By Jestin D. Johnson Request for Proposal National Institute of Mental Health PADM 7040

I. Mission Statement “ To support the basic needs of the homeless and working poor with the goal of providing immediate assistance to restore them to their life paths of self actualization. Through year round activities clients and partner organizations receive food, housing referrals, cleaning supplies, toiletries and clothing.” (Source:

RFP National Institute of Mental Health Collaborative Research Pertaining to NIMH’s Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program  Background Cultural diversity in subject accrual is a critical factor in the NIMH Mood and Anxiety Disorder’s Program’s mission to further the understanding of the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders. The development of a contract with a medical facility with access to a significant number of minority patients will enable NIMH mental health investigators to overcome some of the obstacles that hinder minority research participation in research protocols.

RFP National Institute of Mental Health Background Cont. These difficulties include inequity in access to information about and access to ongoing mental health research protocols. Research exploring the possibility of ethnic differences in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders is urgently needed. Study designs will include diverse populations in order to make cross-ethnic comparisons relevant to treatment choice, treatment outcome and treatment development.

Objectives: The contractor shall, in collaboration and with support from the NIMH Mood and Anxiety Disorder research staff, perform clinical investigation into the causes and treatment of serious mental illnesses in minority subjects. The contractor in conjunction with NIMH MAP investigators from the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program shall collaboratively design and conduct research protocols designed to fill critical gaps in the body of knowledge regarding the pathophysiology, causes, consequences and treatment of serious mental illness in minorities.

RFP National Institute of Mental Health Project Details The psychological affects of homelessness has devastating impacts on individuals and their families. "At varying levels of analysis, homelessness is a housing problem, an employment problem, a demographic problem, a problem of social disaffiliation, a mental health problem, a substance abuse problem, a family violence problem, a problem created by cutbacks in social welfare spending, a problem resulting from the decay of the traditional nuclear family, and a problem intimately connected to the recent increase in persons living below the poverty level, as well as others." James Wright in "The Worthy and Unworthy Homeless," Society, July/August 1988 Source:

Project In a collaborative effort with Georgia State University’s Clinical Psychology Program, the National Institute of Mental Health and Hosea Williams Feed the Hungry and Homeless, this project will utilize the graduate student population to conduct research and provide a further understanding of the psychological detriment of mental health issues related to homelessness.

Project Cont. Through this collaborative effort the group being served by HFTH will provide much needed psychological care for those being served as well as giving the Georgia State Community research projects in the social and behavioral sciences that involve both Hosea Feed the Hungry and the National Institute of Mental Health researchers.

National Institute of Mental Health Primary Roles The National Institute of Mental Health will serve as the liaison between HFTH and the GSU Dept. of Psychology. NIMH will also coordinate program initiatives, develop research guidelines and serve as primary contact for all questions and concerns for outside parties seeking more information on the RFP.

Objective Cont: The contractor in conjunction with NIMH IRP investigators from the MAP shall identify barriers that inhibit minority patients from participating in mental health protocols. The contractor shall provide opportunities for minorities with serious mental illnesses to participate in research studies designed to enhance our understanding of the causes of these disorders and discover better treatments.

General Requirements Independently and not as an agent of the Government, the contractor shall furnish all the necessary services, qualified personnel, material, equipment, and facilities, not otherwise provided by the Government as needed to perform the Statement of Work.

Specific Requirements The contractor shall provide opportunities for minorities with serious mental illness to participate in the research studies in order to enhance our body of knowledge of the causes of these disorders and increase the potential to develop better treatments. The contractor shall recruit mentally ill and healthy minority research subjects as participants in joint NIMH/Contractor clinical research protocols.

Specific Requirements Cont. The contractor, in conjunction with the NIMH shall establish a Joint Steering Committee (JSC) consisting of eight members. The eight members shall be composed of 3 senior members of the contractor’s staff and/or faculty and 3 senior members of the NIMH administration and/or faculty plus one co-chair from the Contractor’s Institution and one co-chair from NIMH.

Outcome 1. NIMH scientists associated with this contract are actively collaborating with minority contractor scientists and these NIMH scientists are receiving Faculty WOC (without compensation) appointments at the contractor’s site; 2. Contractor staff associated with this contract are actively collaborating with NIMH scientists and these contractor scientists are receiving NIMH Intramural positions as Special Volunteers. Contractor and NIMH staff participating in research under this contract shall hold these appointments during participation in the contract.

Application (a) COVER SHEET Include RFP number, title, name of organization, identification of the proposal part, and indicate whether the proposal is an original or a copy. (b) TECHNICAL PROPOSAL It is recommended that the technical proposal consist of a cover page, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Technical Proposal Instructions and as otherwise specified in the APPLICABLE RFP REFERENCES (ATTACHMENT 6). 1. Technical Proposal Cover Sheet 2. Summary of Current and Proposed Activities 3. Technical Proposal Cost Information

Application Cont. (c) BUSINESS PROPOSAL It is recommended that the business proposal consist of a cover page, a table of contents, and the information requested in the Business Proposal Instructions and as otherwise specified.

Conclusion The reason I chose this specific request for proposal is due to the often over looked number of homeless people in our society that are mentally ill. Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless serves a number of these individuals on a weekly basis. Many who were born with various mental conditions and others who were not. This presentation is a result of my own suggestion of what can be done to in collaboration with the National Institute of Mental Health and in no way a reflection of HFTH.

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