Grief Support Toolkit for People with Developmental Disabilities

The New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is seeking proposals to fund one grantee up to $200,000 per year for two years ($400,000 total, subject to availability of funding) to develop and implement a toolkit that supports people with developmental disabilities through transitions and grief.

The mission of the New York State Council on Developmental Disabilities (CDD) is to enhance the lives of New Yorkers with developmental disabilities (DD) and their families through programs that promote self-advocacy, participation, and inclusion in all facets of community life.

The CDD will fund a prospective grantee to develop, pilot, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive grief support toolkit specifically for people with DD, caregivers, and the people who support them. The successful applicant will also be required to use a person-centered and accessible approach to develop resources that help people with DD to recognize, understand, communicate and process grief and other experiences of loss and transition. [...]

The accessible, culturally competent toolkit should include practical resources that may include but are not limited to;

• Visual Communication tools.
• Guided conversation prompts.
• Storytelling and memory building activities.
• Structured exercises to help individuals express grief-related emotions.
• Resources to help people with DD recognize and communicate their own grief.
• Practical strategies for families, caregivers and other supporters to recognize and respond to grief.

The project should include a training component to help people with DD; their families and caregivers understand and effectively use the toolkit. The training should help participants recognize that grief may be expressed differently and help them know how to identify potential signs, behaviors and changes that may indicate an individual is experiencing grief.

The grantee should also develop a plan for dissemination and broad access so that people with DD and their supporters are aware of the resource and can use it even after the grant period. [...]

The grantee will be required to evaluate the project using both qualitative and quantitative data to measure the effectiveness of the project. [...] The successful applicant will define an evaluation plan that, among other metrics, measures the reach and usage of the toolkit.

Expected Key Deliverables

1. Develop a comprehensive, accessible, and culturally relevant grief support toolkit.
2. Develop and implement a training program on how to best utilize the toolkit.
3. Develop and implement a dissemination and access plan.
4. Develop and implement an evaluation plan and report on project reach and impact.

**Online Submission Required.** All final grant applications must be received in Qualtrics by **11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET)** on the Proposal Due Date. Proposals will only be accepted in Qualtrics. Proposals will not be accepted via fax, e-mail, hard copy or hand delivery. Late proposals will not be accepted.

All applicants must be a prequalified vendor in the Statewide Financial System (SFS) to apply. Applications will be disqualified if SFS prequalification is expired or incomplete at the Proposal Due Date.

The contract awarded in response to this RFP will be for 2 years with an anticipated start date of April 1, 2027, and an end date of March 31, 2029.

Your 1-Year Expenditure Budget must include a minimum of **34%** of Match funding over the total budget (not by each budget line). CDD Indirect Costs should not exceed 15% of the budgeted direct expenses.

**Required** signed attestations: *EO16 Certification (Business with Russia Disclosure)*, *Sexual Harassment Prevention Certificate*, *Attestation of Compliance for Timeliness in Reporting*, and *Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification*. **Required** contracting documents: Workers' Compensation Insurance Certification, Disability Insurance Certification, and Vendor Responsibility Certificate Confirmation page from the VendRep Online System showing date of Self-Certification, or Vendor Questionnaire.

The Program Specific Questions, Work Plan and Budget will be evaluated and scored based on the criteria listed in Section 4.3 Scoring Rubric.