Virginia Board for People with Disabilities Requests FFY 2011 Competitive Grant Proposals The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities, the state's Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, has identified 2007-2011 State Plan objectives and 2008 Biennial Assessment recommendations in Formal/Informal Community Supports, Recreation, Employment, Housing, and Transportation for which it seeks proposals for Federal Fiscal Year 2011 competitive grant awards. Any proposals funded must address one or more specified State Plan objectives and the Board's mission of system change or capacity building. Board grants are 100% funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Developmental Disabilities. The Board is bound hereunder only to the extent of the funds available or which may become available. The FFY 2011 RFP Booklet, forms, and other important documents needed to complete an application, are available at www.vaboard.org/grants.htm. Please note, applying for grant funds is now a TWO-STEP PROCESS: --- STEP 1: Submission of a Letter of Interest (LOI) by no later than January 26, 2010. --- STEP 2: Submission of a Proposal, if selected, by no later than March 31, 2010. No one may submit a proposal without having first submitted a LOI. Attendance at a RFP Workshop on January 11, 2010, is not mandatory, but is highly recommended. Please see the RFP Booklet for information on schedule, locations across Virginia, and registration information. Deadline for registration is January 5, 2010. Questions regarding grants management or general guidelines for the RFP process should be directed to Lynne Talley, Grants Manager, at (804) 786-9375 or toll free (800) 846-4464 (Voice/TDD) or by email at Lynne.Talley@vbpd.virginia.gov. Additional contact information is available in the RFP Booklet. ================================================== Virginia Board for People with Disabilities Additional FFY 2010 Grant Awards Recently, the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities approved two additional grant awards for Federal Fiscal Year 2010. The addition of these projects raises the total commitment for new Board-supported projects to improve and expand community supports for individuals with developmental and other disabilities in the Commonwealth to more than $777,000. Funding for the projects described below is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Developmental Disabilities under the national Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act of 2000 (P.L. 106-402). Grantee: Endependence Center, Inc. Grant Title: Medicaid Waiver Training and Information Project Total: $77,018 Grant Funds Awarded: $56,968 Match: $20,050 Grant Period: October 1, 2009 - March 31, 2011 Project Goal: To increase access to Medicaid Home and Community Based Waiver person-centered services through the development and distribution of information via workshops, online and traditional documents, and collaboration with disability advocates. Grantee: Partnership for People with Disabilities, Virginia Commonwealth University Grant Title: Self-Advocates Leading Together (SALT) Project Total: $100,244 Grant Funds Awarded: $75,000 Match: $25,244 Grant Period: October 1, 2009 - March 31, 2011 Project Goal: To establish a statewide nonprofit organization to bring the perspective of networked self-advocates to public policy decision-making at the local, regional, and state levels in Virginia through public education and awareness, peer mentoring, support, advocacy, and direct action. Additional information on the Board's past, current, and future grant activities can be found at www.vaboard.org/grants.htm. ================================================== Virginia Youth Leadership Forum Planning Year Catching Up & Moving Forward The Virginia Board for People with Disabilities and its YLF staff are proud of the many accomplishments and successes achieved during the first ten years of the Virginia Youth Leadership Forum. They are also keenly aware that times are changing and changing rapidly. Advancements in technology and media, social networking, and leadership curricula have exploded. The Board recognizes the importance of keeping YLF current with all these changes to ensure that past and future student Delegates have access to the latest and greatest information and networking strategies. In order to evaluate, update, modernize, and improve all YLF activities (while needing to stay within the limits of its state and federal resources) the Board has approved a planning year for the Forum. There will be no YLF in Summer 2010; however, the Board looks forward to a new and greatly improved Youth Leadership Forum in 2011. In the interim, a committee of YLF alumni, staff, past speakers, presenters, and supporters will convene to look at what has been accomplished to-date and what can be done to ensure that future Forums incorporate new and innovative opportunities and resources. Along the way, the Board will use its Voices & Visions newsletter, YLF webpage at www.VABoard.org/YLF.htm, and other communications to keep YLF alumni and other constituents informed. The Board also extends its thanks to everyone who has supported and promoted the program, recruited student Delegates, and helped to educate and mentored them over the past ten years. Watch for updates and look forward to the Youth Leadership Forum of tomorrow!