2110-0202 Bullying Prevention (BP)

The Trauma Responsive Schools grants will assist schools in completing the Trauma Responsive Schools Implementation Assessment (TRS-IA) assessment and in developing an action plan to improve the school climate.

Bullying refers to actions in which an individual in an imbalanced power relationship intentionally and repeatedly inflicts, or attempts to inflict, injury or discomfort on another. Traditional bullying includes physical aggression, verbal threats and insults, and exclusion from groups. Cyberbullying has emerged as a less traditional form of bullying coinciding with increased use of technology and the internet and includes activities that occur via electronic means, such as text messaging, emails, websites, or other forms of social media. In 2020, 1 in 4 Illinois youth reported experiencing bullying and 1 in 6 reported experiencing cyberbullying, with variances seen by data source and groups examined. In developing the ICJIA Statewide Violence Prevention Plan, researchers conducted an Illinois needs assessment and found certain groups reported higher rates of bullying than others, including: • LBGTQ youth, including those who identify as transgender and those who do not identify as female, male, or transgender; and gay, lesbian, or bisexual youth. • Native American/American Indian and multiracial youth. • Youth across Illinois (Appendix A). • Middle school youth. Bullying is a form of youth violence that creates an adverse childhood experience. This is important as adverse childhood experiences have been linked to physical health issues, mental health issues, and decreased opportunity in adulthood. The ICJIA Statewide Violence Prevention Plan found that youth who experienced bullying and cyberbullying were significantly more likely to report feeling sad or hopeless and suicidal ideation than youth who did not report experiencing any form of bullying. Addressing bullying is important in any context, but especially in the school setting because “bullying can affect the social environment of a school, creating a climate of fear among students, inhibiting their ability to learn, and leading to other antisocial behavior.” Because bullying is seen as a form of violence, many interventions take a violence prevention approach guided by public health principles, which generally categorize initiatives according to when they are implemented or the population they aim to serve. This funding opportunity will focus on the following categories: • Primary prevention - addressing the risk factors for violence before violence even occurs. Funding will support efforts to define and address a school’s climate and/or community level activities to reduce bullying. • Secondary and tertiary prevention - addressing those at the greatest risk for violence and those who are involved in violence. Funding will support supportive services within a school that will address those at risk for bullying or those already involved. Anti-bullying programs can approach prevention in many ways (e.g., addressing the general population or targeting youth who are already involved in bullying). Anti-bullying programming varies across locations (e.g., in-a school setting) and among those involved in program activities (e.g., students, staff, and/or families). Furthermore, anti-bullying programs are not the only way to potentially prevent and reduce bullying behaviors, reduce risk factors for bullying, and improve protective factors against bullying. Positive youth development programming works to set youth on positive life trajectories and may help to reduce the risk for bullying and victimization. 2. Program Design and Requirements This funding opportunity will be open to schools and community-based agencies. ICJIA asks applicants to address bullying prevention through positive school climate activities and supportive services in the following ways: School climate and/or Community level activities • Bullying prevention and pro-social campaigns, events, etc. • Education and awareness • Student/youth groups such as youth leadership, gay/straight alliance, etc. • Planning to determine what school-based BP policies and procedures are necessary. • Implementation of school bullying prevention policies and procedures • Implementation of evidence - informed bullying prevention program. Supportive Services Staff to support students in community, classrooms, in groups or individually. This includes the broad range of supports from early intervention to clinical supports (including education and awareness for those have been bullied and those who have used bullying behaviors) and can address bullying and related mental health challenges such as suicide prevention. 3. Goals and Performance Metrics Funded programs will be required to submit quarterly progress reports that will minimally include the demographic, service types and hours, successes and challenges based on the objectives the applicant agencies propose after being selected for funding. 4. Evidence-Based Programs or Practices Applicants are strongly urged to incorporate research-based best practices into their program design, when appropriate. Federal Financial Guide. Applicants must follow the current edition of the Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide which details allowable and unallowable costs is available at: https://ojp.gov/financialguide/doj/pdfs/DOJ_FinancialGuide.pdf. Costs may be determined to be unallowable even if not expressly prohibited in the Federal Financial Guide. Prohibited Uses. The following is a non-exhaustive list of services, activities, goods, and other costs that cannot be supported through this NOFO: • Land acquisition • New construction • A renovation, lease, or any other proposed use of a building or facility that will either result in a change in its basic prior use or significantly change its size • Minor renovation or remodeling of a property either listed or eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places or located within a 100-year flood plain • Implementation of a new program involving the use of chemicals • Capital expenditures • Fundraising activities • Alcohol • Lobbying Allowable expenses. All expenses must reasonable, necessary, and allocable to the program. The following is a non-exhaustive list of services, activities, goods, and other costs that can be supported through this NOFO: Personnel/Contractual and related Fringe Benefits: • Direct service staff, including, but not limited to: o Staff to support students in classrooms, in groups or individually. This includes staff providing a broad range of supports such as early intervention and clinical supports. o A coordinator that will spend most of their time in the school environment to implement the program, coordinate services, and support students and teachers. Training Training for agency/school staff, teachers, and students. Travel Transportation to allow students to safely attend off site programming. Supplies Program supplies directly related to programming, including, but not limited to: o Evidence Based practice (EBP) program curricula. o Supplies to support bullying prevention and pro-social events. o Supplies to support student/youth groups, such as youth leadership groups and gay/straight alliances. Office supplies directly related to funded staff needs. Food for program participants Grantees may use grant funds to provide food for program participants as a line in their budgets if it is necessary for the program and if the cost is reasonable. Indirect costs (must be approved in GATA portal for budget inclusion). For additional Guidance see the Budget Allocation Guide of Allowable Expenses for State Violence Prevention Grants. Pre-Award Costs are not permitted in the first year. In subsequent years, pre-award costs incurred at the beginning of the grant period, prior to execution, may be allowed. Pre-award Costs are costs incurred between the start date of the grant’s period of performance and the date ICJIA executes your grant agreement. Pre-approvals. Prior approvals may affect project timelines. Submission of materials for ICJIA approval should be incorporated into the application Implementation Schedules. ICJIA may require prior approval of the following: • Out-of-state travel • Certain Requests for Proposals, procurements, and sub-contracts • Conference, meeting, and training costs State Travel Guidelines. travel costs charged to ICJIA must conform to State Travel Guidelines, found here: https://www2.illinois.gov/cms/Employees/travel/Pages/TravelReimbursement.aspx. Out-of-state hotel rates are based on the General Service Administration (GSA) guidelines found here: https://www.gsa.gov/travel/plan-book/per-diem-rates. Applicant agencies with lower cost travel guidelines than the State of Illinois must use those lower rates. Supplanting. Grant funds must be used to supplement existing funds for program activities and must not replace those funds that have been appropriated for the same purpose. If grant funds will be used for the expansion of an existing program, applicants must explain how proposed activities will supplement, not supplant, current program activities and staff positions. Agencies may not deliberately reduce local, federal, state funds, or other funds because of the existence of these grant funds. A written certification may be requested by ICJIA stating that these funds will not be used to supplant other state, local, federal, or other funds. Supplanting will be the subject of application review, as well as pre-award review, post-award monitoring, and audit. If there is a potential presence of supplanting, the applicant or grantee will be required to supply documentation demonstrating that the reduction in non-federal resources occurred for reasons other than the receipt or expected receipt of federal and state funds. Proposed Subawards and Subcontracts. Applicants may propose to enter into subawards or subcontracts under this award, each of which involve different rules and applicant responsibilities. A subaward carries out a portion of the grant agreement while a contract is often for obtaining goods and services for the grantee's own use. (44 Ill. Admin Code 7000.240). If a third party will provide some of the essential services or develop or modify a product that the applicant has committed to provide or produce, ICJIA may consider the agreement with the third party a subaward for purposes of grant administration. Applicants must classify each expense in the contractual budget as a subaward or subcontract. The substance of the agreement, not the title or structure of the agreement, will determine whether it is a subaward of a subcontract. Applicants are advised to use the “Checklist for Contractor/Subrecipient Determinations” available at the GATA Resource Library for guidance: https://www.illinois.gov/sites/gata/pages/resourcelibrary.aspx. Applicants are required to justify their use of subawards and explain their capacity to serve as “pass-through” entities in the program narrative. Applicants will monitor subaward compliance with grant terms, applicable federal and state law including the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Award, 2 C.F.R. Part 200, GATA, and ICJIA policies. Proposed subawards must be identified, if possible, and their roles described in both the program and budget narratives. For procurement contracts, applicants are encouraged to promote free and open competition in awarding contracts. All subcontracts must comply with federal and state requirements.

The FY26 Illinois State budget includes $700,000.00 for SFY26 Bullying Prevention programs. ICJIA is making these funds available for programs that reduce bullying and strengthening protective factors. Funding supports primary prevention through family support, education, youth development, and community investment; secondary prevention by intervening with high-risk individuals via mentorship, conflict resolution, and early intervention; and tertiary prevention by aiding recovery through trauma-informed services, case management.

To charge indirect costs to a grant, the applicant organization must either have an annually negotiated indirect cost rate agreement (NICRA) or elect to use a standard de minimis rate. There are three types of allowable indirect cost rates: a) Federally Negotiated Rate. Organizations that receive direct federal funding, may have an indirect cost rate that was negotiated with the Federal Cognizant Agency. Illinois will accept the federally negotiated rate. b) State Negotiated Rate. The organization may negotiate an indirect cost rate with the State of Illinois if they do not have a Federally Negotiated Rate. If an organization has not previously established an indirect cost rate, an indirect cost rate proposal must be submitted through the State of Illinois centralized indirect cost rate system in the GATA Grantee Portal. If an organization previously established an indirect cost rate, the organization must annually submit a new indirect cost proposal through the GATA Grantee Portal system within the earlier of six (6) months after the close of the grantee’s fiscal year; and three (3) months of the notice of award. c) De Minimis Rate. An organization that has never negotiated an indirect cost rate with the Federal Government or the State of Illinois is eligible to elect a de minimis rate of 15% of modified total direct cost (MTDC). Once established, the de minimis Rate may be used indefinitely. The State of Illinois must verify the calculation of the MTDC annually in order to accept the de minimis rate. All grantees must complete an indirect cost rate negotiation or elect the De Minimis Rate to claim indirect costs. Indirect costs claimed without a negotiated rate or a De Minimis Rate election on record in the GATA Grantee Portal indirect cost rate system may be subject to disallowance. Limitations on indirect costs restrict the amount and/or type of indirect costs that are allowed to be charged to grant awards. Indirect cost limitations and restrictions must be clearly stated in this section. For example, the grant award may be subject to state and federal statutory requirements that limit the allowability of costs. The maximum amount allowable under a limitation cannot exceed the total amount under the NICRA. State and federal statutes may restrict the amount of salary that can be charged to a grant award, if the base salary exceeds the Federal Executive Level II Pay Scale. If additional statutory restrictions or limitations are imposed, such as parameters for direct administrative costs, facility costs, and indirect administrative cost levels, those restrictions or limitations must be stated in this section. The statutory reference or guidance imposing the indirect cost limitation or restriction must also be stated within this section. Grantees have discretion not to claim payment for indirect costs. Grantees that elect not to claim indirect costs cannot be reimbursed for indirect costs. The organization must record an election to “Waive Indirect Costs” into the GATA Grantee Portal. Indirect Cost election must be completed annually, for every entity’s fiscal year.

Applications must be submitted in AmpliFund.

Be registered in SAM before submitting its application. To establish a SAM registration, go to http://www.SAM.gov/SAM. Provide a valid Unique Entity Identification Number. Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) is now the primary means of identifying entities registered for federal awards government-wide in the System for Award Management (SAM). If your entity is already registered in SAM, it has been assigned a UEI. Instructions regarding the migration from DUNS to UEI have been posted in the https://grants.illinois.gov/portal/. Continue to maintain an active SAM registration with current information while it has an active award or application under consideration. ICJIA may not make a federal pass-through or state award to an applicant until the applicant has complied with all applicable SAM requirements. If an applicant has not fully complied with the requirements by the time ICJIA is ready to make an award, ICJIA may determine that the applicant is not qualified to receive an award and may use that determination as a basis for making a state award to another applicant.

All substantive questions and responses will be posted on the ICJIA website at https://icjia.illinois.gov/

This program design requires at least 5 years’ experience providing training and technical assistance to schools/community based organizations on bullying prevention, social and emotional learning, and/or trauma-aware climate initiatives.

N/A

Active SAM.gov registration, DUNS, and Completion of SFY 27ICQ

In addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the approved project proposal and budget, agencies selected for funding must comply with applicable grant terms and conditions and other legal requirements, including the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Financial Guide.

The ICJIA Budget Committee is scheduled to review and approve designations August 2026.

In addition to implementing the funded project consistent with the approved project proposal and budget, agencies selected for funding must comply with applicable grant terms and conditions and other legal requirements, including the Grant Accountability and Transparency Act (GATA), and the U.S. Department of Justice Grants Financial Guide.

Recipients must submit periodic financial reports, progress reports, final financial and progress reports, and, if applicable, an annual audit report in accordance with the 2 CFR Part 200 Uniform Requirements. Future awards and fund drawdowns may be withheld if reports are delinquent.

For Questions and technical assistance regarding application submission contact: Lajuana Murphy Acting Public Service Administrator Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority CJA.CBVIPSFY26NOFO@Illinois.gov

The Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority (ICJIA) is a state agency dedicated to improving the administration of criminal justice. ICJIA brings together key leaders from the justice system and the public to identify critical issues facing the criminal justice system in Illinois and to propose and evaluate policies, programs and legislation that address those issues. The statutory responsibilities of ICJIA fit into four areas: grant administration ; research and analysis; policy and planning; and information systems and technology. Section 7 of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Act grants ICJIA authority "to apply for, receive, establish priorities for, allocate, disburse, and spend grant funds that are made available by and received on or after January 1, 1983 from private sources or from the United States pursuant to the Federal Crime Control Act of 1973, as amended, and similar legislation, and to enter into agreements with the United States government to further the purpose of this Act, or as may be required as condition of obtaining federal funds and to receive, expend, and account for such funds of the State of Illinois as may be available to further the purpose of this Act. (20 ILCS 3930/79k), (I) Neither the State of Illinois nor ICJIA are obligated to make any award as a result of this announcement. ICJIA executive director or designee has authority to bind ICJIA to the expenditure of funds through the execution of grant agreements. This application is subject to the Illinois Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Any information that the applicant believes should be exempt form FOIA should clearly highlight the information that is exempt and provide the basis of the exemption. The Bullying Prevention Program is an on-going grant program through ICJIA. More information about ICJIA can be found at http://ICJIA.Illinpois.gov/.