FY27 Independent Agency Funding Program

Question: For the Community Healthcare and Aging funding objective, does the application have to focus on seniors specifically or can it focus on general mental health and/or substance use services for St. Johns residents who are indigent, uninsured, and/or under insured? In looking at the prior funding awards for example, it appeared general substance use outpatient services were funded and not specifically focused on seniors. Thank you.

Answer: Hello, and thank you for your question. Regarding the Community Healthcare category, the application absolutely does not need to be focused on seniors. This category is actually designed to fill a gap in providing cost-effective services to low-income and/or under-served SJC residents with primary, oral health, mental health, and substance abuse needs. In this category, we do include services that assist seniors in accessing resources necessary to achieve health and stability, but programs are not required to focus specifically on seniors. I hope this helps, and apologies for any confusion!

Question: On Program Document 3 (HHSIA Budget), should “Secured” and “Requested” funding be included in the “Other Funding” column?  

Answer: Yes, on Program Document 3, secured and requested program funding amounts should be included in the “Other Funding” column.

Question: So the question in the application relating to funds already applied for and/or secured – the total of these should correspond with the amounts on Program Document 3 for “Secured and Requested?”

Answer: Yes, the amounts included for “Secured” and “Requested” in Other Funding on Program Document 3 should be reflected in the application along with the Fund Name. 

NOTE: For this question, a value needs to be entered in each field in order for the formula to function properly.  If any of the fields are left blank (even fields without the asterisk), the formula will not execute.  In cases where no value is needed, a zero should be entered to ensure the calculation runs properly.  The calculation will include HHS Dollar Amount Requested, plus each of the fields asking for “Amount Applied For” and “Amount Allocated.”

The formula calculation is going to include both “Amount Applied For” and “Amount Allocated” fields.  If this inflates your “Total Cost of Project,” you could place a zero in Amount Applied For and enter the actual Amount Allocated (or vice versa) for a more accurate calculation of the “Total Cost of Project.”

Question: I have a question about the HHS application in e-civis.  Is there a way to export it to a PDF so we can print it out?

Answer: Once you have saved a draft of your application, you should see a blue button on the right that says “Export to PDF.”  See below. 

Keep in mind, however, that many questions have conditional logic attached and some of those conditional supplemental questions may not automatically populate in the printed application.     

Question: Is there a maximum amount agencies can request?

Answer: There is no maximum request amount; however, approximately $1,500,000.00 is anticipated to be awarded in this funding application process, pending BCC budget approval.  This amount is an estimate only, and available funds may be increased or decreased. 

Question: If I hit “Create New Application” using my Portal account, will our Executive Director be able to access it through her Portal account? 

Answer: If you create the application, you will likely have to add your Executive Director as a Team Member in order for her to access it.   

Question: There is a technical issue with multiple shared users and potential deletion of data if two users are in the application at the same time.

Answer: I consulted with eCivis and this is their guidance on this issue:  “Unfortunately, the system only supports one user working in an application at time.  When two users are logged in and making changes simultaneously, even in different sections, saving can cause one user’s data to overwrite or delete the other’s.  This is not a bug, but a limitation within Portal.  There is no workaround that allows two users to edit/work in the same application at the same time.  It is recommended to applicants that only one user should be logged in and actively making changes to an application at any given time.  Portal users may share the same account credentials, but they should coordinate to ensure they are not in the application simultaneously.  If multiple team members need to contribute, they would need to take turns and confirm with each other before logging in to make edits.”

Question: I am having a difficult time locating the HHS Certification of Accuracy and Compliance Document we need to sign. Can you provide me some guidance? 

Answer: If you click on the solicitation link below, you will find all required forms under the “Files” tab. E-Civis Solicitation Link

Question: Regarding question #9: “Has there been litigation or regulatory action (including, but not limited to civil judgments for fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public {Federal, State, or local} transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of a Federal or State antitrust statute; embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification, or destruction of records; or false statements or receipt of stolen property, presently indicted or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity {Federal, State, or local} with commission of any of the offenses enumerated above, investigation and license suspension, or revocation) filed against the agency, board members, executive staff and other key personnel, in addition to entities listed under Items 7 and 8?”

In past years, we have read this question to only include the litigation described in the parenthesis of the question.  However, with the wording as “but not limited to” I am wondering if that includes any litigation involving accidents with our buses. Please clarify. 

Answer: Please answer “Yes” if there has been any litigation, including motor vehicle accidents.  Once “Yes” is selected, a supplemental question will appear requesting that you upload a statement regarding any litigation or regulatory action that has been filed, where you can provide additional details and clarify the circumstances.

Question: What is the look back period for answering questions like: CAPS and Litigation?   

Answer: Any matters occurring within the past seven (7) years should be disclosed (unless otherwise specified in the question).  Additionally, any criminal matters outside of the seven-year period should also be reported.  Applicants should disclose any ongoing litigation or regulatory actions that could potentially impact licensure, accreditation, or the provision of client services. 

Question: My question is about question 10.  We have had Corrective Action Plans in the past, but a few years ago DCF decided to change what was called Corrective Action Plans for the Centers because they did not rise to the level of what is listed in question number 9.  Should I only include a Corrective Plan if it was at the level of items list in question 9?  We have had compliance improvement plans for documentation, such as listing a child’s illness in a case note (that is considered unnecessary).  Would you consider compliance improvement plans and corrective action plans interchangeable so I should include them even though they are considered a lower-level concern?

Answer: I would recommend answering “Yes” to that application question to include any Compliance Improvement Plans, for purposes of transparency.  Once you do, a supplemental question will appear where you can provide a brief description.  For litigation/regulatory action, scoring is based on whether such action impacted accreditation, licensure, client services, or employees.  For CAPS, scoring is based on whether the CAP was in place for minor or significant issues, and whether these issues were resolved. 

Question: Out of curiosity – would requesting Vehicle lease payments be an “acceptable expense?” Litigation?   

Answer: Vehicle lease payments are not specifically listed as an ineligible expense.  However, allowability would depend on the justification provided within the proposal and how the expense directly supports program operations and the delivery of client services.  The County reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to determine the allowability of expenditures.

Question: Is it possible for an agency to apply for funding for two programs/projects?     

Answer: Yes.  Please ensure your projects fit within the identified funding categories and submit one electronic application, including all required documents, forms, and attachments for each proposed project/program, through the eCivis Portal.  

Question: For question #32, can the funding sources we have in place be included here?       

Answer: Answer “Yes” if funding sources have been identified for your specific program/project.  You will then get supplemental question inquiring as to matching dollars from County government and a request that you complete Program Document 5: Budget Narrative for Other Funding. 

Question: Outcomes look back – you answered on our call, but I had a different interpretation than a colleague.

Should we report on:

• Q1 & 2 FY26, and Q3 & 4 FY25 (the four most recent quarters – and make certain to explain any differences with the required outcomes which may have changed from one year to the next?)
• OR – Q1 to Q4 of FY 25?

Answer: At a minimum, I would recommend reporting on the most recently completed year (FY25), as well as your progress toward outcomes achieved to date in FY26.  You may also include any additional notable outcomes you would like the reviewers to consider.  Please clearly identify the specific outcomes being discussed, and, as you mentioned, provide an explanation for any variances from the required outcomes, as well as any significant changes from one year to the next.