Refugee Integration Fund for Mental Health and Wellness – Colorado

The Colorado Refugee Services Program (CRSP) seeks proposals for programs which will address top priority mental health and wellness needs for Afghan and Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible community members in Colorado

Donor Name: Rose Community Foundation

State: Colorado

County: All Counties

Type of Grant: Grant

Deadline: 02/07/2023

Size of the Grant: $75,000 to $400,000

Grant Duration: 18 months

Details:

Rose Community Foundation (RCF) serves as the Fiscal Intermediary for the current Refugee Integration Fund grants overseen by CRSP. The RCF contact listed in these instructions is the sole point of contact concerning this Request for Proposals (RFP).

The Refugee Integration Fund supports programs and initiatives that are addressing priority needs for newly arrived Afghans and other Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)-eligible populations residing in Colorado, including legal services, mental health services, and support to schools.

Categories of Funding

Refugee Mental Health Initiative within the Refugee Health Promotion Program

• Eligible Populations:
  • Programs must serve ORR-eligible individuals within their first five years of arriving in the United States.
• Program Goal, Scope of Services, and Activities:
  • Physical and emotional wellness is a foundation for successful resettlement and integration. However, a myriad of pre- migration and post-resettlement stressors may contribute to newly arrived refugees’ emotional distress. The recent impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and racial and social injustice in the United States may further compound mental health vulnerabilities. More support is necessary to address the mental health needs of refugee populations. Within the framework of the Refugee Health Promotion program, the goal of this funding is to build capacity within communities to address the mental health needs of refugee populations, including help overcoming stigmas associated with mental health care and creating opportunities for social engagement to reduce isolation. The approach should be client-centered, trauma-informed, strengths-based, and culturally and linguistically appropriate.

Afghan Refugee Health Promotion

• Eligible Populations:
  • Afghanistan Supplemental Appropriation funding is designated to support Afghans who meet the below criteria:
    • Citizens or nationals of Afghanistan paroled into the United States under section 212(d)(5) of the Immigration and Nationality Act between July 31, 2021 and September 30, 2023.
    • A spouse or child of any Afghan humanitarian parolee described above, who is paroled into the United States after September 30, 2023.
    • A parent or legal guardian of an Afghan humanitarian parolee who is determined to be an unaccompanied child as defined by 6 U.S.C. 279(g)(2), who is paroled into the United States after September 30, 2023.
    • Citizens and nationals of Afghanistan for whom refugee and entrant assistance activities are authorized (e.g., Special Immigrant Visa holders, Special Immigrants with Conditional Permanent Residency, SQ/SI parolees, refugees, asylees), whose eligibility date is on or after July 31, 2021.
• Program Goal, Scope of Services, and Activities:
  • Many Afghans arrived with immediate as well as long term physical and mental health needs. While Afghan arrivals who are eligible for ORR’s Refugee Resettlement Program are entitled to health coverage benefits to the same extent as refugees, it is critical to ensure Afghan newcomers can understand and access the U.S. healthcare system. In addition, supporting non-clinical services for Afghans is vital to enhancing well-being for this population. The goal of the Afghan Health Promotion (AHP) funding is to improve the health of newly arrived Afghans through outreach, education, and support services. The approach should be client centered, trauma-informed, and strengths-based. It should also be informed by an understanding of Afghan culture and the unique circumstances of the Afghan evacuation. The target areas to be addressed by both sources of funding must include one or more of the following:
  • Increasing mental health literacy, through activities to:
    • Identify and conduct outreach to mainstream mental health providers versed in trauma informed services to determine potential partners for the program.
    • Develop a training curriculum for mainstream providers on refugee mental health and other trainings to respond to provider-specific needs; and/or partner with local refugee resettlement agencies and/or ethnic community-based organizations to provide such trainings.
    • Increase the pool of Mental Health First Aid (MFHA) instructors in the resettlement network by sponsoring certification training fees; new MHFA instructors are expected to conduct trainings to build mental health capacity in refugee communities and refugee-serving providers.
    • Conduct outreach and provide educational opportunities for refugees to learn about mental health and emotional wellness to decrease stigma about, and increase access to, services.
  • Coordinating mental health care, through activities to:
    • Develop direct linkages between mental health service providers and refugee- serving organizations to ensure a well-coordinated referral process.
    • Develop and implement strategies to mitigate language barriers to mental health services. For example, funding refugee community health workers to be trained in medical interpretation, including interpreting in mental health. o Organizing wellness groups, through activities to host or facilitate community- based activities, targeted wellness group activities for specific interests and populations (e.g., meditation group, women’s sewing group, etc.), and other opportunities for relationship building amongst refugee populations to overcome feelings of isolation. Applicants may either propose to serve:
      • Any ORR-eligible community members within their first five years after arrival in the U.S., (which may include Afghans meeting the specified criteria).
      • Eligible Afghans only, per above criteria. Funding for all Afghans served on grants will come from the Afghan-specific funding.

Funding Information

• Budget Period: The anticipated term is March 2023 – September 30, 2024, to align with the federal fiscal year.
• Grant awards will range from $75,000 to $400,000 on average

Eligibility Criteria

Organizations eligible to apply for this funding opportunity are:

• Colorado organizations with at least two years of experience serving ORR-eligible Coloradans.
• Public and private nonprofit agencies operating in Colorado, including community-based organizations with or without 501(C)(3) status (excluding institutions of higher education), school districts, and public housing authorities.
• Capable of delivering on all grant requirements, fiscal and programmatic, as evidenced by previous successful grant completions.
• For proposals to serve all ORR-eligible community members: Organizations must be committed to serving all qualified individuals, regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, or race.
• For proposals to serve Afghans only: Organizations must be committed to serving all eligible Afghans regardless of ethnicity, language, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or race.
• Applicants must have data collection and outcome reporting capabilities that support the goals and reporting requirements of the project.

For more information, visit RCF.