2020 Empowering Communities to Address Behavioral Health and Chronic Pain through Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs | HHS 2020 ACL AOA CSSG 0365

Opportunity Information: Apply for HHS 2020 ACL AOA CSSG 0365

The 2020 Empowering Communities to Address Behavioral Health and Chronic Pain through Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs grant is a discretionary federal funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living (ACL). It supports community-based efforts to build local capacity, deliver services, and put long-term supports in place for evidence-based self-management education and support programs that specifically help older adults and adults with disabilities manage behavioral health conditions and/or chronic pain. The focus is practical and implementation-oriented: applicants are expected to show how they will expand access to proven self-management programs, increase participation among the target populations, and strengthen the community infrastructure needed to keep those services operating after federal funding ends.

The opportunity is structured as a cooperative agreement, meaning recipients should anticipate an active federal role in guiding and supporting the project rather than a hands-off grant. Awards can be up to $300,000, with an expected total of seven awards. The underlying program purpose is to help communities address the daily functional impacts and quality-of-life challenges that come with behavioral health concerns and chronic pain, using evidence-based education models that teach skills like symptom monitoring, goal setting, problem-solving, communication with providers, medication management, stress management, and building confidence to navigate health and social systems. Although the notice does not list specific required curricula in the excerpt provided, the emphasis on evidence-based self-management education and support indicates applicants should plan to use established, evaluated program models and to demonstrate fidelity, training, and quality assurance.

Two central goals drive the work. Goal 1 is about planning and infrastructure: through robust partnerships, applicants must create a results-based, comprehensive community strategy to address behavioral health and/or chronic pain among older adults and adults with disabilities. In practice, this implies forming or strengthening cross-sector collaborations (for example, aging services, disability organizations, healthcare providers, behavioral health systems, pain management resources, community-based organizations, and other local stakeholders) and developing a coordinated approach that uses data and measurable outcomes. A competitive proposal would be expected to show how partners will identify priority needs, align referral pathways, coordinate outreach, reduce duplication, and ensure programs are accessible and culturally appropriate for the populations served.

Goal 2 is about reach, impact, and staying power: applicants must significantly increase the number of older adults and adults with disabilities who participate in evidence-based self-management education and/or support programs, with the explicit expectation that the applicant is also working toward sustainability beyond the grant period. This goal points to concrete deliverables such as scaling the number of workshops or sessions offered, expanding delivery sites, increasing the trained workforce (leaders, facilitators, coaches), improving referral and enrollment processes, and reducing barriers like transportation, scheduling, language access, and disability accommodations. Sustainability planning is not optional; applicants are expected to address how the programs will continue after the federal project ends, which often involves diversified funding (contracts, healthcare partnerships, braided funding, reimbursement opportunities where applicable, philanthropic support), institutionalizing referral relationships, and building local training capacity to avoid ongoing dependence on external trainers.

Eligibility is broad and designed to support community-scale implementation. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, and township governments; special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities (including Indian housing authorities); and nonprofit organizations with IRS 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education). The funding is categorized under the Health activity area, with CFDA number 93.734. The funding opportunity number is HHS-2020-ACL-AOA-CSSG-0365, and the opportunity was created on November 21, 2019, with an original application deadline of January 29, 2020 (electronic submissions due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the due date).

Overall, this grant opportunity is aimed at communities that can demonstrate they have, or can quickly build, the partnerships and operational readiness needed to deliver evidence-based self-management education at scale for older adults and adults with disabilities dealing with behavioral health challenges and/or chronic pain. Strong applications would be expected to clearly define the target population, describe the evidence-based programs to be offered, lay out a plan for training and quality control, set measurable participation and outcome targets, and present a realistic sustainability strategy that outlasts the federal funding period.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Community Living in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "2020 Empowering Communities to Address Behavioral Health and Chronic Pain through Chronic Disease Self-Management Education Programs" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.734.
• This funding opportunity was created on Nov 21, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 29, 2020 Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than 1159 p.m., ET, on the listed application due date.. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $300,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 7 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education.

Apply for HHS 2020 ACL AOA CSSG 0365

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: