80 FR 36813 - Final Priority; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research-Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Community Living

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 123 (June 26, 2015)

Page Range		36813-36815
FR Document		2015-15745

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living announces a priority for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) Program administered by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Specifically, we announce a priority for an RRTC on Self-Directed Care to Promote Recovery, Health, and Wellness for Individuals with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on an area of national need. We intend for this priority to contribute to improved health and wellness for individuals with serious mental illness.

Federal Register, Volume 80 Issue 123 (Friday, June 26, 2015)

[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 123 (Friday, June 26, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36813-36815]
From the Federal Register Online [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2015-15745]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Administration for Community Living

Final Priority; National Institute on Disability, Independent
Living, and Rehabilitation Research--Rehabilitation Research and
Training Centers

AGENCY: Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and
Human Services.

ACTION: Final priority.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

CFDA Number: 84.133B-4.

SUMMARY: The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living
announces a priority for the Rehabilitation Research and Training
Center (RRTC) Program administered by the National Institute on
Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
Specifically, we announce a priority for an RRTC on Self-Directed Care
to Promote Recovery, Health, and Wellness for Individuals with Serious
Mental Illness (SMI). The Administrator of the Administration for
Community Living may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year
(FY) 2015 and later years. We take this action to focus research
attention on an area of national need. We intend for this priority to
contribute to improved health and wellness for individuals with serious
mental illness.

Note: On July 22, 2014, President Obama signed the Workforce
Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA was effective immediately.
One provision of WIOA transferred the National Institute on
Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) from the Department
of Education to the Administration for Community Living

[[Page 36814]]

(ACL) in the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition,
NIDRR's name was changed to the National Institute on Disability,
Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR). Because
of HHS policy, there are changes in the way that NIDILRR will award
and oversee grants that are made with funds from NIDILRR and other
agencies. These changes apply for this priority because SAMHSA's
Center for Mental Health Services provides funding for activities
carried out under the award. These changes are reflected in the
final notice, the Notice Inviting Applications, and the grant
application kit.

DATES: Effective Date: This priority is effective July 27, 2015.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Marlene Spencer, U.S. Department of
Health And Human Services, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5133, Potomac
Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700. Telephone: (202) 245-
7532 or by email: marlene.spencer@acl.hhs.gov.
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), toll free, at 1-
800-877-8339.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of Program: The purpose of the Disability and
Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program is to plan and
conduct research, demonstration projects, training, and related
activities, including international activities, to develop methods,
procedures, and rehabilitation technology that maximize the full
inclusion and integration into society, employment, independent living,
family support, and economic and social self-sufficiency of individuals
with disabilities, especially individuals with the most severe
disabilities, and to improve the effectiveness of services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (Rehabilitation Act).

Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers

The purpose of the RRTCs, which are funded through the Disability
and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program, is to achieve
the goals of, and improve the effectiveness of, services authorized
under the Rehabilitation Act through well-designed research, training,
technical assistance, and dissemination activities in important topical
areas as specified by NIDILRR. These activities are designed to benefit
rehabilitation service providers, individuals with disabilities, family
members, policymakers and other research stakeholders. Additional
information on the RRTC program can be found at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/rrtc/index.html#types.

Program Authority: 29 U.S.C. 762(g) and 764(b)(2)(A).

Applicable Program Regulations: 34 CFR part 350.
We published a notice of proposed priority (NPP) for this program
in the Federal Register on February 25, 2015 (80 FR 10099). That notice
contained background information and our reasons for proposing the
particular priority.
Public Comment: Eight parties submitted wholly supportive comments
in response to our invitation in the notice of proposed priority.
Analysis of the Comments and Changes: An analysis of the comments
and of any changes in the priority since publication of the NPP
follows.
Agency Requirement: SAMHSA/CMHS funds for this Center must be
applied to clearly defined tasks and must be tracked separately by the
grantee. In addition, the grantee must provide separate reports for
activities carried out with NIDILRR and SAMHSA/CMHS funds. In addition
to funding for training, technical assistance, and knowledge
translation, CMHS funds can be applied to evaluative studies but not to
research projects.
Discussion: Details on the necessary changes to the application
process will be spelled out in the application kit.
Changes: Evaluative studies has been added to the priority
requirements.

Final Priority

The Administrator of the Administration for Community Living
establishes a priority for the RRTC on Self-Directed Care to Promote
Recovery, Health, and Wellness for Individuals with Serious Mental
Illness (SMI). This RRTC will also support activities funded by the
Center for Mental Health Services, of the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration. The RRTC will conduct research and
evaluative studies to develop, adapt, and enhance self-directed models
of general medical, mental health, and nonmedical services that are
designed to improve health, recovery, and employment outcomes for
individuals with serious mental illness. The RRTC must conduct
research, evaluative studies, knowledge translation, training,
dissemination, and technical assistance within a framework of consumer-
directed services and self-management. Evaluative studies conducted by
this RRTC will focus on existing programs or services; research studies
will generate new knowledge, generalizable to the relevant target
population(s). Under this priority, the RRTC must contribute to the
following outcomes:
(1) Increased knowledge that can be used to enhance the health and
well-being of individuals with serious mental illness and co-occurring
conditions. The RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
(a) Conducting research and evaluative studies to develop a better
understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of implementing
models that integrate general medical and mental health care for
individuals with SMI. These models must incorporate self-management and
self-direction strategies. The research and evaluative studies must
specifically examine models that incorporate peer-provided services and
supports along with research-based service integration strategies such
as health navigation and care coordination.
(b) Conducting research to identify or develop and then test
interventions that use individual budgets or flexible funds to increase
consumer choice. The RRTC must design this research to determine the
extent to which the consumer-choice intervention improves health
outcomes and promotes recovery among individuals living with SMI. In
carrying out this activity, the grantee must investigate the
applicability of strategies that have proven successful with the
general population or other subpopulations to determine if they are
effective with individuals with SMI and co-occurring conditions.
(2) Improved employment outcomes among individuals with SMI. The
RRTC must contribute to this outcome by:
(a) Conducting research and evaluative studies to develop a better
understanding of the barriers to and facilitators of implementing
vocational service and support models that incorporate self-management
and self-direction features. These features must include self-directed
financing and flexible funding of services that support mental health
treatment and recovery, general health, and employment. These services
may include services and supports not traditionally supplied by mental
health or general medical systems.
(3) Increased incorporation of research and evaluative study
findings related to SMI, self-directed care, health management, and
employment into practice or policy.
(a) Developing, evaluating, or implementing strategies to increase
utilization of research or evaluative study findings related to SMI,
co-occurring conditions, health management, and employment.

[[Page 36815]]

(b) Conducting training, technical assistance, and dissemination
activities to increase utilization of research and evaluative study
findings related to self-directed care of individuals living with SMI
to promote and co-occurring conditions, health management, and
employment.

Types of Priorities

When inviting applications for a competition using one or more
priorities, we designate the type of each priority as absolute,
competitive preference, or invitational through a notice in the Federal
Register. The effect of each type of priority follows:
Absolute priority: Under an absolute priority, we consider only
applications that meet the priority (34 CFR 75.105(c)(3)).
Competitive preference priority: Under a competitive preference
priority, we give competitive preference to an application by (1)
awarding additional points, depending on the extent to which the
application meets the priority (45 CFR part 75); or (2) selecting an
application that meets the priority over an application of comparable
merit that does not meet the priority (45 CFR part 75).
Invitational priority: Under an invitational priority, we are
particularly interested in applications that meet the priority.
However, we do not give an application that meets the priority a
preference over other applications (45 CFR part 75).
This notice does not preclude us from proposing additional
priorities, requirements, definitions, or selection criteria, subject
to meeting applicable rulemaking requirements.

Note: This notice does not solicit applications. In any year in
which we choose to use this priority, we invite applications through
a notice in the Federal Register.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free
Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register and the
Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal Digital System
at: www.thefederalregister.org/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well
as all other documents of ACL published in the Federal Register, in
text or Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have
Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the site.
You may also access documents of the Department published in the
Federal Register by using the article search feature at:
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.

Dated: June 22, 2015.
John Tschida,
Director, National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and
Rehabilitation Research.
[FR Doc. 2015-15745 Filed 6-25-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4154-01-P

Federal Register / Vol. 80, No. 123 / Friday, June 26, 2015 / Notices 36813

through the use of alternative payment DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND collected assist the states and local
models. To this end, CMS launched the HUMAN SERVICES ombudsman programs in planning
Health Care Payment Learning and strategies and activities, providing
Action Network, an effort to accelerate Administration for Community Living training and technical assistance and
the transition to alternative payment developing performance measures.
Agency Information Collection A reporting form and instructions
models, identify best practices in their
Activities; Submission for OMB may be viewed in the ombudsman
implementation, collaborate with
Review; Comment Request; State section of the AoA Web site, http://
payers, providers, consumers, Annual Long-Term Care Ombudsman
purchasers, and other stakeholders, and www.aoa.acl.gov/AoA_Programs/Elder_
Report and Instructions Rights/Ombudsman/index.aspx AoA
monitor the adoption of value-based
AGENCY: Administration for Community estimates the burden of this collection
alternative payment models across the
Living/Administration on Aging, HHS. and entering the report information as
health care system. A system wide
follows: Approximately 7702 hours,
transition to alternative payment models ACTION: Notice.
with 52 State Agencies on Aging
will strengthen the ability of CMS to responding annually.
implement existing models and design SUMMARY: The Administration on Aging
new models that improve quality and (AoA) is announcing that the proposed Dated: June 23, 2015.
decrease costs for CMS beneficiaries. collection of information listed below Kathy Greenlee,
has been submitted to the Office of Administrator and Assistant Secretary for
The information collected from LAN Management and Budget (OMB) for Aging.
participants will be used by the CMS review and clearance under the [FR Doc. 2015–15740 Filed 6–25–15; 8:45 am]
Innovation Center to potentially inform Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. BILLING CODE 4154–01–P
the design, selection, testing, DATES: Submit written comments on the
modification, and expansion of collection of information by July 27,
innovative payment and service 2015. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND
delivery models in accordance with the HUMAN SERVICES
requirements of section 1115A, while ADDRESSES: Submit written comments
on the collection of information by fax Administration for Community Living
monitoring progress towards the
202.395.5806 or by email to OIRA_
Secretary’s goal to increase the
submission@omb.eop.gov, Attn: OMB Final Priority; National Institute on
percentage of payments tied to Desk Officer for ACL. Disability, Independent Living, and
alternative payment models across the
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rehabilitation Research—
U.S. health care system. In addition, the
Louise Ryan, telephone: (202) 357–3503; Rehabilitation Research and Training
requested information will be made Centers
email: louise.ryan@acl.hhs.gov.
publically available so that LAN
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In AGENCY: Administration for Community
participants (payers, providers,
consumers, employers, state agencies, compliance with 44 U.S.C. 3507, AoA Living, Department of Health and
has submitted the following proposed Human Services.
and patients) can use the information to
collection of information to OMB for ACTION: Final priority.
inform decision making and better
review and clearance.
understand market dynamics in relation
States provide the following data and CFDA Number: 84.133B–4.
to alternative payment models. Form narrative information in the report:
Number: CMS–10575 (OMB control SUMMARY: The Administrator of the
1. Numbers and descriptions of cases Administration for Community Living
number: 0938–NEW); Frequency: filed and complaints made on behalf of
Occasionally; Affected Public: announces a priority for the
long-term care facility residents to the Rehabilitation Research and Training
Individuals; Private Sector (Business or statewide ombudsman program;
other For-profit and Not-for-profit Center (RRTC) Program administered by
2. Major issues identified impacting the National Institute on Disability,
institutions), State, Local and Tribal on the quality of care and life of long- Independent Living, and Rehabilitation
Governments; Number of Respondents: term care facility residents; Research (NIDILRR). Specifically, we
9,570; Total Annual Responses: 20,280; 3. Statewide program operations; and announce a priority for an RRTC on
Total Annual Hours: 49,432. (For policy 4. Ombudsman activities in addition Self-Directed Care to Promote Recovery,
questions regarding this collection to complaint investigation. Health, and Wellness for Individuals
contact Dustin Allison at 410–786– The report form and instructions have with Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The
8830) been in continuous use, with minor Administrator of the Administration for
Dated: June 23, 2015.
modifications, since they were first Community Living may use this priority
approved by OMB for the FY 1995 for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2015
William N. Parham, III, reporting period. This request is for
Director, Paperwork Reduction Staff, Office and later years. We take this action to
approval to extend use of the current focus research attention on an area of
of Strategic Operations and Regulatory form and instructions, with no
Affairs. national need. We intend for this
modifications, for three years, covering priority to contribute to improved
[FR Doc. 2015–15771 Filed 6–25–15; 8:45 am] the FY 2015–2017 reporting periods. health and wellness for individuals with
BILLING CODE 4120–01–P The data collected on complaints filed serious mental illness.
with ombudsman programs and
Note: On July 22, 2014, President Obama
tkelley on DSK3SPTVN1PROD with NOTICES

narrative on long-term care issues
provide information to Centers for signed the Workforce Innovation
Opportunity Act (WIOA). WIOA was
Medicare and Medicaid Services and effective immediately. One provision of
others on patterns of concerns and WIOA transferred the National Institute on
major long-term care issues affecting Disability and Rehabilitation Research
residents of long-term care facilities. (NIDRR) from the Department of Education to
Both the complaint and program data the Administration for Community Living

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Document Created: 2015-12-15 14:15:22
Document Modified: 2015-12-15 14:15:22

Category		Regulatory Information
Collection		Federal Register
sudoc Class		AE 2.7: GS 4.107: AE 2.106:
Publisher		Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration
Section		Notices
Action		Final priority.
Contact		Marlene Spencer, U.S. Department of Health And Human Services, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., Room 5133, Potomac Center Plaza (PCP), Washington, DC 20202-2700. Telephone: (202) 245- 7532 or by email: [email protected]
FR Citation		80 FR 36813

80 FR 36813 - Final Priority; National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research-Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICESAdministration for Community Living

Federal Register Volume 80, Issue 123 (June 26, 2015)

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Administration for Community Living