CYF2605-LOW_LEVEL_rfp.pdf

RFP#

CYF 26-05

Request for Proposals For Professional Services

Bid under Title 29 Chapter 69 Section 6981

SERVICE COMPONENTS IN THIS RFP

Low-Level Supervision with Case Management and Dual Status Youth Meeting Facilitation

INFORMATIONAL BIDDERS CONFERENCE: NONE

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Thursday, September 24, 2026, by 2:00 pm Eastern Time

The RFP schedule is as follows:

QUESTIONS:

Submit questions to H. Ryan Bolles, DSCYF Procurement Administrator, at herbert.bolles@Delaware.gov Questions received close to the deadline may not receive a response. The State of Delaware reserves the right to determine if there is enough time to answer submitted questions. It is the bidder’s responsibility to check the website for updates to this

RFP.

BIDDERS CONFERENCE:

There is no bidders’ conference scheduled for this RFP.

PROPOSAL DUE DATE AND TIME:

Proposals must be received by email by 09/24/2026 by 2:00 PM Eastern Time

PROPOSAL DELIVERY:

All proposals must be submitted by email as described below. Please submit the minimum number of email attachments as possible to stay within state attachments(s) size limitations. A single proposal attachment is preferred, but not mandatory.

Bidders must submit proposals to DSCYF_Bids_Submission@delaware.gov. Do not submit a link to a “dropbox” or any type of cloud storage as it will not be accepted. NOTE: the State of Delaware is not responsible for undelivered or delayed emails for any reason. Submitted email must have a date and time stamp when received by the State of Delaware in compliance with the stated due date and time. You are advised NOT to wait until the last minute to submit your proposal.

Emailed proposals arriving with a State of Delaware system date and time stamp after 2:00 pm Eastern Time on the stated due date will not be accepted. DSCYF is not responsible for undelivered or delayed emails for any reason. If you experience any problem, please reach out to Ryan Bolles at herbert.bolles@delaware.gov as soon as possible.

The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed by the State of Delaware to competing entities during the negotiation process.

AWARDS AND NOTIFICATION:

The Department will work diligently to complete the proposal review and selection process in an expeditious fashion. While DSCYF reserves the right to contact bidders for additional information proposals are expected to be able to stand alone based upon the written information submitted.

Award decisions are expected to be made and announced as soon as possible. Initial notification to all bidders will be sent by email.

mailto:herbert.bolles@delaware.gov mailto:DSCYF_Bids_Submission@delaware.gov mailto:herbert.bolles@Delaware.gov

Low-Level Supervision with Case Management and Dual Status Youth Meeting Facilitation

The Department of Services for Children, Youth, and their Families (DSCYF), Division of Youth Rehabilitative Services (DYRS or Division) seeks qualified proposals for a case management and compliance monitoring program to serve youth primarily adjudicated on lower-level offenses, such as misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. Youth served by this program present with low to medium risk to the community based upon DYRS risk assessment scores. The successful bidder(s) will assume full youth case management and compliance monitoring responsibilities by providing community-based support and supervision for youth in the juvenile justice system. This population has been served by contracted providers for the past 15 years. DSCYF reserves the right to award one or more contracts to meet this need.

Bidders must describe the proposed staffing pattern for service delivery in the proposed geographic service area to provide this case management service for youth who have complex and dynamic needs involving mental health, dependency, truancy, and trauma. In addition to receiving referrals from DYRS Community Services, referrals may also be received from State of Delaware Youth Wellness Court and Truancy Court.

The current model for DYRS involves a case management approach that includes the use of risk assessments to drive a case plan that identifies presenting problems, intervention plans and progress information. Bidders must describe their ability to develop a holistic approach with children and their families, who may have complex and challenging needs across a broad range of issues. The bidders must explain in detail how they will address the following areas: specific methods for engaging families, identifying parental responsibilities and needs, assisting families with referrals to access educational or other services, developing individual service plans to include Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Vocational Training services in concert with parents, youth, DYRS and other appropriate community resources, and ensuring follow-through with service plan expectations.

The successful bidder(s) must demonstrate familiarity with concepts and methodologies associated with juvenile justice approaches as well as confidentiality requirements, HIPAA regulations, and other legal issues that require knowledge and consideration. Connections to Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) principles, evidence-based models or practices, and research-based philosophies and methods are highly desirable and should be identified. The OJJDP website can be accessed by clicking on the following link: http://www.ojjdp.gov/.

BACKGROUND

The Division has long recognized that many youth entering the juvenile justice system pose very little risk to the community at large. For many reasons, if these youth fail to complete their court-ordered conditions and are charged with a violation of probation, they often go deeper into the system. The intent of the program resulting from this RFP is to serve these youth and families early through low level services, partnerships with other agencies and/or referrals to other organizations so the youth will not need deeper-end services and can exit the system as quickly as possible.

This effort aligns with the Division’s philosophy in utilizing evidence-based or best practice models in working with juveniles. The Division currently utilizes contracted providers for comprehensive case management services for low-risk youth to allow Division probation staff to better meet the needs of higher risk youth and enhance community safety. The successful bidder(s) will be responsible for developing a network of accessible services and matching youth to services based on their individual needs. Monitoring the outcomes of these service efforts is an essential component of this Program.

Treatment issues such as post-traumatic stress disorder, hyperactivity, attention deficits and special education needs appear frequently within this population and often coexist with family challenges. Bidders http://www.ojjdp.gov should elaborate on any treatment programs they plan to employ to address specific targeted behavior problems or areas of expertise.

Trauma-Informed Care In 2018, Delaware Governor, John C. Carney, signed Executive Order #24, making Delaware a Trauma-informed state. This Order provided direction for the Family Services Cabinet Council to help mitigate the impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and build resilience in children, adults, and communities. ACEs are traumatic events occurring before age 18. ACEs include all types of abuse and neglect as well as parental mental illness, substance use, divorce, incarceration, and domestic violence.

According to the Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health, 21.6% of children have experienced at least one adverse childhood experience and 17.3% have experienced two or more (https://www.childhealthdata.org/browse/survey/results?q=12228&r=9). Parental separation or divorce (31.8%) and substance abuse (20.4%) were the most prevalent adverse childhood experiences whereas criminal behavior in the household (7.6%) and physical neglect (4.6%) were the least prevalent (https://djph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/djph-25-020.pdf). Additional Delaware specific information can be found from Kids Count at https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/11384-prevalence-of-adverse-childhood-experiences#detailed/2/any/false/2490,2105,2043,1769,1696,1648,1603/6398,6388,8085/22031

DSCYF has committed to a trauma-informed approach in our work with children, families, staff and our partners. To guide our trauma-informed work, DSCYF has adopted the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma- Informed Approach (https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed-approaches-programs). Consistent with SAMHSA’s framework, DSCYF is working to ensure that service recipients, service providers and DSCYF staff are knowledgeable about the prevalence of exposure and opportunities for resilience, healing and recovery for children, families and communities served. DSCYF encourages the use of strategies to build the capacity of staff and providers to recognize and respond to trauma exposure, including the use of trauma screening and assessment, trauma-specific treatment interventions, trauma training for staff, and trauma informed supervision practices. DSCYF is committed to actively resisting the re-traumatization of service recipients and staff and supports the incorporation of trauma informed principles into all aspects of organizational policy and practice (e.g. environments that promote a sense of physical and psychological safety, practices that promote collaboration with and empowerment of service recipients). This trauma informed framework is consistent with DSCYF’s commitment to the systems of care principles. DSCYF reserves the right to give preference to bidder or bidders which demonstrate having adopted a Trauma Informed Care model in its service delivery practices.

Breach Notification Any breach of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) as defined by the HIPAA law collected by the successful bidders as part of the resulting contract must be reported as required by HIPAA and when applicable 6 Del. C. § 12B-102.

https://www.samhsa.gov/mental-health/trauma-violence/trauma-informed https://datacenter.aecf.org/data/tables/11384-prevalence-of-adverse-childhood https://djph.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/djph-25-020.pdf https://www.childhealthdata.org/browse/survey/results?q=12228&r=9

PROGRAM ELEMENTS

The Division seeks the following distinct service elements:

1. Case Management, Compliance Monitoring, & Support Services

The Division recognizes the need for service parity statewide. Bidders may submit proposals for statewide services or for services in New Castle, Kent or Sussex Counties only, or any combination thereof. Statewide proposals should highlight specific areas of potential savings related to economies of scale and any other benefits inherent in the design and implementation of a statewide program. All proposals must offer specific solutions for unique challenges affecting service delivery in the proposed service area(s) such as transportation, deficit of community support or providers, etc.

Referrals for case management and compliance monitoring services will be for youth primarily adjudicated on lower-level offenses such as misdemeanors and non-violent felonies and youth who enter Youth Wellness Court, or youth involved with Truancy Court. Youth referred to a successful bidder for this service will have a risk assessment indicating this would be the most appropriate level of intervention to mitigate risk.

Case management efforts must be guided by court-ordered requirements along with each client’s individual needs as identified by DYRS assessment. The primary objective is to connect youth and families with the necessary resources and supports to effectively address their areas of need, fulfill court-ordered conditions, and transition out of services without requiring higher-level interventions.

The successful bidder(s) must work together with each youth, family, DYRS and others to develop an Individualized Service Plan (ISP) outlining all items requiring action and their planned completion dates. All in-house and external resources necessary for serving the youth must be identified on the plan. The successful bidder(s) will serve as the youth and family’s advocate for coordinating all necessary services and must document the youth’s referral to and satisfactory completion of each service related to specific court-ordered conditions. Youth completing all conditions are to be considered for discharge from the provider’s program after consultation with DYRS. Outcome measures must be developed to track the performance of the Program and its processes. Bidders must incorporate case manager attendance at court hearings, school meetings and other professional visits to support the youth and family as needed.

Proposals must thoroughly describe processes to connect each youth with in-house, external (public and/or private) resources matching his/her service needs as determined by DYRS based on assessment protocol. Typical service needs may include but is not limited to: locating and arranging for participation in community service and earning opportunities (to pay court costs and restitution), transportation services, mental health evaluations, outpatient individual and/or family counseling, drug and alcohol screening and/or treatment, mentoring services, tutoring, life skills development, restorative justice requirements, job training, curfew services/electronic monitoring and translation services. Proposals must list specific resources or connections they have established that will be leveraged and any plans to establish new connections.

Youth involved with Youth Wellness Court will be monitored by the Family Court and the successful bidder(s) who will offer community counseling and support. Youth will be expected to participate in treatment, have regular appointments with their case manager, and appear in court on a regular basis. The successful bidder(s) are responsible for submitting a status report to the Judicial

Official regarding the youth’s progress in the Program. Program violations may result in sanctions for youth up to and including termination from the program.

2. Psychoeducational Curriculum & Community Service Program All bidders must describe a plan to provide individualized psychoeducational programming based on the results of their risk and needs assessment. Additionally, bidders must include a plan or program to support the youth’s fulfillment of court-imposed community services hours.

Psychoeducation curricula must focus on the development of pro-social skills and effective communication by targeting adolescent issues such as anger management and interpersonal conflicts with peers and/or authority figures, particularly within the home and school environments.

Other areas programming may address are as follows: health education, sexuality and pregnancy and related issues concerning these choices, peer pressure and decision-making, self-esteem, violence, gang/group associations, substance use, educational decision making, employment and other topics of concern in the adolescent population. Psychoeducational programming may include group or individualized services. The successful bidder(s) must outline any specific curriculum that will be utilized and note if the curriculum is evidence-based.

The successful bidder(s) must outline their community service program and include all relevant information about their plans to connect youth with opportunities to fulfill court-mandated community service hours. The successful bidder(s) must outline their plan to leverage existing partnerships with community-based organizations and build new connections to create individualized opportunities for youth based on strengths/needs identified on their risk assessment.

3. Dual Status Youth Program Support & Meeting Facilitation The term “dual status youth” refers to juveniles who come into contact with both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. A growing body of research has consistently confirmed that, in comparison to juveniles without such cross-system involvement, dual status youth present a range of unique challenges. The challenges and costs associated with dual status youth necessitate the need for innovative ways to manage these difficult cases.

As such, DSCYF implemented a Dual Status Youth (DSY) protocol to provide expedited planning for youth who are in Division of Family Services (DFS) custody who are arrested or are active with DFS through a sua sponte order and have a pending delinquency matter. Efforts focus on providing appropriate services at the earliest possible intervention point to reduce further penetration into the juvenile justice system and child welfare system. The goal is to support the current placement plan and offer targeted, evidence-based services that will address the current crisis and support the youth and family’s identified needs. The expected outcomes are the prevention of inappropriate detentions, reduction of deep end services, and limited placement disruption.

All appropriate staff within the Department are trained on this protocol. Currently, the Division employes a Diversion Coordinator who makes referrals for Dual Status Youth Meetings (DSYMs) based on a formalized identification process. As part of this Request for Proposals, the successful bidder(s) will be responsible for the facilitation of DSYMs and providing support to the program by participating in steering committee meetings, provision of training and awareness activities regarding the DSY protocol and values to department employees and stakeholders, maintaining records, collecting and sharing data regarding the program, and collaborating with the department on improving related outcomes.

The DSYM is designed to engage the child and family with the team at the earliest point of intervention. The DSYM facilitator will be responsible for coordinating and scheduling the meeting with the child, family and all required attendees per the protocol. The facilitator will lead a collaborative brainstorming session to assist the team with ideas that provide safety, increase placement stability, determine possible interventions, and reduce the need for deep-end services.

The facilitator is also responsible for preparing the family and youth for the meeting. The facilitator will be required to disseminate a summary report following each meeting and follow up with the team at the 2-week mark and then within 30-45 days to determine progress on action steps. The primary goal of the DSYMs is to address the critical event which impacts a youth, by bringing the multi-disciplinary team together to identify supports, address underlying causes of behavior, stabilize the youth, and plan for the most appropriate placement. The Dual Status Youth Program ultimately aims to prevent further penetration of youth into the justice system or child welfare system.

The Division began utilizing a contracted provider to facilitate DSYMs in 2022. The table below details the number of total meetings facilitated each calendar year.

Dual Status Youth Meeting Data Calendar Year Number of DSY meetings facilitated 2022 83 2023 84 2024 70 2025 62

TARGET POPULATION

• Male and female youth statewide

• Typically ages 12-21 years old.

• First-time offenders often adjudicated on misdemeanors or non-violent felonies.

• In addition to other needs youth may require services or supports around mental health or substance use and education needs.

POPULATION COMPOSITION

Unique DYRS Community Supervision Cases Active by Calendar Year:

(Source DYRS Caseload Map Dashboard, FOCUS Analytics Portal)

New Castle County Kent County Sussex County CY 2025 388 cases

378 unique youth 184 cases 177 unique youth

150 cases 144 unique youth

CY 2024 386 cases 378 unique youth

215 cases 201 unique youth

132 cases 129 unique youth

CY 2023 408 cases 381 unique youth

191 cases 181 unique youth

169 cases 163 unique youth

Unique DYRS Community Supervision Cases Active with a Contracted Provider by Calendar Year:

(Source DYRS Caseload Map Dashboard, FOCUS Analytics Portal)

New Castle County Kent County Sussex County

CY 2025 97 39 59

CY 2024 81 48 59

CY 2023 35 37 57

Top Five Charges for Youth Served by Contracted Providers by Calendar Year:

(Source DYRS Caseload Map Dashboard, FOCUS Analytics Portal)

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5 CY 2025 Disorderly

Conduct Assault 3rd Offensive

Touching Conspiracy 3rd Receive Stolen

Property -felony

CY 2024 Assault 3rd Conspiracy 3rd Criminal Mischief – misdemeanor

Carrying Concealed Dangerous Instrument

Offensive Touching

CY 2023 Assault 3rd Carrying Concealed Dangerous Instrument

Conspiracy 3rd Criminal Mischief – misdemeanor

Receive Stolen Property -misdemeanor

STAFFING

Proposals must include the educational level, related experience and minimum qualifications for each staff position designated for the program. Proposals must also include a brief description of responsibilities for each position and the plan to recruit, train, and retain staff.

Proposals must include specific specifications related to staff training curriculum, new hire requirements before beginning work directly or unsupervised with youth; annual training to maintain certifications and/or based upon new events or procedures. Bidders must offer detail on plans for regular staff meetings and staff scheduling as it pertains to number of hours in a work week.

DATA SECURITY & DOCUMENTATION

Contracts with successful bidder(s) must include requirements to secure/encrypt/ensure client non-public data while at rest.

The successful bidder(s) must document all service provision in DSCYF’s electronic case record system and work with the DSCYF on any required modifications to the system to support effective documentation.

FUNDING

Bidders must consider the following assumptions:

• Services are funded through DSCYF/DYRS. The initial contract will begin upon contract signature.

Contracts thereafter will be renewed for one or more years at a time as mutually agreed, contingent upon satisfactory performance and availability of funds. The successful bidder(s) must accept full payment by direct electronic deposit to a bank account and/or procurement (credit) card at the State’s option, without imposing any additional fees, costs or conditions.

• DSCYF/DYRS preference is for unit cost (e.g., per day) proposals in which the successful bidder(s) are compensated per unit of service provided. However, in this instance DSCYF/DYRS will accept either cost reimbursable or unit cost proposals with the goal of moving to a unit cost methodology as soon as practical. The term “Cost Reimbursable” means the contract begins with a negotiated DSCYF line-item budget and the contractor invoices DSCYF against those line item amounts the following month for actual previous month’s expenses to operate the program. If proposing a cost reimbursable budget, proposals MUST include a completed 12-month DSCYF Budget Form, Salary Schedule and a supporting budget narrative which describes all assumptions and calculations made to obtain the numbers on the DSCYF Budget Form. The required Budget and Salary Detail forms and completion instructions are available electronically in the same location where this RFP is posted on www.bids.delaware.gov. DO NOT alter the provided Excel DSCYF Budget Form and Salary Detail except to enter the required data.

• For a per diem/unit cost compensation methodology DYRS will approve billing for the day that the client is admitted into the program and every subsequent day that the youth receives direct or indirect service.

PROGRAM EVALUATION & MONITORING

The successful bidder(s) are expected to participate in and support continuous improvement efforts through the participation in the Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP), a research-based methodology for program improvement aimed at enhancing service quality and delivery. All services provided by the successful bidder(s) will be evaluated to determine if they meet the criteria for yearly evaluation using the SPEP. If so, the successful bidder(s) will be required to collaborate with the DYRS Quality Assurance Unit throughout the year in SPEP data collection and continuous improvement efforts.

The successful bidder(s) must work with DSCYF to provide required reports and documentation of service.

Internal review and evaluation of the program is also the responsibility of the successful bidder(s). The successful bidder(s) must submit bi-annual written reports to DYRS with documentation of performance measures outlined in this RFP and/or resulting contract. Failure to submit reports may result in denial of payment.

DSCYF will conduct fiscal and program audits and provide consultation to assure quality services and efficient utilization. DSCYF agrees to notify the successful bidder(s) of any deficiencies or concerns and will discuss corrective actions that may be needed.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES

DYRS will develop outcome and process measures to track the success of the program and its individual components. All areas are subject to review at any time. Minimally, the successful bidder(s) will be responsible for submitting a mid-fiscal year and end-of-fiscal year report summarizing all performance measures. The following measures will be utilized during the audit and monitoring process.

Benchmark / Goal Relevant Details Informed consent forms must be maintained on file for 100% of referred clients.

Program Rules acknowledgement forms must be maintained on file for 100% of referred clients.

Individual Service Plans (ISPs) must be completed and on file within 30 days of referral for 95% of referred clients.

Client ISPs to address all court-ordered conditions and requirements must be maintained on file for 95% of referred cases.

www.bids.delaware.gov

Client ISPs to address all needs identified through client risk/needs assessment must be maintained on file for 95% of referred case files

75% of DYRS referred youth admitted to the program must demonstrate one or more of the following:

• Increase in school attendance or performance

• Increase in connectedness to school (school personnel, activity, and/or pro-social activity);

• Application or enrollment in educational alternative (trade, alternative learning site, military, Job Corp).

For each successful discharge, the successful bidder(s) must report the details of the connections and/or alternative educational and/or vocational environment.

Client ISPs to be reviewed minimally on a quarterly basis in 95% of referred cases.

Less than 20% of referred clients will escalate to a higher level of need while participating in the Program.

At least 80% of DYRS youth admitted to the The successful bidder(s) must track Program program must meet all program requirements exits and reasons:

and discharge as “Successful” within 6 months • Successful = all conditions met or of service start date (Service start date is program requirements completed (This defined as first face-to-face contact with the successful bidder(s).

may include youth who have completed conditions, but have outstanding fines, fees and restitution, provided a current, structured payment schedule is in place).

• Unsuccessful = Failure to cooperate with services or new violent felony arrest.

• Administrative – New/learned gang involvement, relocation (moved out of state prior to program completion), child death.

80% of DYRS youth admitted to the program demonstrate connection with community resources/services or prosocial person or activity appropriate for addressing needs as identified in the Risk & Needs assessment and or as relevant to the youth’s success.

Weekly reports must contain discharge status.

For each successful discharge, the successful bidder(s) must report connection to services/resources.

A discharge report must be written for 100% of clients discharged from the program.

Discharge summaries must be completed using the approved template and minimally include:

• Status toward completion of court-ordered requirements

• Description of how youth’s needs were addressed during involvement in program

• Demonstration that services provided were assessment-driven

Successful bidder(s) must request a Service and Funding Extension in 100% of cases in which the client requires more than the initial funding period.

Successful bidder(s) must make every effort to assist youth with completing the program requirements within the initial funding period.

A formal request is needed to extend services beyond the initial funding period.

80% of DYRS referred youth who successfully discharge from the Program will not return for DYRS services within one year following discharge from the successful bidder’s service.

Return to service data will be collected by

DYRS.

The successful bidder(s) must submit monthly written progress reports for 100% of cases.

Additional measures may be developed in collaboration with the successful bidder(s) to determine the accuracy and/or effectiveness of identified client needs, the ability of the bidder(s) to match needs with services, and other possible areas of interest to DYRS and the Program.

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

Delaware Code Title 31, Chapter 3, Section 309 requires a background check be completed specifically for the Department of Services for Children, Youth and their Families consisting of a State and Federal criminal record check and a Delaware Child Protection Registry check for all employees, volunteers, or representatives of any Department contractor who within the State of Delaware: a) has “regular direct access to children, or b) “provides services directly to a child or children”. The requirement applies to all current and future representatives working as part of a Department contract. Fingerprinting for a Department background check must be completed before any individual meeting the above criteria can begin providing services for the DEPARTMENT. The “DSCYF CONTRACTOR Criminal History and Child Abuse and Neglect Background Check Request Form” MUST be completed and submitted by each contractor representative using the process provided by the DEPARTMENT’s Criminal History Unit. The contractor representative will then be given the DSCYF “service code” to be used by the contractor’s representative when scheduling a fingerprinting appointment at a designated State of Delaware authorized location. The contractor or representative must bear the cost of the fingerprinting. If a “service code” other than the DSCYF “service code” is used for fingerprinting, the contractor or representative must bear the cost of re-fingerprinting the representative. Third party background checks are not accepted. The Department reserves the right to require additional provider representatives who have access to sensitive information, as determined by the Department, to complete the Department criminal background check and Child Abuse Registry Check to work under the resulting contract. Contractor representatives are prohibited from working with youth until fingerprinted is completed. Once the contractor receives the fingerprinting receipt the representative can begin work as part of the resulting contract with supervision at all times until final eligibility is determined by the Department’s Criminal History Unit.

Penalties for non-compliance: Any contractor failing to comply shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor and punished accordingly. The contractor shall also be subject to a civil penalty of not less than $1,000 not more than $5, 000 for each violation.

DSCYF OPERATING GUIDELINES

Successful bidder(s) must comply with all applicable requirements, in the most current version and as updated from time to time, of the DSCYF Operating Guidelines for Contracted Client Programs and Services, available at www.kids.delaware.gov by clicking on “Contracts/RFPs/Reporting” under the Information section at the bottom of the page.

PROPOSAL EVALUATION CRITERIA

All proposals will be reviewed and scored by a panel selected by DSCYF using the following scoring criteria:

1. Compliance with program requirements as specified in the RFP (maximum 15 points)

a. Are the objectives stated clearly? Are they specific, measurable, and feasible?

b. Do the objectives support and enhance the goals and objectives established by the

Department?

2. Organizational capacity and capability to meet requirements to provide service described (i.e., Staffing, financial condition, etc.) (maximum 10 points)

a. Does the bidder organization and/or sponsoring agency have the capacity to carry out the project described?

3. Service Delivery/Program Methods (maximum 20 points)

a. Are the mechanisms described for providing service timely and consistent with a conscientious delivery of service?

b. Does the proposal clearly describe the nature of the service and how, where, and by whom it will be delivered?

c. Can the methods described for delivering the service support the achievement of the Department and agency objectives as stated?

d. Are the time frames given for accomplishment realistic?

4. Service Delivery/Program Monitoring and Evaluation (maximum 20 points)

a. Does the proposal contain adequate procedures for assessing the effectiveness of the project?

b. Does the proposal adequately describe the agency's procedures for monitoring service? Is it clear how the agency will document receipt of the services by the target population?

c. Does the data presented demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of the service?

d. Does the agency require any form of regular internal or peer review of cases (when applicable)?

5. Experience/Demonstrated Ability and Reputation (maximum 15 points)

a. History of the organization with DSCYF and/or other State agencies with this or other services (i.e., accessibility, responsiveness, and effectiveness).

6. Budget (maximum 20 points)

a. Unit Cost: Is the unit cost or DSCYF Budget reasonable and competitive?

b. For Cost Reimbursable proposals: Is the budget submitted on the Department’s format as required? (Budget, Budget Narrative, Salary Detail)?

c. Has the bidder clearly explained both “in-house” and “external” costs as requested?

d. Has the bidder secured matching funds (in-kind or cash assistance) to support the project?

Proposal Content Requirements

1. Written narrative describing proposed services that satisfies all service components and requirements listed in the RFP. This includes a description of each service within the continuum www.kids.delaware.gov being proposed, staffing structure, bidder’s capacity to provide services, and bidder’s proposal to meet the listed goals and requirements.

2. Bidder Fact Sheet available online where this RFP is posted in MS Word format for easy editing.

3. Signed “Assurances” and “Certifications, Representation, and Acknowledgements” document available online where this RFP is posted.

4. Proposed cost per unit of service (e.g., per hour, day, etc.) OR if proposing a cost reimbursable compensation methodology, a completed detailed 12-month Excel DSCYF Budget Form and Salary Detail available online where this RFP is posted along with a detailed budget narrative describing all assumptions and calculations made to determine each expense item cost. DO NOT alter the provided Excel DSCYF Budget Form and Salary Detail except to enter the required data.

Cost reimbursable bidders must identify any funds or other support provided in-kind to be eligible to receive credit in proposal scoring.

Additional requirements below in Appendix A.

APPENDIX A – Additional Bidder Information Failure to follow Departmental procedures may disqualify a bidder’s organization.

1. FORMAT

To be considered, all proposals must be submitted in writing and respond to the items outlined in this RFP.

Videos will not be presented to the review panel. The State reserves the right to reject any non-responsive or non-conforming proposals.

To be considered, bidders must submit a complete response to this RFP. An official authorized to bind the bidder to the proposal must sign proposal documents. The successful bidder must be in compliance with all licensing requirements of the State of Delaware at time of contract execution.

2. QUESTIONS

All questions regarding this request should be directed to H. Ryan Bolles at Herbert.Bolles@Delaware.gov.

Questions will be forwarded to the appropriate DSCYF program administrators for a response. Updates and answers to substantive questions will be posted on the State’s solicitation web site www.bids.delaware.gov as an addendum to this RFP. It is the bidder’s responsibility to check the website for updates to this RFP.

3. ASSISTANCE TO BIDDERS WITH A DISABILITY

Bidders with a disability may receive accommodation regarding the means of communicating this RFP or participating in the procurement process. For more information, contact the Designated Contact no later than ten days prior to the deadline for receipt of proposals.

4. CONSULTANTS AND LEGAL COUNSEL

The State of Delaware may retain consultants or legal counsel to assist in the review and evaluation of this RFP and the bidders’ responses. Bidders shall not contact the State’s consultant or legal counsel on any matter related to the RFP.

5. ETHICS LAW RESTRICTIONS

Neither the successful bidder(s), including its parent company and its subsidiaries, nor any subcontractor, including its parent company and subsidiaries, may engage, directly or indirectly, any person who, while employed by the State of Delaware during two years immediately preceding the date of any Contract entered into as a result of this request for proposals, gave an opinion, conducted an investigation, was directly involved in, or whom otherwise was directly and materially responsible for said service described herein in this request for proposal in the course of official duties as a state employee, officer or official. The Department shall determine, at its sole discretion, whether a person was directly and materially responsible for said program, project, or contract or any other program, project, or contract related to the service described in any contract entered into as a result of this request for proposals.

6. CONTACT WITH STATE EMPLOYEES

Direct contact with State of Delaware employees other than the State of Delaware Designated Contact regarding this RFP is expressly prohibited without prior consent. Bidders directly contacting State of Delaware employees risk elimination of their proposal from further consideration. Exceptions exist only for organizations currently doing business in the State who require contact in the normal course of doing that business.

www.bids.delaware.gov mailto:Herbert.Bolles@Delaware.gov

7. ORGANIZATIONS INELIGIBLE TO BID

Any individual, business, organization, corporation, consortium, partnership, joint venture, or any other entity including subcontractors currently debarred or suspended is ineligible to bid. Any entity ineligible to conduct business in the State of Delaware for any reason is ineligible to respond to the RFP.

8. EXCLUSIONS

The Proposal Evaluation Team reserves the right to refuse to consider any proposal from a bidder who:

a. Has been convicted for commission of a criminal offense as an incident to obtaining or attempting to obtain a public or private contract or subcontract, or in the performance of the contract or subcontract:

b. Has been convicted under State or Federal statutes of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, receiving stolen property, or other offense indicating a lack of business integrity or business honesty that currently and seriously affects responsibility as a State contractor:

c. Has been convicted or has had a civil judgment entered for a violation under State or Federal antitrust statutes:

d. Has violated contract provisions such as;

1) Known failure without good cause to perform in accordance with the specifications or within the time limit provided in the contract; or

2) Failure to perform or unsatisfactory performance in accordance with terms of one or more contracts;

e. Has violated ethical standards set out in law or regulation; and

f. Any other cause listed in regulations of the State of Delaware determined to be serious and compelling as to affect responsibility as a State contractor, including suspension or debarment by another governmental entity for a cause listed in the regulations.

9. PROPOSALS BECOME STATE PROPERTY

All proposals become the property of the State of Delaware and will not be returned to the bidder. Proposals submitted to the State may be reviewed and evaluated by any person other than competing bidders at the discretion of the State. The State has the right to use any or all ideas presented in reply to this RFP. Selection or rejection of the proposal does not affect this right.

10. RFP AND FINAL CONTRACT

The contents of the RFP may be incorporated into the final contract and become binding upon the successful bidder. If the bidder is unwilling to comply with the requirements, terms, and conditions of the RFP, objections must be clearly stated in the proposal. Objections will be considered and may be subject to negotiation at the discretion of the State.

11. PROPOSAL AND FINAL CONTRACT

The content of each proposal will be considered binding on the bidder and subject to subsequent contract confirmation if selected. The content of the successful proposal may be included by reference in any resulting contract. All prices, terms, and conditions contained in the proposal shall remain fixed and valid for one year after the proposal due date. Contract negotiations will include price re-verification if the price guarantee period has expired.

12. MODIFICATIONS TO PROPOSALS

Any changes, amendments or modifications to a proposal must be made in writing, submitted in the same manner as the original proposal and conspicuously labeled as a change, amendment, or modification to a previously submitted proposal. Changes, amendments, or modifications to proposals shall not be accepted or considered after the hour and date specified as the deadline for submission of proposals.

13. NON-CONFORMING PROPOSALS

Non-conforming proposals will not be considered. Non-conforming proposals are defined as those that do not meet the requirements of this RFP. The determination of whether an RFP requirement is substantive, or a mere formality shall reside solely within the State of Delaware.

14. CONCISE PROPOSALS

The State of Delaware discourages overly lengthy and costly proposals. It is the desire that proposals be prepared in a straightforward and concise manner. Unnecessarily elaborate brochures or other promotional materials beyond those sufficient to present a complete and effective proposal are not desired. The State of Delaware’s interest is in the quality and responsiveness of the proposal.

15. DISCREPANCIES AND OMISSIONS

Bidder is fully responsible for the completeness and accuracy of their proposal, and for examining this RFP and all addenda. Failure to do so will be at the sole risk of bidder. Should bidder find discrepancies, omissions, unclear or ambiguous intent or meaning, or should any questions arise concerning this RFP, bidder shall notify the State of Delaware’s designated contact, in writing, of such findings at least ten (10) days before the proposal opening. This will allow issuance of any necessary addenda. It will also help prevent the opening of a defective proposal and exposure of bidder’s proposal upon which award could not be made. All unresolved issues should be addressed in the proposal.

Protests based on any omission or error, or on the content of the solicitation, will be disallowed if these faults have not been brought to the attention of the designated contact, in writing, at least ten (10) calendar days prior to the time set for opening of the proposals.

16. REALISTIC PROPOSALS

It is the expectation of the State of Delaware that bidders can fully satisfy the obligations of the proposal in the manner and timeframe defined within the proposal. Proposals must be realistic and must represent the best estimate of time, materials and other costs including the impact of inflation and any economic or other factors that are reasonably predictable.

The State of Delaware shall bear no responsibility or increase obligation for a bidder’s failure to accurately estimate the costs or resources required to meet the obligations defined in the proposal.

17. LATE PROPOSALS

Proposals received after the specified date and time will not be accepted or considered. To guard against premature opening, sealed proposals shall be submitted, plainly marked with the proposal title, bidder name, and time and date of the proposal opening. Evaluation of the proposals is expected to begin shortly after the proposal due date.

18. PROPOSAL OPENING

The State of Delaware will accept proposals until the date and time shown in this RFP. Proposals will be opened in the presence of State of Delaware personnel. There will be no public opening of proposals, but a log will be kept of the names of all bidder organizations that submitted proposals. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed in accordance with 29 Del. C. § 10001, et seq. (“FOIA”).

19. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF UNDERSTANDING OF TERMS

By submitting a proposal, each bidder shall be deemed to acknowledge that it has carefully read all sections of this RFP, including all forms, schedules and exhibits hereto, and has fully informed itself as to all existing conditions and limitations.

Any proposal received after the deadline for receipt of proposals shall not be considered. The bidder bears the risk of delays in delivery. The contents of any proposal shall not be disclosed as to be made available to competing entities during the negotiation process.

Upon receipt of bidder proposals, each bidder shall be presumed to be thoroughly familiar with all specifications and requirements of this RFP. The failure or omission to examine any form, instrument or document shall in no way relieve bidders from any obligation in respect to this RFP.

20. COST OF PROPOSAL PREPARATION

The State of Delaware will not pay any costs incurred by any bidder associated with any aspect of responding to this solicitation, including proposal preparation, attendance at bidder’s conference, system demonstrations or negotiation process. All costs of proposal preparation will be borne by the bidder. The cost of all necessary permits, licenses, insurance policies, etc., required by local, state or federal laws shall be borne by the bidder at his/her own expense.

21. MULTI-BIDDER PROPOSALS (JOINT VENTURES)

Multi-bidder proposals (joint ventures) will be allowed only if one of the venture partners is designated as the “prime contractor”. The “prime contractor” must be the joint venture’s contact point for the State of Delaware and be responsible for the joint venture’s performance under the contract, including all project management, legal and financial responsibility for the implementation of all bidder systems. If a joint venture is proposed, a copy of the joint venture agreement clearly describing the responsibilities of the partners must be submitted with the proposal. Services specified in the proposal shall not be subcontracted without prior written approval by the State of Delaware, and approval of a request to subcontract shall not in any way relieve the bidder of responsibility for the professional and technical accuracy and adequacy of the work. Further, the bidder shall be and remain liable for all damages to the State of Delaware caused by negligent performance or non-performance of work by its subcontractor or its sub-subcontractor.

Multi-bidder proposals must be a consolidated response with all cost included in the cost documents. Where necessary, RFP response pages are to be duplicated for each bidder.

a. Primary Bidder The State of Delaware expects to negotiate and contract with only one “prime bidder”. The State of Delaware will not accept any proposals that reflect an equal teaming arrangement or from bidders who are co-bidding on this RFP. The prime bidder will be responsible for the management of all subcontractors.

Any contract that may result from this RFP shall specify that the prime bidder is solely responsible for fulfillment of any contract with the State as a result of this procurement. The State will make contract payments only to the awarded bidder. Payments to any-subcontractors are the sole responsibility of the prime bidder (awarded bidder).

Nothing in this section shall prohibit the State of Delaware from the full exercise of its options under Section 22 regarding multiple source contracting.

b. Sub-contracting The bidder selected shall be solely responsible for contractual performance and management of all subcontract relationships. The resulting contract allows subcontracting assignments; however, bidders assume all responsibility for work quality, delivery, installation, maintenance, and any supporting services required by a subcontractor.

Use of subcontractors must be clearly explained in the proposal, and major subcontractors must be identified by name. The prime bidder shall be wholly responsible for the entire contract performance whether or not subcontractors are used. Any sub-contractors must be approved by State of Delaware.

c. Multiple Proposals Sub-contracting agencies may participate in multiple joint venture proposals.

22. STATE’S RIGHT TO AWARD MULTIPLE SOURCE CONTRACTING

Pursuant to 29 Del. C. § 6986, the State of Delaware may award a contract for a particular professional service to two or more bidders if the state agency makes a determination that such an award is in the best interest of the State of Delaware.

23. POTENTIAL CONTRACT OVERLAP

Bidders shall be advised that the State, at its sole discretion, shall retain the right to solicit for goods and/or services as required by its agencies and as it serves the best interest of the State.