Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH)

Maximum points available for this section: 25

Grantees are required to use PATH resources to fund street outreach and case management. PATH programs must prioritize outreach and case management services. Other eligible services may be provided based on unique community needs for services that are not financially supported by mainstream services and/or behavioral health programs. All PATH eligible services should be available to all PATH clients directly or through referral.

PATH eligible services include:

• Outreach services
• Screening and diagnostic treatment services
• Habilitation and rehabilitation services
• Community mental health services
• Alcohol and/or drug treatment services
• Staff training, including training of people who work in shelters, mental health clinics, substance use disorder programs, and other sites where people experiencing homelessness require services
• Case management services, including:
  • Preparing a plan for the provision of community mental health services to eligible individuals experiencing homelessness and reviewing such plan not less than once every three months.
  • Providing assistance in obtaining and coordinating social and maintenance services for the eligible individuals experiencing homelessness, including services related to daily living activities, personal financial planning, transportation services, and habilitation and rehabilitation services, prevocational and vocational training, and housing services.
  • Helping eligible individuals experiencing homelessness obtain income support services, including housing assistance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits.
  • Referring eligible individuals experiencing homelessness for such other services as may be appropriate.
  • Providing representative payee services in accordance with section 1631(a)(2) of the Social Security Act if the eligible individuals experiencing homelessness are receiving aid under Title XVI of such act and if the applicant is designated by the Secretary to provide such services.
• Supportive and supervisory services in residential settings
• Referrals for primary health services, job training, educational services, and relevant housing services
• Housing services, including:
  • Minor renovation, expansion, and repair of housing.
  • Planning of housing.
  • Technical assistance in applying for housing assistance.
  • Improving the coordination of housing services.
  • Security deposits.
  • Costs associated with matching eligible individuals who are experiencing homelessness with appropriate housing situations.
  • Security deposits.
  • One-time rental payments to prevent eviction.

Any activities not listed above are ineligible. Specifically, PATH funds may not be used by the grantee to support emergency shelters, inpatient psychiatric treatment, inpatient addiction treatment, or to make cash payments to intended recipients of mental health or substance use treatment services. Any lease arrangements in association with the proposed project utilizing PATH funds may not be funded by PATH beyond the project period nor may the portion of the space leased with PATH funds be used for purposes not supported by the grant. Grant funds may not be used to pay for the purchase or construction of any building or structure to house any part of the grant program. Applicants may not use PATH funds to replace funds provided by any federal, state, or local government to assist people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.

No more than twenty percent (20%) of the entire amount of the federal PATH funds awarded to an agency may be expended for the eligible housing services. Therefore, PATH funds for housing available locally are very limited. When PATH or matching funds are used to pay for first month’s rent or security deposits, the PATH agency must ensure that the housing is safe, suitable, and sanitary through an inspection process.

Describe how program purpose and requirements will be met.

• Address the needs of the population(s) of focus.
• Apply your approach or philosophy toward the issue(s) this funding opportunity seeks to address.
• The geographic area your agency will serve and data to support the need for PATH services in that area.
• How your agency will provide the priority services of street outreach and case management.
• Amount of time a PATH staff will engage in street outreach activities per week, per month.
• How your agency will determine sites that would benefit from street outreach and what types of settings they are (parks, library, bridge, parking garage, etc.).
• How your agency will engage and/or identify individuals who require PATH services.
• How your agency will determine an individual’s eligibility for PATH.
• The projected number of adult clients to be contacted and enrolled, and the percentage of adult clients served using PATH funds to be literally homeless.
• How individuals, who experience homelessness and have serious mental illness, and their family members, will be meaningfully involved at the organizational level in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of PATH-funded services. For example, indicate whether individuals who are PATH-eligible or former PATH recipients are employed as staff or volunteers or serve on governing or formal advisory boards.

Maximum points available for this section: 10

The capacity to do the work and meet the program requirements is different from the experience doing the work.

Describe capacity to implement the program design.

• New or existing staff positions, and any professional licenses they hold, that will work under this grant and the anticipated number of hours per week for each position.
• Recruitment process and the anticipated timeline if hiring new positions.
• Continuation of the program if there is turnover in staff.
• Resources or partnerships and their role in ensuring success of this program.

If subcontractor(s) will be used to perform activities to achieve program goals, describe:

• The extent of the relationship.
• How the subcontractor(s) capacity relates to the overall ability to implement this program.
• Roles, responsibilities, and expectations of the subcontractor(s).
• Experience managing and monitoring subcontractor(s).

Maximum points available for this section: 10

The minimum responsibilities and expectations of PATH providers are listed below.

Describe experience with, and/or knowledge similar to, this program.

• Providing services, conducting activities, and/or fulfilling requirements.
• Collecting and using data or other information to determine if efforts had an impact.
• Hiring, training, and supervising staff with specialized knowledge or licensure. Include:
  • Special skills that PATH staff will possess.
  • How newly hired PATH staff will be trained.
• Providing training for staff in outreach, engagement, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care (TIC), recovery, person-centered thinking, crisis response and suicide prevention (e.g., applied suicide intervention skills training), and critical time intervention (CTI).
• Providing street outreach, engagement, and case management with people who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness.

If you will be using subcontractor(s) to perform activities to achieve program goals, describe their experience with, and/or knowledge similar to, this program:

• Providing services, conducting activities, and/or fulfilling requirements.
• Building relationships with and/or working with the population(s) of focus or similar population(s).
• Collecting and using data or other information to determine if efforts had an impact.
• Hiring, training, and supervising staff with specialized knowledge or licensure. Include:
  • Special skills that PATH staff will possess.
  • How newly hired PATH staff will be trained.
• Providing training for staff in outreach, engagement, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed care (TIC), recovery, person-centered thinking, crisis response and suicide prevention (e.g., applied suicide intervention skills training), and critical time intervention (CTI).
• Providing street outreach, engagement, and case management with people who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness and have a serious mental illness.

Maximum points available for this section: 50 total

Priority one

Maximum points available for priority one: 10

It is crucial for PATH providers to establish relationships with the local continuum of care, housing authorities, landlords, faith-based organizations, and other agencies/organizations providing services and supports to individuals who are experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness.

Describe your relationships or plans to establish connections with the agencies and organizations listed above.

Priority two

Maximum points available for priority two: 10

PATH providers should ensure that individuals enrolled in PATH are transitioned to mainstream services, with the understanding that these services will remain available to the participant after their transition out of homelessness.

The PATH program encourages a focus on sustainable mental health services and housing. Other mainstream services of importance are services that provide health care, substance use treatment, employment/vocational training, community connection, support, and resources for daily needs.

Describe how you will connect individuals enrolled in PATH to mental health and other needed services.

Priority three

Maximum points available for priority three: 10

PATH providers are responsible for prioritizing PATH services to veterans and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness who meet PATH eligibility.

Describe how you will prioritize PATH services for veterans and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness.

Priority four

Maximum points available for priority four: 10

Describe your geographic location and if the area of service has a population of 150,000 or more.

Priority five

Maximum points available for priority five: 10

PATH providers are expected to integrate SAMHSA’s definition and principles of recovery (PDF) into their programs to the greatest possible extent.

Describe how you will integrate principles of recovery into the PATH program.

Maximum points available for this section: 5

The following documents must be submitted with the narrative response. These documents do not count toward the narrative response page limit.

• IRS Form W-9
• Line-Item Budget (Form F-01601-C) outlining the costs for the first year
• Documentation of match source

Question 1: May one eligible nonprofit serve as the Brown County lead applicant while using multiple local subcontractors for outreach, diagnostic eligibility support, case management, HMIS/data functions, housing navigation, peer support, and residential supportive services?

Answer 1: Yes, PATH grantees may use subcontractor/s to provide PATH services.

Question 2: What documentation of subcontractor commitment does DHS prefer at application: signed letters of commitment, draft scopes of work, memoranda of understanding, or another form?

Answer 2: Applicants are not required to provide documentation of subcontractor commitment at the time of the funding opportunity.  

Question 3: Which forms of donated professional time, donated space, local cash support, or other in-kind contributions may qualify toward the required nonfederal match, and what valuation and source documentation must accompany the application?

Answer 3: The Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6: Financial Matters provides information on match sources.  

Question 4: May a recovery residence provide eligible supportive and supervisory services in a residential setting as a subcontractor while the lead applicant retains responsibility for street outreach, case management, eligibility, HMIS, PATH Data Exchange reporting, and overall compliance?

Answer 4: Grantees may use subcontractor(s) to provide PATH services. Each PATH grantee determines how to use PATH funds to address homelessness among people with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders.  The prime grant recipient is responsible for oversight of the activities of the subrecipient to ensure that the subaward is used for authorized purposes, in compliance with state and federal laws, regulations, and the terms and conditions of the subaward; and that subaward performance goals are achieved.

Question 5:  When diagnostic services used to establish PATH eligibility are provided by a clinical partner, what documentation must the lead applicant maintain to demonstrate eligibility while protecting confidential health information?

Answer 5: Grantees must obtain health records from a qualified doctor, physician’s assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed mental health professional to verify the individual is diagnosed with a serious mental illness.  Grantees must maintain a client chart that includes documentation of PATH eligibility.  Grantees should follow the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Privacy Rule in protecting health information.  

Question 6: Should applicants budget Wisconsin HMIS enrollment, licensing, onboarding, and training costs as direct program costs, and are there current onboarding timelines that should be reflected in the implementation plan?

Answer 6:  Those costs can be considered direct program costs. DHS does not have onboarding timelines for grantees.  

Question 7: Because only one contract may be awarded per county, does DHS recommend or require any county-level coordination documentation when multiple community organizations intend to participate in one collaborative proposal?

Answer 7:  DHS does not require county-level coordination.  

Question 8: I am reviewing the funding opportunity for the Projects for Assistance in Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program and noted that eligibility includes counties with populations exceeding 100,000. St. Croix County has recently surpassed that population threshold but is not currently included on the list of eligible counties. Could you please confirm whether St. Croix County is eligible to apply for this funding opportunity?

Answer 8: Based on the 2025 US Census Data, St. Croix County has a population of 98,276.

Question 9: Is $45,000-$250,000 the total for a five-year grant, or is it $45,000-$250,000 each year for five years?

Answer 9: The estimated award amount is for each year for five years.

Question 10: Can PATH-funded services be provided to eligible adults who are currently residing in an emergency shelter, provided PATH funds are used only for eligible PATH services such as case management, behavioral health connections, benefits assistance, and housing-related services and are not used for emergency shelter operations?

Answer 10:  PATH services can be provided in a variety of settings such as an emergency shelter.  

Question 11: St. Katharine Drexel Shelter houses two emergency shelter programs at one facility: a singles shelter program operated by St. Vincent de Paul and a family shelter program operated by Solutions Center. Can one PATH-funded program provide eligible PATH services to qualifying adults in both shelter programs, as well as eligible individuals identified through community street outreach?

Answer 11: PATH services can be provided in a variety of settings. Grantees determine those settings and how to use PATH funds to address homelessness among people with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders.

Question 12: What documentation is required to establish that an individual has a serious mental illness for PATH eligibility, and who is qualified to make or verify that determination?

Answer 12: Grantees must obtain health records from a qualified doctor, physician’s assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed mental health professional to verify the individual is diagnosed with a serious mental illness.

Question 13: If street outreach or shelter staff identify an individual who appears to have a serious mental illness but does not have an existing documented diagnosis, may PATH-funded activities include screening, assessment, or diagnostic services necessary to determine eligibility? At what point may that individual be enrolled in PATH?

Answer 13:  In the event that there are not sufficient records to verify a diagnosis of a serious mental illness, grantees can document the symptoms of potential serious mental illness that they observe until a diagnosis can be verified. Providers who have reasonable belief that the individual has a serious mental illness may enroll them in PATH. Justification for this reasonable belief must be documented in case notes.

Question 14: Is a PATH grantee required to employ a licensed mental health professional, or may the grantee establish a formal partnership or subcontract with a qualified behavioral health provider for assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing mental health services?

Answer 14: A PATH grantee is not required to employ a licensed mental health professional.  An agency can determine if they would like to establish a formal partnership or subcontract for services.  

Question 15: May a PATH-funded case manager provide eligible services across multiple settings, including community street outreach, the singles emergency shelter, and the family emergency shelter, provided the individuals served meet PATH eligibility requirements and staff time is appropriately documented?

Answer 15: PATH services can be provided in a variety of settings.  

Question 16: Please clarify which resources may be used toward the required non-federal PATH match. Can private donations, foundation grants, staff time supported by non-federal funding, donated professional services, or eligible partner-provided services qualify as match when those resources directly support the PATH program or PATH-eligible clients?

Answer 16:  Information on match funds can be found in the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6: Financial Matters.

Question 17: May PATH funding support an allowable portion of an existing employee's salary and benefits when that employee performs eligible PATH street outreach and case management activities, provided the organization maintains appropriate time and cost-allocation documentation?

Answer 17: PATH funding can support an allowable portion of an employee’s salary and benefits for the portion of time spent on PATH activities.  

Question 18: For an organization already participating in Wisconsin HMIS and coordinated entry, are there additional PATH-specific HMIS enrollment, documentation, data-entry, or reporting requirements that applicants should account for when developing their program design and staffing?

Answer 18: Applicants would be encouraged to contact their HMIS administrator about enrollment, documentation, data-entry, or other reporting requirements in HMIS.  

Question 19: Fond du Lac County is identified as an eligible geographic area with a population of 104,669. The funding opportunity also includes a priority related to serving a geographic area with a population of 150,000 or more. May an applicant propose a multi-county PATH service area? If so, what level of established service presence, staffing, partnerships, or demonstrated capacity must the applicant have within the additional county or counties?

Answer 19: Applicants have the opportunity to address these components through the application process. DHS does not provide guidance on level of service presence, staffing, partnerships, or demonstrated capacity.  

Question 20: Before completing an application, we would appreciate clarification on several points so that we do not overstate program eligibility or propose unsupported costs.

20A. May a nonprofit applicant operate PATH outreach and case management services in coordination with a separately developed transitional or recovery residence, provided PATH funds are used only for eligible PATH services and eligible participants rather than property acquisition or general residence costs?

20A - Answer: Grantees may use subcontractor(s) to provide PATH services.

20B.   May personnel compensation and associated fringe for staff performing allowable PATH outreach, case management, service coordination, and required documentation be included in the PATH budget to the extent those costs are allocable to PATH activities?

20B -  Answer: Personnel compensation and associated fringe for staff providing PATH allowable services can be included in the budget.  

20C. May qualifying nonfederal private donations that are restricted to the PATH program be used toward the required nonfederal match, assuming they otherwise meet the solicitation's match requirements and are properly documented?

20C - Answer: Information on match funds can be found in the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6: Financial Matters.

20D. Must an applicant have an existing HMIS account and participation agreement at the time of application, or may an awarded organization complete HMIS enrollment, fees, and required training before the contract begins?

20D - Answer: Applicants are not required to have an existing HMIS account.  

Question 21: Is a relatively new 501(c)(3) organization eligible to apply if it meets all stated eligibility requirements but does not have previous experience operating a PATH-funded program?

Answer 21: Any federally recognized Tribal nation governing body, public agency, or nonprofit 501(c)(3) agency serving a geographic area with a population of more than 100,000 and providing services within Wisconsin is eligible to apply. Nonprofit agencies must be listed as such on the IRS website at the time of application.

Question 22: May an applicant use qualified subcontractors or formal community partners to provide behavioral health expertise, clinical screening/assessment, street outreach, case management, or other specialized PATH activities? If so, are letters of commitment, MOUs, or executed agreements required at the time of application?

Answer 22: Agencies can use subcontractor/s.  Documents related to subcontracting are not required at the time of application.  

Question 23: For the required nonfederal match of $1 for every $3 of federal PATH funding, what types of in-kind contributions are allowable? For example, can donated professional services, staff time supported by nonfederal funds, donated office/program space, transportation, supplies, or other documented resources benefiting PATH clients qualify toward the match?

Answer 23: Information on match funds can be found in the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6: Financial Matters.

Question 24: Milwaukee County currently has an existing PATH provider. Since the current funding opportunity permits up to two contracts in Milwaukee County, is DHS seeking to expand PATH capacity in Milwaukee? If so, are there particular service gaps, geographic areas, populations, or outreach needs DHS would encourage a second Milwaukee County applicant to address?

Answer 24: Milwaukee County is Wisconsin’s most populous county. Based on population numbers, DHS has determined that two contracts could be appropriate for Milwaukee County. While all sections of an application are important, applicants should place extra emphasis on the sections with more points, as these sections are the most critical pieces of the application. 

Question 25: If an organization has significant experience in health care, housing stability, care coordination, and serving vulnerable populations but is developing its behavioral-health street-outreach capacity, may the organization demonstrate capacity through a combination of existing organizational experience, qualified new hires, staff training, and partnerships/subcontractors with established behavioral-health and homelessness experience?

Answer 25: Applicants have an opportunity to describe their capacity to implement the program design in their application.  

Question 26: What documentation is acceptable to demonstrate the required match source at the time of application? Must the entire match be formally committed before submission, or may some sources be contingent upon the PATH award?

Answer 26: Applicants are only required to provide documentation of match source. Match amount is determined for PATH grantees based upon their federal award. The source of matching funds may be contingent on receiving the award.

Question 27: Does DHS have a preferred method for documenting or demonstrating collaboration with the local continuum of care, housing authorities, veteran-serving organizations, behavioral-health providers, landlords, and other community partners within the application?

Answer 27: DHS does not have a preferred method for documenting collaboration with community partners or organizations. PATH grantees determine their collaborative relationships.  

Question 28: For the requirement to prioritize veterans and individuals experiencing chronic homelessness, may an applicant establish targeted veteran outreach and formal partnerships with veteran-serving organizations while still making PATH services available to all individuals who meet PATH eligibility criteria?

Answer 28: Each PATH grantee determines how to use PATH funds to address homelessness among people with serious mental illness or co-occurring disorders.

Question 29: For match: can supervisor oversight time be counted?

Answer 29: Supervisor oversight time can be included, provided that the personnel costs are fairly allocated based on the actual time and effort contributed by each employee to that specific function, and that the source of funds paying for their effort follows the guidelines for match sources in the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual Section 6: Financial Matters.

Question 30: For match: " Medicaid match may also count as PATH match when a Medicaid reimbursement is for a PATH-enrolled individual receiving PATH-equivalent services." Can you provide an example of this?

Answer 30: DHS is not able to provide an example of using Medicaid reimbursement as match. Applicants can refer to the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6: Financial Matters for information on match sources.  

Question 31: For match: If a consumer on PATH is working with our behavioral health (who would not be trained in PATH) and they are billing their time to Medicaid, can we use that time as match? If I'm reading the match information correctly, we only could use it as match if we are funneling those reimbursed MA costs back into the PATH program to use for consumer needs?

Answer 31: Funds used for match must directly support/benefit the PATH program and/or PATH clients. Applicants can refer to the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6: Financial Matters for information on match sources.  

Question 32: For match: Same question as above but in this scenario, the person is in CCS or CSP, not just straight MA – can that be used as match or is that not allowable?

Answer 32: Applicants may not use PATH funds to replace funds provided by any federal, state, or local government to assist people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. PATH funds offer an array of essential services and supports that may not be supported by mainstream mental health programs. Grantees must ensure that PATH services are not being duplicated by another funding source. For more information on match see the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual under Section 6:  Financial Matters.  

Question 33: Am I understanding correctly that if we have contact with a consumer leading up to PATH enrollment, that we can be reimbursed for PATH allowable activities leading up to their enrollment with PATH? Is there a maximum time limit that this can be done (contact 6 months prior to PATH enrollment)? I presume no contact we would have prior to PATH officially being available in our county, if awarded, would be reimbursed?

Answer 33: Grantees are reimbursed for PATH allowable services as outlined in section 1: program design in the funding opportunity. There is no maximum time limit. PATH grantees are only reimbursed for PATH activities that take place within the time period of the grant.

Question 34: If we serve someone on 1915I MA, can someone be served in PATH also as long as we do not duplicate case management reimbursement or services that can be provided between the two programs?

Answer 34: Applicants may not use PATH funds to replace funds provided by any federal, state, or local government to assist people experiencing homelessness or at imminent risk of homelessness. Grantees must ensure that PATH services are not being duplicated by another funding source.  

Question 35: For those who are at imminent risk of becoming homeless, is there a specific time frame on how quickly someone must vacate their current setting to be eligible for this program?

Answer 35: There is no specific timeframe.  

Question 36: Is there a cost to PATH Data Exchange system?

Answer 36: The PATH Data Exchange does not have a cost.

Question 37: What data is required for the PATH Data Exchange system?

Answer 37: PATH Data Exchange information can be viewed from the DHS PATH webpage.

Question 38: In what ways must diagnoses be verified? Do we need documents directly from their provider?

Answer 38: Grantees must obtain health records from a qualified doctor, physician’s assistant, advanced practice registered nurse, or licensed mental health professional to verify the individual is diagnosed with a serious mental illness. Grantees must maintain a client chart that includes this document.  

Question 39: How long do we have to verify a diagnosis after someone is enrolled into PATH?

Answer 39: There is no timeframe to verify a diagnosis.  

Question 40: For the Allowable Activities, does the PATH staff have to specifically provide these services or could someone else within human services, such as a behaviorial health staff, provide screening and diagnostic treatment services and alcohol and drug services? If so, is that viewed as a match option or only if those funds then are funneled back into the PATH program?

Answer 40: Grantees can make the determination of PATH service providers, either within their program or through subcontracts. If staff effort, or subcontractors is fairly allocable to PATH activities, that can be considered a match as long as source of funds paying for their effort follows the guidelines for match sources in the Wisconsin State PATH Provider Manual Section 6: Financial Matters.