§ 78.80 - Suicide prevention services: Assistance in obtaining and coordinating other public benefits and assistance with emergent needs.

§ 78.80 Suicide prevention services: Assistance in obtaining and coordinating other public benefits and assistance with emergent needs.

Grantees assisting in obtaining and coordinating other public benefits or assisting with emergent needs must assist participants with obtaining and coordinating the provision of other public benefits, including at a minimum those listed in paragraphs (a) through (h) of this section, that are being provided by Federal, State, local, or tribal agencies, or any other grantee in the area served by the grantee by referring the participant to and coordinating with such entity. If a public benefit is not being provided by Federal, State, local, or tribal agencies, or any other grantee in the area, the grantee is not required to obtain, coordinate, or provide such public benefit. Grantees may elect to provide directly to participants the public benefits identified in paragraphs (c) through (h) of this section.

(a) Health care services, which include:

(1) Health insurance; and

(2) Referral to a governmental entity or grantee that provides any of the following services:

(i) Hospital care, nursing home care, outpatient care, mental health care, preventive care, habilitative and rehabilitative care, case management, respite care, and home care;

(ii) The training of any eligible individual's family in the care of any eligible individual; and

(iii) The provision of pharmaceuticals, supplies, equipment, devices, appliances, and assistive technology.

(b) Referral of a participant, as appropriate, to an entity that provides daily living services relating to the functions or tasks for self-care usually performed in the normal course of a day, including, but not limited to, eating, bathing, grooming, dressing, and home management activities.

(c) Personal financial planning services, which include, at a minimum, providing recommendations regarding day-to-day finances and achieving long-term budgeting and financial goals. Grant funds may pay for credit counseling and other services necessary to assist participants with critical skills related to household budgeting, managing money, accessing a free personal credit report, and resolving credit problems.

(d) Transportation services:

(1) The grantee may provide temporary transportation services directly to participants if the grantee determines such assistance is necessary; however, the preferred method of direct provision of transportation services is the provision of tokens, vouchers, or other appropriate instruments so that participants may use available public transportation options.

(2) If public transportation options are not sufficient within an area, costs related to the lease of vehicle(s) may be included in a suicide prevention services grant application if the applicant or grantee, as applicable, agrees that:

(i) The vehicle(s) will be safe, accessible, and equipped to meet the needs of the participants;

(ii) The vehicle(s) will be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations; and

(iii) All transportation personnel (employees and community partners) will be licensed, insured, and trained in managing any special needs of participants and handling emergency situations.

(3) Transportation services furnished under this paragraph may include reimbursement for transportation furnished through ride sharing services, taxi services, or similar sources, but only if:

(i) The participant lacks any other means of transportation, including transportation or reimbursement for transportation from the Department under part 70 of this title; and

(ii) The grantee documents the participant's lack of other means.

(e) Temporary income support services, which may consist of providing assistance in obtaining other Federal, State, tribal and local assistance, in the form of, but not limited to, mental health benefits, food assistance, housing assistance, employment counseling, medical assistance, veterans' benefits, and income support assistance.

(f) Fiduciary and representative payee services, which may consist of acting on behalf of a participant by receiving the participant's paychecks, benefits or other income, and using those funds for the current and foreseeable needs of the participant and saving any remaining funds for the participant's future use in an interest bearing account or saving bonds.

(g) Legal services to assist eligible individuals with issues that may contribute to the risk of suicide. This may include issues that interfere with the eligible individual's ability to obtain or retain permanent housing, cover basic needs such as food, transportation, medical care, and issues that affect the eligible individual's employability and financial security (such as debt, credit problems, and lacking a driver's license).

(1) Except for legal assistance with resolving outstanding warrants, fines, expungements, and drivers' license revocations symptomatic of reentry obstacles in employment or housing, legal services do not include legal assistance with criminal matters nor matters in which the eligible individual is taking or has taken any adversarial legal action against the United States.

(2) Legal services do not include matters in which the United States is prosecuting an eligible individual.

(h) Child care for children under the age of 13, unless the child is disabled. Disabled children must be under the age of 18 to receive assistance under this paragraph. Child care includes the:

(1) Referral of a participant, as appropriate, to an eligible child care provider that provides child care with sufficient hours of operation and serves appropriate ages, as needed by the participant; and

(2) Payment by a grantee on behalf of a participant for child care by an eligible child care provider. Payment may not exceed $5,000 per family of an eligible individual per Federal fiscal year.

(i) Payments for child care services must be paid by the grantee directly to an eligible child care provider.

(ii) Payments for child care services cannot be provided on behalf of participants for the same period of time and for the same cost types that are being provided through another Federal (including VA), State or local subsidy program.

(iii) As a condition of providing payments for child care services, the grantee must help the participant develop a reasonable plan to address the participant's future ability to pay for child care services. Grantees must assist the participant to implement such plan by providing any necessary assistance or helping the participant to obtain any necessary public or private benefits or services.