OVC FY 17 Vision 21: Linking Systems of Care for Children and Youth State Demonstration Project | OVC 2017 11964

Opportunity Information: Apply for OVC 2017 11964

The OVC FY 17 Vision 21: Linking Systems of Care for Children and Youth State Demonstration Project was a discretionary funding opportunity from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), designed to tackle persistent child and youth victimization by improving how state systems work together. The core problem the solicitation highlights is that while many public systems and community partners interact with children and youth who have experienced harm, those systems often operate in silos. As a result, victimization can be missed, needs can go unaddressed, services can be duplicated or disconnected, and families can be left navigating a confusing patchwork of agencies rather than receiving a coordinated response.

The grant aimed to fund competitively selected state-level demonstration sites that would intentionally bring together the full range of relevant systems and professionals to build a more unified, victim-centered approach. The emphasis was on linking systems of care so that when a child or youth touches any participating system, there is a consistent expectation that victimization will be identified through assessment, and that the child and family will be connected to comprehensive, coordinated services. In practical terms, the project’s intent was to create shared processes for screening and assessment, stronger cross-agency communication, and a clearer pathway to services that address safety, physical and behavioral health needs, trauma impacts, and longer-term stability for the child and family.

A major goal of the demonstration project was sustainability. OVC’s description makes clear that this was not meant to be a temporary coordination effort that disappears when funding ends. The funded sites were expected to establish practices and policies that institutionalize the coordinated approach over time, such as formalized interagency agreements, standard operating procedures for referral and information sharing, joint training or shared protocols, and other structural changes that keep the collaboration functioning beyond the life of the award.

The project was structured in two phases to reflect how systems change typically needs both design time and sustained implementation support. Phase 1 was a 15-month planning period focused on building the partnership, aligning roles, developing the coordinated model, and preparing for rollout. Phase 2 was a 5-year implementation period intended to put the coordinated approach into operation, refine it based on experience, and embed it into routine practice across participating systems.

Administratively, the opportunity was offered as a cooperative agreement, which generally indicates OVC anticipated substantial involvement in the work beyond a standard grant relationship, often through ongoing collaboration, guidance, and joint problem-solving. The solicitation was posted under Funding Opportunity Number OVC 2017 11964, with CFDA 16.582, and fell under activity areas tied to income security and social services as well as law, justice, and legal services, reflecting the cross-system nature of the work. OVC expected to make two awards, with an award ceiling of $500,000. The opportunity was created on March 23, 2017, and originally closed on May 11, 2017, and eligibility was listed broadly as "Others" with additional clarification to be provided in the solicitation’s eligibility section.

• The Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime in the income security and social services, law, justice and legal services sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "OVC FY 17 Vision 21: Linking Systems of Care for Children and Youth State Demonstration Project" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 16.582.
• This funding opportunity was created on Mar 23, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by May 11, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $500,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 2 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for OVC 2017 11964

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