Northwest Iowa Care Connections (NWIACC) is a Mental Health and Disability Services Region that sets policy and funding priorities for mental health and disability services for children and adults.
NWIACC is a government entity under Iowa Code Ch. 28E that covers Clay, Kossuth, Osceola, Palo Alto, Winnebago, and Worth Counties.
Melissa Loehr, NWIACC CEO, is pleased to announce the plan for the distribution of $608,166 in funding from the Coronavirus Relief Fund under the CARES Act as part of funds distributed by Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds. In order to distribute the congressionally-appropriated CARES Act funds to Iowa’s MH/DS regions and to address mental health needs related to the 2020 COVID-19 health emergency, NWIACC is soliciting proposals from individuals, providers, and school districts in the Region.
This is a non-competitive process. No match is required by those applying for and receiving funds.
Some examples of what this funding could be used for are the purchase of equipment or other items, additional staff expenses, mental health training or telehealth, marketing material for crisis services, mental health outpatient support services for students and families, consultation services, inform families about available mental health and disability support services, and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Rather than dictate how the money can be used, NWIACC’s plan is for potential recipients to identify needs which these funds could address. These dollars must be for COVID-19 related services and must have a mental health or disability services component. Funding cannot be used for items already in your budget or that are covered by or billable to other funders.
Grant applications may be submitted at any time and NWIACC will process them as they are received. The funds must be spent by Thursday, December 10, 2020 to allow NWIACC time to process the expenditures and report to the state.
Applications are encouraged, as NWIACC would like to see the funds used in our region. If the money is unable to be used, it must be returned to the state or federal government.
Grant applications can be found at: https://nwiacareconnections .org and click on Cares Act Grant. For more information, contact Melissa Loehr at mloehr@nwiacc.org.
