consumer scholarships

Applications are due April 1, 2008 - please read thoroughly

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS
Through a Cooperative Agreement with the Health Resources and Services Administration, the National Health Care for the Homeless Council will provide subsidies to support participation in the National HCH Conference & Policy Symposium by consumer members of HCH projects' Boards and Advisory Committees, and by consumer members of the staffs of HCH projects. Consumers are people who have experienced homelessness personally and have received services of the HCH project. Only HCH projects that are Section 330(h) grantees or their subcontractors or sub-grantees (listed at www.nhchc.org/HCHdirectory.html) may apply for these funds. The applicant HCH projects will be responsible for making all travel arrangements, including transportation and hotel reservations.

ELIGIBLE COSTS AND MAXIMUM REIMBURSEMENT
A maximum travel subsidy of $1,000 per grantee or subcontractor will be available to selected projects, on a reimbursement basis. These funds may be used to support travel costs (including transportation, lodging, and meals) of consumers attending the Pre-Conference Institutes on June 11 and the National HCH Conference & Policy Symposium June 12 - 14.

HCH projects may wish to consider applying for travel subsidies for more than one consumer, within the $1,000 maximum per project; in this case, please submit a separate application for each consumer.

APPLICATION DUE DATE
To be considered, applications must be received by the National Health Care for the Homeless Council no later than Tuesday, April 1. Applications may be mailed to PO Box 60427, Nashville TN 37206-0427, faxed to 615/226-1656, e-mailed to ppetty@nhchc.org, or submitted electronically on our website by clicking here.

SELECTION CRITERIA
A limited number of travel subsidies will be available. In the event that there are more applications than available funds will support, priority in selection will be given in the following order:

consumers who have not attended a previous conference
consumers who have been nominated by a Consumer Advisory Board or Board of Directors of which they are a part,
consumers who have participated in the Consumer Participation Outreach process described at www.nhchc.org/advisory.html
consumers representing projects that have not received subsidies for prior conferences,
consumers who are formally involved in HCH project governance,
consumers who are employed by HCH projects.

NOTIFICATION
Decisions regarding Consumer Travel Subsidy applications will be communicated to applicants by April 15, 2008.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION FEES
That notification of decisions will include instructions for registering (by May 15) for the Conference & Policy Symposium, including the Pre-Conference Institutes, at no cost for consumers receiving the travel subsidy.

HOTEL RESERVATIONS AND REGISTRATION
Hotel reservations and payment are the responsibility of the sponsoring HCH project. The conference registration include information about hotel reservations. Note that the project will need to provide a credit card at the time the consumer checks in to the hotel, if the consumer does not have one. Hotel costs are eligible for reimbursement from the National Council as part of the travel subsidy. Due to a limited hotel room block, we encourage projects to make hotel reservations early (before the May 15 deadline) for all conference participants.

PAYMENT
Subsidies will be paid only to HCH projects on a reimbursement basis (maximum $1,000 per project) following the conference. We will reimburse costs of necessary transportation, hotel room costs at the Conference rate, and federal per diem rates for Phoenix (excluding meals provided at the conference). A reimbursement claim form will be provided with notification of subsidy awards; claims must be submitted no later than July 15, 2008.

CONSUMER SUPPORT
HCH Projects are encouraged to express their commitment to consumer involvement in their governance by paying consumers' registration fees, and by bringing consumers to the National HCH Conference & Policy Symposium even without travel subsidies.

A large national conference in an unfamiliar setting is potentially bewildering for any first-time participant. To help assure a positive experience for consumers (and for others for whom the conference is a new experience), we request that another conference participant representing the HCH project be assigned to provide orientation and on-going support for the consumer. Please provide this contact person's name on your application form. Of course, NCAB members and the staff of the National Health Care for the Homeless Council will also be available to assist during the conference.

Past experience has taught us that some consumers need to be supplied cash in advance for per diem expenses. Please be sure to address this in your planning for consumer participation.

CONSUMER EVENTS AT THE NATIONAL HCH CONFERENCE
Several events will be of particular interest to HCH consumers.

The HCH 101 Pre-Conference Institute on June 11 will review the basics of Health Care for the Homeless and will include attention to the critical consumer role in HCH governance.
The Pre-Conference Institute on Consumer Involvement in Homeless Programs will explore ways that consumers are involved as service providers, administrative staff, outreach workers, volunteers and Board members in a variety of homeless programs.
A membership meeting of the National Consumer Advisory Board (NCAB) will occur at 7:00 pm on Wednesday, June 11. NCAB will elect its leadership for the coming year and will orient consumers to the Conference & Policy Symposium that occur the next day. This session is mandatory for recipients of consumer travel subsidies; please plan travel accordingly.
Two conference workshops will directly address issues of consumer involvement, and a number of HCH Conference and HCH Policy Symposium sessions will be of interest to consumers. Please see the Conference Registration brochure for more detailed information.
There will be 12 Step meetings each morning and evening for any conference participants who are in recovery.

QUESTIONS?
Please contact Pat Petty at the National Health Care for the Homeless Council
phone: 615/226-2292
fax: 615/226-1656
or ppetty@nhchc.org.

Submit on line....... Application
or download application.......(word.doc) (.pdf)