Applications for New Awards; Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant Program, 32128-32134 [2019-14408]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 129 (Friday, July 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 32128-32134]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-14408]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Applications for New Awards; Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant 
Program

AGENCY: Office of Elementary and Secondary Education, Department of 
Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (Department) is issuing a notice 
inviting applications for fiscal year (FY) 2019 for the Trauma Recovery 
Demonstration Grant Program, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance 
(CFDA) number 84.424C. This notice relates to the approved information 
collection under OMB control number 1894-0006.

DATES: 
    Applications Available: July 5, 2019.
    Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: August 14, 2019.

ADDRESSES: For the addresses for obtaining and submitting an 
application, please refer to our Common Instructions for Applicants to 
Department of Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the 
Federal Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shauna Knox, U.S. Department of 
Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, Room 3E250, Washington, DC 20202-
6450. Telephone: (202) 453-5953. Email: [email protected].
    If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

    Purpose of Program: The Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant Program 
provides competitive grants to State educational agencies (SEAs) to 
support model programs that enable a student from a low-income family 
(as defined in this notice) who has experienced trauma that negatively 
affects the student's educational experience to access the trauma-
specific mental-health services from the provider that best meets the 
student's needs. The parent (as defined in this notice) of such a 
student from a low-income family may request services on behalf of the 
student.
    Background: A landmark study of adverse childhood experiences by 
the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente found that over 
half of respondents reported experiencing adverse childhood 
experiences. The study linked adverse experiences--particularly 
exposure to multiple categories of adverse experiences--with negative 
adult health outcomes.\1\ Since that study, additional research on 
adverse childhood experiences confirms the prevalence of experiencing 
such potentially traumatic events is near 50 percent of children from 
birth through age 17, though rates vary by locale.\2\ Relatedly, 
exposure to violence has been linked with negative school outcomes, 
such as decreased school attendance, more behavioral challenges or 
symptoms of anxiety and depression, and lower grades.3 4
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    \1\ Felitti, Vincent J., et al. (1998). Relationship of 
Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading 
Causes of Death in Adults. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 
14(4), 245-258.
    \2\ Sacks, V., Murphy, D., & Moore, K. (2014). Adverse Childhood 
Experiences: National and State-level Prevalence. Child Trends. 
Publication #2014-28. https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Brief-adverse-childhood-experiences_FINAL.pdf. 
Accessed May 14, 2019.
    \3\ Aviles, A., Anderson, T.R., & Davila, E.R. (2006). Child and 
Adolescent Social-Emotional Development within the Context of 
School. Child and Adolescent Mental Health. 11(1): 32-39.
    \4\ Hurt, H., et al. (2001). Exposure to Violence: Psychological 
and Academic Correlates in Child Witnesses. Journal of the American 
Medical Association Pediatrics. 155(12): 1351-1356.
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    In December 2018, the Federal Commission on School Safety (FCSS) 
released its final report, including recommendations for State, local, 
and Federal leaders to improve school safety.\5\ In the report, the 
FCSS recommended States and school districts expand students' access to 
mental health services. By expanding student access to trauma-specific 
mental health services and encouraging cross-agency collaboration to 
promote access to mental health services, the Trauma Recovery 
Demonstration Grant Program will support States' and school districts' 
efforts to implement this recommendation as well as recommendations 
related to addressing cyberbullying and school safety and creating a 
culture of connectedness.
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    \5\ DeVos, B., et al. Final Report of the Federal Commission on 
School Safety. (2018). https://www2.ed.gov/documents/school-safety/school-safety-report.pdf.
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    In keeping with the FCSS report, the Department acknowledges that 
it may be necessary for students to receive trauma-specific mental 
health services outside of a school setting. Through this grant 
program, a student from a low-income family (as defined in this notice) 
who has experienced trauma that negatively affects the student's 
educational experience or the parent (as defined in this notice) of 
such a student acting on the student's behalf will have greater access 
to the trauma-specific mental-health services from the provider that 
best meets the student's needs. This program is being established with 
funds from the two percent reservation under section 4103(a)(3) of the 
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), which provides for 
technical assistance and capacity building to support title IV, part A 
of the ESEA. Specifically, projects funded under the program are 
intended to help build the capacity of SEAs and local educational 
agencies (LEAs) by demonstrating alternative models for delivering 
trauma-specific mental health services that States and LEAs may support 
with formula grant funds received under the Student Support and 
Academic Enrichment program authorized by title IV, part A of the ESEA.
    An eligible student is a preschool, elementary, or secondary school 
student from a low-income family (as defined in this notice) who has 
experienced trauma (as defined in this notice) and subsequently 
demonstrates academic, behavioral, attendance, or other issues at 
school, as identified by the SEA in its application. Incidents of 
trauma may include bullying (including cyberbullying); \6\ harassment;

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experiencing violence, such as school shootings or suicide clusters; or 
other physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening events that 
have lasting adverse effects on an individual's functioning and mental, 
physical, social, or emotional health. Traumatic incidents may be those 
that occur either within or outside a school environment.
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    \6\ Note that whether bullying or cyberbullying results in 
trauma will depend on the individual circumstances and whether the 
event is physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening and 
has lasting adverse effects on an individual's functioning and 
mental, physical, social, or emotional health.
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    Trauma-specific mental health services as defined in this notice 
may include those the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services 
Administration (SAMHSA) identified in a Treatment Improvement Protocol 
(TIP) for ``Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services.'' \7\ 
In that TIP, and in ``SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a 
Trauma-Informed Approach,'' \8\ SAMHSA identified trauma-specific 
interventions such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, 
trauma-related cognitive processing therapy, relaxation training, 
biofeedback, breathing training, exposure therapy, eye movement 
desensitization and reprocessing, narrative therapy, skills training in 
affective and interpersonal regulation, stress inoculation training, or 
trauma incident reduction, among others. In the TIP, SAMHSA describes 
the selected practices as a non-exhaustive list of potential ways to 
promote recovery from trauma. In addition, SAMHSA acknowledges that 
only some of the treatments listed in the TIP are ``evidence based'' 
because additional research is needed and some practices are emerging. 
Grantees may also support other interventions focused on supporting 
trauma recovery so long as the provider is State-licensed for the 
relevant trauma-specific mental health service she or he offers. 
Grantees are encouraged but not required to focus their support on 
interventions that are evidence based. Medical services are not 
allowable uses of funds under this grant. In general, mental health 
counseling is not prohibited by this limitation. However, any mental 
health services provided by a psychiatrist would need to be carefully 
evaluated by the grantee before services are rendered. Because 
psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe 
medications, and may spend time with patients on medication management 
as part of treatment. Funding from this program must not be used to 
provide these medical services or any medical procedure.
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    \7\ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 
(2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. 
Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) Series 57. HHS Publication No. 
(SMA) 13-4801, 137. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration.
    \8\ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 
(2014). SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-
Informed Approach. HHS Publication No. (SMA) 14-4884, 7. Rockville, 
MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
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    SEAs are eligible to apply for grants under this competition. An 
SEA, at its discretion, may partner with one or more nonprofit 
organizations, institutions of higher education (IHEs), or State or 
local mental health agencies to carry out its project. If an SEA 
establishes a partnership for this purpose, the SEA may apply under the 
competitive preference priority on the basis of such a partnership.
    SEAs will use grant funds to pay providers for the trauma-specific 
mental health services a student receives. To support the student or 
parent, an SEA may, but is not required to, identify common forms of 
trauma-specific mental health services; identify State-licensed service 
providers who offer trauma-specific mental health services; and provide 
eligible students or the parents of eligible students with the option 
to seek services from SEA-identified providers while not prohibiting 
students or parents from identifying providers not already identified 
by the State. That is, an SEA has flexibility to design its program by 
(1) establishing eligible providers proactively and reviewing 
additional requested providers, or (2) solely reviewing requested 
providers. Whether or not an SEA proactively identifies providers that 
meet the criteria depends on how the SEA proposes to operationalize its 
program. The SEA will pay providers of trauma-specific mental health 
services for services a student receives. Regardless of the method an 
SEA uses, it must ensure that any provider is implementing trauma-
specific mental health services to support an eligible student; is 
State-licensed for the services supported by the grant funds; and is 
providing secular, neutral, and non-ideological services. Additionally, 
a student or parent may request a service provider that delivers 
services virtually or through other video, audio, or mobile platforms 
so long as such service meets the definition of ``trauma-specific 
mental health services.'' After approving a student for support and 
explaining to the student and parent the process by which the SEA will 
provide support, the SEA pays providers for the trauma-specific mental 
health services a student receives.
    SEAs must ensure that, to the extent possible, Department grant 
funds support only services that an individual affirms are 
unaffordable, not covered, or insufficiently covered by public or 
commercial health insurance programs. An individual may determine that 
services are unaffordable because, for example, the co-payment or 
deductible is too high. Likewise, an individual may determine that a 
service is insufficiently covered because the cost of the service would 
exceed an annual insurance cap. In either of these examples, Department 
grant funds may support services. In addition, SEAs are required to 
implement policies and procedures that ensure other sources of funding 
are utilized first when practicable and available for that individual. 
An SEA may propose to leverage a partnership, including a partnership 
proposed under the competitive preference priority, as a mechanism to 
assist in ensuring that insurance or other revenue are used before 
grant funds wherever practicable. SEAs should also refer appropriate 
individuals to other systems from which a student may be eligible to 
receive services (for example, the Children's Health Insurance Program 
(CHIP)), if appropriate for and desired by that individual student or 
parent to meet the needs of the student.
    Consistent with ESEA section 4001(a), an SEA must obtain prior 
written, informed consent from the parent of each child who is under 18 
years of age to participate in any mental health assessment or service 
that is funded under this program. In obtaining such prior written, 
informed consent, an SEA could, for example, include a question about 
whether an individual student has access to public or commercial health 
insurance that would support access to the provider from whom an 
individual is requesting services. The inclusion of such a question on 
a form confirming written, informed consent for mental health 
assessment or services under this program would meet the SEA's 
obligation described above related to insurance.
    SEAs may also use the administrative portion of grant awards under 
this program to provide training to LEA- or school-based staff or 
community members or other appropriate individuals on trauma-specific 
mental health services and trauma screenings or trauma assessments, 
consistent with Application Requirements 1 and 7. This training may 
strengthen local capacity to support students in school by expanding 
awareness of trauma symptoms and providing staff and other appropriate 
individuals with strategies

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to identify students who need trauma-specific mental health 
services.\9\
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    \9\ The Department of Health and Human Services Administration 
for Children and Families compiled a set of trauma resources for 
schools, available at https://www.acf.hhs.gov/trauma-toolkit/schools.
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    In administering the program, the SEA accepts requests for services 
that originate either from a student or the student's parent or from an 
LEA or school referral to the program. The SEA must establish a method 
to ensure that each student that receives support is a student from a 
low-income family who has experienced trauma that is impacting the 
student's academic experience (e.g., attendance, behavior, academic 
performance, or another measure proposed by the SEA in its 
application), and that the service is not otherwise covered or is 
unaffordable.
    This program is aligned with Supplemental Priority 10(b) from the 
Department's notice of Final Supplemental Priorities and Definitions 
for Discretionary Grant Programs (Supplemental Priorities), published 
in the Federal Register on March 2, 2018 (83 FR 9096), which encourages 
projects designed to create positive and safe learning environments 
that support the needs of all students, including by providing school 
personnel with effective strategies. If students who have experienced 
trauma exhibit symptoms that negatively impact the learning 
environment, recovery from such trauma, supported by trauma-specific 
mental health services through this program, may improve the overall 
classroom environment.
    Supplemental Priority 2(g) emphasizes the importance of 
partnerships with other State or local entities, not-for-profit 
organizations, or IHEs. Both the FCSS report and the literature on 
trauma-informed care emphasize the importance of collaboration across 
agencies and sectors to promote comprehensive support for students who 
have experienced trauma. The competitive preference priority in this 
notice is adapted from Supplemental Priority 2(g) and is intended to 
encourage applicants to partner with appropriate entities to best serve 
students and build State and local capacity. An SEA may partner with 
one or more State or local mental health agency or agencies and receive 
points under this priority, since such agencies are local or State 
entities.
    Priorities: This notice contains one absolute priority and one 
competitive preference priority. We are establishing these priorities 
for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we 
make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of the General 
Education Provisions Act (GEPA), 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Absolute Priority: This priority is an absolute priority. Under 34 
CFR 75.105(c)(3) we consider only applications that meet this priority.
    This priority is:
    Empowering Individual Students (or their Parents on Behalf of the 
Students, as appropriate) from Low-Income Families Who Have Experienced 
Trauma to Obtain Trauma-Specific Mental Health Services from the 
Providers that Best Meet Their Needs.
    Under this priority, the Department supports projects in which an 
SEA compensates providers for trauma-specific mental health services 
for students who are from low-income families and who have experienced 
trauma that is impacting their educational experiences (e.g., by 
negatively affecting attendance, behavior, academic performance, or 
another measure identified by the SEA in its application). Such 
services should not already be covered by insurance or are 
unaffordable. Students may seek, on their own or through their parents, 
school, or school district, as appropriate, a provider of trauma-
specific mental health services that--
    (a) Is State-licensed for the services provided;
    (b) Provides services that are secular, neutral, and non-
ideological.
    Competitive Preference Priority: This priority is a competitive 
preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i), we award up to an 
additional five points to an application, depending on how well the 
application meets this priority. An applicant that addresses the 
competitive preference priority should indicate so in the abstract 
section of its application.
    This priority is:
    Building and Maintaining Partnership(s) to Support Students 
Recovering from Trauma. (0 to 5 points)
    Projects that propose to work with one or more local or State 
entities, such as nonprofit organizations, IHEs, or State or local 
mental health agencies, to implement the project. Such an application 
includes a memorandum of agreement (MOA) or memorandum of understanding 
(MOU) signed by the authorized representatives of the SEA and partner 
entity specifying how each will provide resources and/or administer 
services that are likely to substantially contribute to positive 
outcomes for the proposed project.
    Note: Points will be awarded based on the strength of the 
partnership agreement and the quality of the management plan as 
reflected in the MOA or MOU, which articulates the roles and 
responsibilities of each partner, and not based on the number of 
partners.
    Requirements: We are establishing these requirements for the FY 
2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make awards 
from the list of unfunded applications from this competition, in 
accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 1232(d)(1).
    Application Requirements: An SEA must include the following in its 
application:
    (1) A description of the SEA's approach to increasing access to 
trauma-specific mental health services using this grant and other 
resources.
    An SEA must describe its approach to increasing access to trauma-
specific mental health services (such as those referenced in the 
Background Section regarding SAMHSA TIP 57) through this program. An 
SEA may use, in total, no more than 15 percent of grant funds for grant 
administration, which may include collaboration with other agencies or 
training for LEA- or school-based staff, community members, or other 
appropriate individuals provided through this program (see Application 
Requirement 7 regarding the Budget). An SEA must describe how this work 
will complement, rather than duplicate, existing efforts to provide 
school-based mental health services and how the project funds will 
supplement, and not supplant, non-Federal funds that would otherwise be 
available for activities funded under this program.
    (2) A description of the approach to identifying, referring, and 
serving students in need of trauma-specific mental health services 
through this grant. An SEA must--
    (a) Describe how a student, or a parent on behalf of a student, 
accesses the program. Specifically, the SEA must describe how it will 
support schools and LEAs in identifying, referring, and serving 
students from low-income families whose experience with trauma is 
affecting school performance, including academic progress, behavior, 
attendance at school, or another measure proposed by the SEA in its 
application. Such a description may include the trauma screening 
tool(s) or trauma assessment(s) used in schools in the State (or a 
description of how the applicant will develop or recommend such tools) 
and a description of how an applicant will train school staff and, as 
appropriate, community members to identify symptoms of trauma. The 
description must include the methods the State will use to communicate 
the

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availability of funding under this program to LEAs, schools, and 
parents and to process requests for trauma-specific mental health 
services from students or their parents, whether those requests come 
directly from students or their parents or from an LEA or school on 
behalf of the student, consistent with applicable privacy requirements;
    (b) Describe the process it will use to establish that a student 
requesting services is eligible, including how it will confirm that a 
student has experienced trauma that has had a negative impact on school 
performance (e.g., attendance, referrals for behavior, academic 
achievement or grades, or another measure proposed by the SEA in its 
application) and that the student is a student from a low-income 
family, as defined in this notice. In describing how it will confirm 
that a student is a student from a low-income family, the SEA must 
specify the poverty measure(s) and threshold(s) it will use from among 
those identified in 20 U.S.C. 6313 (title I, part A of the ESEA), 
consistent with the definition of ``student from a low-income family'' 
in this notice, and must also describe the method it will use to verify 
that a student is from a low-income family and how such method is 
minimally burdensome on the requesting student or parent;
    (c) Describe how it will include private school students from low-
income families on an equitable basis, in accordance with section 8501 
of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7881), in identifying and serving students in 
need of trauma-specific mental health services;
    (d) Describe how it will obtain prior written, informed consent 
from the parent of each child who is under 18 years of age to 
participate in any mental health assessment or service that is funded 
under this program; and
    (e) Describe how it will ensure that, to the extent possible, 
Department grant funds support only services that the student, or 
parent, as applicable, affirms are unaffordable, not covered, or 
insufficiently covered, by public or commercial health insurance 
programs.
    (3) A description of the approach to paying eligible providers of 
trauma-specific mental health services.
    An SEA must--
    (a) Describe the methods it will use to pay appropriate providers 
of trauma-specific mental health services; and
    (b) Describe any criteria it will use to determine that a provider 
offers trauma-specific mental health services, how it will ensure that 
providers are State-licensed, and the method it will use to offer 
relevant information about eligible providers to students and parents 
seeking support through this program, while also allowing students and 
parents to identify the State-licensed provider that best meets their 
needs and offers secular, neutral, and non-ideological services, while 
not prohibiting students or parents from identifying providers not 
already identified by the State on a list, if applicable.
    (4) A project plan that includes a specific timeline for planning, 
outreach, and service delivery. An SEA must provide a detailed project 
plan specifying its methods for communicating the availability of 
funds, providing services and payments to providers with minimal burden 
on students and parents, and continuously improving grant activities. 
As necessary and appropriate, an SEA may describe in its plan a period 
of up to 12 months during the first year of the project period for 
program planning. SEAs that propose to use this option must provide 
sufficient justification for why this program planning time is 
necessary, provide the intended outcomes of program planning in Year 1, 
and include a description of the proposed strategies and activities to 
be supported, such as recruiting and vetting eligible providers, 
performing outreach to communities in need of support, and training 
schools, LEAs, and community members, including any trauma screener(s) 
or trauma assessment(s) the SEA, at its discretion, recommends.
    (5) A list of key project personnel and a description of each of 
their qualifications to serve in the identified role. An SEA must 
provide a list of key project personnel, including, at a minimum, the 
project director, key project personnel, and, as applicable, project 
consultants or subcontractors, and describe their roles and relevant 
training and experience. To the greatest extent practicable, the SEA 
should include a resume for all key project personnel and any 
additional description of training and qualifications.
    (6) A description of how an SEA will document the results of the 
funded project and continuously improve services provided with grant 
funds to support student academic success. An SEA must--
    (a) Describe how it will document the specific types of trauma-
specific mental health services supported by the project and how it 
will share results of the project, consistent with the Family 
Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance 
Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requirements, to promote 
improved capacity in other communities and schools. Such efforts must 
include, at a minimum, how the SEA will identify the individual trauma-
specific mental health services provided and how the SEA will document 
any changes in individual student academic success, including changes 
in attendance, behavior, and academic progress, of individual students 
who participate in the program. This description must include an 
explanation of the SEA's approach to contributing to the evidence basis 
for trauma-specific mental health services while protecting student 
privacy;
    (b) Describe how it will define changes in attendance, behavior, 
and academic progress;
    (c) Describe its approach to measuring student and/or parent 
satisfaction with grant-funded services; and
    (d) Explain how it will use this information during the grant 
period for continuous improvement.
    (7) A detailed project budget. An SEA must provide a specific 
project budget. In the budget, the SEA must specify the portion of 
funds that will be used for outreach, administration, and continuous 
improvement as compared with funds that directly support trauma-
specific mental health services for the students. In total, 
administrative costs, including (1) training for LEA or school staff or 
community members on such topics as how to identify trauma symptoms and 
administer trauma assessments, (2) outreach to LEAs, schools, and the 
public to increase awareness about the available funds, and (3) other 
administrative expenses, may not exceed 15 percent of the annual grant 
award amount or $30,000, whichever is greater.
    Definitions: We establish the definitions of ``student from a low-
income family,'' ``trauma,'' and ``trauma-specific mental health 
services'' for the FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in 
which we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this 
competition, in accordance with section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, 20 U.S.C. 
1232(d)(1). The definitions of ``local educational agency,'' 
``parent,'' and ``State educational agency'' are from 20 U.S.C. 7801.
    These definitions are:
    Local educational agency (LEA) means:
    (a) A public board of education or other public authority legally 
constituted within a State for either administrative control or 
direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary 
schools or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school 
district, or other political

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subdivision of a State, or of or for a combination of school districts 
or counties that is recognized in a State as an administrative agency 
for its public elementary schools or secondary schools.
    (b) The term includes any other public institution or agency having 
administrative control and direction of a public elementary school or 
secondary school.
    (c) The term includes an elementary school or secondary school 
funded by the Bureau of Indian Education but only to the extent that 
including the school makes the school eligible for programs for which 
specific eligibility is not provided to the school in another provision 
of law and the school does not have a student population that is 
smaller than the student population of the LEA receiving assistance 
under this chapter with the smallest student population, except that 
the school shall not be subject to the jurisdiction of any SEA other 
than the Bureau of Indian Education.
    (d) The term includes educational service agencies and consortia of 
those agencies.
    (e) The term includes the SEA in a State in which the SEA is the 
sole educational agency for all public schools.
    Parent--The term ``parent'' includes a legal guardian or other 
person standing in loco parentis (such as a grandparent or stepparent 
with whom the child lives, or a person who is legally responsible for 
the child's welfare).
    State educational agency (SEA) means the agency primarily 
responsible for the State supervision of public elementary or secondary 
schools.
    Student from a low-income family means any student who is 
determined by an SEA, LEA, or school to be from a low-income family 
using a measure(s) of poverty identified in ESEA section 1113(a)(5)(A) 
by applying the measure(s) and threshold(s) specified by the SEA in its 
application.
    Trauma means an event, series of events, or set of circumstances 
that is experienced by an individual as physically or emotionally 
harmful or life threatening and that has lasting adverse effects on the 
individual's functioning and mental, physical, social, or emotional 
well-being.
    Trauma-specific mental health services are mental health treatment 
approaches designed specifically to treat trauma-related symptoms, 
trauma-related disorders, and specific disorders of traumatic stress, 
such as trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, trauma-related 
cognitive processing therapy, relaxation training, biofeedback, 
breathing training, exposure therapy, eye movement desensitization and 
reprocessing, narrative therapy, skills training in affective and 
interpersonal regulation, stress inoculation training, trauma incident 
reduction, or other interventions focused on supporting trauma 
recovery. Note: Medical services are not allowable uses of funds under 
this grant. In general, mental health counseling is not prohibited by 
this limitation. However, any mental health services provided by a 
psychiatrist would need to be carefully evaluated by the grantee before 
services are rendered. Because psychiatrists are trained medical 
doctors, they can prescribe medications, and may spend time with 
patients on medication management as part of treatment. Funding from 
this program must not be used to provide these medical services or any 
medical procedure.
    Waiver of Proposed Rulemaking: Under the Administrative Procedure 
Act (5 U.S.C. 553), the Department generally offers interested parties 
the opportunity to comment on proposed priorities, definitions, and 
requirements. Section 437(d)(1) of GEPA, however, allows the Secretary 
to exempt from rulemaking requirements regulations governing the first 
grant competition under a new or substantially revised program 
authority. This is the first grant competition for this program under 
title IV, part A, subpart 1 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7113(a)(3)) and 
therefore qualifies for this exemption. In order to ensure timely grant 
awards, the Secretary has decided to forgo public comment on the 
priorities, definitions, and requirements under section 437(d)(1) of 
GEPA. These priorities, definitions, and requirements will apply to the 
FY 2019 grant competition and any subsequent year in which we make 
awards from the list of unfunded applications from this competition.
    Program Authority: Section 4103(a)(3) of Title IV, Part A of the 
ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7113).
    Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General 
Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 81, 82, 84, 97, 
98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget Guidelines to 
Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension (Nonprocurement) in 
2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department 
in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost 
Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 
200, as adopted and amended as regulations of the Department in 2 CFR 
part 3474.

II. Award Information

    Type of Award: Discretionary grants.
    Estimated Available Funds: $5,000,000.
    Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of 
applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2020 and subsequent 
years from the list of unfunded applications from the competition 
announced in this notice.
    Estimated Range of Awards: $500,000 to $1,500,000 per year.
    Estimated Average Size of Awards: $1,000,000 per year.
    Maximum Award: We will not make an award exceeding $1,500,000 for a 
single budget period of 12 months.
    Estimated Number of Awards: 4-10.
    Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this notice.
    Project Period: Up to 60 months.

III. Eligibility Information

    1. Eligible Applicants: SEAs.
    2. a. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require cost 
sharing or matching.
    b. Supplement-Not-Supplant: This program involves supplement-not-
supplant requirements.
    3. Subgrantees: A grantee under this competition may not award 
subgrants to entities to directly carry out project activities 
described in its application.
    4. Equitable Services: A grantee under this program is required to 
provide for the equitable participation of private school children, in 
accordance with section 8501 of the ESEA (20 U.S.C. 7881).

IV. Application and Submission Information

    1. Application Submission Instructions: Applicants are required to 
follow the Common Instructions for Applicants to Department of 
Education Discretionary Grant Programs, published in the Federal 
Register on February 13, 2019 (84 FR 3768) and available at 
www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-13/pdf/2019-02206.pdf, which 
contain requirements and information on how to submit an application.
    2. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to Executive 
Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79. However, under 34 
CFR 79.8(a), we waive intergovernmental review in order to make awards 
by the end of FY 2019.
    3. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining funding 
restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice. In 
addition, we remind applicants that section 4001(b) of the ESEA (20 
U.S.C.

[[Page 32133]]

7101) prohibits the use of funds for medical services or drug treatment 
or rehabilitation, except for integrated student supports, specialized 
instructional support services, or referral to treatment for impacted 
students, which may include students who are victims of, or witnesses 
to, crime or who illegally use drugs. In general, mental health 
counseling is not prohibited by this limitation. However, any mental 
health services provided by a psychiatrist would need to be carefully 
evaluated by the grantee before services are rendered. Because 
psychiatrists are trained medical doctors, they can prescribe 
medications, and may spend time with patients on medication management 
as part of treatment. Funding from this program must not be used to 
provide these medical services or any medical procedure.

V. Application Review Information

    1. Selection Criteria: The selection criteria for this program are 
from 34 CFR 75.210. The maximum score for all selection criteria is 100 
points. The points or weights assigned to each criterion are indicated 
in parentheses. Non-Federal peer reviewers will evaluate and score each 
application against the following selection criteria:
    (a) Significance (25 points).
    The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project. 
In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary 
considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to yield 
findings that may be utilized by other appropriate agencies and 
organizations.
    (ii) The extent to which the proposed project is likely to build 
local capacity to provide, improve, or expand services that address the 
needs of the target population.
    (iii) The potential replicability of the proposed project or 
strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation 
in a variety of settings.
    (b) Quality of the Project Design (15 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed 
project. In determining the quality of the design of the proposed 
project, the Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is 
appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target 
population or other identified needs.
    (ii) The extent to which the design of the proposed project 
reflects up-to-date knowledge from research and effective practice.
    (iii) The quality of the proposed demonstration design and 
procedures for documenting project activities and results.
    (c) Quality of Project Services (30 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the services to be provided 
by the proposed project. In determining the quality of the services to 
be provided by the proposed project, the Secretary considers the 
quality and sufficiency of strategies for ensuring equal access and 
treatment for eligible project participants who are members of groups 
that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, color, 
national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the Secretary 
considers:
    (i) The extent to which the services to be provided by the proposed 
project are appropriate to the needs of the intended recipients or 
beneficiaries of those services.
    (ii) The quality of plans for providing an opportunity for 
participation in the proposed project of students enrolled in private 
schools.
    (d) Quality of Project Personnel (10 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the personnel who will carry 
out the proposed project. In determining the quality of project 
personnel, the Secretary considers the extent to which the applicant 
encourages applications for employment from persons who are members of 
groups that have traditionally been underrepresented based on race, 
color, national origin, gender, age, or disability. In addition, the 
Secretary considers the following factors:
    (i) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, 
of the project director or principal investigator.
    (ii) The qualifications, including relevant training and 
experience, of key project personnel.
    (e) Quality of the Management Plan (20 points).
    The Secretary considers the quality of the management plan for the 
proposed project. In determining the quality of the management plan for 
the proposed project, the Secretary considers the adequacy of the 
management plan to achieve the objectives of the proposed project on 
time and within budget, including clearly defined responsibilities, 
timelines, and milestones for accomplishing project tasks.
    2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential applicants 
that in reviewing applications in any discretionary grant competition, 
the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR 75.217(d)(3), the past 
performance of the applicant in carrying out a previous award, such as 
the applicant's use of funds, achievement of project objectives, and 
compliance with grant conditions. The Secretary may also consider 
whether the applicant failed to submit a timely performance report or 
submitted a report of unacceptable quality.
    In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the Secretary 
also requires various assurances including those applicable to Federal 
civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or 
activities receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department 
(34 CFR 100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).
    3. Risk Assessment and Specific Conditions: Consistent with 2 CFR 
200.205, before awarding grants under this program the Department 
conducts a review of the risks posed by applicants. Under 2 CFR 
3474.10, the Secretary may impose specific conditions and, in 
appropriate circumstances, high-risk conditions on a grant if the 
applicant or grantee is not financially stable; has a history of 
unsatisfactory performance; has a financial or other management system 
that does not meet the standards in 2 CFR part 200 subpart D; has not 
fulfilled the conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not 
responsible.
    4. Integrity and Performance System: If you are selected under this 
competition to receive an award that over the course of the project 
period may exceed the simplified acquisition threshold (currently 
$250,000), under 2 CFR 200.205(a)(2) we must make a judgment about your 
integrity, business ethics, and record of performance under Federal 
awards--that is, the risk posed by you as an applicant--before we make 
an award. In doing so, we must consider any information about you that 
is in the integrity and performance system (currently referred to as 
the Federal Awardee Performance and Integrity Information System 
(FAPIIS)), accessible through the System for Award Management. You may 
review and comment on any information about yourself that a Federal 
agency previously entered and that is currently in FAPIIS.
    Please note that, if the total value of your currently active 
grants, cooperative agreements, and procurement contracts from the 
Federal Government exceeds $10,000,000, the reporting requirements in 2 
CFR part 200, Appendix XII, require you to report certain integrity 
information to FAPIIS semiannually. Please review the requirements in 2 
CFR

[[Page 32134]]

part 200, Appendix XII, if this grant plus all the other Federal funds 
you receive exceed $10,000,000.

VI. Award Administration Information

    1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we notify your 
U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a Grant Award 
Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email containing a link to 
access an electronic version of your GAN. We may notify you informally, 
also.
    If your application is not evaluated or not selected for funding, 
we notify you.
    2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements: We identify 
administrative and national policy requirements in the application 
package and reference these and other requirements in the Applicable 
Regulations section of this notice.
    We reference the regulations outlining the terms and conditions of 
an award in the Applicable Regulations section of this notice and 
include these and other specific conditions in the GAN. The GAN also 
incorporates your approved application as part of your binding 
commitments under the grant.
    3. Open Licensing Requirements: Unless an exception applies, if you 
are awarded a grant under this competition, you will be required to 
openly license to the public grant deliverables created in whole, or in 
part, with Department grant funds. When the deliverable consists of 
modifications to pre-existing works, the license extends only to those 
modifications that can be separately identified and only to the extent 
that open licensing is permitted under the terms of any licenses or 
other legal restrictions on the use of pre-existing works. 
Additionally, a grantee or subgrantee that is awarded competitive grant 
funds must have a plan to disseminate these public grant deliverables. 
This dissemination plan can be developed and submitted after your 
application has been reviewed and selected for funding. For additional 
information on the open licensing requirements please refer to 2 CFR 
3474.20.
    4. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this competition, 
you must ensure that you have in place the necessary processes and 
systems to comply with the reporting requirements in 2 CFR part 170 
should you receive funding under the competition. This does not apply 
if you have an exception under 2 CFR 170.110(b).
    (b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a final 
performance report, including financial information, as directed by the 
Secretary. If you receive a multiyear award, you must submit an annual 
performance report that provides the most current performance and 
financial expenditure information as directed by the Secretary under 34 
CFR 75.118. The Secretary may also require more frequent performance 
reports under 34 CFR 75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, 
please go to www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.
    5. Performance Measures: The Department has established the 
following Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 performance 
measures for the Trauma Recovery Demonstration Grant Program:
    (a) Cumulative, unduplicated number of students receiving trauma-
specific mental health services from a provider chosen by the student 
or parent and supported by funds from this grant.
    (b) Cumulative, unduplicated number and percentage of students or 
parents reporting satisfaction with the services provided under this 
grant as it relates to addressing the student's trauma symptoms.
    (c) Consistent with applicable privacy laws and regulations, the 
percentage of students who have received trauma-specific mental health 
services who improved their attendance compared with a baseline of the 
same students' attendance in the period prior to receiving services 
through this grant.
    These measures constitute the Department's indicators of success 
for this program. Consequently, we advise an applicant for a grant 
under this program to carefully consider these measures in 
conceptualizing the approach and evaluation for its proposed project. 
Each grantee will be required to provide, in its annual performance and 
final reports, data about its progress in meeting these measures. This 
data will be considered by the Department in making continuation 
awards.
    Consistent with 34 CFR 75.591, grantees funded under this program 
must comply with the requirements of any evaluation of the program 
conducted by the Department or an evaluator selected by the Department.
    Note: If the applicant does not have experience with collection and 
reporting of performance data through other projects or research, the 
applicant should provide other evidence of capacity to successfully 
carry out data collection and reporting for its proposed project.
    The reviewers of each application will score related selection 
criteria on the basis of how well an applicant has considered these 
measures in conceptualizing the approach and evaluation of the project.
    All grantees must submit an annual performance report and final 
performance report with information that is responsive to these 
performance measures.
    6. Continuation Awards: In making a continuation award under 34 CFR 
75.253, the Secretary considers, among other things: Whether a grantee 
has made substantial progress in achieving the goals and objectives of 
the project; whether the grantee has expended funds in a manner that is 
consistent with its approved application and budget; and, if the 
Secretary has established performance measurement requirements, the 
performance targets in the grantee's approved application.
    In making a continuation award, the Secretary also considers 
whether the grantee is operating in compliance with the assurances in 
its approved application, including those applicable to Federal civil 
rights laws that prohibit discrimination in programs or activities 
receiving Federal financial assistance from the Department (34 CFR 
100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

VII. Other Information

    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document and a copy of the application package in an accessible format 
(e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on request to 
the program contact person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT.
    Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this 
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may 
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of 
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site you can view this 
document, as well as all other documents of this Department published 
in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable Document Format 
(PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: July 1, 2019.
Frank T. Brogan,
Assistant Secretary for Elementary and Secondary Education.
[FR Doc. 2019-14408 Filed 7-3-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P