SOUTHWEST AUTISM RESEARCH & RESOURCE CENTER (SARRC) APPLICATION GRIC 2017.PDF

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Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Cover Sheet
Municipality Information
1. Date of Application: 2/28/2017 (NOTE: Click or use up/down arrow keys to move among fields)
2. Name of City, Town or County: Maricopa County
3. Mayor (City or Town) or Board of Supervisor’s Chairman (County): Denny Barney
4. Mailing Address: 301 West Jefferson Street, 10th Floor
5. City: Phoenix State: Arizona Zip Code: 85003
6. Acknowledgement of Submission by Authorized Municipality Representative:
Typed Name/Title: Melody Henderson, Government Relations Signature:
Applicant Information
7. Department/Organization Name: Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC)
8. Is this a 501c non-profit Organization? No Yes If yes, attach IRS Determination Letter
9. Application Contact Person: Greg Boone Title: Corporate & Foundation Relations Manager
10. Phone Number: 602-340-8717 x1467
11. Mailing Address: 300 North 18th Street
12. City: Phoenix State: Arizona Zip Code: 85006
13. Email Address: gboone@autismcenter.org Website Address: www.autismcenter.org
Project Information
14. Project Name: Intensive Parent Training
15. Purpose of Grant: Offer an evidence-based parent training program for families living in rural or remote ares of
Arizona who support a young child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
16. Priority Funding Area Healthcare
17. Annual amount requested $75,000
18. Number of years that funding is requested 2
19. Total amount requested (annual amount x $150,000
number of years)
20. Has your organization received past 2014: $150,000
funding from GRIC? If yes, list each year and 2011: $125,000
amount
21. Geographic area served State of Arizona
For Office Use Only:
Data Entry Receipt Evaluation
Outcome  Approval Recommended/Amount $  Denial

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Narrative
Please structure your proposal to provide the following information in the order indicated. Provide the narrative in
paragraph form in the text field provided. Please be thorough but strive for brevity.
1. Briefly describe the organization’s history, mission and goals.
Established in 1997, SARRC is the state’s leading and largest nonprofit organization serving individuals with autism
spectrum disorder (ASD) and the people who love, care for, and support them. Our mission is to advance research and
provide a lifetime of support for individuals with autism and their families. We are one of only eight organizations
nationally who provide programs and services across the lifespan of an individual with ASD while conducting its own
independent research. Our organizational goals are to provide more than 1,000 research and individualized services for
children, teens and adults with ASD; serve over 5,000 parents, family members, typical peers and community members;
and provide training to more than 500 educational and medical professionals each year.
2. If the applying organization is non-municipal or a non-profit 501c, please describe your relationship with Arizona
municipalities including past and present support, whether it be through partnerships, collaborations, in-kind
contributions, grants, tax-based funding or other. Describe the supporting municipality’s role in this project. If
the applying organization is a municipality governmental sub-division please enter the text “Not applicable.”
As the largest nonprofit organization serving the autism community, we have established relationships with many of the
state’s municipalities. These relationships primarily consist of being a referral source for services (including Intensive
Parent Training), but we have also collaborated on providing our community-based, educational trainings to a variety
audiences throughout the state. Our supporting municipality, Maricopa County and its Department of Public Health is a
consistent source of referrals.
3. Describe the proposed project and planned goals and activities.
Since 2009, SARRC has offered a solution for families supporting a child diagnosed with ASD living in rural or remote
areas of Arizona with limited access to high quality services. The Intensive Parent Training aims to teach parents how to
implement evidence-based strategies to support and teach their child with ASD in their family life and natural routines.
Research conducted in a university setting (Symon, 2002) demonstrated a one-week training consisting of 25 clinical
hours was enough to increase parent implementation of Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with their child, effectively
improving social communication skills and decreasing challenging behaviors within the context of everyday natural play
and home routines. From 2009-2011 SARRC evaluated the efforts of the same model in a community-based research
project funded by the Organization for Autism Research and found the model to be critically important for families living
in rural or remote areas of Arizona (e.g. municipalities outside of Flagstaff, Tucson and the ten most populous cities in
Maricopa County) that may not have access to services, for those on waiting lists for long-term services, families who
have just received the diagnosis, or families who are looking to increase their skills quickly to meet their child’s needs.
The Intensive Parent Training program serves the health education needs of parents and while providing direct
intervention to children with ASD between the ages of 15 months to 6 years old. The program is structured as a

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
weeklong, clinic-based training where parent/s attend each day for approximately 3-5 hours, dependent on the age of
their child, while playing with their child in a supported, collaborative coaching model organized by a skilled SARRC
clinician. During the week, families reside close to SARRC, either choosing to stay with family/friends or accommodations
are made with our partner, Ronald McDonald House. The week also includes formal assessments (Autism Diagnostic
Observation Schedule (ADOS) & Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales) and the results are included in a written reporting
detailing the intervention practices taught to the parent, outcome data collected and recommendations that can be
shared with teachers, habilitators and other members of the child’s support team in their home setting.
Program goals include two measurements taken over the course of the week, with baseline data collected on Monday
and measured throughout the course of the program, ending Friday. Among the measurements performed, Parent
Fidelity Measurement measures how well parents implement techniques learned through the program and Child
Responsivity Measurement determines how many times a child makes appropriate communicative responses when
initiated by a parent. According to our program’s data since 2014, Child Responsivity increased an average of 35
percentage points and Parent Fidelity increased an average of 53 percentage points in the duration of our one-week
intensive training. Please see our IPT Data 2014-2016 attachment for more detailed information related to
programmatic results.
With the support from our Gila River Indian Community’s two-year grant request and additional funding sources, our
Intensive Parent Training program plans to serve at least 65 families living in municipalities across the state. Of those
families served, 50 are planned to be living in rural or remote areas of Arizona.
4. Describe how the proposed project satisfies one or more of the priority funding areas identified by the Gila River
Indian Community.
Our Intensive Parent Training program supports Gila River Indian Community’s priority areas in healthcare for
underserved and vulnerable populations, specifically focusing on direct patient care (clinical intervention) and health
education (parent training). Research and best practice both promote early intervention having significant impact on
children with ASD and their ability to improve social, communication and language skills over time – the earlier a child
starts intervention/therapy, the better the outcomes later in life.
Through the Intensive Parent Training program, parents are educated on techniques needed to become their child’s
clinician and strategies to support their child’s needs long after the program ends. Along with structured guidance from
skilled clinicians, parents are educated on the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and the motivational
procedures of PRT to help guide their child to produce positive behaviors. When parents know how to act and educate
like a clinician, their child receives consistent hands-on interventions whether at SARRC, at home or in the community.
This is particularly important to families living in rural or remote areas where limited access to quality services often
hinders a child’s ability to advance in his/her targeted goals.
5. Identify the needs/problems to be addressed, target population and number of people to be served by the
project.
Around the time SARRC was founded, the incidence of an autism diagnosis was 1 in 500; today it is 1 in 68 and 1 in 66 in
Arizona, one of the five states registering our nation’s highest rates. Autism is the fastest-growing developmental
disability in the U.S., causing significant social, communication and behavioral challenges, typically lasting throughout a
person’s life and affecting every age group and ethnic/socioeconomic group. More children will be diagnosed with
autism this year than with AIDS, diabetes & cancer combined.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
A growing disparity also exists between families that are able to access and pay for services for their child with ASD and
those that cannot. Advocacy for early diagnosis and intervention matters, but not all families can afford to follow
through on what is recommended and/or do so quickly. This places a greater burden on families, hospitals, schools and
communities as a child ages through the system. Additionally, many of Arizona’s municipalities do not have quality
service providers that support the health education and direct client care intervention necessary to improve a child’s
social, communication disorder.
Our Intensive Parent Training serves the need for an affordable option for families without financial means and/or a
qualified service option in their community. Our Gila River Indian Community proposal would support offering our
Intensive Parent Training program to at least 50 families living in rural or remote areas at no cost to the family. Our
requested grant covers all programmatic and operational costs associated with operating the program.
6. Define the project as a new or continuing program.
Intensive Parent Training is a continuing program operating throughout the year, with scheduled weeks booking months
in advance. Since its inception, over 150 families living in rural or remote areas of Arizona have completed our weeklong
program.
7. Provide a brief timeline including start and finish dates. Indicate if the timeline is flexible.
As with our previous Gila River Indian Community contracts, we assign a number of weeks (goal 25 per contract year) for
families living in rural or remote areas designated under the contract. Additional weeks (goal 5-10 per year) are open to
our private pay system and families living inside the municipalities of Flagstaff, Tucson and the ten most populous cities
in Maricopa County (i.e., Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, Glendale, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, Surprise, Avondale).
While the timeline and designated weeks for families coming rural and remote areas are flexible, we often fill up quickly
and run into occurrences where holiday and work-related functions exclude us from filling certain weeks.
8. Identify other organizations, partners or funders participating in the project and their roles.
As one of the only intensive parent training programs available in the state, our program receives a majority of referrals
from the Arizona Department of Economic Security’s – Division of Developmental Disabilities. We also promote our
program through a vast network of pediatricians, other service providers and offices/divisions within municipalities that
serve children health-related needs. To accommodate those with financial and/or accommodation restrictions, SARRC
partners with Ronald McDonald House to refer families for community housing, with access to a community kitchen and
nightly-sponsored dinners by other nonprofits. This opportunity helps SARRC drastically reduce the cost of a family’s
stay, in comparison to the cost of hotel and groceries for the entire week.
As with the previous Gila River Indian Community contracts, our requested proposal grants us the ability to provide
Intensive Parent Training to the underserved families living in rural and remote areas of Arizona. Separately, our
program serves those residing in Flagstaff, Tucson and the ten most populous cities in Maricopa County through our
private pay system and additional grant support.
9. Would you be able to implement the proposed plan if your organization received partial funding for this project?
Yes, if we receive partial funding, we would be able to implement the same program but with a revised number of
underserved families living in rural or remote areas served.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
10. Describe your plan for project sustainability beyond the grant period. If this is a program/project previously
funded by the Gila River Indian Community describe efforts made towards the previously described
sustainability plan.
SARRC and its Intensive Parent Training program have made significant strides over the past two years in diversifying
revenues and increasing program sustainability. Previously with our GRIC grants, the contract would be the sole funder
of the program. We now have incorporated a private pay system and separately were awarded grants from Blue Cross
Blue Shield of Arizona and Thunderbirds Charities to support programmatic operations last year. With this newly
engaged community support and the ongoing, increased demand for the program, our Development team has shifted
fundraising efforts to sustain the program each year as they do for other mission-critical programs. Plans for 2017
include meeting with the Arizona Community Foundation and submitting grant proposals to each of their municipal
foundations as well as seeking additional corporate/foundation support.
As for our private pay system, demand for services has increased from families inside of Maricopa County. The program
now accepts most major insurances and/or offers the program at a private pay rate of $2,250 per family. These
additional training weeks continue to serve the increase need for the program while diversifying revenue streams and
sustaining its future.
11. Describe your plan to document progress and results.
A major component of our clinical model is to observe and measure progress to determine whether the parent/s learn
how to implement Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) during the weeklong, intensive program. Our staff continually
tracks success of implementation based on the Parent Fidelity Measurement and Child Responsivity Measurement. We
are proud to share the progress and transformation families go through while completing the program.
12. Indicate any application to and/or awards made by a tribe other than the Gila River Indian Community for state
shared revenues for this and any other project for the past five (5) years. If this information is included in a
separate attachment, please indicate that here.
SARRC has not previously requested funds at any time from any other Tribe other than Gila River Indian Community for
state shared revenues for this project.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Project Budget
Budget Period: 11/01/2017 – 10/31/2018
For each budget item listed here please provide a narrative description on the following Project Budget Detail page.
Proposed Budget Expense Amount Amount In Kind Total Budget
(list each budget item) requested from requested or contributions
GRIC secured from
other funders
1. Salaries $61,500 $13,065 $0 $74,565
2. Fringe Benefits $13,500 $7,712 $0 $21,212
3. Occupancy & Communication $0 $6,386 $0 $6,386
4. Program Expenses $0 $25,400 $0 $25,400
5. Amortization & Depreciation $0 $5,234 $0 $5,234
6. Administrative Overhead Alloc. $0 $19,859 $0 $19,859
7. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
8. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
9. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
10. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
11. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
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17. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
Total Budget $75,000 $77,656 $0 $152,656

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Project Budget
Budget Period: 11/01/2018 – 10/31/2019
For each budget item listed here please provide a narrative description on the following Project Budget Detail page.
Proposed Budget Expense Amount Amount In Kind Total Budget
(list each budget item) requested from requested or contributions
GRIC secured from
other funders
1. Salaries $61,500 $17,538 $0 $79,038
2. Fringe Benefits $13,500 $8,586 $0 $22,086
3. Occupancy & Communication $0 $6,790 $0 $6,790
4. Program Expenses $0 $25,400 $0 $25,400
5. Amortization & Depreciation $0 $5,820 $0 $5,820
6. Administrative Overhead Alloc. $0 $20,095 $0 $20,095
7. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
8. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
9. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
10. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
11. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
12. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
13. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
14. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
15. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
16. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
17. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
Total Budget $75,000 $84,229 $0 $159,229

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Project Budget Detail
Please provide a narrative description for each of the project budget items listed on the previous page. Include the
dollar figure and how it was derived.
1. Salaries ($61,500 request to GRIC of $74,565 total program budget item): Includes the following staff working in our
Intensive Parent Training program: 1 FTE – Clinical Interventionist III ($54,896 request to GRIC of $54,896 total salary);
.30 FTE – Clinical Program Manager ($6,604 request to GRIC of $19,669 total allocated salary). Each of our staff members
hold a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in either Psychology, Education, Special Education or Human Development. Each
staff member also holds a Board Certified Behavior Analyst® (BCBA) certification. Merit and cost of living increases have
been taken into account for the 2018/2019 budget.
2. Fringe Benefits (13,500 request to GRIC of 21,212 total program budget item). Includes the expenses related to staff
working in our program highlighted above: 1 FTE – Clinical Interventionist III ($12,077 request to GRIC of $12,077 total
benefit expense); .30 FTE – Clinical Program Manager ($1,423 request to GRIC of $9,135 total allocated benefit expense).
3. Occupancy & Communication: Based on allocated percentage of time/staff working under program
4. Program Expenses: Includes training materials and educational toys used throughout the training weeks ($12,800);
development and printing of outreach of flyers used to promote our program with referral sources ($12,600).
5. Amortization & Depreciation: Organizational allocation based on percentage of staff working under program
6. Administrative Overhead Allocation: Organizational allocation based on percentage of staff working under program
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Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
15. Click here to enter text.
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Other explanation: Click here to enter text.



Intensive Parent Training – 2014-2016 – Pre/Post Results
Number of Day 1 Child Day 5 Child Day 1 Parent Day 5 Parent
Participants Responsivity Responsivity Fidelity of Fidelity of
Implementation Implementation
Toddler 12 19 56 32 75
Young Child 69 23 58 20 75
All 81 23 58 22 75
2014-2016 IPT Responsivity 2014-2016 IPT Fidelity
100 100
90 90
80 80 75 75
70 70
56 58
60 60
50 50
40 40 32
30 19 23 30 20
20 20
10 10
0 0
Toddler Young Child Toddler Young Child
Baseline Final Training Day Baseline Final Training Day
Intensive Parent Training – 2014-2016 – Demographics
County Families Maricopa County Families
Served Served
Cochise 7 Buckeye 1
Coconino 1 Cave Creek 2
Gila 1 Chandler 2
Graham 4 Gilbert 2
La Paz 2 Laveen 1
Maricopa 28 Maricopa 1
Mohave 5 Mesa 1
Navajo 1 Peoria 4
Pima 3 Phoenix 5
Pinal 10 Queen Creek 1
Yavapai 3 Scottsdale 4
Yuma 10 Surprise 1
Out of State 6 Tempe 1
Tolleson 1
Wickenburg 1

Intensive Parent Training – 2014-2016 – Pre/Post Results
Number of Day 1 Child Day 5 Child Day 1 Parent Day 5 Parent
Participants Responsivity Responsivity Fidelity of Fidelity of
Implementation Implementation
Toddler 12 19 56 32 75
Young Child 69 23 58 20 75
All 81 23 58 22 75
2014-2016 IPT Responsivity 2014-2016 IPT Fidelity
100 100
90 90
80 80 75 75
70 70
56 58
60 60
50 50
40 40 32
30 19 23 30 20
20 20
10 10
0 0
Toddler Young Child Toddler Young Child
Baseline Final Training Day Baseline Final Training Day
Intensive Parent Training – 2014-2016 – Demographics
County Families Maricopa County Families
Served Served
Cochise 7 Buckeye 1
Coconino 1 Cave Creek 2
Gila 1 Chandler 2
Graham 4 Gilbert 2
La Paz 2 Laveen 1
Maricopa 28 Maricopa 1
Mohave 5 Mesa 1
Navajo 1 Peoria 4
Pima 3 Phoenix 5
Pinal 10 Queen Creek 1
Yavapai 3 Scottsdale 4
Yuma 10 Surprise 1
Out of State 6 Tempe 1
Tolleson 1
Wickenburg 1