DRUG TREATMENT COURT FUNDING PROGRAM

GUIDE FOR APPLICANTS

2004 – 2005

November 2004

Table of Contents

Introduction

Drug Treatment Court Funding Program

• What type of funding is available?

Funding Criteria

• What type of projects can be supported by this fund?
• Who may apply?
• Who is not eligible to apply?
• What expenses will the Program support?
• What expenses will not be covered by the Program?

Proposal Development

Proposal Review and Approval

• How will proposals be reviewed?
• How will you be notified of the status of your application?

Accountability and Evaluation Requirements

Application and Submission Details

Requirements for Your Funding Proposal

• Organizational Background
• Project Description
• Budget
• “Conditions”
• Tombstone Data Questionnaire

Appendix A – Sample Logic Model

INTRODUCTION

Canada ’s Drug Strategy (CDS) is a federally coordinated initiative that takes a balanced approach to reducing the demand for, and supply of, drugs. The six key results of CDS are to:

• Increase the age of initiation/first time use of alcohol and other drugs;

• Decrease the prevalence of harmful drug use;

• Decrease the incidence of communicable diseases related to substance use and abuse;

• Increase the use of alternative criminal justice measures;

• Reduce the illicit drug supply and address new and emerging drug trends; and

• Decrease avoidable health, social and economic costs.

As part of this Strategy, the Federal Government had made a commitment to expand the number of drug treatment courts in Canada. The Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Programs Branch, in partnership with the Drug Strategy and Controlled Substances Program at the Department of Health, are responsible for the overall management of the Drug Treatment Court (DTC) Funding Program. The DOJ is the point of contact for applicants.

DTCs represent a concerted effort to break the cycle of drug use and criminal recidivism. They focus on facilitating treatment for drug-involved offenders who meet specified criteria and provide an alternative to incarceration by offering an opportunity to complete a drug treatment program. These special courts take a comprehensive approach intended to reduce the number of crimes committed to support drug dependence through judicial supervision, comprehensive substance abuse treatment, random and frequent drug testing, incentives and sanctions, clinical case management, and social services support. They are aimed at reducing the harm people cause to themselves and to others through their drug use, as well as reducing the risk that these individuals will continue to use drugs and thereby come into conflict with the law.

There are currently two DTCs ( Toronto and Vancouver ) operating in Canada. Both courts were established as pilot demonstration projects with funding from the National Crime Prevention Strategy. These two models can inform the development of other DTCs. However, any new courts will need to develop models that are tailored to meet their own needs and realities.

DRUG TREATMENT COURT FUNDING PROGAM

The objectives of the DTC Funding Program are as follows:

• To promote and strengthen the use of alternatives to incarceration with a particular focus on youth, Aboriginal men and women and street prostitutes;
  
  
• To build knowledge and awareness among criminal justice, health and social service practitioners, and the general public about drug treatment courts; and
  

• To collect information and data on the effectiveness of DTCs in order to promote best practices and the continuing refinement of approaches.

What type of funding is available?

Projects supported under the DTC Funding Program will receive contribution funding as defined by the Treasury Board of Canada Transfer Payment Policy. See the next section for more details about what expenses will be covered. Funding under this Program will be limited to a maximum of $750,000 per DTC per fiscal year (April 1 – March 31), for an initial period of up to four years. The number of DTCs funded will influence the amount of money available to each.

FUNDING CRITERIA

What type of projects can be supported by this Program?

Funding under this Call for Proposals can support activities associated with the development, implementation, and evaluation of a drug treatment court based on a model whose objectives are to break the cycle of drug use and criminal recidivism. Funding can also cover activities associated with building awareness about the DTC. Proposals must demonstrate partnership between the criminal justice system, drug addiction treatment services, and social service agencies and support from the provincial/territorial government. The clear commitment of these partners is integral to the establishment of a strong governance structure.

Who may apply?

• National, provincial, municipal, Aboriginal, community-based or professional organizations, societies and associations which have voluntarily associated themselves for a non-profit purpose, and which have a mandate to represent or serve their memberships or communities; and,
• Provincial, territorial, and municipal governments, institutions or agencies.

Who is not eligible to apply?

• Individuals;
• For-profit groups; and,
• Crown corporations.

What expenses will the Program support?

Funding may be used only for expenses directly related to the activities of the DTC identified in the project budget approved by the Department of Justice. The project budget will make provision for audit expenses related to the project’s financial statements, which are the responsibility of the funding recipient.

Eligible expenses for which the Program will contribute fifty percent (50%) include the following:

• Fees (e.g., fees related to a professional not on staff who is providing a service) and disbursements (e.g., expenses incurred by a professional in providing a service);
• Salaries and wages for permanent or temporary professional, clerical, technical, and administrative services including appropriate benefits.
• Law society or other professional fees and professional liability insurance;
• Services for personnel administration, accounting and bookkeeping, processing all accounts and audit fees;
• Rent, normal utilities such as electricity, heat, water and telephone, maintenance of offices and other buildings, and taxes;
• Non-capital leasehold improvements (e.g., accommodation modifications required for the operation of the DTC);
• Office equipment and minor capital acquisitions net of disposal (less than $5,000 per acquisition);
• Insurance on buildings, equipment and materials and fidelity bonds;
• Supplies and materials, stationary, postage, printing, licenses and other fees;
• Domestic travel and related accommodation expenses related to DTC implementation (must be in accordance with Treasury Board Secretariat of Canada policies and guidelines);
• Continuing legal education, training programs and professional development expenses;
• Developmental costs associated with designing an evaluation framework, (e.g., consulting and professional costs); and,
• Treatment and rehabilitation costs associated with the DTC (e.g., client services, urinalysis, and laboratory expenses).
• Eligible expenses for which Program contribution funding will contribute one hundred percent (100%) include the following:
• Design, production and publication costs of materials designed to build information and awareness about the DTC;
• Monitoring and evaluation costs associated with the DTC including but not limited to: computer services, library expenses, research costs and collection and analysis of statistics.

What expenses will not be covered by the Program?

• Costs or debts incurred prior to an agreed-upon and authorized date of commencement of the agreement; and.
• Capital costs such as buildings, land, vehicles and most other major capital costs (more than $5,000 per acquisition).

PROPOSAL DEVELOPMENT

Funding applicants are responsible for all stages of the project, including assessing needs, designing, implementing, evaluating and disseminating project materials and results. Interested applicants are encouraged to work with partners in the development of the proposal.

To be considered for funding, all applications must provide the following information and documentation:

• An official letter of commitment to sponsor the project from your organization;

• A completed and signed Funding Proposal accompanied by required attachments; and

• Most recent audited financial statements and current operating budget for your organization.

PROPOSAL REVIEW AND APPROVAL

How will proposals be reviewed?

Funding proposals will first be screened by DOJ Programs Branch staff to determine eligibility. Applications that pass the screening criteria will be forwarded to the DTC Funding Program Proposal Review Committee for consideration. The Committee is composed of representatives from: the Departments of Justice and Health, as well as other relevant officials, stakeholders, and experts as required according to the content of proposals. Since funding is limited, it is possible that not all eligible projects will be funded.

In recommending proposals for funding, the DTC Funding Program Review Committee will take into consideration, as appropriate and applicable:

• The extent to which the DTC will directly support and advance the objectives of CDS and the DTC Funding Program;

• The extent to which the DTC could advance knowledge and inform policy and program development regarding the implementation and effectiveness of drug treatment courts and, more broadly, the prevention of drug use or criminality related to drug use;

• The amount of funding requested relative to the amount of resources available from the DTC Funding Program in any given fiscal year;
  
• The financial viability of the proposed DTC;

• The ability of the applicant to carry out activities within the specified time frame and budget;

• Any prior experience of the Department’s of Justice, Health and/or other federal departments in working with the applicant, the degree of collaboration, as well as the success of previous project(s);

• The manner in which the DTC will be implemented, monitored and evaluated, as well as its potential to be documented for knowledge development purposes;

• The degree of involvement and level of commitment secured from provincial/territorial governments, federal departments and agencies, the judiciary, and other stakeholders or partners relevant to the project;
  
• The extent to which the treatment program has been developed (including clear identification of need), treatment providers secured, and relevant protocols developed (e.g., court, treatment, community services, etc.)

• The type and extent of distribution plans for report(s) or other information/awareness resources to be produced;

• The potential transferability of the project and the experience it may provide to other jurisdictions; and,
  
• The geographic representation of DTCs across Canada.
  

How will you be notified of the status of your application?

An acknowledgement letter will confirm that your application has been received. Following the review process, you will receive a letter notifying you of the decision concerning your application. If the project is approved, an official from DOJ will contact you to draw up a formal funding agreement between your organization and the Department of Justice. This agreement will specify the terms and conditions for the project’s funding. All projects approved under the DTC Funding Program are subject to the Terms and Conditions applied to such funds by the Treasury Board of Canada.

ACCOUNTABILITY AND EVALUATION REQUIREMENTS

Evaluation is a critical component of the DTC Funding Program. Applicants are required to submit a draft logic model for their DTC at the time of application (see sample attached as Appendix A).

As well, all funding recipients will be required to develop and implement an evaluation framework for their DTC. This framework must be delivered to the Department of Justice within six months of the date of signing the agreement. The framework must identify the following:

• goals, objectives, activities, outputs, expected results/outcomes of the DTC;
• performance indicators/measures (both qualitative and quantitative); and
• a performance measurement and reporting strategy which includes data sources and data collection methods.

Activities and costs associated with the development of the evaluation framework are eligible for up to 50% coverage, including those associated with contracting professionals for the development of the framework. Please ensure these items are listed in your project budget.

The following evaluation deliverables are expected under the funding terms:

• Evaluation framework (within six months of signing);

• Progress reports outlining the nature of the project activities, performance measurement information, and achievements/results (including project deliverables such as communications plans and products, manuals, protocols, etc.) on the dates scheduled and agreed to;

• A mid-term process evaluation report submitted half-way through the approved funding period; and,

• A final process and outcome evaluation report submitted no later than four years from the date that the project was approved that provides the full results of the independent evaluation.

Results of the progress, mid-term process and final outcome evaluation reports will be used to inform the overall evaluation of CDS. As well, each of the deliverables will be reviewed by the DTC Funding Program in relation to contribution agreement requirements.

Technical assistance is available from DOJ for evaluation related activities.

Project site visits will be conducted and ongoing communication will be maintained with project funding recipients as a means of monitoring the progress and activities of the projects.

Funding Recipients will also be required to provide:

• Quarterly statements of revenues and expenditures, and budgetary projections for the duration of the project along with quarterly activity reports; and,
• Draft and final statements of all project revenues and expenditures by fiscal year, or annual audited financial statements.

APPLICATION AND SUBMISSION DETAILS

To be eligible for funding, all applicants must provide all of the requested information listed in the next section, “Requirements for Your Funding Proposal”. Submissions to the DTC Funding Program can be made in hard copy or electronically followed by signed hard copy. Refer to the DTC web page to download an electronic version of this package.

Applications must be received or postmarked, on or before 17th January, 2005. Applications received after the deadline will not be considered for funding.

For further information or to submit a proposal, please contact:

Margaret Trottier
Senior Analyst
Call for Proposals: Drug Treatment Court Funding Program
Programs Branch, Department of Justice Canada
284 Wellington Street
Ottawa , Ontario K1A 0H8

Or electronically to : margaret.trottier@justice.gc.ca
Or by phone at: (613) 957-3180
Or by fax to: (613) 941-5446

REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR FUNDING PROPOSAL

1. A completed tombstone data questionnaire – see attached
2. A project budget
3. Articles of incorporation or letters patent
4. Copies of the most recent audited financial statements for your organization
5. A signed copy of the “Conditions” page – see attached –
6. Information in support of the elements which are listed below:

I. ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND:

Describe the expertise, skill, interest and experience that qualify your organization to undertake this project, and previous experience with such issues.

II. PROJECT DESCRIPTION:

Describe in detail your project by addressing the following points:

a. The issue(s) or need(s) your project would address. (How did you assess the need for this project. What baseline data do you have to support this?)

b. Community support for this project. (Please include endorsements, letters of support and agreements from relevant individuals to indicate community support).

c. Provincial/territorial support for the project.

d. A detailed description of the program model that will be used to address the issues or needs identified. Please include:

• court, treatment and community components; and
  
• its content, activities and method of delivery (include elements such as agreed upon parameters for eligibility and admission into the DTC). For further reference information on this issue and others, applicants are advised to review the evaluations of the Vancouver and Toronto Courts (http://canada.justice.gc.ca/en/ps/pb/prog/dtc/).

e. Expected outputs and products - deliverables.

f. A draft logic model (refer to Appendix C for a sample) which includes: objectives, activities, outputs, outcomes, and intended results. The logic model should identify what you expect to achieve by the end of the project and should link to the objectives of Canada ’s Drug Strategy and the DTC Funding Program Fund under which you are applying.

g. How the project demonstrates sensitivity to diversity and gender equality issues. (Your proposal should show how you will address the needs and experiences of participants/beneficiaries who come from different social and cultural groups, equity groups and diverse communities.)

h. Governance and administrative structure and any anticipated committees (e.g., a community advisory committee, a project steering committee, or variations of such bodies) that will be used to implement the DTC.

i. The work plan or schedule of activities to be carried out.

j. The communication plan (Include the objectives of your communication /dissemination plan; the priority groups that will be reached; and the methods of communication that will be used. )

k. Strategy for ensuring financial viability or project transition in a post-federal funding period. F unding support will only be provided for an initial period of up to four years at which time the DTC will be assessed for continued ongoing funding.

III. BUDGET

Please provide a detailed budget for the project, including all revenues (financial and in-kind from ALL sources) and all expenses (financial and in-kind, e.g., volunteers, services, furniture, facilities, accommodations) by fiscal year (April 1 to March 31). Please read and follow the section “What expenses will the Program support?” A sample budget format is pictured below.

Indicate your organization’s GST/HST rebate (percentage) from Canada Revenue Agency.

Your proposal needs to include a signed copy of the following declaration:

 CONDITIONS

Departmental funding may be used only for the purposes specified in this application. Once the Department has agreed to provide financial assistance, no substantial change to the project shall be made without the consent of the Department, and it shall be at the discretion of the Department to determine what constitutes substantial change in each case. Any funding not used for these purposes must be returned to the Department.

The organization is wholly responsible for its own debts. The Department will not consider any application to pay debts. If any part of this funding is used to pay salaries, federal and provincial laws concerning salaries and source deductions must be applied (e.g. deductions for income tax, employment insurance, etc.).

Public acknowledgement of funding provided by the Department is expected. Publications should clearly acknowledge the Department's assistance.

The organization agrees to respect and apply the spirit and, if applicable, the letter of the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Official Languages Act, and such other privacy legislation as may be enacted by Parliament from time to time.

In the event of an access to information request regarding the present funding application or any other information about the organization in the Department's possession, the organization will be consulted before any confidential information is disclosed. Under the Access to Information Act, there is provision for exemption from disclosure of personal information subject to the Privacy Act, and of confidential financial or business information.

The designation PROTECTED (when completed) ensures that this information receives enhanced protection. When funding is approved, the amount of funding, the purpose for which the funds were granted and the name of the organization receiving the funding are considered public information.

I declare that

• the information in this application is accurate and complete;
• the application is made on behalf of the organization named on page one (1) with its full knowledge and consent;
• if financial assistance is provided, the organization will submit financial statements and activity reports as required by the Department of Justice;
• if financial assistance is provided, the organization will submit to an evaluation of the project funded, as required by the Department of Justice.

I acknowledge that should a contribution project be approved, I will be required to enter into a contribution agreement, which will outline the terms and conditions of the funding.

Organization:

Name of Person with Signing Authority:

Position:

I have the authority to bind the corporation.

Signature :

Date:

TOMBSTONE DATA QUESTIONNAIRE:

local media (please provide copies of articles/transcripts of interviews)
talking with colleagues
national media
conferences
workshops
meetings
reports
Department of Justice website
newsletters
other (please specify)

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

A. APPLICANT INFORMATION

1. Language preferred for correspondence. English French

2. Identification of the applicant organization or government body

Name: ________________________________________________

Street Address: _________________________________________

Mailing Address (if different from above): ______________________

Telephone: (___)_____________ Fax:_(____)_________________

E-mail: _______________________________________________

Website address: _______________________________________

3. Contact Person (Authorized Representative)

Name: _______________________________________________

Title: ________________________________________________

Telephone: (___)_______________ Fax:_(____)_______________

B. DESCRIBE YOUR ORGANIZATION

5. Date your organization was established: _______________________

6. Is it incorporated? ( ) Yes* → ( ) Federal * ( ) Provincial/Territorial *

( ) No

*Please include a copy of the certificate and articles of incorporation OR the letters patent.

7. Briefly describe the mandate of your organization.

_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________

8. Describe the programs and services your organization provides including:

• the level(s) at which your organization is active (local, regional, provincial, national, etc);
• the clientele your organization typically serves; and,
• the groups, organizations, or government bodies that actually use your services.

9. a ) Have you ever received funding from the Department of Justice or Health?

Yes – Please provide following information: No

b) Is the current funding application for a continuation/next phase of one of these previously funded projects?

Yes No

c) On projects previously funded by the Department, was a final report submitted?

Yes No – Why? __________________________

10. FOR QUEBEC ORGANIZATIONS ONLY

a) Are the majority of your members from the Québec public sector, that is, appointed by the Government of Québec, a minister, a government agency, a municipal body, a school board or another public agency?

Yes No

b) Are your personnel appointed in accordance with the Public Service Act (of Québec) (chapter F-3.1.1)?

Yes No

c) Is more than half of your financing derived from Québec public funds, that is from the consolidated revenue fund, a government agency, a municipal body, a school body or another public agency?

Yes No

d) If you have answered “yes” to one of the above, you must enclose a copy of the Order in Council allowing your organization to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the Department of Justice Canada .

Enclosed

11. Please append a copy of audited and financial statements for your organization from the previous year.

12. Disclose involvement of any former public servants who are under the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service.

C. PROJECT INFORMATION

13. Project title: __________________________________________

14. Project start date: ______________ Completion date: __________

Please inform us as to how soon you would be able to start the project. This date should not be longer than three months from the application deadline.

Appendix A – Sample Logic Model