[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 187 (Thursday, September 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 78879-78880]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-22037]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living


Announcing the Intent To Award a Single-Source Supplement for the 
Co-Occurring Resource Center for Individuals With I/DD

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, HHS.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Administration for Community Living (ACL) announces the 
intent to award a single-source supplement to the current cooperative 
agreement held by the National Association of State Directors of 
Developmental Disabilities Services (NASDDDS) for the Co-Occurring 
Resource Center for Individuals with I/DD, called The Link Center. The

[[Page 78880]]

purpose of this project is to improve the quality of life for people 
with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD), brain 
injuries, and co-occurring mental health conditions by supporting state 
agencies with policy development, service design, and service 
coordination resources, and sharing resources to individuals, families, 
direct support professionals, clinicians, and other policymakers. The 
administrative supplement for FY 2024 will amount to $410,318 bringing 
the total award for FY 2024 to $1,060,000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information or comments 
regarding this program supplement, contact Dana Fink, U.S. Department 
of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living, 
Administration on Disabilities, (202) 795-7604 or via email 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#fe9a9f909fd098979095be9f9d92d096968dd0999188"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="5034313e317e36393e3b1031333c7e3838237e373f26">[email protected]</span></a>.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This supplementary funding will expand the 
Co-Occurring Resource Center for Individuals with ID/DD (The Link 
Center)'s engagement and technical assistance efforts around supporting 
people with co-occurring I/DD, brain injuries, and co-occurring mental 
health conditions to live well in the community. Additionally, this 
supplement includes funding from SAMHSA through an interagency 
agreement to perform an environmental assessment of cross-system 
strategies to support children with I/DD, brain injuries, and other 
neurodevelopmental disabilities who also have complex behavioral health 
conditions. As a result of funding this center and the environmental 
assessment, ACL expects:
    <bullet> Improved coordination between mental health, DD, Medicaid, 
and child welfare service systems to develop and/or amend policies and 
practices that fill service gaps, recruit and train competent staff, 
and assure equitable access to quality services.
    <bullet> Increased number of mental health professionals and 
paraprofessionals, including community-based mobile crisis intervention 
service personnel, peer support workers, and service providers for the 
988 Dialing Code for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, with the 
competencies needed to provide effective and culturally competent 
supports to individuals with co-occurring I/DD and mental health 
disabilities.
    <bullet> Increased number of community service providers, who have 
the capacity to support children and adults with I/DD and co-occurring 
mental health disabilities.
    <bullet> Improved awareness and knowledge of the strengths, needs, 
challenges, and systemic barriers experienced by children and adults 
with co-occurring I/DD and mental health disabilities.
    <bullet> Improved ability to deliver responsive and equitable 
programming, training, and technical assistance.
    <bullet> Increased self-determination, empowerment, and quality of 
life for people with co-occurring I/DD and mental health disabilities.
    <bullet> Enhanced service delivery infrastructure, including 
mechanisms for ongoing and sustained engagement of individuals with 
lived experience.
    This supplement will fund:
    <bullet> Enhanced efforts related to children and families, 
including development of relationships with key national child welfare 
organizations.
    <bullet> 10 focus groups of cross-system leaders in 10 states on 
system gaps resulting in adverse impacts on children with complex 
behavioral health needs.
    <bullet> An in-person summit with federal and state officials and 
subject matter experts to discuss findings from the environmental 
assessment of promising practices and gaps related to children with 
complex behavioral health needs.
    <bullet> Increased staff time for coordination, resource 
development, and accessibility efforts.
    <bullet> Increased contributions from brain injury partners to 
align with that of other key partners more closely and better reflect 
the need to serve people with brain injury as well as I/DD.
    <bullet> Resource development including paid participation of 
experts with lived experience to assist in development.
    <bullet> Additional accessibility and language translation 
services.
    Program Name: Co-Occurring Resource Center for Individuals with I/
DD (The Link Center).
    Recipient: The National Association of State Directors of 
Developmental Disabilities Services.
    Period of Performance: The supplement award will be issued for the 
third year of the five-year project period of September 1, 2024, 
through August 31, 2025.
    Total Supplement Award Amount: $410,318.
    Award Type: Cooperative Agreement.
    Statutory Authority: This program is authorized under the 
Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 
Public Law 106-402, Section 161(2) (B), (C) and (D) (42 U.S.C. 
15081(2)).
    Basis for Award: The National Association of State Directors of 
Developmental Disabilities Services is currently funded to carry out 
this cooperative agreement for the period of September 1, 2022, through 
August 31, 2027. Much work has already been completed and further tasks 
are currently being accomplished. It would be unnecessarily time 
consuming and disruptive to the Link Center project and the 
beneficiaries being served for ACL to establish a new grantee at this 
time when critical services are presently being provided in an 
efficient manner.

    Dated: September 21, 2024.
Alison Barkoff,
Principal Deputy Administrator for the Administration for Community 
Living, performing the delegable duties of the Administrator and the 
Assistant Secretary for Aging.
[FR Doc. 2024-22037 Filed 9-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P


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