Immigrant and Refugee Stakeholder Advocacy State-Level Advocacy Contractor

Departmental Grant ID:
RFP Stakeholder I-R_003
Portal ID:
97638
Status:
Closed
Opportunity Type:
  • Grant
Last Updated:
 | 

Details

Purpose:

The Commission is seeking an experienced State-Level Advocacy Contractor to work with Local Immigrant and Refugee contractors.  

Description:

This contract opportunity supports the goals of the MHSA and proposes to support the goal of system transformation through the engagement and participation of immigrants and refugees that is client and family driven, culturally competent, and collaborative in design.

California’s immigrant and refugee populations face significant mental health challenges as a result of trauma experienced while escaping dangerous conditions in their homeland, traveling to the United States, and then attempting to settle into new communities. These challenges have been referred to as the “triple trauma paradigm.” Negative mental health outcomes are associated with the traumatic events experienced by immigrants and refugees, including major depression, suicide, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), family dysfunction, drug and alcohol dependence, disruptive behavior disorders in youth, as well as increased risks of being targeted for human trafficking.

According to the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration, 46,819 refugees have arrived in California since 2011. While refugees have settled in over 30 counties throughout California, the majority have settled in San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Orange, and Santa Clara counties. Mental health services are available throughout the State; however, refugee populations often resist seeking services as a result of stigma and mental health workforce limitations. Stigma associated with mental health conditions in their countries of origin can cause immigrants and refugees to hide the symptoms experienced by themselves or their children. When refugees do seek treatment, they often find that there are few mental health professionals available to speak their language, understand their culture, or empathize with their experiences. These factors have resulted in low utilization rates, creating a challenge for service delivery.

Like refugees, immigrants (approx. 11 million, per Public Policy Institute) face similar challenges accessing care. According to the National Immigration Law Center, 47% of non-citizen immigrants are without health insurance compared to 16% for those born in the United States. Additionally, federal policy changes create barriers to care due to fear of deportation. Like refugees, immigrants experience traumatic events during migration and post migration. The challenge of accessing mental health care services can be addressed with effective outreach, training and education, and advocacy. Organizations which serve immigrant populations in California have unique knowledge of the necessary steps to reduce disparities of access to mental health services and supports for immigrants and their families.      

 

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • Nonprofit

1.      Be an established state-level organization with experience providing programs and services related to the unique mental health needs of California’s diverse immigrant and refugee populations;

2.      Have experience and capacity to provide technical assistance and support to local community-based organizations which serve immigrants and refugees;

3.      Be a non-profit organization, registered to do business in California

Important Dates

The date (and time, where applicable) by which all applications must be submitted to the grantmaker. Time listed as “00:00” equates to midnight.
The date on which the grantor expects to announce the recipient(s) of the grant.
May 23, 2022
The length of time during which the grant money must be utilized.
3 years

Funding Details

The total projected dollar amount of the grant.
$400,000
A single grant opportunity may represent one or many awards. Some grantors may know in advance the exact number of awards to be given. Others may indicate a range. Some may wish to and wait until the application period closes before determining how many awards to offer; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
1
Grant opportunities representing multiple awards may offer awards in the same amount or in varied amounts. Some may wish to wait until the application period closes before determining per-award amounts; in this case, a value of “Dependent” will display.
$400,000
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) provide a letter of intent.
Yes ( see Description for details )
Certain grants require that the recipient(s) be able to fully or partially match the grant award amount with another funding source.
No
The funding source allocated to fund the grant. It may be either State or Federal (or a combination of both), and be tied to a specific piece of legislation, a proposition, or a bond number.
  • State
The manner in which the grant funding will be delivered to the awardee. Funding methods include reimbursements (where the recipient spends out-of-pocket and is reimbursed by the grantor) and advances (where the recipient spends received grant funds directly).
  • Reimbursement(s)

Funding Method Notes:

The available funding for this RFP is $400,000, allocated as follows:

 
Year One $ 133,333
Year Two $ 133,333
Year Three $ 133,334
Total $ 400,000

How to Apply

State agencies/departments recommend you read the full grant guidelines before applying.

Resources

For questions about this grant, contact:
Lester Robancho, 1-916-500-0577, mhsoac@mhsoac.ca.gov