ONA Bilingual Coordinator Program RFA

The New York State Department of State (DOS), through its Office for New Americans (ONA), seeks not-for-profit organizations to support the implementation of the ONA Bilingual Coordinator Program. The ONA Bilingual Coordinator Program will provide case management services to help immigrants of all ages access developmental disability services, other disability services, mental health services, and other needed services. Case management support may include, but is not limited to: 1. Assisting clients of all ages, in their preferred language, with navigating eligibility requirements and applying for needed services, including developmental disability services, other disability services, and mental health services, with a particular focus on accessing services through the NYS Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD). 2. Keeping clients’ personally identifiable information secure. 3. Assisting clients in accessing disability assessments and evaluations that are language accessible and required to receive an eligibility determination for OPWDD services or other needed services. 4. Connecting immigrants with the OPWDD Front Door staff, language accessible OPWDD Front Door information, and intake staff and care managers from OPWDD’s regional Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs). 5. Assisting new Americans and their families in applying for OPWDD services, completing necessary forms, and using OPWDD’s language access services to facilitate communication with staff at OPWDD Developmental Disability Regional Offices (DDROs), and Care Coordination Organizations (CCOs). 6. Assisting clients ineligible for OPWDD services or other needed government services in accessing alternate disability services, mental health services, and other services as needed. 7. Coaching families to understand how to navigate services and request available language access resources offered by disability and mental health service provider organizations. 8. Assisting clients and their families to understand the transition from receiving Special Education Services provided by the New York State Education Department to receiving services through OPWDD. 9. Supporting school-aged students to access disability services in a school. Supporting students with disabilities at Committee on Special Education (CSE) meetings and Individualized Education Plan (IEP) meetings or other school-based meetings, as needed. 10. Supporting clients to understand their eligibility for school-based disability services, including, but not limited to, the services and support outlined in their Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan. 11. Assisting clients ages 14 and older to access disability employment services. 12. Providing referrals to other programs in the service region, including, but not limited to, disability rights legal services, ONA’s legal services or English language learning services, as needed. 13. The case manager will use language access services and accessibility resources to communicate with clients who need services through this program. This communication includes clients who are preliterate, as well as clients who speak and use other languages, as well as, but not limited to, individuals who are Deaf, Blind, Deaf-Blind, and hard-of-hearing through the use of sign language, and other accessibility supports. DOS/ONA will award up to four grants to qualified not-for-profit organizations that demonstrate their ability to provide the required services under this grant in each of the designated regions: 1. Upper Hudson Valley (Dutchess County, Ulster County) 2. New York City: Brooklyn (Kings County) 3. Long Island (Suffolk County) 4. Long Island (Nassau County) If an agency wishes to apply for more than one region, a separate application must be submitted for each region. Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: Chinese American Planning Council Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) SDVOB Goal: 6.00% Minority / Women Business Enterprise contracting goals (MWBE) MBE Goal: 15.00% WBE Goal: 15.00%