October 2, 2001

 

MB-AASA-AAA/HCS/RCS-01-41  

MANAGEMENT BULLETIN

 

TO:                  Area Agency on Aging Directors

                                                                                                           

SUBJECT:       FAMILY CAREGIVER CONFERENCES                

 

DUE DATE:     November 1, 2001

 

The Family Caregiver Conference Project is a collaborative outreach and training effort of Aging and Disability Services Administration (AASA), the Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) and local agencies supporting older adults or adults with disabilities, their families and community-based caregivers.  The project’s goal is to continue to broaden outreach and training throughout the state for family and other unpaid caregivers.  Attached for your information is a more detailed description of the Family Caregiver Conference Project.

 

For the 2002 fiscal year, AASA proposes to conduct at least four local conferences around the state.  These local conferences complement the larger “Challenges in Caregiving” conference, held regularly in western Washington (tentatively scheduled for June 10, 2002 in the Tacoma Area).  AASA is requesting that AAA directors’ respond regarding their interest in participating in and receiving funding for a conference in their local area.. 

 

Request for expressions of interest

If your AAA wants to receive funds to coordinate a Family Caregiver Conference within the 2002 fiscal year (by June 30, 2002), please respond through a memorandum of interest.  AASA has limited funds for caregiver training conferences. Requests are limited to $1500.  

 

Memorandums should include:

n      the area(s) - city and/or county - you propose to target

n      the general timeframe - month/year - you prefer to hold the event

n      what amount of funding is requested

n      if funds were already allocated in your FCSP budgets; if so, how much

n      if the target population is a limited English speaking population; if so, identify the population

 

For conference efforts designed primarily to reach a population with limited English speaking (LES) abilities, supplemental funds may be available.  If you believe your LES family caregiver conference will require more than the $1500, please specify the additional funding required and how it would be used to reach and serve the target population.

Please keep in mind in your planning The Washington State office of AARP and the American Heart Association are partners in our current efforts and will support local conference efforts with resources and/or additional support.

 

Send your memorandums of interest to Lynne Korte no later than November 1, 2001. 

 

How funds will be allocated

After all memorandums of interest have been received, AASA, in dialogue with AAAs, will develop a plan to distribute these funds.  Depending upon the level of interest, priority may be given to areas where no such training has occurred before. At this stage, AAAs should identify areas with a need and interest in holding a Family Caregiver Conference even if such an event has been held there before. 

 

Your memorandum of interest is not a formal application. You will be notified by November 30 as to any funding you will receive. 

 

If funding is received

If an AAA receives notice of funding, the AAA will then develop a Caregiver Conference Plan. The Caregiver Conference Plan provides more conference implementation detail (date/location, cooperating agencies, ways you will generate local funds, draft budget, etc.). This plan will be used to help facilitate the development of a contract.  For preplanning purposes, the Caregiver Conference plan is due by December 30, 2001.  

 

Possible last year for this funding

Due to the increase of funding available now through the Family Caregiver Support Program, it is unlikely that this separate funding allotment will be available in future years.  AASA will expect future funding to be outlined in your Family Caregiver Support Program budgets. 

 

Because this is a transition year, please consider this an opportunity to build partnerships at the local level that might augment funding for future events. 

 

Inquiries to:       Lynne Korte, Program Manager

                        Training, Communications and Development Unit

                        (360) 725-2545

 

 

                                                                        ____________________________

                                                                        Penny Black, Director

                                                                        Home and Community Services Division

 

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