Sharing some helpful guidance from ACL regarding use of grant funds.

 

Leslie

 

 

 

Mimecast Attachment Protection has deemed this file to be safe, but always exercise caution when opening files.

Hello Everyone,

 

We would like to provide a bit of clarification on the use of grant funds in light of COVID-19 and the changes you’ve had to make in managing your grants.   ACL fully expects all grantees to need to make adjustments to your grant budgets as a result of the closures and quarantines instituted during the coronavirus pandemic.  We have been working with the Centers (SHIP TA Center, SMP Resource Center, and the NCBOE) to provide support and venues for you to share ideas on how to manage in our current situation and beyond.  In so doing many questions have come up around how you can and cannot use your ACL grant funds.   Here are a few things to keep in mind:

 

• Always talk through budget questions with your OHIC Project Officer and/or your ACL Grants Specialist.
• Not all budget changes require amendments in GrantSolutions – Talk to your OHIC Project Officer for clarification.
• We’ve also created the attached Clarification document to provide a bit more guidance and expectations in writing on how to handle budget changes.
• Allowable costs include purchases of:
• Equipment to allow your team to work more efficiently remotely.  This may include things like laptops, printers, and/or cell phones.
• Mobile hotspots, data plans for cell phones, and/or remote internet access.
• Licenses/accounts for virtual technology such as Zoom, WebEx, or one of the many other options available.
• PPE for team members and the beneficiaries you will be serving in person.   The important point here is that the purchase of PPE must be connected to the provision of your SMP/SHIP/MIPPA activities such as one-on-one counseling or small group presentations (when allowed again).   Grant funds cannot be used to purchase PPE (such as masks or hand sanitizer) to give away to the public (unless it’s done in correlation with a SMP/SHIP/MIPPA event) or to be used by other programs in your agency.  
• Unallowable costs:
• Anything not directly related to the mission of the program and/or the provision of program services.

 

We hope this is helpful but please contact your ACL Project Officer with any additional questions.

 

Thank you,

 

Rebecca M Kinney

Director, Office of Healthcare Information and Counseling

Administration for Community Living

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Office: (202) 795-7375

xxxxxx@acl.hhs.gov

 

 

 

To unsubscribe from the SHIP-DIRECTORS list, click the following link:
http://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?SUBED1=SHIP-DIRECTORS&A=1