In this update:
- NYS and NYC Opportunities
- OMH Issues RFP for Forensic Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team (F-INSET)
- OMH Issues RFP for Project ECHO Mental Health Learning Collaborative
- OGS and OCM Issue RFA for Community Reinvestment Program Grants
NYS and NYC Opportunities
OMH Issues RFP for Forensic Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team (F-INSET)
On October 9th, the New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) seeking one peer-run organization to create a Forensic Intensive and Sustained Engagement Team (F-INSET) for justice-involved populations. The traditional INSET model is a voluntary, peer-led, mobile engagement approach for individuals who have not benefitted from traditional mental health services and/or who may be at risk of involuntary commitment. The F-INSET builds on this model by adjusting for involvement in the criminal justice system, including by providing mental health support services that facilitate rehabilitation, reduce recidivism, and promote successful reintegration into society.
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit 501(c)(3) agencies. People with lived experience of having mental health issues and with the public mental health system must comprise at least 51% of the applicant’s governing body and a preponderance of staff. Preference will be given to regions expecting or recently implementing a Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team.
OMH will provide $800,000 in annual operating funding to the awarded applicant. Contracts will last for five years, beginning July 1, 2025. It is anticipated that the team will have a caseload of 150 individuals and will be comprised of at least six staff, including four certified peers and two clinicians.
The RFP is available here. Applications are due on December 11th. Questions may be submitted to Amanda Szczepkowski at OMHLocalProcurement@omh.ny.gov with “Forensic INSET RFP” in the subject line through October 30th. Answers to questions will be posted on November 20th.
OMH Issues RFP for Project ECHO Mental Health Learning Collaborative
On October 9th, OMH issued an RFP seeking one organization to lead and maintain the Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) mental health learning collaborative program. The program is intended to support behavioral health providers in managing the safety of staff and patients with complex behavioral health needs, including through case conferencing and didactic lessons. The initial focus will be the inpatient workforce, with future curricula to include mental health community providers and efforts to collaborate between different levels of patient care.
The awarded organization will be expected, either directly or through subcontracts with content experts, to:
- Recruit a diverse set of providers and clinical professionals to participate;
- Solicit cases from various providers to illustrate strategies for managing challenging behaviors, including de-escalation techniques for aggression;
- Recruit experts to deliver didactic sessions on a wide range of topics, such as assessment, formulation, and treatment of clinical presentations that include aggression or violence; and
- Implement 4-8 ECHO annual cohorts, consisting of at least six hospital and Residential Treatment Facility (RTF) providers per cohort.
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations and/or academic institutions that have capacity to provide trainings on a statewide basis. OMH will provide $300,000 in annual operating funding to the awarded applicant. Contracts will last for five years, beginning July 1, 2025.
The RFP is available here. Applications are due on December 18th. Questions and optional, non-binding letters of intent may be submitted to Jerry Witkop at OMHLocalPorcurement@omh.ny.gov with “Managing and Deescalating Challenging Behaviors in Hospital and Congregate Settings ECHO” in the subject line through October 30th. Answers to questions will be posted on November 14th.
OGS and OCM Issue RFA for Community Reinvestment Program Grants
On October 16th, the NYS Office of General Services (OGS) and Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) released a Request for Applications (RFA) for Community Reinvestment Program Grants. These grants seek to reinvest in communities disproportionately affected by past federal and state drug policies. For the 2024-25 grant cycle, funding will support organizations serving youth (ages 0-24) in priority counties with mental health, housing, and workforce development. OGS and OCM will award $5 million in total funding through this RFA, with individual grant awards totaling $100,000. The program is supported by the Cannabis Revenue Fund, which is generated from taxes on legal adult-use cannabis sales in New York.
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organizations that currently provide youth-oriented services or programs. Applicants may propose to provide services in more than one county; however, a separate application must be submitted for each county where services will be delivered. Funding may not be used to supplant funds for currently existing staff and activities. Activities that may be funded include childcare services, rent assistance, individual and group supportive services, youth mental health first aid training, harm reduction services, emergency housing, and case management, among others. Contracts will last from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2027.
OCM has identified the following 13 counties that will be prioritized for awards due to an increased burden of children and teens living in poverty: Bronx, Erie, Kings, Monroe, Nassau, New York, Onondaga, Orange, Queens, Richmond, Rockland, Suffolk, and Westchester. OCM also intends to make at least one award within each Empire State Development Region to ensure geographic distribution of awards statewide.
The RFA is available here. Applications are due on December 13th. There will be an optional applicant pre-submission webinar on October 30th at 10am, which may be accessed here. Questions may be submitted to Matt Courcelle at matthew.courcelle@ogs.ny.gov using the Applicant Question Submission Form (Attachment 3) through November 8th. Answers to questions will be posted on November 22nd.