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WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES?
ThePennsylvania Developmental Disabilities Council uses the federal definition ofdevelopmental disabilities, as it appears in the Developmental DisabilitiesAssistance and Bill of Rights Act Developmental Disabilities Assistance andBill of Rights Act of 2000
PublicLaw 106-402.
(A) In General. -- The term "developmental disability" means a severe, chronic disability of an individual that-
(i) is attributable to a mental or physical impairment or combination of mental andphysical impairments;
(ii) is manifested before the individual attains age 22;
(iii) is likely to continue indefinitely;
(iv) results in substantial functional limitations in 3 or more of the following areas ofmajor life activity:
(I) Self-care
(II) Receptive and expressive language
(III) Learning
(IV) Mobility
(V) Self-direction
(VI) Capacity for independent living
(VII) Economic self-sufficiency; and
(v) reflects the individual's need for a combination and sequence of special, interdisciplinary, or generic services, individualized supports, or other formsof assistance that are of lifelong or extended duration and are individually planned and coordinated.
(B) Infants and Young Children. - An individual from birth to age 9, inclusive, who has a substantial developmental delay or specific congenital or acquired condition, may be considered to have a developmental disability without meeting 3 or more of the criteria described in clauses (i) through (v) of subparagraph (A) if the individual, without services and supports, has a high probability of meeting those criteria later in life.
While the Council is mandated under federal law to specifically address the needs and concerns of Pennsylvanian citizens with developmental disabilities and their families, we recognize that many of the objectives and activities that we fund will also provide ancillary benefits to people with disabilities that are not developmental, to their families or to the greater community
HOW DO I SUBMIT MY PROPOSAL?
- Unless specifically noted under the Objectives statement, all grant proposals should be addressed to Department of Public Welfare, Health and Welfare Building, Room 525, Commonwealth and Forster Avenues, Harrisburg, PA 17105-2675. Use the mailing label found in Appendix section of this booklet.
- The proposal must be received by the Division of Procurement in the Department of Public Welfare on or before 2:00 p.m. of the date noted at the end of each Objective Statement. Late proposals will not be accepted for any reason. Faxed proposals will not be accepted. Proposals submitted to the Council's office will not be accepted.
- Submit your original, signed proposal along with seven (7) copies
- Applicants must use the "Title Page" form included in the Appendix section of this book. The Title Page is the cover sheet for your proposal. An authorized official of your organization who can bind you to the provisions of your proposal for 150 days from submission must sign this Title Page.
WHAT ARE THEMANDATORY REQUIREMENTS?
All applicants must adhere to the followingmandatory requirements. No exceptions, modifications or qualifications to theserequirements are permitted, and failure to comply will result in immediatedisqualification of your proposal.
- Your proposal must be received on time.
- Your proposal must be mailed to the correct office. Use the mailing label found in Appendix section of this booklet.
- The proposal must be prepared in the format and include all of the Parts described above.
- Your proposal must be signed and submitted with seven (7) copies
- You must use the "Title Page " form included in the Appendix section of this book.
- Per a 1/17/1991 Council Resolution (see box below) you must certify that the grantee, and any sub‑grantee(s), do not use aversive procedures to modify behaviors of individuals with developmental disabilities.
- You must include the diversity noted in this book. You will indicate on the Title Page where such descriptions can be found in your proposal.
- You must include a Budget Narrative page detailing how money will be spent.
- You must certify that staff, once assigned , will not be transferred to other projects without the prior consent of the Council
- You must certify that you are willing to work with other Council grantees as seen as appropriate by the Council.
Council Resolution on Aversive Therapies
Following the 1/17/91 formal Council resolution regarding prohibiting the use of aversive therapies, the Council will not consider nor fund any project submitted by any organization or subsidiary organization that uses aversive procedures to modify behaviors of individuals with developmental disabilities. Aversive procedures are those that have some or all of the following characteristics:
- Obvious signs of physical pain experienced by the individual.
- Potential or actual physical side effects including tissue damage, physical illness, severe stress and/or death.
- Dehumanization of the individual, through means such as social degradation, social isolation, verbal abuse, techniques inappropriate for the individual's age and treatment out of proportion to the target behavior.
If you submit a proposal under this RFP, you are certifying that the grantee, and any sub‑grantee(s), do not use aversive procedures to modify behaviors of individuals with developmental disabilities.
HOW DO I LEARN MORE? Preproposal Conferences.
If you want to apply for a grant and would like more information, you may ask questions of the appointed staff person at the Preproposal Conference. This conference is held about four weeks before proposals are due. Answers given at this conference are then written down in minutes and become an official part of the RFP. These are mailed to everyone who has indicated an interest in that Objective. All Preproposal Conference times and dates, along with proposal due dates, are listed under each Objective. All Preproposal Conferences will be held in Room 558 on the fifth floor of the Forum Building, on Commonwealth Avenue in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
WHAT HAPPENS TO MY PROPOSAL ONCE IT IS SUBMITTED?
Proposals should be mailed to the Department of Public Welfare's Division of Procurement. Those received on time are opened and reviewed for compliance with the technical requirements as described under "Mandatory Requirements". Late proposals are not accepted for any reason. A copy of each proposal is then sent to each member of the independent review committee. Reviewers read and score each proposal independently prior to the proposal review meeting.
The purpose of this meeting is to select and recommend for funding those proposals that best meet the Council's request for a given project and are typically held within a few weeks of the proposal due date. Review Committees have five members who are knowledgeable about the given Objective. They must be free of conflicts of interest with any potential bidders. The review committee determines those groups or organizations that the Council will fund to do specific projects.
HOW IS MY PROPOSAL EVALUATED?
Your proposal will be reviewed and scored based on a set of questions that are specific to the objective under which you have applied. These questions address four areas.
1. THE PROPOSED APPROACH ‑ What will the project do and how?
This section looks at parts one and two of your proposal. Reviewers rate whether your proposed activities are logical, reasonable and are relevant to what the RFP asked for. Does your proposal detail outcomes that make sense and are relevant to the proposed work? Does your budget fit the proposed activities?
2. THE PROJECT PERSONNEL ‑ Who will do the work?
Reviewers will determine to what extent proposed staff have experience, knowledge and a positive reputation for successfully doing this type of work. They also look at whether there are enough people with diverse experience to accomplish the tasks to be done in your project?
3. THE CONTRACTING ORGANIZATION - Who is ‘hosting' the work?
Does the organization declare its willingness to fully support the project and do they have a reputation for successfully completing similar projects. Reviewers will look for evidence that the organization is administratively and managerially sound.
4. VALUES AND PRINCIPLES ‑ Does the project adhere to what the Council stands for?
Reviewers will consider whether the proposed project is consistent with the Council's Vision and Mission statements.
WHAT IF MY PROPOSAL IS CHOSEN FOR FUNDING?
If your proposal is accepted for funding you will be notified in writing. Council staff will work with you to coordinate the necessary paperwork to make your proposal a fully executed grant under Commonwealth rules. Once this paperwork is complete, a grant ‘start-up' meeting will be scheduled with your project representatives, Council staff and the Council's lead person for your Objective. This meeting provides an opportunity for everyone to get to know one another, review reporting requirements and fiscal procedures, and to answer any questions that you may have concerning your grant with the Council.
Proposers who are not selected are also notified in writing. You are given the opportunity to be "debriefed", to learn how your proposal was reviewed. Council staff schedules the time and location of debriefing conferences. The Commonwealth reserves the right to reject any and all proposals received as a result of this request and to negotiate separately with competing grantees.
Reporting Requirements:
Grantees will have many opportunities, both through report requirements and face-to-face meetings, to share the successes and struggles of your project. All grantees are required to submit brief, two‑part quarterly reports. Report forms are individually developed with each grantee at the start-up meeting and are related to the specific work of your grant. A final report is also required at the end of your grant.
Audit Information:
All Council Grantees must comply with all federal and state audit requirements including: the Single Audit Act, as amended, 31 U.S.C. 7501 et. seq.; Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circular A‑133, Audits of States, Local Government, and Non‑Profit Organizations, as amended. If the Grantee expends total federal awards of less than $500,000 during its fiscal year, it is exempt from these audit requirements but is required to maintain auditable records. Should your proposal be chosen for funding, the appropriate audit requirements will be reviewed with you prior to start-up.
Copyright Information:
Materials developed with funds from grants may be copied and distributed only with the prior permission of the Council. In the event that permission for such distribution is given, the Grantee must place a copyright notice on materials it develops with funds from a grant.
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