WASHINGTON, DC. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), has just announced competitive funding of over $21 million in two programs that can help meet the needs of persons with mental illness. Each of the competitive grants carries the potential for improved access and appropriate services for persons experiencing chronic homelessness who have a mental illness. In FY 2005, approximately $18.8 million will be available in the Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant Program. Approximately $2,400,000 is available in the Jail Diversion Grant Program. SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services is charged as the lead government agency to implement the goals and recommendations of the New Freedom Commission Report.

The Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant Program. The Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant Program is one of SAMHSA's Infrastructure Grant programs. This program will support an array of infrastructure and service delivery improvement activities to help grantees - i.e., States, Territories, the District of Columbia, and/or federally recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes or Tribal Organizations - build a solid foundation for delivering and sustaining effective mental health and related services. Approximately $18.8 million will be available for awards ranging from $1.5 million to $3 million in total costs. Applicants may request a project period of up to 5 years. Applications are due June 1, 2005. Application information is available at http://www.samhsa.gov/grants/2005/nofa/sm05009_mht_sig.aspx

"Transforming our nation's mental health system requires us to expand how we look at public and personal health care," stated SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie. "Everyone from public policymakers to consumers and family members must come to understand that mental health is a vital, integral part of overall health. These grants will help change the way in which the mental health system provides effective treatment and ultimately how consumers and families recover." Mr. Curie is pictured here.

These grants are unique in that they will support new and expanded planning and development to promote transformation to systems explicitly designed to foster recovery and meet the multiple needs of consumers. The Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grant Program is responsive to the broad systemic recommendation contained in the final report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, Achieving the Promise: Transforming Mental Health Care in America. The Commission goal is to increase the availability of high- quality services and overcome existing fragmentation.

Eligible applicants for the transformation grants are the immediate office of the Chief Executive Officer (e.g., Governor) in the States, Territories, the District of Columbia, and Federally-recognized American Indian/Alaska Native Tribes or Tribal Organizations. The applicant's Chief Executive must appoint the Chairperson and members of the Transformation Working Group and must sign the application. Eligibility is limited because recipients of the Mental Health Transformation State Incentive Grants must have the ability to leverage and coordinate multiple sources of funding and other resources in order to achieve the goals of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.

The Commission set the following goals to achieve its vision: 1) Americans understand that mental health is essential to overall health. 2) Mental health care is consumer and family driven. 3) Disparities in mental health services are eliminated. 4) Early mental health screening, assessment, and referral to services are common practice. 5) Excellent mental health care is delivered, and research is accelerated. 6) Technology is used to access mental health care and information.

Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) Grants for Jail Diversion Programs. SAMHSA's Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) has announced the availability of funds for programs to divert individuals with mental illness from the criminal justice system to community-based systems with integrated mental health and substance abuse treatment and appropriate support services. The purpose of the TCE Grants for Jail Diversion Programs is to promote the transformation of systems to improve services for justice-involved adults with mental illness. One of the recommendations from the final report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health was for widespread adoption of adult criminal justice diversion and re-entry strategies to avoid the unnecessary criminalization and extended incarceration of non-violent adult offenders with mental illnesses. The TCE Grants for Jail Diversion Program provides communities the opportunity to address this key recommendation.

Applications are due May 24, 2005. Eligible applicants the chief executive of a State, political subdivisions of States, Indian tribes, and tribal organizations, acting through agreements with other public and nonprofit entities to develop and implement programs to divert individuals with a mental illness from the criminal justice system to community-based services. All applications must be signed by the chief executive of their State, political subdivision of State, Indian tribe, or tribal organization. SAMHSA expects that up to $2,400,000 will be available to fund six new grants in FY 2005 for up to three years. Annual awards will not exceed $400,000 per year in total costs (direct and indirect).

Information on technical assistance and training for applicants is available at http://www.samhsa.gov/Grants/generalinfo/tech_assist.aspx

DOVER, DELAWARE. Stating that a "coordinated effort to provide effective services and recommend solutions " is needed in The First State, Delaware Governor Ruth Ann Minner signed an Executive Order creating the Delaware Interagency Council on Homelessness. Governor Minner is pictured here.

Delaware Interagency Council membership will include Secretaries of the Departments of Health and Social Services, Services for Children, Youth, and their Families, Labor, Education; Delaware State Housing Authority; Commissioner of the Department of Correction; Chairs of the Senate Community/County Affairs Committee and the House of Representatives Housing and Community Affairs Committee; Mayors of the Cities of Wilmington and Dover, County Executive of New Castle County; a person who is homeless or formerly homeless; three representatives from emergency housing and/or service providers, and the Delaware Apartment Association. Governor Minner, who met with United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano in December to discuss the Executive Order, is expected to name the Council members shortly.

The Council has as its first duty to adopt and oversee the implementation of a state plan to reduce homelessness and end chronic homelessness, as well as to review data, activities and programs in the State of Delaware that provide housing services to homeless people. In addition, the Council will seek to effectively coordinate and maximize resources of existing programs and activities to prevent homelessness and to ensure positive results and accountability of existing and new efforts and programs by shifting from funding programs to investing in solutions.

TOPEKA, KANSAS. The Topeka headlines say it all: "City Makes Long-Term Commitment to Fight Homelessness " and "City Joins Bush Plan to End Chronic Homelessness." Each is reporting last week's announcement by Topeka Mayor James McClinton that his Topeka and Shawnee County will develop a 10-year plan to end chronic homelessness. Mayor McClinton, a former President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, is one of the 35 original signatories to the Mayoral Covenant of Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness executed in Janaur 2005. Stated Mayor McClinton, "It's not as if we are starting from scratch in Topeka. We will use this new model to accentuate what we've already started in this community to end chronic homelessness." Mayor McClinton voiced his belief that with city government, businesses and organizations joining forces, Topeka will see long- term results that will be effective under future mayors.

With this announcement, the list of cities and counties who CEOs have committed to the 10-year planning process now tops 180. United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, who joined Mayor McClinton for the announcement, urged Topeka planners to use the work of other cities and counties in designing their plan. "There's not a plan in the country that has not benefited from ideas taken from elsewhere. Your work in planning is to identify the innovative initiatives that are delivering results and bring those to your city," he stated. Mayor Clinton is pictured here at the announcement with Director Mangano. Interagency Council Regional Coordinator Michael German also participated in the announcement.

35 mayors representing cities from Anchorage to Key West signed a Covenant of Partnership with each other and with the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness agreeing to collaborate with one another to exchange data, share best practices, and to welcome other cities to join the collaboration. 55 Mayors have now signed the Covenant. The original signing of the Covenant took place at a meeting of the Hunger and Homelessness Task Force during the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting in Washington.

CHARLESTON AND NORTH CHARLESTON, SC. Calling homelessness a "critical issue," Charleston, South Carolina Mayor Joseph Riley last week committed his city to develop a 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, making Charleston the first South Carolina city to do so. Mayor Riley is one of the 35 original signatories to the Mayoral Covenant of Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness executed at the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting in January 2005.

Citing his City's history of work on the issue of homelessness, Mayor Riley stated, "Needless to say, our goals would not have been possible without the partnerships of many local non-profit agencies and service providers. We will continue to work with all of them with an eventual goal of the elimination of homelessness and the provision of attractive, safe, decent and affordable housing in our area. " United States Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano, who met with Mayor Riley for the announcement, was joined by Nell Postell of the South Carolina Association of Realtors and Interagency Council Regional Coordinator Michael German. Mayor Riley is pictured here (second from right) with (left to right) United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Field Office Director Dudley Gregoire, South Carolina Association of Realtors 'Nell Postell, and Director Mangano.

North Charleston Mayor R. Keith Summey also joined the new momentum in South Carolina last week, committing during a visit by Interagency Council Executive Director Philip Mangano to develop a 10- Year Plan for his city.

New Portland, Oregon Mayor Tom Potter this week became the latest signatory to the Mayoral Covenant of Partnership to End Chronic Homelessness, joining 54 other Mayors from Anchorage to Key West. Other Mayors recently signing the Covenant also include El Cajon, CA Mayor Mark Lewis, and Lemon Grove, CA Mayor Mary Teresa Sessom.

ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA. The Alexandria, Virginia, City Council has given its stamp of approval to the City's new 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. The new Plan is closely aligned with the key goals of the state's Virginia: A Common Wealth to End Homelessness plan from the federal Policy Academy. Local advocates welcomed the Council's action as a step in giving the issue political recognition in the city which has counted 93 chronically homeless people in its last census.

Alexandria's Plan proposes development of new housing resources in several forms, including: a new 12-bed Safe Haven program, an SRO residence, examination of available federal foreclosure property that might be suitable for use as permanent housing, and development of relationships with landlords who might support a Housing First approach in the city, which has little room for new development. In addition, the plan stresses homelessness prevention, identification of homeless veterans and benefits support, and employment. "First and foremost, our goal is to prevent homelessness," said Alexandria Mayor William D. Euille.

The Plan also proposes to support the Alexandria Community Health Care Center in seeking a Health Care for the Homeless grant to improve the populations access to comprehensive health care services. The President's FY 06 budget proposes a 17% increase for the Health Care for the Homeless Program at the Department of Health and Human Services. The Program is part of the Consolidated Health Centers budget item, which has been proposed for regular increases as part of the President's commitment to create or expand 1200 center sites by 2006 and establish a center in every high poverty area that can support one.

WASHINGTON, DC. Key online resources are available to orient applicants to funding opportunities and application changes in the annual Department of Housing and Urban Development McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants competition now underway, as well as the new competition for Housing for People who are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol. The individual Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) and the Questions and Answers document should be thoroughly reviewed for details. These documents are posted on-line for downloading. The Questions and Answers document is located at www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/nofa05/grpcoc.cfm

In addition, there are several Webcasts scheduled to provide information for potential applicants. Next week, the Webcast on both McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants and Housing for People who are Homeless and Addicted to Alcohol is scheduled for Thursday, April 7, 1pm - 4 pm EST. Also of interest are Webcasts on How to Apply for Federal Grants (April 20, 11 am - 4 pm EST) and Logic Model Training (April 13, 1:30 pm - 4 pm EST). To access a list of the Webcasts and information on viewing, visit http://www.hud.gov/webcasts/index.cfm

In the 2005 SuperNOFA announced on March 21, there are a total of 53 HUD programs totaling $2.26 billion. McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants of approximately $1 billion are available, with applications due June 10, 2005. $10 million is available under the Housing for People who are homeless and Addicted to Alcohol competition for 10 2-year grants of approximately $1 million each. Applications are due May 19, 2005.

. . . that, with the commitment of Topeka, Kansas, to develop a 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness, there are now 28 state capitals with 10-Year Planning commitments among the 182 cities and counties engaged in planning partnerships.

. . . that Topeka's commitment to end chronic homelessness adds another link to a long City lineage in social change, including its site as an Underground Railroad stop in abolitionist history, a center of the women's suffrage movement, and the locus of the Brown v. Board of Education school segregation case.

. . . that state capitals, including Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Phoenix were among the first cities to complete 10-Year Plans. Indianapolis, under the leadership of Mayor Bart Peterson was the first city with a mayorally developed plan.

CHARLESTON, SC. "Everyone deserves to have suitable housing and a roof over their head, " states Charleston Realtor and former South Carolina Association of Realtors President Nell Postell, who also chairs of the National Association of REALTORS® Housing Needs Committee. "I made a personal commitment in 2005 to make a donation to the Realtors Housing Opportunity Fund (RHOF) in honor of both my Sellers and Buyers on every closing," says Postell. "I am so blessed and I wanted to give back to the community to help those that are less fortunate." Recently RHOF granted $10,000, one quarter of this year's grants, to the Good Neighbor Center to assist in the conversion of an orphanage to a transitional housing facility for homeless persons who are elderly or single mothers. Nell Postell is pictured here with United States Interagency Council on Homelessness Executive Director Philip Mangano, during his visit to Charleston, SC, last week.

Through Charleston's REALTORS® Housing Opportunities Fund (RHOF), local realtors are making housing investments in their own communities. RHOF is a partnership between the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors and the Coastal Community Foundation (CCF), which has a long history of administering special interest and/or family funds in the area. 100% of the proceeds from the Fund are awarded to housing organizations, and any marketing and administrative fees incurred are paid by the Association and do not come from the donated funds.

As of January 2005, RHOF has raised more than $87,500 by collecting individual contributions, donating interest earned on escrow accounts, and hosting annual events. The fund has a $10,000 endowment which guarantees its long term sustainability. Organizations with 501 (c) 3 status are eligible for RHOF grants.

The Fund began in the fall of 2003 as a means to support local homeownership efforts. The RHOF mission is to distribute grants to Lowcountry organizations that assist in the development, maintenance, or repair of housing for those whose dreams of homeownership are challenged by the region's increasing sale prices. The program's focus is on affordable housing, education, and renovations.