Community Solutions is seeking individuals and providers to deliver a variety of technical assistance expertise and coaching services for the newly launched Accelerator Initiative.
Accelerator was created by the Division of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds designated through HEA1001. DMHA has contracted the management of Accelerator to Community Solutions, an Indianapolis-based community development consulting company.
Accelerator is guided by the knowledge that grassroots organizations are more powerful when they are adequately resourced and are creatively structured to grow and sustain. To understand the philosophy, goals, and implementation phases, please visit the About Accelerator page.
Project Timeline
The Accelerator Initiative planning phase began in December 2022 and concluded in April 2023. The project is now in the Implementation Phase, which will run through December 2024. We will be accepting Content Area Specialists on an ongoing basis for the duration of the project.
Content Area Specialists
Accelerator is designed to provide support to the grantees in a variety of ways to ensure success. Grantees may identify specialized technical assistance, expertise, or resources, such as legal advice, strategic planning support, or accounting services, as they work to implement their strategic growth plans. Content Area Specialists may be engaged on a limited basis to focus on a particular need.
Content Areas Needed
Community Solutions seeks to assemble Content Area Specialists who not only have experience and expertise, but who also reflect the communities served by the Grantees. Grantees may identify local Content Area Specialists that are known to them and/or have worked with them previously to be added to the Directory. To get added to the Directory, Content Area Specialists must complete an Interest Form. Recruitment of Content Area Specialists will be ongoing throughout the grant period on a statewide and regional basis.
Each Grantee is assigned an organizational Coach to assist them with overall implementation of the Accelerator Initiative by serving as a thought partner, resource connector and general supporter. Content Area Specialists who are engaged by a Grantee may also have interactions with their Coach, depending upon the desires of the Grantee.
Community Solutions is seeking Content Area Specialists in the following areas:
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Board Development/Governance
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Clinical
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Community and Participant Engagement
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Communications
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Facilities
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Finance
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Fundraising
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Human Resources
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Innovation
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Leadership Development
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Legal
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Operations
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Planning
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Program
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Real Estate
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Risk Management
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Technology
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Volunteers
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You will need to complete an Accelerator Content Area Specialist Interest Form, which includes a section to indicate your area(s) of expertise.
Interested in being considered as a Content Area Specialist?
After we have reviewed your Interest Form, your information will be added to our Content Area Specialist Directory, where Grantees will be able to choose which Content Area Specialists they believe will best fit their technical assistance needs. We will be engaging Content Area Specialists starting in May 2023 through the end of 2024.
Content Area Specialist Selection
Grantees are responsible for selecting Content Area Specialists from the Content Area Specialist Directory. The Grantees’ Coaches can support Grantees with implementing a selection process; however, Grantees are empowered to decide for themselves what selection process they will use to hire Content Area Specialists.
Contracting
If a Grantee selects you as their Content Area Specialist, we ask that you prepare a scope of work that outlines what services and deliverables you will provide to the Grantee and what your fees will be for those services and deliverables. This scope of work should be provided to the Grantee. Grantees will then submit a Technical Assistance Request to Community Solutions, listing you as their requested Content Area Specialist.
Once the Technical Assistance Request is approved, Community Solutions will contact the Content Area Specialist via email to begin the contract process. Please note that the contracts for Content Area Specialists are with Community Solutions and NOT with the Grantee organization. Content Area Specialists will invoice Community Solutions directly for their work and will be paid directly by Community Solutions. These funds are separate from the grant dollars awarded directly to the Grantee.
Content Area Specialists must provide copies of all deliverables to Community Solutions at the time they are provided to the Grantee. This will help to ensure that invoices are accurately reflecting the reported work completed without placing additional reporting burdens on the Grantee.
Compliance and Record Keeping
Because these are federal funds, technical assistance providers must adhere to specific compliance requirements, which can be found by clicking HERE. Please ensure you have the systems in place to comply with these requirements.