Adult_Peer_Support,_Wellness_and_Supported_Employment_Centers.pdf

COUNTY OF ORANGE

HEALTH CARE AGENCY

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

FOR

ADULT PEER SUPPORT, WELLNESS AND SUPPORTED

EMPLOYMENT CENTERS

RFP NO. 042-25010884-IC

County of Orange RFP

Health Care Agency - Adult Peer Support, Wellness and Supported Employment Centers, 042-25010884-IC

County of Orange

Health Care Agency

Procurement Services

405 W 5th Street, Suite 600

Santa Ana, CA

92701

SCHEDULE OF ACTIVITIES

Release Project Date January 7, 2025

Question Submission Deadline January 28, 2025, 12:00pm

Proposal Submission Deadline February 7, 2025, 4:30pm

Ancitipated Board of Supervisors Date April 22, 2025

Services Start July 1, 2025

**This is a proposed schedule that is subject to change. Any changes to the schedule for the RFP process will be issued to all Respondents via addenda on the County’s online bidding system https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov **

PROPOSALS MUST BE RECEIVED ON

OR BEFORE

Friday, February 7, 2025

4:30 pm https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov

SECTIONS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 3. WRITTEN PROPOSAL SCORING FORMAT

SECTION 4. PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS

SECTION 5. OCLSB AND DVBE PREFERENCE POLICIES CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS

Attachments:

A - Attachment A - Model Contract

B - Attachments_B_-_Budget_Forms

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County of Orange, Health Care Agency (hereinafter referred to as “County”), is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations (hereinafter referred to as “Respondents”) for Adult Peer

Support, Wellness and Supported Employment Centers. The primary goal is to provide consumer-driven Wellness Center programs in the Central, West, and South Regions of Orange

County for adults over 18 years of age, who have a mental illness and who may also have a co-occurring disorder, and who are relatively stable independently working on their recovery, but still require a support system to assist them in maintaining their stability while continuing to progress in their personal growth and development. The program shall focus on personalized socialization, relationship building, community integration, assistance with maintaining benefits, providing educational opportunities, setting employment goals and providing supported employment assistance. The existing service system is inundated with a vast number of members, many of whom are relatively stable and in search of the final steps to establishing recovery on a solid support base. Most often, the needs of this population are overlooked, and members often receive medication only services in a traditional treatment setting. Each Wellness

Center shall provide members with a solid support base, help to maintain their stability, and provide support options not previously available within the public behavioral health service delivery system. The successful Respondent(s) shall clearly demonstrate in their proposal the ability to provide the requested services and how their organization's experience will help members solidify their social integration, community participation, educational goals and obtain competitive or volunteer employment.. Respondents must meet the minimum qualifications and requirements as set forth within the RFP and be capable of providing services identified in the

Scope of Work herein.

1.2 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Proposals are to be uploaded via the County's Online Bidding System at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov

Note: This is a fully electronic Request for Proposals (RFP). Respondents must submit their proposals online via County’s online bidding system. Only electronic proposals will be accepted. Facsimile and e-mail proposals will NOT be allowed. For assistance on uploading proposals via County’s online bidding system, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01 P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

B. Examine the RFP Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Proposal for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprocurement.opengov.com%2Flogin&data=05%7C01%7Cjessica.loy%40ocgov.com%7Ca945829bcd8d441710e608dbae35df8b%7Ce4449a56cd3d40baae3225a63deaab3b%7C0%7C0%7C638295318629814063%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nz3f1bYe8rr5Cj1J6wc%2FzVq9ulgluhjV6%2FmB9uSML68%3D&reserved=0 https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fprocurement.opengov.com%2Flogin&data=05%7C01%7Cjessica.loy%40ocgov.com%7Ca945829bcd8d441710e608dbae35df8b%7Ce4449a56cd3d40baae3225a63deaab3b%7C0%7C0%7C638295318629814063%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=nz3f1bYe8rr5Cj1J6wc%2FzVq9ulgluhjV6%2FmB9uSML68%3D&reserved=0 https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/ and as to the requirements of all RFP Documents.

County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each

Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Proposal. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this RFP is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to County Deputy Purchasing Agent (DPA) via

County’s online bidding system under the bid page for this RFP.

If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via County’s online bidding system. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA.

It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check County’s online bidding system to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation.

County is not responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, Respondents must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement Portal.

All questions or requests for interpretations must be received before Tuesday, January 28, 2025, 12:00 pm as specified in this RFP. Respondents are not to contact other County personnel with any questions or clarifications concerning this RFP.

The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this RFP. Any County response relevant to this RFP other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Proposals must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the Proposal Submission Deadline. No Proposal may be withdrawn after the submission deadline.

D. Each Respondent must submit their proposal electronically via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

E. All pages must be numbered and identified sequentially by section. Proposals must be tabbed and indexed in accordance with the information requested in the Proposal Response

Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein. All responses to this RFP shall be type written or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information.

F. Proposals are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. County may refuse to consider any Proposal so marked. All Proposals and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code Government Code

7920 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records. Additionally, all Proposals shall become the property of County. County reserves the right to make use of any information or ideas in the Proposals submitted.

Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Proposals should not be marked as confidential or proprietary.

G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Proposal that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to Respondent, Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in Proposal.

In the event Respondent has done work for County on this Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this RFP. Any

Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its Proposal rejected on that ground.

Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the

California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of

Economic Interest (Form 700).

If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Act.

H. By submitting a Proposal, Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this RFP and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its Proposal in strict accordance with all requirements of this RFP and compliance must be stated in the Proposal. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for County’s consideration as specified in the Proposal

Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

J. County reserves the right to request proposal revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of County. Any

Proposal may be rejected if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates from specifications in this RFP. County reserves the right to waive, at its discretion, any procedural irregularity, immaterial defects or other improprieties which County deems reasonably correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the Proposal. Any waiver will not excuse a

Respondent from full compliance.

K. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the Cost Proposal, Attachment B, Budget. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by Respondent in: a) preparing its Proposal in response to this RFP; b) submitting that Proposal to County; c) negotiating with County any matter related to Respondent’s

Proposal; and d) any other expenses incurred by Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

L. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the RFP. Failure to comply with the technical features and acknowledgment of receipt of addenda are common causes for holding a

Proposal nonresponsive.

M. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single Proposal in response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture.

County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms

(team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

N. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

O. County requires a valid UEI number prior to Contract Award. Respondent must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. I. If Respondent is unable to provide/obtain a

UEI number, please indicate so in the proposal submission response.

P. County reserves the right to: a) negotiate the final contract with any Respondent(s); b) withdraw this RFP in whole or part at any time without prior notice (County makes no representations that any contract will be awarded to any Respondent responding to this

RFP); c) award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents; d) reject any Proposal if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this RFP; and/or e) request Best and

Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range. Unless requested by County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

Therefore, Proposals submitted shall contain Respondent’s most favorable terms and http://www.usfcr.com/ conditions, since the selection and award may be made without discussion with any

Respondent.

1.3 PROTEST PROCEDURES:

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor.

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative.

C. The solicitation or contract number.

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

F. Protest of Bid/Proposal Specifications: All protests related to proposal specifications must be submitted to the Deputy Purchasing Agent, Imelda Iler, IIler@ochca.com no later than five (5) business days prior to the Proposal Submission Deadline. Protests received after the five (5) business-day deadline will not be considered by County.

In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a proposal prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the proposal submittal procedures provided in this RFP.

G. Protest of Award of Contract: In protests related to the award of a contract, the protest must be submitted no later than five (5) business days after the notice of intent award is provided by the DPA. Protests relating to a proposed contract award which are received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by County.

H. Protest Process

1. In the event of a timely protest, County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA renders a decision on the protest.

2. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

3. County may, after providing written justification to be included in the procurement file, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protestor’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

mailto:IIler@ochca.com

4. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the, DPA the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

I. Appeal Process

1. If the protestor wishes to appeal the decision of the DPA, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the DPA’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

2. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the grievance, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

3. The decision of the County Procurement Officer will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

1.4 EVALUATION PROCESS AND CRITERIA

Proposals shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts based on the responses to the requirements in this RFP. Any Proposal may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the RFP. County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the Proposal, including information on

Respondent and proposed sub-contractors.

Minimum Qualification/Requirements Stage

All timely submitted Proposals first will be evaluated by the DPA for the minimum RFP requirements set out below. The minimum RFP qualifications will be verified by the DPA for the

Proposal to be deemed responsive.

Respondent’s Proposal shall meet the following minimum qualifications/requirements to proceed to the evaluation and scoring process:

mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

A. In order to be eligible to enter into a contract with County, an individual or entity must not be listed on the current Cumulative Sanction List of the Office of the Inspector

General (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) or the General Services

Administration’s list of parties excluded from federal programs, or the California Medi-

Cal Suspended and Ineligible Provider List. Accordingly, County will not review any proposal submitted by an individual or entity found to be on any of these lists and the proposal will automatically be rejected. County will notify Respondent of this determination in writing.

County plans to use the following databases to identify individuals and entities that are not eligible to contract with County:

• https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/

• https://sam.gov/search/

• Medi-Cal Suspension Search Database

• Social Security Administration’s Death Master File

It is the sole responsibility of all respondents to verify that they are not on any of these lists prior to preparing, and submitting, a proposal in response to this RFP. Correction of any errors found on any of the lists, above, is the sole responsibility of Respondent and must be made prior to submission of the proposal.

B. All requirements as listed in section 1.9, Minimum Submission Requirements

C. In addition, in order to be eligible to enter into a contract with County, an individual or entity must not have any pending charge(s) or conviction(s) for violation of criminal law(s) and/or any sanction(s) or disciplinary action(s) imposed or taken against them by any federal or state law enforcement, regulatory or licensing agency or body, including exclusion from Medicare and Medicaid programs. Accordingly, all respondents must self-disclose with explanation or deny the existence of this information pertaining to their principals, executives, and managers directly involved with the performance of the services solicited herein.

Proposals deemed to meet all minimum qualifications/requirements will move to the evaluation process stage.

Evaluation Process Stage

The evaluation process stage may be conducted in two phases. Phase I will be an evaluation of the written proposal based on the evaluation criteria for all Respondents and Phase II will be an evaluation of the interview/presentation for only the highest-rated Respondents in Phase 1 that are invited to participate in Phase 2. The Evaluation Panel has the right to determine whether to conduct Phase 2 and the number of Respondents who will participate in Phase 2 if it is conducted.

https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ https://sam.gov/search/

Please note that contract award will be made to the responsible Respondent whose proposal is most advantageous to County, taking into consideration the applicable evaluation criteria. Cost Proposal as an evaluation criterion does not require County to select respondent with the lowest cost proposal.

Phase 1:

In Phase 1, written proposals will be scored by the Evaluation Panel using the established weighted criteria set out in Section 3. Written Proposal Scoring Format, which have been assigned points before the submission of proposals that measure the responsiveness to each criterion.

The Evaluation Panel will evaluate the written materials solely on the quality of the responses to all questions and requirements of this RFP using the evaluation criteria. The total number of points earned for all criteria will be tallied for each proposal, and the proposals will be rank-ordered based upon the points earned.

Phase 2:

If the Evaluation Panel decides to conduct Phase 2, then the selected highest-ranked Respondent(s) from Phase 1 invited to participate in Phase 2 will provide an interview/presentation on their proposed services. Respondents must be prepared to travel to County at their own expense to make their interview/presentation within ten (10) calendar days after notification by the DPA.

Respondents must be prepared to discuss all aspects of their proposal in detail, including answering technical questions. Respondents are not allowed to alter or amend their proposal during the interview/presentation process.

Respondents' total score shall be as follows:

Written Proposal Score in Phase 1: 900 points

Interview/Presentation Score in Phase 2: 100 points

Please note that, if the Evaluation Panel does not conduct Phase 2, the total score for all

Respondents is the points awarded in Phase 1. If the Evaluation Panel does conduct Phase 2, Respondents that County elects not to invite to participate in Phase 2 will not have a total score.

Respondent agrees that the submission of a proposal is permission by Respondent for County to verify all information contained therein. If County believes it necessary, additional information may be requested from Respondent. Failure to comply with any such request may disqualify a

Respondent from further consideration.

1.5 SELECTION/AWARD PROCESS

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Panel will make a recommendation for an award to DPA for award of a contract to a Respondent. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance and may be subject to approval(s) by the County

Board of Supervisors. In addition, County reserves the right to verify and validate any information prior to the contract award and during the entire term of the contract.

The Model Contract contained in this RFP is the contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this

RFP, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments, and to reflect Respondent’s Proposal and qualifications.

If a satisfactory contract cannot be negotiated in a timely manner, County, in its sole discretion, may terminate negotiations with the selected Respondent and begin negotiations with the next

Respondent.

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the proposed Contract or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof are to be declared in the response to the RFP in the Section below titled: "PROPOSAL RESPONSE REQUIREMENTS" subsection titled: “Statement of Compliance”.

1.6 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78

Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit proposals in response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

1.7 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM

W-9 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Respondent, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 is required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) calendar days of notification of selection of award of contract but prior to official award of contract, the selected Respondent agrees to furnish to Contract Administrator, DPA, or the agency/department deputy purchasing agent the required W-9 or W-8.

1.8 COUNTY OF ORANGE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS (OCLSB) AND DISABLED

VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) PREFERENCE POLICIES:

A. OCLSB: Effective January 1, 2020, the Orange County Board of Supervisors adopted the

OCLSB Preference policy. Implementation of the OCLSB Preference policy supports local businesses, the local economy and the development of the County’s tax base.

To be certified as a Local Small Business by the County of Orange, a business shall meet

(1) and (2) below:

1. Local Business requirements:

a. Maintains their principal center of operations (i.e. headquarters) within Orange

County, and;

b. Has:

i. a business address located in the County of Orange that is not a post office box, or

ii. a valid business license or certificate of occupancy issued by the County of

Orange or by an Orange County city, or other documentation acceptable to the

County of Orange.

2. Small Business Requirements:

a. Must be certified as a Small Business by the State of California Department of

General Services (DGS); and,

b. DGS Small Business requirements must be valid at the time of bid/proposal submittal.

B. DVBE: Effective January 1, 2021, County of Orange Board of Supervisors adopted the

DVBE Preference policy. The DVBE Preference policy supports local business opportunity, economy and the development of the County’s tax base, and in addition recognizes the service and sacrifice given by the men and women of our Armed Forces.

To be certified as a Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise by the County of Orange, a business shall meet (1) and (2) below:

1. Must be certified as a DVBE by the State of California Department of General

Services (DGS); and,

2. DGS DVBE requirements must be valid at the time of bid/proposal submittal.

To participate as an OCLSB and/or DVBE please read and follow the process outlined in

EXHIBIT Titled - COUNTY OF ORANGE LOCAL SMALL BUSINESS (OCLSB) AND

DISABLED VETERAN BUSINESS ENTERPRISE (DVBE) CERTIFICATION

REQUIREMENTS.

1.9 MINIMUM SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

The following are the submission requirements for a Respondent to be considered as an eligible candidate to be evaluated for the requested services described in this RFP. Should any of this information be missing, the Respondent may be deemed non-responsive.

1. Completed all responses in Part 1, Section 4, Proposal Response Requirements.

2. Completed all responses in Part 2, Section 4, Proposal Response Requirements.

3. Provided all of the following documents:

1. Copies of the documents below. Include an index of all the documents included, and an explanation for any document requested but not provided.

1. If Incorporated

1. Articles of Incorporation executed by the Secretary of State, including all amendments

2. By-laws, including all amendments

3. Board of Directors resolution empowering a Corporate Officer either by title or individual name, to act on behalf of the organization by his/her signature alone. (If applicable)

2. If not incorporated: Documentation empowering an Authorized Representative to act on behalf of the organization by his/her signature alone.

3. Fictitious Business Name statement filed with the County Clerk and proof of publication

4. Partnership papers and/or joint venture contracts

5. Evidence of federal/state tax status

6. Business License/Certifications/Conditional Use Permits (CUP)

7. Table of Contents from the organization's policies and procedures manual covering daily operations and emergency procedures (medical, fire, etc.). If a policies and procedures manual does not exist, provide a plan and time frame for development.

8. Corporate organizational chart that includes all programs, identifies the relationship of the proposed program to the overall organization, and identifies the reporting relationship of each staff position.

2. Recent financial statement prepared by an independent Certified Public Accounting

(CPA) firm.

3. Any audits, reviews, or inspection reports completed by a CPA firm, regulatory agency

(e.g., Occupational Safety and Health Administration), or other government agency within the last 12 months.

4. A description of any active litigation and resolution, performance issues and/or audit or review of any contractual documents (e.g., invoices, units of service reports, etc.)

within the last five (5) years that resulted in a corrective action plan, reimbursement of money to funder, investigation, and/or termination of any agreements or contracts between your organization and the County of Orange, other government entity, and/or private organization. Provide a copy of a letter from your organization’s attorney and/or in-house legal counsel concerning the status of lawsuits and pending litigation for the most recent year. IF THERE ARE NONE, PLEASE STATE SUCH IN THE

SUBMITTAL RESPONSE. For each litigation and or performance issue include:

1. The type of contracts, contract term (dates), funding amount and services provided.

2. The issues and circumstances.

3. How and when the issues were resolved.

4. Your organization’s plans to ensure that the issues will not re-occur in future contracts.

5. Attach detailed information regarding past, current, or threatened litigation, liens, or claims (including claims filed or pending with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority and/or with the Security Exchange Commission) within the past five (5) years involving your company, or any company your company holds a controlling interest in, or any company that holds an interest in your company, or any of the principal officers of your company that has also involved the County of Orange or any of its officers or agencies.

1.10 CONTRACT TERM AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY

County plans to contract with qualified organizations to provide the services described in this RFP and reserves the right to make multiple awards to Respondents for services requested in the RFP.

At the discretion of County, the initial term of the contracts resulting from this RFP may be renewed for an additional term or terms. Any renewal is contingent upon available funding, contractor performance, need for services, and County policies.

Successful Respondents are expected to accept the terms and conditions of Attachment A - Model

Contract, which contains the contracting requirements between County and Respondent regarding the provision of services solicited under this RFP.

Contracts resulting from this RFP shall be a cooperative contract and may be utilized by all County of Orange departments.

The provisions and pricing of any contract resulting from this RFP will be extended to other governmental entities. Governmental entities wishing to use the contract will be responsible for issuing their own purchase documents, providing for their own acceptance, and making any subsequent payments. Respondent shall be required to include in any subordinate contract entered into with another governmental entities pursuant to the contract, a contract clause that will hold harmless the County of Orange from all claims, demands, actions or cause of actions of every kind resulting directly or indirectly, arising out of, or in any way connected with, the use of the contract.

Failure to do so will be considered a material break of the contract and grounds for immediate contract termination. Respondent is responsible for providing each governmental entity a copy of this contract upon request. County makes no guarantee of usage by other users of the contract.

Respondent shall be required to maintain a list of County of Orange departments and governmental entities using the contract. The list shall report dollar volumes spent annually and shall be provided on an annual basis to County, at County’s request.

Subordinate contracts must be executed prior to the expiration or earlier termination of this

Contract and may survive the expiration of the contract up to a maximum of one year; however, in no case shall a subordinate contract exceed five (5) years in duration.

The contracts awarded through this RFP will be based on successful negotiations and submitted budgets. The funding source for these services consists of MHSA funding. Any contracts resulting from this RFP are contingent upon sufficient funds being made available by federal, state, and/or county governments for the term of the contracts. County reserves the right to revise the contract terms stated in this RFP. Start-up funds are not available for these services.

SECTION 2. SCOPE OF WORK

2.1 GENERAL INFORMATION:

The County of Orange, Health Care Agency, ("County") is soliciting proposals from qualified organizations ("Respondents") to provide Adult Peer Support, Wellness and Supported

Employment Centers. The primary goal is to provide consumer-driven Wellness Center programs in the Central, West, and South Regions of Orange County for adults over 18 years of age, who have a mental illness and who may also have a co-occurring disorder, and who are relatively stable independently working on their recovery, but still require a support system to assist them in maintaining their stability while continuing to progress in their personal growth and development.

The program shall focus on personalized socialization, relationship building, community integration, assistance with maintaining benefits, providing educational opportunities, setting employment goals and providing supported employment assistance.

The existing service system is inundated with a vast number of members, many of whom are relatively stable and in search of the final steps to establishing recovery on a solid support base.

Most often, the needs of this population are overlooked, and members often receive medication only services in a traditional treatment setting. Each Wellness Center shall provide members with a solid support base, help to maintain their stability, and provide support options not previously available within the public behavioral health service delivery system.

The successful Respondent(s) shall clearly demonstrate in their proposal the ability to provide the requested services and how their organization's experience will help members solidify their social integration, community participation, educational goals and obtain competitive or volunteer employment.

2.2 TARGET POPULATION:

Adult Peer Support, Wellness and Supported Employment Services shall be provided to Orange

County adults, ages 18 and older who have a mental illness and may also have a co-occurring substance use disorder and are actively managing their recovery and independently engaged in mental health treatment in the community. The Services are designed to contribute to the individual’s continued personal growth and help a person gain the skills necessary to sustain independent community living.

2.3 SERVICE LOCATION:

The three requested programs and their corresponding regions are as follows:

Central Orange County Region – The current Wellness Center Central program is in a County-owned facility at 401 S. Tustin St., Building C, Orange, CA 92866, known as the Tustin Campus.

Respondents choosing to submit proposals for the Central Orange County program will occupy the County-owned facility if selected. Please see additional details on this facility location in

Section 2.7. of this Request for Proposals. This program will serve all of Orange County, but primarily serve members in the City of Orange, Anaheim, Fullerton and nearby cities in the central region of the County.

West Orange County Region– This location shall be centrally located in the West Orange County

Region primarily serving members in the cities of Garden Grove, Westminster, Fountain Valley, Huntington Beach, and south Anaheim but not limited to all of Orange County. Preferred program locations in the West County Region include Garden Grove, Westminster, and Huntington Beach.

South Orange County Region – This location shall be centrally located in the South Orange

County Region, primarily serving members residing between the cities of Irvine and San Clemente.

Preferred program locations in the South County Region include Lake Forest, Mission Viejo, and

Laguna Hills.

Respondents may choose to bid on one or all program locations.

2.4 SERVICES TO BE PROVIDED:

The selected Respondent shall draw upon cultural strengths and utilize service delivery and assistance in a manner that is trusted by, and familiar to many of Orange County’s ethnically and culturally diverse populations. Cultural competence shall be a continuous focus in the development of the programming, recruitment, and hiring of staff that speak the same language and have the same cultural background of the individuals to be served, which will assist in maximizing access to services offered at each Wellness Center ("Center"). The Centers will not be drop-in centers, and individuals attending the Centers shall be required to actively engage in groups, classes, trainings, or activities offered by the Center, independently.

MEMBER SERVICES

At each Center, Respondent shall:

A. Include a recovery model that:

1. Enable services to be provided to a diverse member base.

2. Facilitate and promote recovery and empowerment in behavioral health members.

B. Provide member-directed interventions to include, but not be limited to:

1. Individualized wellness recovery action plans;

2. Peer supports, social outings, and recreational activities;

3. Broad range of personalized social development services and classes, some of which may be selected and provided by members

4. Substance abuse relapse prevention and recovery support groups. Collaboration with community support groups to include hosting groups of interest such as Alcoholics

Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA). These groups will meet to provide members with an avenue for full recovery. The Center may offer ongoing 12-step groups geared towards members maintaining sobriety and healthy living.

5. De-escalation of potential conflicts and crisis intervention for both members and staff.

6. Services provided by individuals with lived experience. Peer Crepitation is highly desirable.

7. Services based upon a non-reliance of professionals and focus on peer-to-peer support in a non- judgmental environment.

8. A variety of weekend, evening, and holiday social activities that will increase the member’s socialization skills and encourage integration into the community.

9. Act as a support network during hours of the day when members may find themselves isolated and/or without healthy social activities.

10. Develop and publish a weekly/monthly schedule of activities.

C. Providing services to a minimum of eighty-five (85) members each day of operation for the Central region program, a minimum of fifty-five (55) members each day of operation for the West region program, and a minimum forty (40) consumers each day of operation for the South region program.

D. Maintain regularly scheduled service hours, Monday through Saturday, in accordance with County of Orange Health Care Agency regularly scheduled service hours and holidays. In addition, the selected proposer(s) may be required to operate extended hours one (1) evening or day per week to meet member needs.

E. Form a member-driven Advisory Board (MAB) to provide recommendations for groups and activities and ongoing program development, and adherence to the Center’s rules of conduct. The selected Respondent shall:

1. Solicit membership to the MAB whenever a vacancy is created through attrition of term limits or other vacancies.

2. Provide support and direction to the MAB, maintaining structure, roles, responsibilities and rules of order;

3. Collect membership survey data to access achievement of performance outcomes and utilize the data to further develop Wellness Center service delivery;

F. Maintain Center standards and guidelines including, but not limited to:

1. Membership criteria;

2. Rules of Conduct; and

3. Equipment/resource utilization policies

G. Provide, at a minimum, the following seven (7) core components identified by members:

1. Wellness/Advocacy/Recovery: Provide classes on life skills, money management, member empowerment and Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP). WRAP is a structured system to help members monitor uncomfortable and distressing symptoms and to reduce those symptoms by using planned responses. All WRAP groups shall be facilitated by WRAP certified peer members.

2. Recreational Activities/Community Integration: Provide social, recreational, athletic and spiritual activities, both indoor and outdoor, to increase opportunities for socialization and community integration via public transportation. The indoor space shall serve various purposes as a classroom, arts center, social room, and performing arts stage.

a. Respondent shall provide a minimum of four (4) groups or community activities off site each month; however, the frequency of such activities shall be driven by members and the MAB.

3. Garden: Create and maintain an outdoor garden that offers an area for recreational therapy, learning job skills, team building exercises, and practicing responsibility. If establishing a garden at the proposed facility is not an option, Respondent(s) shall arrange for outings to a local nursery to establish a garden for members.

4. Health & Wellness (Meditation/Relaxation): Develop activities that support health and well-being. Exercise and nutrition classes, as well as spiritual resources shall be offered, and a room shall be identified for meditation, relaxation, and quiet introspection.

5. Resource Center: Provide literature, computer access, videos, and other educational materials for members to check out or use in the Resource Center, that may also be used for researching employment and education opportunities.

6. Work-Ordered Day: The work-ordered day engages members and staff together, side-by-side, in the running of the Center. The work done in the Center bases on strengths, abilities, talents and is exclusively the work generated by the Center in the operation and enhancement of the Center community. No work for outside individuals or agencies, whether for pay or not, is acceptable work in the Center. Members are not paid for any Center work, nor are there any artificial reward systems. The work-ordered day parallels typical working hours. The Center shall be organized into one or more work units, each of which has sufficient staff, members and meaningful work to sustain a full and engaging work-ordered day. Unit meetings shall be held to foster relationships as well as to organize and plan the work of the day. All work in the

Center is designed to help members regain self-worth, purpose and confidence; it is not intended to be job specific training. Members can participate in all the work of the

Center, including administration, research, enrollment and orientation, reach out, hiring, training and evaluation of staff, public relations, advocacy and evaluation of

Center’s effectiveness.

7. Vocational/Job Training: Provide an array of vocational services and job training to prepare Members for part-time or full-time competitive employment or education services, and in some cases for volunteer work. Respondent shall encourage Members to engage in several activities, such as General Education Degree (GED) preparation using established computer programs, linkage to colleges, vocational, and adult schools. The Employment Specialist (ES) may be used to work with the Member on a specific goal that would assist the individual with continuing educational goals. The selected bidder shall develop an Individualized Employment Plan (IEP) with each

Member and shall provide the individual with information that may consist of workbook exercises, videos, classroom instruction, and exercises for them to learn and/or improve their job seeking and interpersonal communication skills. Vocational services shall include but not be limited to the following: Interviewing Techniques –

The ES shall work with Members on developing résumés, cover letters and references, provide interviewing assistance and coaching regarding positive words and phrases for presentation, interview questions, interviewing exercises, video presentations, verbal and nonverbal communication during interviews, self-marketing techniques, and appreciation correspondence.

a. Job Search Techniques – The ES shall meet regularly with Members and provide training that includes but is not limited to setting occupational goals, job search methods, job leads and follow-ups, telephone training, applications and faxing. ES shall be able to provide onsite support if needed.

b. Life Skills – Employment Teams shall provide training to Members to develop skills on dependability, making emergency arrangements, time management, and financial management.

c. Interpersonal Communication Skills – Employment Teams shall work with

Members on appropriate communication, positive attitudes and relationships, listening skills, decision-making, goal setting, stress management, anger management and constructive feedback.

d. Work Force Assistance – Employment Teams shall support Members in either volunteer or competitive employment jobs that best reflect their interests, aptitudes, transportation needs, work schedule and access requirements. Prior to entering the competitive employment arena, Members may be placed in volunteer positions to “try out” employment roles while being supported by the

Employment Team. Employment Team shall identify volunteer positions that offer flexible work schedules as an additional incentive of getting Members to work, or back to work. Employment Team shall train Members as needed on how to use resources such as newspapers and how to browse, print and record job leads from various web sites on the Internet. Members will record their job leads and provide the records to their assigned ES.

e. Group support and tutorial classes – The ES shall provide, or cause to be provided, GED and keyboarding classes.

f. Community Employer Outreach –The Employment Team shall work with

Members and potential employers in the community, and in all regions of Orange

County, to locate potential volunteer and paid employment positions.

g. Ongoing Support – Once Member is employed, the Employment Team will continue to provide continuous support to the Member for three months after hiring/placement. This support shall include but not limited to: practicing appropriate behavior on the job, communicating with job site staff with member’s prior consent to address Member’s successes and challenges; providing consistent encouragement and practicing conflict resolution to ensure Member’s long-term employment success.

h. Graduation – Upon successful placement in either volunteer or competitive employment for at least 90 days, Member will be given the opportunity to consult with Employment Team, and other support persons to determine if Member is ready to graduate from Center program and no longer receive Supported

Employment Services. If the Member and other involved parties agree that the

Member is able and willing to proceed with employment without the support of the Employment Team, the Member shall be eligible to graduate from the program. The Employment Team shall hold periodic graduation ceremonies and present graduating Members with a certification of completion. If the Member is graduating from the program after successfully completing placement in a volunteer position, they are automatically eligible for enrollment and training for a competitive employment position.

i. The Employment Team shall periodically provide program presentations on

Supported Employment Services and host Job Club at a minimum twice annually at the center.

j. The Employment Team shall identify the specific reasons for Member disenrollment from the Supported Employment Services.

COLLABORATION AND COMMUNTIY PARTNERSHIPS

A. Respondent shall collaborate with other Orange County Centers in developing standardized protocols, guidelines, and policies including, but not limited to:

1. Membership criteria;

2. Member Advisory Board roles and responsibilities;

3. Social Agreements; and

4. Exited members.

B. Respondent shall collaborate with other Orange County Centers in developing…