DD Mini-Grants

Stone Soup Group is now the administrator for the AMHTA/SDS DD mini-grant funds in Alaska.

We are pleased to announce that through the mini grant process, over 150 consumers have been assisted. This also means that all DD/EI mini grant funds have been expended for the Fiscal Year 2011. The Developmental Disabilities Mini Grant program is funded by Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority and managed by the Stone Soup Group.

Stone Soup Group will be accepting applications for the July cycle starting July 1st , 2011, for FY 2012. Thank you to everyone, agencies and families, who were so patient this last year through the learning process of the mini grants. I hope this next year is as successful! If you have any more questions please email Amy Westfall at amyw@stonesoupgroup.org.

Note: Due to the new and continually improving system, we have been able to expend a large majority of the funds for mini grants. Please look CLOSELY at the policies and procedures and note the funding priorities as the PEC (Program Evaluation Committee) will be reviewing these more closely within an allotted budget each month. Items that may have been approved in the past may not be approved as we near the end of the fiscal year due to funding constraints. Thank you to everyone who has worked with us this year to improve this process for families! Remember; the application is now available to save and fill in electronically-please choose the link(s) below.

Applications must be submitted through respective regional STAR programs OR provider agencies and are due on the 15th of the month. Each STAR office or provider is limited to 5 application submissions per month.

The following is a checklist of items that must be included in the application packet in order to be reviewed:

	Completed DD mini-grant Application Form (see below).
	Paperwork showing DD and/or EI/ILP eligibility. (Current letter, front POC sheet for MRDD waiver, or front of IFSP will be accepted).
	Letter(s) of necessity/ support from. These letter(s) should be from a professional not identified on the front application form and on letterhead or on a prescription pad/note.
	At least 2 quotes for each item or service being requested.
	Completed order form/invoice if specific item(s) are being requested. There must be an invoice or order form with a mailing address and the address you want the item shipped to included and Stone Soup Group's address as the billing address. We will not complete these for you and a printed out webpage will not be enough.
	Blank order form (in the event that multiple items are requested but only some funded).
	Signed release of information form.

We suggest you print this page out and use it as a checklist to insure that your application is complete.

Applications will now be accepted and awarded on a monthly basis. If you have any questions, please contact Stone Soup Group at 1-(907)-561-3701 or Toll Free at 1-(877)-786-7327. Or you can contact us via email at amyw@stonesoupgroup.org

DD Mini-grant Process

Thank you to everyone who has been working with Stone Soup Group patiently as we develop the Mini grant process. We know that the disbursement of funds has presented us all with some challenging issues. First and foremost, we want to make this process work best for families. We also want to encourage families to take ownership of the funds they are requesting.

Payments will NOT be disbursed via online orders, only by mail or by check. Please include the following with each request so that the appropriate vendor receives the appropriate payment.

Include a mail order form, COMPLETELY Filled out. (applications will be deemed incomplete and denied if the order form is not complete)

Make sure shipping costs are correct. (checks will be made out for the amount that is submitted on the order form).

After the DD Minigrant PEC has met each month, funded or denied letters will be sent to the originating agency (agency that is noted to have helped with the application on the form), when each agency is then expected to share this information with the family.

Please pay close attention to this checklist, you may print it out and remember to check it TWICE! If any pertinent documents are missing, the application will be automatically denied without being reviewed. Thank you for your close attention to this portion.

Again, no applications with requests for online orders will be accepted. These Applications will be deemed incomplete and will be denied as a result.

If there is a vendor that absolutely does not do anything but online orders, please communicate this with us before submitting the mini-grant application, so we may problem solve that barrier before the application gets denied. For these issues, Amy Westfall will be the direct contact and will be available to work through those requests (by email only) amyw@stonesoupgroup.org.

Stone Soup Group is the main contact for issues, questions and positive feedback in regards to the Mini grants and their overall management.

	State Of Alaska Policies and procedures for DD/EI mini grants
	Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority guidelines for DD/EI Mini Grants

Downloads

Documents are in PDF format, so you may need to download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free from the Adobe website.

	Mini_Grant_app.pdf
	DD mini-grant funding breakdown by region.pdf

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