2b. Community Services Proposed Services Response Form.docx

RFP# 202603061

Clinical and Community HIV Outreach and Testing Services

PROPOSED SERVICES RESPONSE FORM

Community HIV Outreach and Testing Services

Bidders must submit a separate proposal for each Service Type (Clinical or Community) specific to the Region they intend to bid on. Each proposal must only identify one (1) Service Type and one Region

REGION

(Only Select One)

COUNTIES

Bidder Name:

INSTRUCTIONS: Bidder must complete this form to discuss the Services to be Provided referenced in Part II of the RFP and what the Bidder will offer, including:

· A description of the methods and resources the Bidder will use and how each task involved will be accomplished.

· A description of how the expectations and/or desired outcomes as a result of these services will be achieved.

· If subcontractors are involved, Bidders must clearly identify the work each will perform.

Bidders may expand each of the response (white) spaces within this document in order to provide a full response to each requirement.

A. Community Service

1. Provide coordination and distribution of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Self-test kits, including:

a. Providing appropriate and high-quality pre-test information and demonstrations.

b. Developing a Referral and Linkage resource guide for confirmatory diagnosis, Treatment, prevention, and Support Services.

c. Providing Referral and Navigation to Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI) services in order to alleviate the health disparities among Priority Populations in the State.

2. Provide Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) and Non-Occupational Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (nPEP) Linkage and Navigation which promotes Treatment as a prevention to HIV care and Treatment.

a. Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a facility that offers HIV/ Hepatitis C virus/hepatitis C (HCV) care and Treatment, PrEP or nPEP when it is not available through the awarded Bidder’s facility.

B. Outreach Services

1. Identify areas where Priority Populations can be best served with Outreach activities, which include, but are not limited to:

a. Comprehensive HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infection (STI), and viral hepatitis prevention education;

b. Harm reduction information;

c. Referrals for Prevention services such as PrEP;

d. Linkage to Care;

e. Hepatitis A and B vaccination;

f. Visiting clinical providers;

g. Education;

h. Distribution of safer Sex supplies;

i. Promotion of funded testing services;

j. Coordinating and implementing Outreach activities and events in collaboration with clinical and community-based testing sites;

k. Attending health fairs as exhibitors;

l. Educational Outreach; and

m. Street Outreach.

2. Develop educational and recruitment materials specific to the designated region and Priority Populations.

3. Organize and host two (2) HIV, STI, and viral hepatitis awareness and prevention events per year, with at least twenty-five (25) participants per event.

4. Provide additional Outreach activities, such as visiting clinical providers, educational presentations, or other relevant activities.

5. Record all Outreach activities in the Outreach Activity Log (Appendix I).

6. Offer Department approved incentives to Clients to encourage testing and attendance at education and/or community advisory meetings.

C. Linkage to and Retention in HIV Care

0. Provide Linkage to HIV care for individuals who are Newly Diagnosed with HIV or have fallen out of care with HIV Treatment services, within thirty (30) calendar days of test result.

D. Other Allowable Activities

1. Provide other allowable activities which may include HIV testing in coordination with SSPs, condom distribution, or similar activities.

E. HIV, STI, HCV Testing Services

1. Establish a Referral network to provide Clients with Navigation and/or access to Support Services, including:

a. STI Testing;

b. Confirmatory Testing;

c. HIV Treatment and Case Management;

d. PrEP;

e. nPEP;

f. SSP;

g. HCV Treatment;

h. MAT; and

i. Health Insurance Enrollment.

2. Provide targeted HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C testing and Linkage to Care.

3. Provide PrEP Navigation and/or services or nPEP in order to alleviate the health disparities among Priority Populations in the State.

4. Provide confirmatory testing and Treatment for community-based sites in order to strengthen partnerships as Client access to comprehensive services is increased.

a. Enter into MOUs with community sites once services begin.

5. Provide comprehensive and culturally competent Sexual health Screening and Linkage to Care for HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C.

6. Ensure Pre-test Counseling includes the completion of a Behavioral Risk Assessment and obtaining Consent for testing.

7. Utilize Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived Rapid Testing technology or conventional blood for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis C tests.

a. Ensure Clients have the option to receive the initial rapid HIV and HCV tests as confidential or anonymous.

b. Enter into a MOU with a Maine CDC directly-funded clinical testing site or facility that utilizes the Department’s Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory if the awarded Bidder is not able to offer confirmatory testing in-house.

8. Community Testing, if at a location deemed to be safe and private for the duration of the testing and results.

a. Community settings may include Bidder’s location or community events (Such as, Pride).

9. Provide safer Sex supplies during testing encounters.

10. Enter HIV, syphilis and hepatitis C testing information into REDCap within fifteen (15) calendar days of the test being performed.

11. Offer all Positive Cases Post-test Counseling and Linkage to Medical Care within thirty (30) calendar days.

12. Report all Positive Cases to the Department in accordance with 10-144 C.M.R. Chapter 258.

a. Submit all required Client and test information via REDCap to ensure compliance with Disease Reporting requirements.

F. Reimbursement Requirements

1. Invoice the Department directly for Clients:

0. Who do not have MaineCare/Medicare or private health insurance; or

0. When a barrier to confidentiality is identified for Clients with MaineCare/Medicare or private insurance.

1. Ensure no Clients are denied services for inability to pay.

1. Ensure Clients who are Referred by the Department or identified, through Case investigation, as a named contact to an individual Diagnosed with HIV or an STI, are not charged a fee.

G. Technology, Data Collection, and Confidentiality Requirements

0. Ensure all computers and devices used to access REDCap and/or National Epidemiological Database Surveillance System (NEDSS) web-based reporting portals are equipped with current anti-virus software.

0. Ensure all staff complete sufficient training prior to accessing REDCap and/or NEDSS.

0. Obtain and maintain insurance as outlined in the current State of Maine IT-Service Contract (IT-SC), Rider B-IT, Section 19. Insurance Requirements. The current IT-SC may be obtained on the Office of State Procurement Services Forms & Templates webpage.

0. Implement risk assessment and vulnerability scanning policies and procedures for collecting sensitive information electronically (PII, PHI, and/or other confidential data) as part of the services provided as a result of the contract awarded under this RFP, at minimum to be equivalent to current MaineIT Policies & Standards for:

2. Risk Assessment Policy & Procedures;

2. Rules of Behavior Policy; and

2. Vulnerability Scanning Procedure,

0. Comply with all current State and Federal laws regarding the protection of confidential and/or sensitive information that is collected or maintained by the awarded Bidder, including, as applicable, notification to individuals in the event of unauthorized access or disclosure.

In addition to the Bidder’s response to developing and implementing policies related to confidentiality and data security, Bidders must provide an initial draft of policies as part of the Bidder’s proposal.

0. Develop and implement policies relating to confidentiality and data security.

4. Ensure policies identify clear actions to be taken when the awarded Bidder’s staff breach confidentiality and data security.

0. The State will not consume (use) any awarded Bidder application, nor will the awarded Bidder consume (use) any State application.

H. General Requirements

0. Ensure Clients receive culturally, linguistically, and developmentally appropriate services which minimize physical, social, cultural, linguistic, and/or economic barriers to the Clients.

0. Participate, in-person or via conference call, in activities to develop the Integrated HIV Prevention and Care Plan at the Maine HIV/AIDS Advisory Board (MEHAAB) meetings, held no more than once per month and no less than once per quarter.

0. Participate in quarterly monitoring calls with the Department to address any technical assistance needs and to provide updates on project implementation.

0. Develop materials (i.e. publications, journal articles, etc.) for distribution.

3. Ensure all materials include an acknowledgment and disclaimer, as appropriate, representing the publication was supported by funds from the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S. CDC) and the contents are solely the responsibility of the awarded Bidder and does not represent official views.

3. Ensure all materials (written, audiovisual, pictorials, questionnaires, survey instruments, websites, educational curricula, and other relevant program materials) are reviewed and approved by the Department prior to utilization.

0. Establish written Referral relationships with defined key points of entry into care, including:

4. Emergency departments;

4. Behavioral health services including substance use and mental health programs;

4. Detox centers;

4. Detention facilities;

4. STI clinics;

4. Social services including homeless shelters, food banks, and housing assistance;

4. HIV counseling, testing, and Referral sites;

4. HIV Case management providers;

4. Health care points of entry;

4. Federally Qualified Health Centers;

4. Ryan White Part C grantees;

4. Hepatitis A and B vaccination;

4. Hepatitis C Confirmation Testing and access to care; and/or

4. Health benefits Navigation and health insurance or free care enrollment.

I. Quality Management

0. Participate in quality management activities with the Department, including but not limited to:

0. Testing data, quarterly;

0. On-site visits at the awarded Bidder’s location, made by the Department for service Referral checks; and

0. Review of temperature and device control log checks.

0. Participate (in person or via remote) in bi-annual (twice per year) or quarterly presentations, conducted by Maine CDC, to review Outreach and testing services

0. Respond to the Departments’ request for data cleaning queries within ten (10) business days.

J. Staffing Requirements

1. Ensure all staff, personnel, or authorized subcontractors providing services are properly licensed and/or credentialed in compliance with all applicable State and federal laws, rules, and regulations.

2. Ensure non-clinical staff, who administer rapid HIV, HCV, and syphilis testing, complete a two (2) day Counseling, Testing, and Referral (CTR) Training and receive certification from the Maine CDC prior to performing testing, and receive annual refresher trainings to maintain certification.

3. Ensure clinical staff administering rapid HIV, HCV, and syphilis testing complete a one (1) day CTR Training annually and receive certification from the Maine CDC prior to performing testing.

K. Performance Measures

1. Perform all services proposed in response to this RFP by achieving all Performance Measures specific to the HIV Outreach and Testing Services being proposed (Clinical or Community Services) as listed in Table 1.

0. Submit data to support the performance measures utilizing the Department’s Deliverable Performance Tracking Template (to be provided upon contract execution) or via a third-party data source, as indicated within the performance measure data source column of Table 1.

Table 1 Mandatory Performance Measures

Office Goal/Initiative: Reduce the incidence of new HIV, STI, and hepatitis C infections among Priority Populations.

L. Reports

1. Track and record all data/information necessary to complete the required reports listed in Table 2:

Table 2 – Required Reports

· Individuals tested for HIV, HCV, and syphilis, as appropriate

· Safer Sex supplies distributed

· Individuals tested for HIV

· Individuals tested for HCV

· Individuals Linked or Navigated to PrEP services.

· Individuals Linked or Navigated to nPEP services

· Individuals Referred to STI extragenital testing

· Individuals Referred to SSP

· Individuals Referred to HCV Treatment

· Individuals Referred to MAT

· Individuals Referred to health insurance enrollment

· HIV Self-test kits distributed

· Individuals Referred or Navigated to STI extragenital testing

· Individuals Referred or Linked to HIV Treatment

· Individuals provided or Referred to HIV Case management

2. Submit all the required reports to the Department in accordance with the timelines established in Table 3

Table 3 – Required Reports Timelines

· Within forty-eight (48) hours for Positive Cases.

DHHS RFP Proposed Services Response Form (Rev. 10/2025)