Request for Proposals:
Fostering Trauma-Responsive Practices in Minnesota

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) Children and Youth with Special Health Needs (CYSHN) is seeking proposals from qualified applicant organizations for a grant program focused on building trauma-responsive and healing-centered practices in health settings that serve children, adolescents, and their support systems.

The Request for Proposals document provides funding details and application requirements: Fostering Trauma-Responsive Practices RFP (PDF)

Background Information

The Fostering Trauma-Responsive Practices grant program empowers community-based partners to identify the needs around trauma-responsive care in these settings and lead the development, delivery, evaluation, and sustainability of solutions. Grantees will create tools, resources, and projects that use evidence-based, emerging, and promising practices to build the confidence, competence, and capacity of health professionals. These efforts will focus on providing trauma-responsive, resilience-oriented, and culturally responsive care, with particular attention to mental health conditions or illnesses often overlooked in traditional trainings. The program also recognizes the importance of addressing not only the needs of children, adolescents, and their support systems, but also the secondary and vicarious trauma experienced by health professionals serving these populations.

Eligible Applicants

Eligible applicants can include community-based nonprofit and for-profit organizations; government entities or Tribal Governments; clinics and hospitals; community health or public health organizations; quality improvement organizations; professional provider associations; and institutes of higher education. Desired skills and experience of applicant include:

• Community Engagement and Partnership Development: Experience working with community-based partners to identify needs and co-develop trauma-responsive solutions. Ability to foster collaborative relationships and build trust with children, adolescents, and families.
• Expertise in Trauma-Responsive and Mental Health Practices: Subject matter expertise in trauma-informed and trauma-responsive care, mental health treatment, and change management.
• Training and Facilitation: Ability to develop and deliver effective, culturally relevant training and resources to build trauma-responsive practices within health settings.
• Evaluation and Reporting: Skills in measuring the impact of projects and providing, clear, concise reports on outcomes.
• Adaptability: Ability to adjust strategies based on community needs and feedback.  

RFP and Application Materials

The Request for Proposals document provides information on the grant program and application requirements: Fostering Trauma-Responsive Practices RFP (PDF). Applications must be submitted electronically by 12:00PM (CST) on November 25, 2024, through the grant interface portal, Foundant.

The appendices of the Request for Proposals document include application materials that will be submitted via Foundant. Visit the Foundant webpage GLM Applicant Tutorial – Foundant Technologies for a tutorial on how to apply.

• New Users: Please email Jessica Mattson at Jessica.mattson@state.mn.us to be added as a user to your organization’s account. Do not attempt to create a new account.
• Existing Users: Please enter your credentials and log in. If you forgot your password, please use the “Forgot your Password?” link, to the left on the logon screen, to reset your password.
• Not Sure? If you think that you or someone at your organization has already registered in the system, do not create a new account. Please contact Jessica Mattson at Jessica.mattson@state.mn.us for assistance.

Once in the system, click on the “apply” button located on the upper tool bar on the home page. You will be redirected to a list of open applications in the system; select the “Fostering Trauma-Responsive Practices in Pediatric Health Settings” application.

Optional templates:

• Form C: Work Plan Template (Word)
• Form D: Budget Justification and Summary Template (Excel)

Required Supplemental Documents:

• Conflict of interest form
• Due diligence form (not-for-profit applicants only)

Important Dates

Funding

Funding will be allocated through a competitive process. Please note that eligible expenditures can only be incurred once the grant agreement is fully executed, and the grant has reached its effective date.

Questions and Answers

All questions regarding this RFP must be submitted by email to Alyssa Greene at health.cyshn@state.mn.us. All answers will be posted within five business days.

Please submit questions no later than 12:00 p.m. Central Standard Time (CST) on November 13, 2024. To ensure all applicants have access to the same information, questions received after this date will not be answered or posted to the website. All questions and answers will be posted on November 20, 2024.

Question: as an “individual” not affiliated with any state/government entity or any professional business or organization, am I eligible to apply for this grant as long as I meet the eligibility criteria and/or requirements for this project?

Answer: Yes. According to the Request for Proposals document, Section 1.4: Eligible Applicants (page 4), “Eligible applicants can include community-based nonprofit and for-profit organizations; government entities or Tribal Governments; clinics and hospitals; community health or public health organizations; quality improvement organizations; professional provider associations; individuals; and institutes of higher education.”  

This means individuals are welcome to apply. Please review the list of desired skills and narrative requirements carefully to ensure you can demonstrate the skills and capacity needed to successfully complete the project.