Grants are here – announcements started coming out last Friday regarding the status of applications for the COVID-19 Healthcare Relief Grants (ARPA grants).
Recipients who no longer wish to receive the funds need to email [email protected] by December 20, 2022, 5:00PM to have their application withdrawn. Providers who would like to accept their grant awards should wait for a follow-up email from the Health and Human Services Commission.
If you applied for the Grant Program and you have not yet heard anything (neither an award notification nor an award denial), please send an email to [email protected] with the subject line “RFA HHS0011336, <INSERT NAME OF YOUR COMMUNITY>, Facility ID# <INSERT FACILITY ID>, TIN # <INSERT TIN>. In the body of the email, ask for a status update, and say that you have not received any communication about your application.
As of this publishing, we have heard from a very small number of providers whose applications have been denied. If you received a denial and you believe the agency made an error, then you should email [email protected] with any evidence you would like to have considered.
Providers have until the end of July 2023 to expend all grant funds. The money must be spent on staff. Purposes could include, but are not limited to, recruitment, retention, development, training, support, and bringing in contract staff if needed. We hope providers will get creative with these funds and will use this one-time investment as an opportunity to reward and invest their deserving staff. For example, funds could be used to send employees to professional development conferences, or helping team members obtain training or certifications, paying for school expenses, or helping with childcare costs. Providers should document where money was spent, how much was spent, and what any outcomes or results of that spending were.
Please also share with Carmen Tilton ([email protected]) and Diana Martinez ([email protected]) what you plan to do with your funds. We would love the opportunity to highlight your support for your team members and to demonstrate the responsible stewardship of the Assisted Living industry.
