ALTR Bidders Conference Point Point.pdf

March 14, 2023

Adult Long Term Residential – 2024 Bidders Conference

Slide 2

ALTR-24 Bidders Conference

Welcome and Housekeeping

• Introductions

• Housekeeping o Please mute yourself o Enter questions in the Chat function o If you have a question after the Conference, you have until 5:00 today to submit through COMMBUYS or to:

DDSPOSProcurement@mass.gov o The power point from the Bidders Conference will be posted with the BID on COMMBUYS

Slide 3

Overview

Purpose of the Bidders Conference o Provide an overview of the RFR o Process for responding to the RFR o Opportunity for providers to ask questions about RFR, how to respond to RFR, and request clarifications if sections of RFR are unclear or confusing o Conference is about providing guidance needed for providers to respond to the BID/RFR

What the Bidders Conference is not o Forum to discuss / provide feedback on rates of payment o Discuss how programs will be operationalized o Discuss policies that are currently in place or will be established during the life of this procurement

Slide 4

Overview

Responses to questions from the Bidders’ Conference, questions submitted through COMMBUYS, as well as questions submitted to the DDS Procurement email that are relevant to responding to this

RFR, will be posted to COMMBUYS by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, March

17, 2023.

Slide 5

Overview of RFR/BID

• RFR is replacing ALTR-14

• Contracts issued as a result of ALTR-14 will terminate on June

30, 2023. All providers that contract with DDS for any of the following residential programs must respond with a qualified proposal to ALTR-24:

o Adult Long Term Residential (3153) o Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) (3751) o Emergency Stabilization Residential Services (3182)

Slide 6

Overview of RFR/BID

• To submit a response/quote, a Bidder must meet at least one of the following:

o Licensed by DDS to provide Residential services o Licensed by DDS to provide Shared Living, In Home Supports or Community Based Day Supports o Special Education Residential School (SPED) o Residential, group home or shelter provider for another state agency

Slide 7

Overview of RFR/BID

• ALTR-24 is a DDS only procurement:

o In 1.6, Use of Procurement by Single or Multiple

Departments:

o DDS is opening the RFR for separate contract execution by the MA Rehab Commission (MRC) and the MA

Commission for the Blind (MCB). Any DDS qualified provider that MRC or MCB want to contract with will have to sign a Standard Contract Form with one or both of these Departments.

Slide 8

Review of RFR/BID

• Following is high level overview of the BID and significant changes/updates from ALTR-14

• The ALTR-24 incorporates requirements from:

o OQE: Licensing o CMS: Core Competencies for Staff o CMS: Community Rule o Positive Behavioral Supports o Person Centered Planning o The intent was to incorporate these various requirements into one document

Slide 9

Review of RFR/BID

• Staffing Requirements

• Refer to RFR for requirements for staff working in specialized programs

• All staff (including Temporary Staff and Independent

Contractors) must complete CORI and National

Background Check (NBC)

• Providers are required to consult DPPC Registry prior to hiring prospective employees

Slide 10

Review of RFR/BID

• Contract Structure o DDS Central Office will execute a Master Agreement

Standard Contract Form with providers that are

Qualified to provide Adult Long Term Residential services by a Regional Procurement Management

Team (PMT).

o Once the Master Agreement contract is signed, the

Regional Contract Offices will execute Service

Summary Forms with qualified providers. Signing the

Master Agreement contract does not guarantee a provider a specific level of funding.

Slide 11

Review of RFR/BID

• Contract Structure o Programs are reimbursed according to rates set in 101

CMR 420.00. There are no changes to rates for FY23.

Rates will be reviewed for July 1, 2024.

o Service Summary Forms: One for operational and a separate form for Occupancy. Occupancy costs will be managed through an Occupancy Worksheet.

o As this is a new BID, new Document IDs will be issued.

If your organization is a current provider, your ALTR Doc

IDs will terminate on 6/30/23.

o This includes Doc IDs for Emergency Residential

Stabilization services.

Slide 12

Review of RFR/BID

• Technology Forward Initiative

• Promote the use of Assistive Technology in residential services.

• Establish a framework for utilizing remote technology to provide a portion of direct services where it is determined safe and appropriate for the individual(s).

• DDS is piloting the provision of direct supports through remote technology. We anticipate an incremental roll out of this service model based on findings from the pilot and the development of policies and rates of payment.

Slide 13

Review of RFR/BID

• Residential Sites o Siting Guidelines: Location of new home should promote to the extent possible the social integration of individuals into the community.

o Collateralization and Disposition of Sites: New requirements related to financing of residential sites.

o These sections will not come into effect until DDS publishes policies operationalizing these contract provisions, and will not include any retroactive applicability. Development of these policies will include stakeholder engagement/participation.

Slide 14

Review of RFR/BID

• Termination of Sites/Termination of Master Agreement o Defines responsibilities of DDS and Providers when there is a termination of services with a specific individual or at a specific site. The timelines and processes outlined are similar to those defined for contract termination in the Terms and Conditions for

Human and Social Services.

o As a condition of contracting: Provider must maintain certification or licensing status. If a provider is unable to maintain, the department may terminate services at the site/s and/or the Master Agreement contract.

o

Slide 15

Review of RFR/BID

• Emergency Stabilization Residential Services:

o A qualified provider may also be engaged for the provision of this type of residential program. Providers of this service must meet the additional program requirements outlined in Section 4.0.

Slide 16

Responding to the RFR

• All existing ALTR providers that wish to continue to provide

ALTR services as of 7/1/23 must upload a proposal on

COMMBUYS by April 18, 2023, at 5:00.

• This is an “rolling” enrollment BID. The BID will remain open, and providers can continue to upload proposals, but

DDS cannot guarantee a 7/1/23 start date for proposals submitted after April 18th.

• After July 1, 2023, proposals uploaded will be evaluated on a quarterly basis.

o

Slide 17

Responding to the RFR

• Section 10.00: Questions and Evaluation Criteria o All Bidders must respond to Questions 1-11 and

Question 13: Supplier Diversity Plan Form for POS.

o Question 12 is only required for providers who wish to utilize direct care support staffing through Remote

Technology. Providers that are Qualified under this BIID may submit a response to Question 12 at a later date.

o Refer to maximum pages per question. Responses that exceed the maximum page limit per question will not be reviewed by the Regional Procurement Management

Team.

Slide 18

Responding to the RFR

• Part 10.00: Questions and Evaluation Criteria, cont’d.

o To qualify, a provider must receive a score of 1 on each question.

o Provider must also receive a score of 1 on their Supplier

Diversity Plan Form for POS

▪ Prior year spending and current year financial commitment with at least one Certified SDP Partner, or, Financial commitment with at least two certified

SDP Partners in the current year.

Slide 19

Responding to the RFR

• Review Process

• All documents must be uploaded to COMMBUYS; DDS cannot accept paper submissions.

o Do not upload a signed standard contract form. DDS

Central Office is processing this form electronically.

o If your organization is awarded a contract, the individual you designate as contact on the first page of the response document (also called the cover page) will receive the completed standard contract form electronically for a signatory in your organization to sign.

Slide 20

Responding to the RFR

Review Process

• Providers who fail to score a 1 on any question, including the SDP Plan for POS, will be given one opportunity to submit additional or revised responses through

COMMBUYS to correct/clarify the original submission.

o Providers will be given 5 days to respond

• Providers who still fail to meet the thresholds will be deemed not qualified.

o The provider may reapply at a later date by uploading an updated response to COMMBUYS.

Slide 21

Responding to the RFR

• Required Forms o Response Document which includes the Cover Page o Organizational Chart for Contracting Entity o Supplier Diversity Plan Form for POS o Contractor Authorized Signatory Listing

Slide 22

Questions

Thank you

We would now like to open the Conference to questions that have been submitted through the Chat function