Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems, 30778-30780 [06-4947]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 103 (Tuesday, May 30, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 30778-30780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-4947]



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Part IV





Department of Education





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Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems; Notice 
Inviting Applications for New Awards for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006; Notices

Federal Register / Vol. 71, No. 103 / Tuesday, May 30, 2006 / 
Notices

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Grants for the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems

AGENCY: Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of final requirements.

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SUMMARY: The Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools 
announces five requirements under the Grants for the Integration of 
Schools and Mental Health Systems program. We may use these 
requirements for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2006 and later years. 
We take this action to focus Federal financial assistance on an 
identified national need. We intend the requirements to improve the 
linkages among local school systems, local mental health systems, and 
local juvenile justice systems.

DATES: Effective Date: These requirements are effective June 29, 2006.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dana Carr, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., room 3E242, FB-6, Washington, DC 
20202-6450. Telephone: (202) 260-0823 or via Internet: 
dana.carr@ed.gov.
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD), you may 
call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed under FOR FURTHER 
INFORMATION CONTACT.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Grants for the Integration of Schools 
and Mental Health Systems program seeks to enhance access to mental 
health services through improved linkages among school, mental health, 
and juvenile justice systems in a manner that is complementary to and 
does not duplicate any previous or ongoing efforts.
    We published a notice of proposed requirements for this competition 
in the Federal Register on March 9, 2006 (71 FR 12187). The notice of 
proposed requirements included a discussion of the significant issues 
that support the need for these requirements.
    There are no differences between the notice of proposed 
requirements and this notice of final requirements.

Analysis of Comments and Changes

    In response to our invitation in the notice of proposed 
requirements, we received two comments on the proposed requirements. An 
analysis of the comments and of any changes in the requirements since 
publication of the notice of proposed requirements follows.
    We group major issues according to requirement. Generally, we do 
not address technical and other minor changes--and suggested changes 
the law does not authorize us to make under the applicable statutory 
authority.

Requirement 1--Coordination of Activities

    Comment: One commenter suggested that we require applicants from 
States with awards under the Department of Health and Human Services' 
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Mental 
Health Transformation State Infrastructure Grants (MHTSIG) program 
(CFDA 93.243) to provide specific information relative to some MHTSIG 
components as part of their application for a grant under this program.
    Discussion: Although we appreciate receiving information on the 
types of approaches that an applicant may take to demonstrate 
coordination with its State's MHTSIG grant, we believe that imposing 
specific coordination steps might actually limit the flexibility of 
grantees in developing coordination activities that address their 
unique circumstances. We do plan, however, to include the suggestions 
provided in the comment in the application package as examples of how 
applicants could coordinate their proposed projects with their State's 
MHTSIG grant.
    Change: None.

Requirement 2--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Recipients Excluded from 
Receiving Awards

    Comment: One commenter recommended that we allow former Safe 
Schools/Healthy Students grantees to apply under the Grants for the 
Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program in unique 
circumstances, such as if the community has demonstrated making 
significant progress towards improved linkages.
    Discussion: The intent of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students program 
is to create system-level change that continues after the grant period, 
with the goal of sustaining linkages between schools and community 
systems that provide services to students and families. Awarding a 
grant under this program to a Safe Schools/Healthy Students program 
grantee would result in the duplication of this systems-level 
infrastructure development effort, and concentration of limited 
financial resources in projects that have already received significant 
funding to support similar activities. Therefore, we believe that no 
change in the proposed requirement is merited.
    Change: None.

Requirement 3--Preliminary Interagency Agreement (IAA)

    Comment: One commenter suggested that the process of developing the 
required preliminary agreement might be more important than the 
agreement itself. This commenter recommended that applicants document 
the process involved in developing relationships and involving parents, 
in addition to providing the required preliminary IAA.
    Discussion: We agree with the commenter that the process of 
developing the required preliminary agreement will likely be an 
important part of efforts to establish a long-term collaboration 
between partners. However, additional documentation requirements would 
impose a significant burden on grantees.
    Change: None.

Requirement 4--Inclusion of Parental Consent Considerations in Final 
IAA

    Comment: One commenter suggested that parents should be 
significantly involved in developing the IAA and processes for parental 
consent, and that parent involvement should be paramount throughout the 
integration process.
    Discussion: Parents or other caregivers must provide consent for 
planned mental health services, consistent with State or local laws or 
other requirements. We encourage grantees to include parents in 
developing policies and procedures for furnishing parental consent, as 
well as in broader efforts to establish meaningful collaboration; 
however, imposing additional specific requirements for parental 
involvement may limit the flexibility of grantees to design and 
implement a project that appropriately responds to local conditions and 
circumstances.
    Change: None.

Requirement 5--Provision of Direct Services

    Comment: One commenter recommended that we allow grantees to use 
program funds to support direct services to students in school-based 
settings.
    Discussion: We believe that using limited program funds to hire or 
contract for services will do little to improve collaborative efforts 
or community infrastructure. If these funds were used to cover the 
costs of providing mental health services, the

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significant associated costs would not only restrict the available 
funding under the program to a very limited number of sites, but would 
also divert funding from efforts to create a sustainable infrastructure 
that improves students' access to mental health services. Additionally, 
the Department of Education offers other grant opportunities, including 
Safe Schools/Healthy Students initiative grants and Elementary and 
Secondary School Counseling grants that provide financial support for 
the provision of mental health services in school-based settings.
    Change: None.

    Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in 
which we choose to use these requirements, we invite applications 
through a notice in the Federal Register.

Requirements

Requirement 1--Coordination of Activities

    Recipients of a grant under the Grants for the Integration of 
Schools and Mental Health Systems program are required to coordinate 
project activities with projects funded under the Department of Health 
and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration's Mental Health Transformation State Infrastructure 
Grants (MHTSIG) program (CFDA 93.243), if a grantee's State receives a 
MHTSIG award. If a recipient of a grant under the Grants for the 
Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program has received 
or receives a grant under the Department of Education's Emergency 
Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) program (CFDA 84.184E), the 
recipient must coordinate mental health service activities under this 
grant with those planned under its ERCM grant. Projects funded by this 
program must complement, rather than duplicate, existing or ongoing 
efforts.

Requirement 2--Safe Schools/Healthy Students Recipients Excluded From 
Receiving Awards

    Former or current recipients under the Safe Schools/Healthy 
Students program (CFDA 84.184L) are not eligible to receive a Grant for 
the Integration of Schools and Mental Health Systems program. 
Recipients of Safe Schools/Healthy Students awards are responsible for 
completing a scope of work under that program that is very similar to 
the activities required under the Grants for the Integration of Schools 
and Mental Health Systems program. By restricting the applicant pool to 
eliminate former or current grantees under the Safe Schools/Healthy 
Students program, we will be able to focus Federal funds on entities 
that have not yet received Federal support to develop and implement 
strong linkages with other entities in their communities for the 
provision of mental health services to students.
    Applicants may compete for both the Grants for the Integration of 
Schools and Mental Health Systems and Safe Schools/Healthy Students 
programs in the same year; if applicants are deemed eligible for 
funding in both grant competitions, the applicant will receive the 
larger and more comprehensive of the awards.

Requirement 3--Preliminary Interagency Agreement

    Applicants for an award under the Grants for the Integration of 
Schools and Mental Health Systems program must develop and submit with 
their applications a preliminary interagency agreement (IAA). The IAA 
must contain the signatures of an authorized representative of at least 
(1) one or more State or local educational agencies or Indian tribes; 
(2) one or more juvenile justice authorities; and (3) one or more State 
or local public mental health agencies. This preliminary IAA would 
confirm the commitment of these partners to complete the work under the 
proposed project, if funded. If the applicant is funded, recipients 
will complete a final IAA as required by section 5541(e) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA). The 
final IAA must be completed and submitted to us, signed by all parties, 
no later than 12 months after the award date.
    Applications that do not include the proposed preliminary IAA with 
all of the required signatures will be rejected and not be considered 
for funding.

Requirement 4--Inclusion of Parental Consent Considerations in Final 
IAA

    The final Interagency Agreement (IAA) must include a description of 
policies and procedures that would ensure appropriate parental or 
caregiver consent for any planned services, pursuant to State or local 
laws or other requirements.

Requirement 5--Provision of Direct Services

    Grant funds under this program must not be used to provide direct 
services to students.

Executive Order 12866

    This notice of final requirements has been reviewed in accordance 
with Executive Order 12866. Under the terms of the order, we have 
assessed the potential costs and benefits of this regulatory action.
    The potential costs associated with the notice of final 
requirements are those resulting from statutory requirements and those 
we have determined as necessary for administering this program 
effectively and efficiently.
    In assessing the potential costs and benefits--both quantitative 
and qualitative--of this notice of final requirements, we have 
determined that the benefits of the final requirements justify the 
costs.
    We have also determined that this regulatory action does not unduly 
interfere with State, local, and tribal governments in the exercise of 
their governmental functions.
    We summarized the costs and benefits in the notice of proposed 
requirements.

Intergovernmental Review

    This program is subject to Executive order 12372 and the 
regulations in 34 CFR part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive 
Order is to foster an intergovernmental partnership and a strengthened 
federalism.
    The Executive order relies on processes developed by State and 
local governments for coordination and review of proposed Federal 
financial assistance.
    This document provides early notification of our specific plans and 
actions for this program.

Electronic Access to This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other documents of this
    Department published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable
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/www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
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    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the 
official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of Federal 
Regulations is available on GPO Access at: https://www.gpoaccess.
gov/nara/.


    Program Authority:  20 U.S.C. 7269.

(Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance Number: 84.215M)


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    Dated: May 24, 2006.
Deborah A. Price,
Assistant Deputy Secretary for Safe and Drug-Free Schools.
[FR Doc. 06-4947 Filed 5-26-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P