Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce

The summary for the Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Demonstration to Improve the Direct Service Community Workforce: President Bush announced the New Freedom Initiative on February 1, 2001, as part of a nationwide effort to remove barriers to community living for people with disabilities. The New Freedom Initiative has the following goals: (a) increasing access to assistive and universally designed technologies, (b) expanding educational opportunities for Americans with disabilities, (c) promoting homeownership, (d) integrating Americans with disabilities into the workforce, (e) expanding transportation options, and (f) promoting full access to community life. Over the next 10 years, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 39 percent growth in the direct service worker occupations. This is due partly to the aging baby boom generation that will need more access to direct service supports over that 10-year period. States and community-based organizations that provide direct care services to people in local communities are being urged to submit proposals. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is particularly interested in programs testing whether offering health care coverage to workers will increase and sustain interest in these occupations. However, applicants may wish to devise and implement other recruitment and retention strategies as well. The CMS is allocating $6 million in funding from the CMS research budget for this grant program in fiscal year (FY) 2003. The CMS anticipates making 7 to 10 awards. The maximum grant award is $1.5 million for projects that include the provision of health insurance benefits to workers. For other projects that do not extend health insurance benefits to workers, the maximum is $750,000 per applicant over 36 months. Matching funds of either in-kind or cash contributions totaling 5 percent of a project s total value are required.