Mental Health Literacy

The New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) has released a funding opportunity titled "Mental Health Literacy" under Statewide Financial System (SFS) Event ID# CDD-MHL-25. The CDD is a state-level agency dedicated to enhancing the lives of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families. The agency’s mission is to foster self-advocacy, inclusion, and participation in community life through supportive programs. This particular grant aligns with their objectives by addressing the need for improved mental health literacy among practitioners, families, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) who also experience co-occurring mental health conditions. The purpose of this RFP is to fund a single grantee up to $200,000 per year for two years, totaling $400,000, to create a comprehensive, accessible, web-based mental health literacy curriculum. The project will include a corresponding print guide and a complementary animated/live-action video series. These educational resources are intended to empower individuals with disabilities, family members, professionals, policymakers, and community leaders to better recognize and respond to mental health symptoms within the IDD population. Content areas must include general information about dual diagnosis, mental health symptoms, substance abuse, wellness strategies, crisis navigation, and how to access the mental health system across New York State. Eligible applicants include nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, hospitals, disability-service and community-based organizations, tribal entities, and consortia. However, for-profit entities can only participate as subcontractors. Organizations involved in designing this RFP are prohibited from applying or being included as subcontractors. All applicants must be registered and prequalified in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) by the proposal submission deadline. Failure to meet these registration requirements will result in disqualification. The application process is entirely online via SFS and requires multiple components including contact information, eligibility responses, program-specific questions, a detailed work plan, a one-year budget with a 34% match requirement, and certifications related to compliance and insurance. Optional items include letters of support and relevant work samples. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on August 1, 2025. Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted by July 11, 2025, with responses posted on July 14, 2025. Award announcements are expected by August 25, 2025, and the contract start date is anticipated to be October 1, 2025. Evaluation will consist of an eligibility review followed by a programmatic review using a detailed scoring rubric. Key scoring areas include the implementation timeline, advisory group planning, accessibility strategies, outreach plans, evaluation methodology, sustainability planning, and organizational qualifications. Proposals scoring below 80 out of 100 will not be considered. Selected applicants must execute a Master Contract for Grants within 90 days and agree to quarterly reporting and adherence to all programmatic and administrative requirements. The designated contact for this funding opportunity is Kimberly Berg, Program Planner at the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities. She can be reached by phone at 518-486-7505 or by email at Kimberly.Berg@cdd.ny.gov.

Submit early and ensure SFS prequalification to avoid disqualification.