reflect a clear understanding of this priority and demonstrate an ability to strategically implement evidence-based programs, practices and policies that will address this priority Also, theapplicant must specify the consequence/s or consumption pattern/s that will be

addressed in its proposal and the data indicators that will be used to measure changes

in those consequences or patterns

B SPF-SIG Guiding Principles

The NJ SPF is grounded in a public health approach to prevention and based on six (6) key principles Applicants must base their NJ SPF projects on these six (6) principles:

1 Prevention is an ordered set of steps along a continuum to promote individual, family, and community health, prevent mental and behavioral disorders, support resilience and recovery, and prevent relapse

2 Prevention is prevention is prevention That is, the common components of effective prevention for the individual, family or community within a public health model are the same

3 Common risk and protective factors exist for many substance abuse and mental health problems Good prevention focuses on these common risk factors that can

be altered Risk and protective factors exist in the individual, the family, the

community and the broader environment

4 Resilience is built by developing assets in individuals, families, and communities through evidence-based health promotion and prevention strategies

5 Systems of prevention services work better than service silos Implementing these strategies within a broader system of services increases the likelihood of successful,sustained prevention activities Collaborative partnerships enable communities to leverage scarce resources and make prevention everybody’s business

6 Baseline data, common assessment tools, and outcomes shared across service systems can promote accountability and effectiveness of prevention efforts

C NJ SPF Framework

Applicants will be expected to follow SAMHSA’s five (5) step SPF in developing their response to this RFP A summary of the five (5) steps to be addressed is presented below In their proposals, applicants must describe how, if awarded funding, each of these steps will be addressed

to act

Step 1 of the community-level implementation of the NJ SPF will result in the production

of a community profile demonstrating the need for a program to reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds The target population may be universal (the population of 18 to 25 year olds at large), a high-risk demographicgroup, or other group defined by a common interest, e.g., working young adults,

national guard, college students, etc While it is anticipated that most data collected will

be quantitative, the applicant will also gather qualitative information through surveys, interviews and focus groups This assessment phase should be completed during the first three (3) months of the project

2 Capacity Building

In this step, communities mobilize and/or build capacity to address needs Engagement

of key stakeholders at the State and community levels is critical to plan and implement

successful prevention activities that will be sustained over time Key tasks may include,but are not limited to: convening leaders and stakeholders; building coalitions; training community stakeholders, coalitions, and service providers; organizing agency networks;leveraging resources; and engaging stakeholders to help sustain the activities

This phase is expected to take from one (1) to six (6) months In this phase, the

awardees will engage training and technical assistance to build readiness to mobilize and capacity to implement proposed projects Awardees will be required to send

appropriate members of their coalitions, task forces, and implementation teams to participate in these trainings Awardees will be expected to complete an assessment of their readiness/capacity to implement the NJ SPF, including needs, resources, and cultural competence A completed community readiness tool should be submitted by the applicant (Attachment 5)

3 Planning

Step 3 requires the NJ SPF community to develop a comprehensive Strategic Plan NJ SPF communities must develop a strategic plan that articulates not only a vision for the prevention activities, but also strategies for organizing and implementing prevention efforts The strategic plan must be based on documented needs, build on identified resources/strengths, set measurable objectives, and include the performance measuresand baseline data against which progress will be monitored Plans must be adjusted asthe result of ongoing needs assessment and monitoring activities The issue of

sustainability should be addressed throughout planning and implementation and should lead to the creation of a long-term strategy to sustain policies, programs and practices The strategic plans must be data-driven and focused on addressing the most critical

needs in the community based on New Jersey’s SPF-SIG priority issue The Strategic

Plan must be approved by the DAS SPF-SIG Project Manager before

implementation activities can begin

Development of the strategic plan is expected to take from one (1) to three (3) months The plan must include a clear definition and description of the community, a logic model that describes the community-specific causal factors of the priority problem, possible interventions to address these causal factors, and the resources required to implement the possible interventions The proposed intervention(s) must include environmental prevention strategies Environmental strategies are focused on changing aspects of theenvironment that contribute to the use of alcohol and other drugs Specifically,

environmental strategies aim to decrease the social and health consequences of

substance abuse by limiting access to substances and changing social norms that are accepting and permissive of substance abuse They can change public laws, policies and practices to create environments that decrease the probability of substance abuse Environmental strategies affect whole populations of communities and have been proven to be the most effective community-level means of preventing substance abuse The selection and adaptation of interventions included in National Registry of Effective Programs and Practices is encouraged (http://modelprograms.samhsa.gov/)

Elements of the strategic plan must include the following:

 A statement acknowledging the state’s priority area and the community’s

commitment to addressing it;

 Needs assessment results, including the identification of high problem areas and

 intervening variables that contribute to the harmful consequences of drug use among 18 to 25 year olds in the community;

 Appropriate (i.e., logically connected and culturally competent) evidence-based programs, policies, and practices to address the priority issue;

 A statement of the community’s capacity and infrastructure to address reducing the harmful consequences of drug use among 18 to 25 year olds—including the specific capacity to implement planned activities—as well as a plan to increase capacity to implement the planned activities, where needed;

 The identification of—and letters of support from—the prevention partners in the community that will be responsible for implementing the evidence-based

programs, policies, and practices;

 An evaluation plan that has been developed in collaboration with the State

evaluator to assess community-level processes and outcomes;

 A discussion of how the community will develop a plan for sustaining the

strategies after NJ SPF funds have been depleted; and

 A realistic timeline for implementing the strategic plan

4 Implementation

This step requires communities to implement evidence-based prevention policies, programs and policies and infrastructure development activities Once the Strategic Plan is approved by the DAS SPF-SIG Project Manager, implementation may begin Local stakeholders will use the findings from their needs assessments to guide selectionand implementation of policies, programs and practices proven to be effective in

research settings and communities Successful applicants must ensure that culturally competent adaptations are made without sacrificing the core elements of the policies, programs and practices

During this phase, which is expected to last until the end of the funding period, NJ SPF contractees will refine the logic model, and select and implement interventions to

address the priority issue—reducing the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds

Expected outcomes are:

 A refined logic model that appropriately identifies causal factors, evidence-based environmental strategies, and inputs

 A flexible and responsive implementation process that responds to changing dataand new information on problem behaviors in the community

 Fidelity of implementation mechanisms that ensure innovative programs or adaptations of evidence-based programs are theoretically sound

 Identification of procedures employed to maximize appropriate, culturally

competent services for the target population and minimize duplication of

services

 Participation in NJ SPF project meetings to share lessons learned and resolve implementation issues

5 Evaluation

During Step 5, communities will monitor process, evaluate effectiveness, sustain

effective programs/activities, and improve or replace those that fail Ongoing monitoringand evaluation are essential to determine if the outcomes desired are achieved and to assess program effectiveness and service delivery quality

The state has hired an outside evaluator (The Institute for Families, Rutgers School of Social Work) and awardees will be expected to cooperate with the State Evaluator and provide the required data and participate in CSAP’s requirements to collect data for the project Awardees will participate in the evaluation activities during the entire award period

The evaluation will assess each community’s adherence to the five steps of the NJ SPF,

as well as changes in the community’s outcomes The awardees will be required to collect data using the Community Level Instrument (CLI) which will be reviewed by the State Evaluator, and submit data using the Participant Level Instrument (PLI) In

addition, all NJ SPF contractees must be willing to adjust their implementation plans based on the results of monitoring and evaluation activities

In the proposal the applicant should allocate sufficient staff (.25 FTE at minimum

recommended) and resources, including computer equipment, for data collection and evaluation activities In addition, the applicant must allocate $12,500 of the budget for community level evaluation services to be provided by the State Evaluator This amountwill be transferred into a State account for payment to the Evaluator

D Cultural Competence

Cultural competence refers to a system of policies, skills and attitudes that eliminates service and participation disparities for people of diverse racial, ethnic, and linguistic populations, as well as consideration of gender, disabilities, and sexual orientation Cultural competence is a major element in the NJ SPF Cultural competence is defined

as a set of behaviors, attitudes, skills, and policies that allow individuals and

organizations to increase their respect for, and understanding and appreciation of, cultural differences and similarities within and among groups gender, race, ethnicity, andsexual orientation significantly affect all aspects of personal and societal life and these issues must be addressed in core service design principles and standards Effective cultural competence is an ongoing developmental process of refining, expanding, and

updating an individual’s, an organization’s, and/or a community’s understanding of different cultures It requires a long-term commitment, and multi-faceted, multi-level approaches A culturally competent multifaceted approach must address policy,

administrative, program/provider, community, and research issues For prevention strategies and collaborations to be successful, they must be inclusive of the cultures of the participating groups

New Jersey emphasizes cultural appropriateness at all levels of the NJ SPF First, membership in the NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council includes diverse representation from both State and local agencies and organizations Second, in developing policies,

programs and practices, the NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council and the targeted

communities will pay close attention to respecting traditions and recognizing the multiplecomplexities in language interpretation, cultural diversity, and the variation in literacy levels in all language groups Third, the SEOW includes a diverse membership; this diversity helps ensure data are culturally reflective Fourth, the State encourages

providers to recruit, retain and train staff from cultural, economic, and linguistic

backgrounds that complement the clients they serve, as well as encourage providers to establish mandated training requirements for all staff in language and cultural

competence, as necessary Fifth, New Jersey ensures that DAS staff, as well as

provider staff, understand how culture affects the provision of high-quality and

accessible prevention services by offering care, understanding, and respect to the targetpopulation’s beliefs, interpersonal styles, attitudes, behaviors, and cultural values Finally, the materials/tools used to implement the NJ SPF will be evidence-based and culturally appropriate for individuals in the targeted populations

DAS-funded prevention services through this NJ SPF RFP will adhere to the cultural competence standards listed below:

1 Promote and support the attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, and skills necessary for staff to work respectfully and effectively with clients and each other in a culturally competent work environment

2 Have a comprehensive management strategy to address culturally and linguistically appropriate prevention services, including strategic goals, plans, policies,

procedures, and designated staff responsible for implementation

3 Develop and implement a strategy to recruit, retain and promote qualified, diverse and culturally competent prevention staff that are trained and qualified to address the needs of the racial, ethnic, and other minority communities being served

5 Require and arrange for ongoing education and training for prevention staff in

culturally and linguistically competent service delivery

6 Provide all clients with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) access to bilingual

prevention staff or interpretation services

7 Provide oral and written notices, including translated signage at key points of contact,

to clients in their primary language informing them of their right to receive no-cost interpreter services

8 Translate and make available signage and commonly-used written client educational material and other materials for members of the predominant language groups in service areas

9 Use a variety of methods to collect and utilize accurate demographic, cultural,

epidemiological and clinical outcome data for racial and ethnic groups in the service area, and become informed about the ethnic/cultural needs, resources, and assets ofthe surrounding community

Applicants must address cultural competence throughout the implementation of the NJ SPF steps DAS has funded a technical assistance provider to help agencies achieve the standards noted above Proposals will be scored on their commitment to cultural competence and ability to implement a culturally competent NJ SPF process

Applicants will be expected to indicate in their proposals the degree of assistance they anticipate requiring require from the technical assistance provider in order to assure thatcultural competence is a fundamental, pervasive aspect of their project Applicants should allocate a minimum of five percent (5%) of their budget to fund technical

assistance in the area of cultural competence

E Sustainability

Sustaining effective policies, practices, and programs is a key focus of the NJ SPF The

NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council supports SAMHSA’s requirement to provide a plan to secure resources to sustain the prevention infrastructure when Federal funding ends Since the NJ SPF awards are strictly federally funded, applicants should NOT expect State funds to continue the awards beyond the contract period The NJ SPF-SIG Advisory Council will emphasize the development of economic support on the State andlocal level, and mobilize community resources to meet identified funding needs Part of the ongoing NJ SPF process will include the attainment and maintenance of the

resources needed to sustain the prevention effort for the long term Part of the

sustainability plan will be to provide training and guidance on ways to fund the

community action plan (i.e., community-based fund raising, corporate donations, and additional community grants) Areas to be covered include creating short- and long-term funding strategies, maximizing existing resources, tapping into a variety of funding sources, and utilizing the NJ SPF in all future prevention unification planning

In addition to using data for planning, improving policies, practices, and programs, and promoting successes, a crucial aspect of sustainability is cooperation and collaboration with existing community agencies and coalitions Funded projects will be required to collaborate with the DAS-funded Underage Drinking Initiative and, if appropriate, local coalition(s) as they implement the NJ SPF

Applicants must include sustainability plans in their proposals While cost sharing is not

required, applicants should identify any other potential funding sources that can be utilized to achieve the goals of the project

F Partnership

The lead applicant must demonstrate collaboration and partnership with at least two (2) other outside entities For example, a partner might be a local hospital, a police

department, a municipal government, a school, etc Letters of Support or Memoranda

of Agreement from the partners must be included in the application Letters of support demonstrating planned coordination and collaboration with existing

coalitions/community groups are required in order to receive funding

G Community Advisory Panel (CAP)

Each NJ SPF contractee will form a Community Advisory Panel (CAP) that will provide input into the implementation of the NJ SPF in the community, including the needs assessment, capacity building, strategic plan, implementation of evidence-based

practices, and evaluation In the formation of the CAP, potential conflict of interest issues must be made known to the NJ SPF contractee and to DAS Membership in the CAP should include representatives from as many of the following list of thirteen sectorslisted as possible and feasible for your community: local government, education, law enforcement, business, youth programs/services, parents, social services, faith

community, cultural/ethnic groups, justice system/courts, health services, media, and representatives from the community in the 18-25 year-old population The involvement

of major community sectors in prevention efforts is a strategy that promotes both

commitment and the efficient use of available resources Ideally, at least two

representatives should have substantial alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD)

substance abuse prevention experience Members should all be familiar with and experienced in dealing with issues surrounding the State’s SPF-SIG priority to reduce the harmful consequences of alcohol and drug use among 18 to 25 year olds

General Contracting Information

The Department reserves the right to reject any and all proposals when circumstances indicate that it is in its best interest to do so The Department’s best interests in this context include, but are not limited to, State loss of funding for the contract, insufficient infrastructure agency wide, inability of the applicant to provide adequate services, indication of misrepresentation of information and/or non-compliance with any existing Department contracts and procedures or State and/or Federal laws and regulations