Proposals due by March 17

DOVER – DNREC’s Division of Watershed Stewardship is now accepting project proposals for matching grants for community water quality improvement projects. Delaware non-profit organizations, conservation districts, community organizations and homeowner’s associations are eligible to apply. Proposals must be received by March 17, 2016.

The Community Water Quality Improvement Grant assists in implementing projects or programs to improve water quality on developed lands consistent with specific plans developed for watershed improvements. Projects will be recommended for funding by the Delaware Water Infrastructure Advisory Council through a competitive grant process. Programs and projects selected will demonstrate innovative and sustainable methods, techniques, and/or practices for water quality improvements, with cost effective and measurable results.

Funding for projects receiving a grant award in this cycle is anticipated to range from $25,000 minimum to $75,000 maximum. This grant requires a 25 percent cash match which may be federal, state, or local funds. Applicants may submit up to two project proposals per grant cycle.

Proposals must be submitted by 4:30 p.m., March 17 via email to Sharon.Webb@delaware.gov and by putting “Community Water Quality Improvement Grant” in the subject field. Project guidelines and the application can be found on DNREC’s website on the Community Water Quality Improvement Grants page.

For more information, contact Sharon Webb at 302-739-9922.

Media Contact: Melanie H. Rapp, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Vol. 46, No. 53

Delaware residents interested in applying for scholarships, grants and professional incentive loans to pursue a postsecondary education during next academic year school year should visit the Delaware Goes to College website at http://delawaregoestocollege.org/ for the 2016-17 application. This past year Delaware awarded $3.1 million in merit scholarships and incentive loans and more than $6 million in SEED and Inspire scholarships to Delaware students.

New this year, the 2015-2016 Delaware Scholarship Compendium: A Guide for College-Bound Students is available online at http://scholarships.delawaregoestocollege.org/. The online Scholarship Compendium provides students a free, mobile way to find scholarships by category and deadline. Students and parents can search scholarships by eligibility requirements, such as county of residency, ethnicity or race, and profession – about 15 categories in all – as well as alphabetically or by deadline. Users then can drill down for more details, including links to applications.

Instructional videos for navigating the Scholarship Compendium are available in English and Spanish.

• English: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1TH5mc0bT8
• Spanish: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4U3WDzgYdc&rel=0

Delaware Goes to College also has translated college application forms and materials in Spanish and Haitian-Creole. These documents are available online at:

• Spanish: http://delawaregoestocollege.org/espanol/
• Haitian-Creole: http://delawaregoestocollege.org/haitian-creole/

Graduating high school seniors who plan to attend Delaware State University or the University of Delaware are encouraged to visit http://delawaregoestocollege.org/ for applicable full scholarships (B. Bradford Barnes, Charles L. Hebner and Herman M. Holloway, Sr.) before March 5. Full scholarship offers pay tuition, fees, room and board, and books for full-time enrollment (12 or more credit hours each semester).

High school seniors also may apply for the Diamond State Scholarship. The scholarship is portable and may be used for full-time (12 or more credit hours each semester) enrollment at any non-profit, regionally accredited institution. The deadline for Diamond State also is March 5.

SEED and Inspire provide education to eligible Delaware students – from both public and non-public high schools – who earn a grade point average above 2.5 (SEED) or 2.75 (Inspire) on a 4.0 scale. SEED covers full tuition; Inspire covers up to $3,000 per year.

Alison May
alison.may@doe.k12.de.us
(302) 735-4006

State, Local and Federal Leaders Celebrate Delaware’s
$18.8 Million USDA Grant for Job Training
Program Will Bring Together Partners to Provide Education, Skills to Food Benefit Clients

WILMINGTON  – Gov. Jack Markell, joined by federal, state and local leaders, praised the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today for choosing Delaware as one of 10 states to receive a federal grant to provide pragmatic job training to Delawareans who receive food benefits and have limited job skills or work experience, calling workforce development “the single-most important thing we can do.”

The Governor was joined at a noontime press conference at Wilmington’s Central Baptist Church by U.S. Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, U.S. Rep. John Carney, Wilmington Mayor Dennis P. Williams, Dover Mayor Robin R. Christiansen, Department of Health and Social Services Secretary Rita Landgraf, community partners, and Audrey Rowe, administrator of USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service, which awarded the competitive grant. Central Baptist Church is home to Eastside Rising, one of the community partners in the job training program.

USDA’s Rowe said the federal agency sought out pilot programs that would increase household income and reducing reliance on public assistance programs, and that could be replicated and duplicated across the country. She praised Delaware’s “creative and forward-leaning innovation,” saying, “Delaware has an opportunity to be a nation leader.”

In March, the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) was awarded a three-year, $18.8 million grant to collaborate with community partners in providing employment and training services for people who receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. Beginning in the fall, DHSS expects to serve about 1,770 individuals each year – half will receive the new specific training services and the other half will be receive existing employment training services. The USDA funded programs in the 10 states as a research project to determine the most effective ways to prepare people who receive food benefits for career paths with a higher earning potential.

“I want to thank the delegation for their support of both the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and this employment and training program,” Gov. Markell said. “This public-private-nonprofit collaboration will benefit all who are involved, especially the SNAP clients who are eager to get a good-paying job.”

The employment and training program called Delaware WONDER (Work Opportunity Networks to Develop Employment Readiness) is being led by DHSS’ Division of Social Services (DSS), which administers the SNAP Program in Delaware. It will offer targeted career tracks in construction, culinary arts, manufacturing, and broad-based job placement. About 20 percent of the 150,000 Delawareans who receive food benefits will be eligible for the job training. The remaining clients are seniors, people with disabilities, children, or adults already in the workforce full time.

As part of the grant, the Division of Social Services will work with several state agencies and local partners, including the Delaware Department of Labor (DOL), the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR), the Division of Employment and Training (DET), the Delaware Department of Education (DOE), the Delaware Workforce Investment Board (DWIB), $tand By Me, Central Baptist Community Development Corporation, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Food Bank of Delaware, Delaware Technical and Community College, Kraft Foods, and Career Team. To measure its effectiveness, Delaware’s training program will be part of a national research study conducted by Mathematica.

Delaware’s congressional delegation, which supported DHSS’ grant application, believes it will provide many benefits to Delawareans.

“This pilot project will help provide greater economic opportunities for families, while helping attract employers seeking a skilled, qualified workforce to our state,” U.S. Sen. Tom Carper said. “This is a true win-win for Delawareans and employers, which is why I supported this grant application along with Senator Coons and Congressman Carney for our state.”
“Providing strong and clear pathways for jobs that are in demand is a great way to help strengthen and broaden the middle class,” U.S. Sen. Chris Coons said. “These training programs like the one that will be piloted here in Delaware will help those who want work, get work. Thousands of Delawareans, up and down the state are looking for an opportunity to earn a living but are unprepared for the jobs that are available. This federal grant, coupled with key community partnerships, will get those folks who are ready to work, trained and into the workforce.”

“This pilot program will provide critical new opportunities for the training and support needed to transition into employment,” U.S. Rep. John Carney said. “One of my main priorities since coming to Congress has been to create ways for unemployed and underemployed Delawareans to join the workforce, so they can lift themselves up and provide for their families.”

In detailing the four tracks, DHSS Secretary Landgraf said, “What I admire about Delaware WONDER is the pragmatism behind the program.”

The employment and training program will offer intensive case management services to participants to further reduce the barriers to employment, including free one-on-one financial coaching through $tand By Me. Beginning in the fall, SNAP clients who take part in Delaware WONDER will be linked to needed community resources and will have a job readiness assessment done. From there, participants will be assigned to one of four career tracks based on aptitude and interest:
Track 1: Construction trade
Track 2: Culinary arts
Track 3: Manufacturing position
Track 4: Broad-based job placement

TRACK 1: CONSTRUCTION TRADE

The Eastside Rising project is an existing collaboration between the Central Baptist Community Development Corporation, National Community Reinvestment Coalition, Delaware Workforce Investment Board, Laborers International Union of North America Local 55, Wilmington Housing Partnership, and Habitat for Humanity created to take ownership of approximately 140-150 homes in East Wilmington and rehab them to achieve a dual goal of neighborhood revitalization and increased employment and training for disadvantaged adults in the state’s highest poverty areas. This pre-apprenticeship program is committed to serving clients with limited jobs skills and work experience, including those on probation/parole and individuals with disabilities.

Eastside Rising has committed to taking participants from the pilot as priority referrals. With the support of this grant, Eastside Rising estimates it can support up to 400 pre-apprenticeships during the three years, or about 11 pre-apprenticeships per month. Eastside Rising expects to maintain participants in paid pre-apprenticeships and transition them from one rehab project to another until permanent paid employment is found.

“This is truly a great and momentous day for the East Side,” said the Rev. Terrence Keeling, pastor of Central Baptist and a leader of Eastside Rising. “It will help us help ourselves. Wait till you see the return on your investment.”

TRACK 2: CULINARY ARTS

The Food Bank of Delaware’s Culinary School has an annual capacity of 90 individuals statewide in its state-of-the-art training facilities in Milford and Newark, and is experienced in serving high-need populations, including individuals with low incomes, ex-offenders, veterans and individuals with disabilities.

The 39-week training program – 14 weeks in the kitchen and 25 weeks of wrap-around employment support services – is recognized as a certified trade school by the Delaware Department of Education.

Through the employment and training program, the Food Bank of Delaware will double the Culinary School’s current capacity by adding 90 slots earmarked for pilot participants annually, with 45 each in Newark and Milford. Individuals who graduate from the program will be ready for full-time positions in the culinary trades. The Culinary School currently has a placement rate of 70 percent, with graduates earning starting wages of $9.50 an hour.

“Workforce development through training opportunities in the food service industry has been of real interest to us since we started our culinary training program in 2002,” Food Bank of Delaware President and CEO Patricia Beebe said. “The success stories that have resulted from our culinary training program show that these training opportunities really benefit the population that will be assisted through the SNAP Employment and Training funding. We are thrilled to be partnering with the State of Delaware on this exciting initiative that will get Delawareans back to work in industries that can provide a sustainable wage.”

TRACK 3: MANUFACTURING POSITION

This track will offer participants a 90-day trial placement in a full-time entry level production position at the Kraft Foods manufacturing plant in Dover upon successful completion of the Certified Production Technician (CPT) program through Delaware Technical Community College. The technician program is a web-based independent-learning program that consists of four individual certificate modules: Safety; Quality Practices & Measurement; Manufacturing Processes & Production; and Maintenance Awareness. Candidates must earn all four certificates to receive the full CPT certification.

Kraft Foods employs more than 400 entry-level production workers, and has committed to place as many as 60 CPT graduates per year.

Dover plant manager Justin Cressler said Kraft Foods is about “the best people, the best brands.” “We can’t wait to get started,” he said.

TRACK 4: BROAD-BASED JOB PLACEMENT

The Department of Labor’s Division of Employment and Training (DET), with the assistance of the Delaware Workforce Investment Board, operates the “one-stop” employment and training system in Delaware through four full-service offices as well as a specialty office. The electronic backbone of the system is Delaware JobLink (DJL), which served 57,000 job applicants in the last 12 months.

The Division of Employment and Training will also offer a new and unique service over and above the traditional One-Stop location offerings. This will be a bundled service package designed to provide individualized support to both work-ready and non-work ready pilot participants. Placement specialists will receive specialized training that will allow them to provide both basic education instruction and soft skills training.

Tanya Warner, a DHSS employee who is managing the grant, said she understands the opportunity that Delaware WONDER will provide.

“I remember how difficult it was,” she said as a single mother receiving food benefits 21 years ago. “I remember the stigma when I paid for my groceries with food stamps.” She said people who receive food benefits want to be connected to a job that will help to provide a safe and nurturing household that sustains them and their families. “And we’re going to do just that” through Delaware WONDER, Warner said.

-30-

For more information, contact Jill Fredel, Director of Communications, (302) 255-9047 (office)
or (302) 357-7498 (cell).

Delaware Health and Social Services is committed to improving the quality of the lives of Delaware’s citizens by promoting health and well-being, fostering self-sufficiency, and protecting vulnerable populations.
Photos from today’s press conference will be available to download on DHSS’ flickr account.

Four-year federal grant will fund health care innovation efforts statewide

Wilmington, DE – Delaware has been awarded $35 million in federal funds that will fuel efforts to improve patient care, support the health of all Delawareans, and reduce the costs of care. The grant, announced today by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), is designed to help states implement innovative approaches to delivering and paying for health care. The state’s grant proposal presentation, which was led by Governor Jack Markell, highlighted the intended focus to amplify investments already being made by Delaware’s health care system to transform health care delivery from a fee-for-service system toward one that rewards quality care and efficiency.

Fact Sheet: Delaware’s State Health Care Innovation Plan and the State Innovation Model (SIM) initiative

If successfully implemented, Delaware’s Health Care Innovation Plan is projected to create more than $1 billion in cost-of-care savings through 2020.  Approximately half of these savings would be reinvested in the delivery system to improve quality and access, and the other half would support improved affordability. The work funded by the grant will support primary care practices, population health initiatives, health information technology, workforce training and development, and clinical and payment innovation.

The state’s Health Care Innovation Plan was developed starting in spring 2013 by representatives from a broad group of Delaware’s health care stakeholders, including physicians, hospitals, other providers, insurers, businesses, consumer advocates, educators, researchers and government officials. The plan takes aim at a critical need: the state’s health outcomes rank below the national average in several categories, including diabetes, obesity, and cancer mortality; however, Delawareans pay 25 percent more for health care than the national average; health care spending in Delaware exceeds $8 billion per year for employers, consumers, and taxpayers combined; Medicaid and the State Employees Health Plan in particular consume nearly a quarter of Delaware’s budget.

The goals of the strategy are to strengthen the primary care system so that patients experience well-coordinated team-based care that delivers better health outcomes, align incentives for providers and health insurers to focus on quality and affordability, support patients to engage in their own health, and support communities to work together to promote health and connect community resources to the health care system.

“The case for change is clear and it is exciting to have all of the parts of our state’s health care community working together with a common mission to provide Delawareans with the best care while reducing the unsustainable growth in costs,” said Governor Markell. “This grant will make it possible to put their plan into practice and we will begin to transform our system to one in which providers are rewarded for quality rather than quantity of care and for their innovative efforts to better serve our people. Together we will ensure Delawareans are healthier than ever before.”

“At the heart of this work is a focus on improving the health of Delawareans and their experience with the health care system,” said Rita Landgraf, Secretary of the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. “Whether an individual needs treatment for a chronic condition like diabetes, experiences a health emergency, or has the opportunity to prevent future health challenges, the innovation plan provides a way to ensure that patients receive well-coordinated, high quality care to help them achieve a healthy life.”

“There is great innovation happening across our health care community, improving the lives of patients every day,” said Bettina Tweardy Riveros, Chair of the Delaware Health Care Commission, the designated state grant recipient. “This grant can support that work, align payment models to make those programs financially sustainable, and create a framework for large health systems, small independent providers, community health organizations and others to participate.”

Delaware’s congressional delegation of Sens. Tom Carper and Chris Coons, along with U.S. Rep. John Carney (all D-Del.) wrote a letter of support for the grant.

“Improving our health care system from one that is an inefficient fee-for-service model to one of preventive and coordinated care that keeps patients healthy leads to better outcomes for less money,” Sen. Carper said. “This grant will help Delaware health providers utilize proven best practices that result in reduced costs and better care – all the while creating solutions that other states can replicate. Innovative grant programs like these are exactly what I had in mind when I was helping to reform our health care system through the Affordable Care Act.”

“Delaware is fortunate to have top-notch hospitals, doctors, and other providers,” Sen. Coons said. “More can and should be done to provide more thorough, timely, and efficient care to patients. This grant will help drive transformation in the state, make us smarter purchasers of health care, and ensure every Delawarean has access to better coordinated and higher quality care.”

“We need to change the way we use and pay for healthcare. It’s one of the most important things we can do to improve Americans’ quality of life and support economic growth,” Congressman Carney said. “This federal grant gives Delaware the opportunity to be a national leader in developing a more patient-centered, efficient, and transparent system. It’s an ambitious plan, but one that can be achieved with the help of the many partners that have been involved from the beginning. I’m looking forward to seeing this plan put into action. I think it will go a long way toward helping more Delawareans live healthier lives.”

Under the Health Care Innovation Plan, Delaware will:

• Focus on strong coordination of care across multiple health care providers, especially for those patients with complex chronic conditions, including primary care and behavioral health providers, other specialists and hospitals.
• Support primary care providers in delivering proactive, preventive care and in coordinating care for patients.
• Enable ease of access to medical history and prescription information and hospitalizations across a patient’s health care team.
• Adapt training and education programs to ensure that doctors, nurse practitioners, clinical social workers and other health care providers have the skills and abilities to deliver team-based care.
• Support insurance carriers, and other healthcare payers such as self-insured employers, to move to payment models that reward high-quality, cost-efficient care.
• Create a “common scorecard” using accepted industry standards to provide information to providers on their performance and outcomes and to provide incentives for improvement and for innovative and efficient approaches to delivering high-quality care.
• Promote “healthy neighborhood” coalitions that will work together to address community health needs, enable healthier living, and integrate local resources with health care delivery to provide better access to primary care.
• Maintain a focus on the patient and gather input from health care consumers to guide programs.

“This is a great day for Delaware. This grant enables us to accelerate innovation and health care redesign in Delaware, making the First State a national model for a new kind of care that our neighbors value,” said Janice E. Nevin, M.D., MPH, President and CEO of Christiana Care Health System and a member of the Delaware Health Care Commission. “The Delaware model of public private partnership and broad stakeholder collaboration will serve us well as we work toward achieving our goals of making Delaware one of the healthiest states in the country.”

Thomas Brown, senior vice president of Nanticoke Health Services in Sussex County, says the state’s Health Care Innovation Plan reflects the needs of the health care community. “Today more than ever, it’s critical for health care providers to deliver value for care and for patients to experience a consistent, high level of coordinated care at every stage.”

The path forward

To guide implementation of the innovation plan and track its progress, the Delaware Center for Healthcare Innovation was established earlier this year. The 15-member DCHI board represents major health systems and payers in the state, independent providers, Delaware’s largest federally qualified health center, educational institutions, the business community, and state government.

“The innovation plan charts a clear course of action,” said DCHI board chairman Matt Swanson, a Delaware business leader and community advocate. “With this grant, the DCHI is excited to begin the actual work of implementation together with stakeholders, on behalf of all Delawareans.”

“As a physician, I believe transforming the way we practice is essential to improving the delivery of quality care to Delawareans. Important concepts include increasing access for patients, building team-based care and integrating health information and care coordination. The SIM grant award will be vital in creating the opportunity for independent physicians to achieve that,” said Nancy Fan, MD, President of the Medical Society of Delaware.

“This is an important milestone,” said Terry Murphy, Chair of Delaware Healthcare Association and President and CEO of Bayhealth. “The grant will directly support transition costs required to implement our state plan including operational support for the enhancement of care management and other direct patient care initiatives.  Delaware hospitals continue to work hard every day to improve patient satisfaction and clinical outcomes while managing our costs.”

Lolita Lopez, president and CEO of Westside Family Healthcare and co-chair of the DCHI board’s Healthy Neighborhoods committee, says federal support for the innovation plan will help Delaware integrate local health initiatives with those in the medical community. “As a result we will see improvements in the health and wellness of the entire population. And as a medical provider to the underserved, we at Westside look forward to a smoother, more seamless way to connect patients to other health providers and organizations that help them manage the social determinants of health.”

For more information on the Delaware Health Care Innovation Plan, go to the Delaware Health Care Commission’s website, http://dhss.delaware.gov/dhcc.

###

Lewes, DE – The U.S Environmental Protection Agency today announced a $975,000 Diesel Emission Reduction Act grant to the Delaware River and Bay Authority that will help bring new clean air technology to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry and reduce toxic air emissions.

“Cleaning up our air and ensuring people’s right to breathe healthy air is a priority for EPA,” said EPA Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Shawn M. Garvin. “The benefits of upgrading engines on the Cape May-Lewes ferry will help us combat climate change and benefit local air quality equivalent to removing emissions from 12 diesel tractor trailer trucks.”

The grant will support repowering the propulsion engines in the ferry boat M/V Delaware with EPA certified engines that are anticipated to annually reduce fuel use by 39,600 gallons and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by 443 tons. In addition, the upgrade will reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 39.7 tons and particulate matter (PM) emissions by nearly half a ton.

“We are grateful that the EPA recognized the importance of repowering MV Delaware, and the DERA grant will greatly assist that effort,” said Heath Gehrke, Director of Operations for the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. “The new engines will not only burn less fuel and be more efficient, but emissions will also be reduced by nearly 40 percent.  In addition, we expect to save approximately $130,000 per year in maintenance costs associated with old engines.”

The year-round Cape May-Lewes Ferry service is a critical part of the Mid-Atlantic regional transportation infrastructure, carrying about 800,000 passengers and 300,000 vehicles annually on a 14-mile route between Lewes, Del. and Cape May, N.J. For more than 40 years, the ferry has offered customers economical and efficient transportation.

“This project is an excellent example of state and federal partners working together to find an effective way to improve air quality, reduce health risks and support the state’s ongoing efforts to reduce the effects of climate change,” said Delaware Governor Jack Markell. “The Delaware River Bay Authority deserves recognition for investing in these new engines. I thank our Congressional Delegation for their support in securing federal funding and to the EPA for providing the grant.”

“For every $1 invested through the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act, we get over $13 in health and economic benefits in return,” said Sen. Tom Carper, who co-authored the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act. “The good thing about diesel engines is that they last a long time, and the bad thing about diesel engines is that they last a long time. Retrofitting or replacing older diesel engines can dramatically reduce harmful emissions but, despite the long-term economic benefits of these upgrades, there are few direct and immediate economic incentives. Programs like the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act help encourage critical investment in updating our diesel fleets so they are cleaner and friendlier for our environment. The changes made to these ferry engines will be a breath of fresh air for the folks that live here in Lewes and in New Jersey.”

DERA funds are used to clean up the legacy fleet of diesel engines that were produced before more recent environmental standards. The DERA grant program is intended to help solve some complex air quality issues in port communities.

For more information on the DERA funding assistance program and other grant opportunities, visit http://www.epa.gov/cleandiesel/prgnational.htm.