The Alzheimer's Disease Programs Initiative (ADPI) - Developing Dementia-Capable Community Health Worker Programs in the National Aging Network is a new funding opportunity issued by the Administration for Community Living (ACL) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This initiative is administered through the Administration on Aging (AoA), with the funding opportunity number HHS-2025-ACL-AOA-ADPI-0012. The program is designed to enhance the capacity of the National Aging Network by supporting the development and integration of dementia-capable Community Health Worker (CHW) programs, particularly focused on underserved and rural populations.
The initiative aims to close gaps in dementia care by training CHWs to deliver evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions, conduct early detection screenings, and provide linkage to follow-up services. These programs must demonstrate how CHWs can reduce barriers to care for individuals living with dementia and their caregivers, including issues such as geographic isolation, poverty, and limited access to health and social care. Projects must include the delivery of a dementia-specific intervention that has been evaluated as either evidence-based or evidence-informed per ACL standards, and direct service delivery must increase incrementally each year over the three-year funding period.
Grants will be awarded as cooperative agreements for a total of up to $750,000 per award over 36 months. Up to 12 awards are expected to be made. Projects will begin with a planning phase, during which grantees will receive up to 15% of their total funds to finalize work and evaluation plans, subject to ACL approval. Upon approval, grantees will receive full access to their awarded funds. Projects must allocate at least 25%, 35%, and 45% of the budget to direct services in years 1, 2, and 3 respectively. Matching is required at 25% of the total project cost, with recipients responsible for identifying non-federal resources to meet this requirement.
Eligible applicants include Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) or any state designated as a single planning and service area under section 305(a)(1)(E) of Title III of the Older Americans Act (OAA). Projects must not be pass-throughs; no partner may receive more than 20% of the federal award. Applications must include a detailed CHW training plan, an attachment describing the chosen EBI/EII, and a preliminary third-party evaluation plan.
The grant application process opens immediately and closes on July 30, 2025. While not mandatory, letters of intent are requested by July 20, 2025. An informational conference call will be held on July 9, 2025. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov. Successful applicants will be notified before the expected project start date of September 1, 2025. Questions should be directed to Kari Benson at aoa.oaa@acl.hhs.gov or by phone at (202) 401-4634.
