1 | P a g e

Cherelle L. Parker, Mayor

Kimberly Ali, Commissioner, Department of Human Services

The City of Philadelphia

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR

GROUP HOME CARE

WORK SUMMARY:

The Department of Human Services is interested in contracting with agencies able to provide group home care for Dependent Adolescents ages 13-21.The qualified applicant(s) must have both capacity and demonstrated ability to provide identified services. Only providers licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services and capable of delivering services within the state of Pennsylvania need apply. Applicant cannot be a government agency.

PROPOSED COMPENSATION: $810,000.00

RFP ISSUE DATE: June 8, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE:

No later than 5 pm Philadelphia Local Time on July 10, 2026. A complete proposal must be submitted by this time to be considered. Proposals in-process are incomplete.

PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING:

A pre-proposal meeting will be held on June 17, 2026, at 10:30am, Philadelphia, PA Local Time. It is highly recommended that all proposers attend.

SITE TOURS:

Site tours will be held the week of July 27, 2026, Philadelphia, PA Local Time for selected applicants.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JOIN

OFFICIAL RFP CONTACT:

Dawn Williams-Jones

Senior Fiscal Manager

DHSRFP@phila.gov

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS:

All proposals must be submitted electronically to the correct contract opportunity established for this

RFP (identified by opportunity number) through eContract Philly at https://philawx.phila.gov/econtract/ https://philadhs.webex.com/philadhs/j.php?MTID=m9ad4d16ab5e488e0926a097afee4ed9e mailto:DHSRFP@phila.gov https://philawx.phila.gov/econtract/

2 | P a g e

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Values

1.2 Contracting with the City of Philadelphia

1.3 Contacting Us

1.4 Feedback about this RFP

2. THE OPPORTUNITY

2.1 Summary

2.2 Background

2.3 RFP Schedule

2.4 Outcome Goals

2.5 Award Terms

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Description of Services

3.2 Performance Metrics, Contract Management & Payments

4. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

4.1 What You Must Include in Your Proposal

4.2 How To Submit Your Application

4.3 Proposal Binding

5. HOW WE CHOOSE

6. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING RFPs/PROPOSALS

6.1 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)

6.2 Special Rules Applicable to Joint Ventures

6.3 Mandatory Political Contribution Disclosures and Penalties

6.4 Political Contribution Limits for City Contractors

6.5 City Employee Conflict Provision

3 | P a g e

6.6 Reservation of Rights

6.7 Confidentiality and Public Disclosure

APPENDICES

Appendix A – General Provisions

Appendix B - City of Philadelphia Tax and Regulatory Status and Clearance Statement .. 31

4 | P a g e

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Values

The City of Philadelphia is committed to ensuring all businesses have access to contracting opportunities with the City and seeks to promote the economic development of small and local businesses.

1.2 Contracting with the City of Philadelphia

Consistent with our values, the City requires that all contractors and subcontractors comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and policies, including:

Please closely review the City’s contract attachments including the standard terms and conditions found in the

General Provisions under Appendix A of this RFP. Any contract resulting from this RFP will incorporate and be governed by these documents.

1.3 Contacting Us

For technical assistance with the eContract Philly website, email eContractPhilly@phila.gov or call (215) 686-

4914.

• Please note the phone number provided is not a live helpline.

IF ELIGIBLE, YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO:

✓ Apply for Local Business Entity (LBE) certification with City’s Procurement Department. If you provide your LBE status and/or promise to have a Local Impact, this must be used by the contracting department as a positive factor in evaluation and potential selection.

Additionally, some opportunities are exclusively reserved for LBE certified businesses.

✓ Get Paid Faster! Enroll on the Vendor Payment Portal to effortlessly submit electronic invoices and monitor payment progress 24/7. The process of submitting invoices through the Vendor Payment Portal is user-friendly, efficient, and free.

CITY BUSINESS

LICENSES AND

PERMIT

REQUIREMENTS

PAYMENT OF CITY

BUSINESS TAXES

OR OTHER

INDEBTEDNESS

OWED TO THE CITY

CHAPTER 17-1300.

PHILADELPHIA 21ST

CENTURY MINIMUM

WAGE AND BENEFITS

STANDARD

1 2 3 mailto:eContractPhilly@phila.gov https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/bidding-on-a-city-contract/get-certified-as-a-local-business-entity/ https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fvendor-payments.phila.gov%2Flogin&data=05%7C01%7CMihir.Mulloth%40phila.gov%7Cd3a519484f624cce6fc708db9fe39835%7C2046864f68ea497daf34a6629a6cd700%7C0%7C0%7C638279572083787221%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=EktpSPaS%2B8p3KxRyI13X2Icwkl9aYLDJ0KfEzw1NsTI%3D&reserved=0 https://business.phila.gov/ https://business.phila.gov/ https://business.phila.gov/ https://business.phila.gov/ https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/business-taxes/ https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/business-taxes/ https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/business-taxes/ https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/business-taxes/ https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/business-taxes/ https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/business-taxes/ https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-296070 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-296070 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-296070 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-296070 https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/philadelphia/latest/philadelphia_pa/0-0-0-296070

5 | P a g e

• Allow for two (2) business days prior to any application deadline to receive a response to your request.

The City will not extend a deadline even if it has not responded to your question or request.

• All other questions regarding the RFP, including substantive questions, must be submitted in accordance with Section 2.3. Applicants are otherwise prohibited from contacting City representatives concerning this RFP or related matters.

1.4 Feedback about this RFP

The City recently updated the design of the RFP we use for Professional Services and would like feedback from vendors. If you have feedback you would like to share, please complete this voluntary survey. Thank you.

2. THE OPPORTUNITY

2.1 Summary

The Department of Human Services is interested in contracting with agencies able to provide Group Home

Care (GHC) for Dependent Adolescents ages 13-21. The qualified applicant(s) must have both capacity and demonstrated ability to provide identified services. Only providers licensed by the Pennsylvania

Department of Human Services and capable of delivering services within the state of Pennsylvania need apply. Applicant cannot be a government agency.

2.2 Background

WHO ARE WE?

Philadelphia Department of Human Services is the county child welfare and juvenile justice agency and is overseen by the Office of Children and Families.

DHS Vision and Mission:

Vision: We aspire for all Philadelphia children and youth to have access to the support, resources, and opportunities they need to thrive within their communities.

Mission: Serve Philadelphia’s children, youth, families, and communities by building on their strengths and advancing safe and supportive environments.

The Department is comprised of the following divisions:

o Administration and Management (A&M) o Child Welfare Operations (CWO) o Early Childhood Education (ECE) o Finance https://phila.formstack.com/forms/updated_rfp_feedback_survey

6 | P a g e o Juvenile Justice Services (JJS) o Performance Management and Technology (PMT) o Policy Development and System Enhancement (PDSE)

The services to be purchased via this solicitation effort are under the auspices of CWO.

Project Background

Consistent with the goals of Improving Outcomes for Children (IOC), DHS strives to ensure youth remain in their own homes and communities whenever safely possible. When placement away from the youth’s home of origin is necessary, placement with kinship caregivers is prioritized. If kinship caregivers are not available, youth are placed in the most family-like settings as close to their communities as possible and with siblings whenever possible. Group Home Care (GHC) is a short-term intervention that DHS utilizes minimally as a last resort for out of home placement. When youth enter GHC, immediate planning begins to reunify youth with their families or to work toward other permanence options. Applicants must be knowledgeable of and embrace promising practice related to GHC, including promoting family-driven care and youth-guided decision making, ensuring active school and community connections, utilizing evidence-based practices to promote family engagement, embracing a trauma-informed and culturally/linguistically competent approach, and keeping group home intervention as short as possible.

Group Home Care is designed to achieve the safety, stability, permanency, and wellbeing (e.g., physical and behavioral health, educational, recreational, and relational needs) for each youth. Providers must ensure the ongoing youth development and age-appropriate preparation for youth and strive to maintain healthy and strong connections to the youth’s family, school and community.

Problem Statement

Youth ages 13–21 involved with DHS who cannot safely remain in their homes or in family-based care settings often experience instability, trauma, disrupted education, and limited access to supportive relationships. Without high-quality, trauma-informed group home care, these youth are at increased risk of poor permanency outcomes, disconnection from family and community, academic disengagement, and long-term emotional and developmental harm. There is a critical need for safe, affirming, culturally responsive, and family driven residential environments that stabilize youth, strengthen family connections, promote healthy development, and support timely permanency.

7 | P a g e

2.3 RFP Schedule

RFP Posted June 8, 2026

Pre-Proposal Meeting

A pre-proposal meeting will be held on June 17, 2026, at

10:30am, Philadelphia PA Local Time. It is highly recommended that all proposers attend.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO JOIN

Applicant Questions Due

Applicants must submit questions regarding this opportunity by June 23, 2026, at 5:00pm, Philadelphia, PA

Local Time. All questions must be submitted via email to

DHSRFP@phila.gov

Answers Posted on eContract

Philly June 29, 2026, 5pm Philadelphia, PA Local Time

Proposals Due July 10, 2026, 5pm Philadelphia, PA Local Time

Applicant Interviews, Presentations

(City Discretion)

Week of July 20, 2026

Site Visit (with selected applicants) Week of July 27, 2026

Applicant Selection July 31, 2026

Contract Execution August 14, 2026

Commencement of Work August 14. 2026

The above dates are estimates only. Notice of changes in any pre-proposal meeting or site visit date, time or location, due date for Applicant questions, or proposal due date will be posted as a notice/Addendum with the original RFP on eContract Philly and will become a part of the RFP.

https://philadhs.webex.com/philadhs/j.php?MTID=m9ad4d16ab5e488e0926a097afee4ed9e mailto:DHSRFP@phila.gov https://philawx.phila.gov/econtract/

8 | P a g e

2.4 Outcome Goals

• Ensure Safety and Emotional Stability

• Strengthen Family Connections

• Support Educational Engagement

• Promote Youth Voice and Skill Development

• Advance Permanency and Healthy Transitions

2.5 Award Terms

Term

The term of this contract is expected to start on or August 14, 2026, and end on or about August 13, 2027.

The City may, at its sole option, amend the contract to add up to four (4) additional terms, each not to exceed one year.

Compensation $810,000.00

Cost Proposal Type Fixed price

Terms of Payment Monthly invoicing

3. SCOPE OF WORK

3.1 Description of Services

This Section 3.1, Description of Services includes the requirements for the project, including the services to be performed and the deliverables that must be met by the selected Applicant. The City reserves the right to change certain service requirements or deliverables based on changed circumstances, like a change in the business or technical environment or contract negotiations with Applicant(s) selected for negotiations, without issuing a revised RFP.

Applicants should read this section closely. An Applicant’s proposed scope of work must detail how they will meet the service requirements or achieve the deliverables described in this section. Applicants may also propose additional or revised services or deliverables to achieve the outcomes described in Section

2.3 Outcome Goals of this RFP. However, Applicants must explain why each of these additional services or deliverables are necessary, and when and how they will be completed.

Service Requirements

Group Home Care (GHC) is designed to meet the needs of youth ages 13-21, who are unable to live in a family-based setting and who do not require more intensive services, such as Residential Treatment. GHC

9 | P a g e provides 24-hour/7-days a week care and supervision to youth who are involved with DHS and are unable to live in their homes of origin or in other family-based care.

Preference will be given to those respondents whose programs in Philadelphia or in the surrounding counties, or which have in place adequate plans for facilitating frequent in-person contact between the youth and their families who reside in Philadelphia. Strong applicants are those that propose quality programming to achieve the goals of IOC by facilitating family-driven care and youth-guided decision making, ensuring active school and community connections, embracing a trauma-informed and culturally/linguistically competent practice approach, utilizing evidence-based clinical interventions to promote youth and family engagement, and promoting targeted permanency work to return youth to family as soon as possible.

DHS is interested in contracting with agencies to provide the services identified and that have capacity and demonstrated ability to provide identified services. Applicant may be a non-profit organization or a for-profit organization. Organizations that are tax exempt under Section 501[c] 3 of the Internal Revenue

Code must submit a copy of their most recent IRS Determination Letter.

All for-profit vendors which are already contracted with DHS to deliver the service identified above must respond to this RFP if they wish to be considered for contract renewal in FY27. Applicant cannot be a government agency.

Site Description

The proposed facility for Group Home Care (GHC) will need to be situated within the state of Pennsylvania, ideally in Philadelphia or in the surrounding counties, such that frequent in-person contact with the youth’s family can be readily facilitated. Preference will be given to applicants whose site or sites are in

Philadelphia or the surrounding counties. DHS intends to select applicant(s) who can provide beds for 18-

24 females and/or 18-24 males (including transgender and gender non-conforming youth). Applicants who are able to service a smaller number of youths, are encouraged to apply.

The provider must utilize competent programming that ensures the safety and protection of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual+ (LGBTQIA+) youth and affirms diverse sexual orientations and identities. If the GHC provider is submitting a proposal for both the male and female programs, they must be placed separately. The GHC provider must specify how transgendered and gender non-conforming youth will be safely placed in a way that affirms the youth’s gender expression. Also, the provider will ideally offer ample opportunities for both indoor and outdoor recreational programming, preferably in the youth’s community of origin.

Referral Process

All referrals will be processed by the DHS Central Referral Unit and the DHS Hotline. GHC Providers must comply with a “No-Reject, No-Eject” policy for youth deemed appropriate by DHS for GHC if they have a vacancy available within their program to serve a youth needing placement. The only time that a youth can be rejected from GHC is when the provider is at full capacity. GHC staff must be trained in a trauma-informed approach to address behaviors and symptoms associated with abuse, neglect, and removal from youth’s homes and communities of origin. In addition to the required training, all staff must understand and be trained in trauma and its negative impact on child development, family system and

10 | P a g e communities, crisis management and intervention, de-escalation techniques, and suicide prevention and intervention.

Transportation

The provider is responsible for transporting and remaining with the youth at all times during court hearings located at 1501 Arch Street, medical and psychological appointments. Transportation should be conducted in a manner consistent with the State’s 3800 Regulations and in the most secure fashion possible.

Service Description

GROUP HOME CARE

Group Home Care (GHC) is a short-term intervention designed to meet the needs of youth who are unable to live in a family-based setting and who do not require more intensive residential service. GHC provides 24-hour/7-days a week care and supervision to youth who are involved with DHS and are unable live in their homes of origin or in other family-based care. This service is designed to provide placement in a safe, clean-living environment, with an emphasis on strengthening family connections and providing quality structured programming, groups, leisure and recreational activities in the youth’s community of origin, whenever possible, medical services, sexual health supports and information, and service coordination support. The components of

GHC service include standardized screenings (including screening for trauma exposure and traumatic stress symptoms), behavioral health assessments, crisis management and intervention, youth development, therapeutic services (including trauma-informed groups providing psychoeducation around trauma and its impact and coping skills to manage trauma reminders), service linkage (if appropriate), school connections, and case collaboration with the CUAs. Throughout the GHC service, the provider will engage the family and team of professionals to ensure that youth either safely returns home or transition to placement with kin in their communities of origin whenever possible. Placement in non-kin foster care is reserved as a last resort and must be minimally utilized only after reunification and kinship care have been fully ruled out.

The goal of GHC is to rapidly help families and youth develop the skills necessary to live together safely in their own homes and communities. GHC should be used as a short-term intervention with permanency planning beginning at intake. Families and youth must be active participants in all services and planning processes. All interventions, treatment, and recreational activities should be in the youth/families’ homes and communities of origin whenever possible. Evidence-based practices that promote family engagement and wellness should begin while the youth is living in GHC and should follow the youth after their discharge. GHC should be delivered using a trauma-informed approach that is culturally and linguistically competent.

Because the Department is seeking the most effective programs available, those vendors offering evidence-based and best practices programming are preferred. Programs must provide a safe environment, preferably a trauma-informed approach to care that does not utilize a “level” or “point” system, access to timely medical and mental health services, educational programming, physical/recreational activities. These facilities will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week throughout the entire year. As well, programs must be able to ensure the safe transportation of adolescents to and from all required court appearances at the Philadelphia Family Court, located at 1501 Arch Street in Philadelphia. Applicant cannot be a government agency.

11 | P a g e

Selected applicant is expected to:

• Employ an individualized and developmentally appropriate approach to service delivery

• Provide evidence-based and trauma-informed programming to assess and meet the needs of youth with complex behaviors.

• Understand runaway etiology and symptomology

• Cultivate positive relationships by establishing rapport and trust with youth and engaging them in activities that build self-confidence and improve family relationships and connections with their communities of origin

• Ensure connection to a variety of behavioral health supports, including mental health treatment and therapy, medication management and monitoring, and drug and alcohol treatment

• Ensure connection to behavioral health programs providing trauma-specific evidence-based therapy for adolescents and their caregivers, such as Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

• Ensure that appropriate school connections are maintained, and all educational needs are met in the community

• Promote and facilitate communication and collaboration between the GHC provider, CUAs, DHS, youth and family members to develop service plans

• Identify factors for successful reunification and/or conduct concurrent planning for placement with kin

• Connect youth and family to a continuum of informal community-based services to support them in reunification or placement with kin

• Provide culturally and linguistically competent services to racial/ethnic minorities, and LGBTQIA+ youth

Service Goals

It is expected that the GHC provider can meet the complex needs of the youth, conduct a variety of assessments, engage the youth and family, promote community connections, coordinate joint meetings, and make permanency planning recommendations in a short time period. Service components should be evidence-based, and trauma informed, including standardized screenings, behavioral health assessments, crisis management and intervention, youth development, therapeutic services, service linkage (if appropriate), school connections, and case management.

Service Delivery

Applicants should submit a proposal outlining the agency’s framework in the following areas:

1. Intake Screening, including ability to accept placements during Afterhours, weekends, and holidays

2. Comprehensive Program Orientation

3. Evidence-Based Interventions to Promote Youth and Family Engagement

4. Mental Health and Behavioral Health Program Components

12 | P a g e

5. Provider Work (including collaboration, court appearances, etc.)

6. Medical (accessibility to meet all medical needs in a timely manner)

7. Education

8. Transportation

9. Service Linkage/Community Partnerships

10. Data Collection and Outcomes Report (Agency shall provide DHS with monthly reports documenting compliance and process measures as well as safety, permanency, and wellbeing outcomes consistent with the four goals of IOC)

Minimum Program Staff Requirements

The GHC provider must provide a safe, nurturing environment to reduce flight risk. In addition to the training already required, the staff should understand and be trained in youth and family engagement, trauma, crisis management and intervention, de-escalation, and suicide prevention and intervention.

Preference will be given to applicants who utilize evidence-based approaches and practices in these aforementioned areas. The provider shall ensure they are able and capable to meet the linguistic and cultural needs of the youth and/or families served. Such staff must be appropriately assessed, authorized, and trained to deliver direct services in the youth’s and/or families preferred language. In instances where this is not feasible, the provider must ensure access to appropriate and qualified alternative interpretation services. The use of machine-based automatic translation tools (e.g., Google Translate, Microsoft

Translator, DeepL Translator, Chat GPT) shall not be permitted.

Below please find minimum staffing requirements:

1. Program Director– should possess a master’s degree in psychology, education, social work or other human service discipline, have 2 years of program administration experience, an extensive background in working with adolescents, and a thorough understanding of youth development and diagnostic assessment and treatment.

2. Program Supervisors should possess a master’s degree in psychology, education, social work or other human service discipline, have 2 years of social work supervision experience, an extensive background in working with adolescents, and a thorough understanding of youth development and diagnostic assessment and treatment.

3. Provider Worker – must possess a bachelor’s degree in social work or other human service discipline and have 2 years’ experience in working with adolescents.

4. Direct care managers – must possess an associate’s degree and 2 years residential placement experiences. A combination of education and experience will be considered. Experience in working with adolescents is preferred.

13 | P a g e

Service Delivery Focused on the Youth and Family

The provider agency will accept all referrals for Group Home Care. The only allowable reason for not accepting a referral is due to the lack of capacity. The provider agency will strengthen family and community connections and will ensure that the youth’s basic needs are fully met, including consistent access to adequate and nutritious food to prevent any form of food insecurity, clothing, shelter, safety, physical health, behavioral health, education, recreation, and other concrete needs.

GHC is intended to be a short-term intervention. The provider agency will continue to facilitate family and community engagement and will provide quality programming to promote reunification or other permanence. In the event the youth cannot be reunified and is ready for discharge from GHC, the CUA case manager will have ongoing communication with DHS Central Referral Unit (CRU) to gain updates on the youth’s permanent placement efforts. The provider worker will communicate all efforts to locate kin to better assist CRU, DHS/CUA in locating an appropriate family-based placement for the youth.

The CUA Case Manager will provide direct social work and other services to the youth in GHC to assist the youth in understanding the circumstances of GHC placement as well as to assist the youth with orienting to placement. The provider worker will collaborate with the CUA case manager to ensure that the youth receive appropriate services as well as engage the youth’s family.

The provider worker will participate in Family Team Meetings with the family, DHS worker and CUA Case

Manager to develop a plan to ensure that children are safe, cared for and protected from harm in ways that fit their culture and situation. The provider worker will facilitate contact between the youth and family unless the Court has specifically prohibited such contact. Visitation schedules are to be arranged by the

CUA/GHC provider, with all parties in agreement.

The CUA case manager and provider worker will gather necessary and available information about the youth and the family including vital records while placed at the GHC that is needed to develop a Single

Case Plan or Family Service Plan.

Service Delivery to the Family

The provider worker will facilitate regular in-person contact between the youth and the family unless the

Court has specifically prohibited such contact. Whenever possible, this in-person contact should take place within the youth’s community of origin.

Licensure

Provider agency’s facilities must be licensed by the Pennsylvania State Department of Public Welfare.

Applicant must present evidence of licensure when applying under this opportunity.

Program Requirements/Overview

Applicant will provide services to and on behalf of youth 24 hours a day/7days a week. The service provider is responsible for delivering direct social work and other services to and on behalf of youth and their natural families. The service provider will ensure the availability of programs which promote the development and growth of its residents. The programs and activities must address:

• Physical growth and development

• Cognitive growth and development

14 | P a g e

• Emotional (psychological) growth and development

• Moral growth and development

• Social growth and development including social connections with the youth’s family and within the youth’s community of origin

• Sexual growth and development

For adolescents, the GHC service provider must address the acquisition of life skills that will lead to self-sufficiency as an adult. Examples of these programs include:

• Food purchase, preparation and storage

• Clothing purchase and care

• Use of health care resources

• Budgeting and money management (Applicant is required to provide a monthly allowance to youth as described in Appendix H Program Standards)

• Decision making and self-reliance

• Use of leisure time

• Responsibilities of living alone

• Job ethics

• Promote Independence

• Family Planning

DHS partners with communities, service providers and advocates to protect children who are alleged to have been abused or neglected and to ensure their safety from immediate threats and impending dangers. To ensure this mandate occurs, upon request, the DHS/CUA worker will be provided with access to conduct a safety assessment in all areas of the facility that the youth both utilizes and has access. This includes the youth’s room, and all common areas such as kitchen, bathrooms, etc.

15 | P a g e

Best Practice For GHC

DHS believes that a community-neighborhood approach with clearly defined roles between county and provider staff will positively impact safety, permanency and well-being, and is committed, as part of its strategic planning, to focus on several core components that are grounded in the extant literature and have an emerging evidence base. The following best practices are essential in any Group Home Care (GHC) among dependent youth:

1. Family-Driven Care and Community Connections: Increased family involvement has been associated with improved long-term outcomes, shorter lengths of stay, and increased stability post-residential discharge. A quality GHC provider must demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of the current literature pertaining to best practice for strengthening youth’s family and community connections and building youth voice in residential programs.

Applicants should clearly specify how youth and family-driven services will be provided in the family’s community of origin while the youth is placed at the GHC facility.

2. Trauma-Informed Approach: (According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services

Administration (SAMHSA), “A program, organization, or system that is trauma-informed realizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential pathways for recovery, recognizes the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others involved with the system, and responds by fully integrating knowledge about trauma into policies, procedures, and practices, and seeks to resist re-traumatization”). Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of trauma-informed practices and should describe how their program and organization are trauma-informed with detail about practices used to address maladaptive youth behavior rooted in traumatic experiences.

3. Cultural and Linguistic Competence: According to the NASW (2015), cultural competence is

“the process by which individuals and systems respond respectfully and effectively to people of all cultures, languages, classes, races, ethnic backgrounds, religions, spiritual traditions, immigration status, and other diversity factors in a manner that recognizes, affirms, and values the work of individuals, families, and communities and protects and preserves the dignity of each.” Linguistic competence refers to the ability of an organization to communicate information in a manner that is easily understood by diverse groups of people including those with limited English proficiency, those who are not literate or have low literacy skills, or individuals with disabilities. Applicants should demonstrate an understanding of cultural and linguistic competence and should describe how their program and organization embrace these competences.

16 | P a g e

4. Use of Evidence-Based Clinical Interventions to Promote Youth and Family Engagement:

Although GHC services are short-term in nature, there are evidence-based interventions and approaches that have been shown to be effective in quickly engaging youth and families during crises and in transition. Successful applicants should identify evidence-based interventions or approaches that they will either directly employ or to which they will refer families. Applicants need to demonstrate how these services will be delivered in a short period of time and how these services will follow the youth and family after GHC discharge.

Monitoring and Security

By submission of a proposal in response to this RFP, the Applicant agrees that it will comply with all contract monitoring and evaluation activities undertaken by the City of Philadelphia, and with all security policies and requirements of the City.

Services will be monitored, according to the contract, by the designated Project Manager. DHS reserves the right to monitor contractor activities up to and including site visits, telephonic interviews as well as annual and/or special evaluations.

Reporting Requirements

Upon award of contract, the service provider will be made aware of specific reporting requirements. At a minimum, the successful Applicant shall submit a monthly invoice detailing the services provided and the associated costs.

Performance Standards

The City reserves the right to reject any item of work that does not meet DHS’ minimum standards of performance and quality, or that does not conform to the contract scope of work. The City shall not be obligated to pay for rejected work.

17 | P a g e

Cost Proposal

Applicant must provide a detailed cost proposal, with a line-item breakdown of the costs for specific services and work products proposed. Cost proposals must be “fixed price” proposals. The proposed price must include all costs that will be charged to the City for the services and tangible work products the Applicant proposes to perform and deliver to complete the project and including, but not limited to, costs for the following, if the Department is to pay for them: employee compensation and fringe benefits; communication; printing; administrative expenses; bonding; acquisition of real estate; rent, utilities, maintenance and security related to real estate; travel (reimbursable only at rates approved by the Department and in accordance with current City policies, which can be obtained from the

Department); project management; development; testing; implementation; maintenance; training;

and all other work proposed. Any contract resulting from this RFP will provide for a not-to-exceed amount in the compensation section of the contract.

Organization and Personnel Requirements

The proposal must identify all personnel who will perform work relevant to this opportunity by education level, skill set (described in detail), experience level, and job title. Resumes of all personnel so identified should be included in Applicant’s proposal. All applicable licenses and certifications must be provided.

Technology Capabilities

The Applicant will be responsible for having technology capabilities and resources that will ensure timely and accurate communication with departmental staff. Applicant must demonstrate capacity to capture client demographics and other data as may be requested by the Department.

18 | P a g e

3.2 Performance Metrics, Contract Management & Payments

Performance Metrics

The City of Philadelphia is interested in identifying metrics in order to monitor and improve performance during the life of the contract. The Department of Human Services has identified the following metrics and will work with the awarded provider(s) to add to or refine this list during contract negotiations. The final set of performance metrics and frequency of collection will be negotiated by each successful Applicant and the Department of Human Services prior to the finalization of an agreement between parties and may be adjusted over time as needed.

Performance Metric Data

Source

Data

Collection

Frequency

Data

Collection

Responsibility

Data

Review

Cadence

Past

Performance

Benchmark

(if known)

Acceptance rate of

Referrals to GHC and # of youth served – to include youth’s name, demographics (age, sex/gender, race/ethnicity), CUA, and start/end dates of

GHC placement

PMT

(CRU)

ongoing DHS Monthly/

Quarterly/

Annual

Education - # and percent of youth served with 3 or more unexcused absences during the academic year

Agency ongoing Agency Monthly/

Education - # and percent of youth meeting academic standards as defined by the PA Department of

Education

Agency ongoing Agency Monthly/

Medical - # and percent of youth up to date on all well child care and applicable specialist services

Agency ongoing Agency Monthly/

Behavioral Health - # and percent of youth up to date

Agency ongoing Agency Monthly/

19 | P a g e on all recommended services

Youth Discharged – list of youth names and discharge dates and dispositions (Placement with Type noted, AWOL, or

Other- to be described)

PMT

(Finance) ongoing DHS Monthly/

Documentation of

Most recent

FTC/FEI/FGDM/permanency conference dates

PMT

(TIMS,

(DHS

Connect) ongoing DHS Monthly/

Youth Well-being and

Safety - # of Service

Concerns received with

Outcome status(es) noted

PMT

(Service

Concerns

Unit, CARO) ongoing PMT Quarterly/

Youth Safety - Average

Staffing ratio; to include highest and lowest ratio per month with date of occurrence

Provider

Employee records ongoing Agency Monthly/

Contract Performance Monitoring

As part of the City of Philadelphia’s commitment to improved outcomes, the City seeks to actively and regularly monitor service delivery to enhance contract management, improve results, and adjust service delivery based on learning what works. Reliable and relevant data is necessary to drive service improvements, ensure compliance, inform trends to be monitored, and evaluate results and performance. As such, the City reserves the right to request/collect other key data and metrics from providers related to the performance of the contract and to reject any item of work that does not meet the performance standards described in the contract.

• Program director to share reports on a quarterly basis with information not measurable in administrative data. This will include:

o Summary of individual services and interventions provided to youth. For interventions, please note description of incident, intervention(s) implemented, and documentation that all necessary parties were notified of the incident and intervention.

o Summary of group programming, education support services, and recreational activities provided at site.

20 | P a g e o Summary describing the circumstances when the youth care worker staffing ratio did not meet the expected staffing ratios based on number youth in the home and time of day and strategies implemented to ensure youth safety and well-being.

• Additional reports (i.e., Police reports for AWOL occurrences or incidents at the site, HCSIS reports)

How We Will Pay the Selected Applicant

The contract for each chosen provider will include a contract maximum amount that cannot be exceeded without a written contract amendment. Applicants must provide a detailed cost proposal, with a line-item breakdown of the costs for specific services and work products proposed. Cost proposals must be “fixed price” proposals. The proposed price must include all costs that will be charged to the City for the services and tangible work products the Applicant proposes to perform and deliver to complete the project, including, but not limited to, costs for the following, if the

Department is to pay for them: employee compensation and fringe benefits; communication;

printing; administrative expenses; bonding; acquisition of real estate; rent, utilities, maintenance and security related to real estate; travel (reimbursable only at rates approved by the Department);

project management; development; testing; implementation; maintenance; training; and all other work proposed. Any contract resulting from this RFP will provide for a not-to-exceed amount in the compensation section of the contract.

4. HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR RESPONSE

4.1 What You Must Include in Your Proposal

For your proposal to be considered, proposals must be submitted:

a) electronically;

b) through the City’s designated system (not email);

c) before the deadline; and,

d) signed by an authorized representative of the Applicant.

Additionally, your proposal must include the information listed in the Proposal Requirements below and be organized in the order shown. Failure to submit your proposal in the manner and format required by this RFP may result in your proposal being rejected.

Proposal Requirements:

1. Table of Contents

2. Introduction/Executive Summary (Give a short description of your proposal.)

21 | P a g e

Provide an overview of your company, the goods or services you offer and how you plan to meet the

City’s needs.

3. Applicant Profile (Tell the City about yourself).

Please complete the Applicant information sheet and include it with your proposal submission.

Part 1. Please provide the following for the Applicant’s Business:

1. Name of Business

2. Business Address

3. Telephone Number

4. Fax Number (if applicable)

5. E-mail Address

6. Website Address

7. Federal Taxpayer Identification Number or Federal Employer Identification Number

Part 2. Please provide the following for the Applicant’s Primary Contact:

1. Name

2. Job Title

3. Address

4. Telephone Number

5. Fax Number (if applicable)

6. E-mail Address

Part 3. Please provide a description of the Applicant’s business background by answering the following:

1. What is the Applicant’s Business Organization type (i.e. corporation, partnership, LLC, for or not for profit, etc.)?

2. Is the Applicant’s Business registered to do business in Philadelphia and/or Pennsylvania?

3. What is the country and state of the Applicant’s business’ formation?

4. How many years has the Applicant’s business been operating?

5. What is the primary mission of the Applicant’s business?

6. What is the Applicant’s significant business experience?

4. Proposed Scope of Work (Tell the City what you propose to do).

Review Section 3 of this RFP, “Scope of Work” and directly state what services and materials you will provide to meet the City’s described needs. Be specific, and, as necessary, describe your services and materials in plain language for the evaluation team to understand. Include a proposed budget or cost proposal, and a schedule for when the services and materials will be provided.

5. Statement of Qualifications; Relevant Experience (Tell the City why you are the best choice).

22 | P a g e

Provide a statement of your relevant qualifications and demonstrate how your experience meets or exceeds the City’s requirements. Include a list and description of similar projects you have worked on, including the number of such projects and the amount of time spent on them.

6. References (Tell us who can vouch for similar work you have completed).

Provide at least three references, preferably for projects that are similar to the work sought by this

RFP. Include the company/entity, a contact person’s name, the contact person’s title, their address, their email address, and telephone number. The more similar the reference is to the City the better, such as other local government entities.

7. Proposed Subcontractors (Tell the City who will work with you).

Please provide a complete list of prospective subcontractors with whom you plan to work on this project. Include:

• Company Name

• EIN

• Scope of Work

• Percentage of total work allocated to each firm

8. Requested Exceptions to Contract Terms (Tell the City any changes you would like to the contract).

In exceptional cases, a successful Applicant might be afforded exceptions to the City’s Contract

Terms. State if you would like to request exceptions to the City’s Contract Terms, including those contained in this RFP, including Appendix A and any other documents incorporated by link or reference. Identify the location of the proposed change as well as possible (noting the document, section, heading, and page), the reason for the change request, and proposed alternative language.

The City may consider your proposed changes or may disqualify your proposal at its option.

However, please be aware that exceptions are not made often and so you should thoroughly explain why the change is necessary and appropriate for the contract. Any proposed exceptions to the City’s

Contract Terms are subject to various internal review procedures before they can be accepted.

Note: Your proposal is a binding offer to contract and failure to propose exceptions binds you to the

City’s terms, if your proposal is accepted.

9. Tax and Regulatory Status and Clearance Statement (Certify that you do not owe the City).

Obtain a Tax Clearance Certificate and complete Appendix B attesting to Applicant’s tax and regulatory compliance with the City.

10. Disclosure of Litigation, Administrative Proceedings, and Contract Defaults (Tell the City about any legal proceedings or contract disputes your company or its leaders were involved with).

Provide a description of any legal proceedings or contract disputes in the past five (5) years that might affect your business, finances, or ability to perform the work described by this RFP. Include all instances of litigation, bankruptcy, debarment, suspension, contract default claims, any criminal conviction or indictments, settlements, and court or administrative orders. For each matter, state the name and nature of the matter, the parties involved, and its current status. For contract disputes, provide the name and contact information for the opposing party. Provide the same

23 | P a g e information for any matter involving an officer, director, principal, partner, or affiliate of the

Applicant, and for any intended subcontractor of the Applicant.

11. Statement of Financial Capacity (Demonstrate how stable your business is).

Provide documentation demonstrating fiscal solvency and financial capability to perform the work sought by this RFP. You may include any of the following:

• A general, independent statement of the Applicant’s financial condition, prepared by an external auditor or accountant;

• Applicant’s most recent audited or unaudited financial statements, including:

o Balance Sheet, o Income Statement, or o Cashflow Statement;

• Most recent IRS Form 990 (for non-profit organizations only); or,

• Any other documentation that demonstrates your financial capacity to meet the requirements of this RFP.

12. Local Business Entity or Local Impact Certification (Tell the City if you are a local business or how you envision affecting the local economy).

The City is committed to leveraging its buying power to uplift and grow our local economy, which will result in more jobs for Philadelphians, including local and small businesses. For this reason, the City will consider local impact as a significant factor in our proposal evaluation for this contracting opportunity. If you meet the requirements of a certified Local Business Entity (LBE), we strongly recommend that you get certified for free by following the steps found HERE and include a copy of your certification with your proposal and/or include a statement about how you envision impacting the local economy through this work.

13. Disclosure Requirements (Tell the City about your political contributions).

Excess political contributions to City candidates and incumbents can disqualify you from a City contract. Complete the mandatory disclosures required as part of the electronic application process in eContract Philly, including any local political campaign contributions, by selecting “Apply for

Contract” from the opportunity information screen (where this RFP was located). Additional information and instructions are located under the “Disclosure/Eligibility” tab on the top of the eContract Philly homepage. Please make sure to review these requirements closely before completing these disclosure forms.

4.2 How To Submit Your Application

Online Submission Required by the Application Deadline

You must complete your application through eContract Philly before the deadline to be considered for this contract opportunity. Proposals may be changed at any time up until the submission deadline and the City will not review your proposal until after the deadline. The proposal is not considered submitted until the “submit” button is pressed at the conclusion of the eContract Philly submission process. You will receive a confirmation email that your Application was submitted.

https://www.phila.gov/services/business-self-employment/bidding-on-a-city-contract/get-certified-as-a-local-business-entity/ https://philawx.phila.gov/ECONTRACT/default.aspx

24 | P a g e

Applicants are encouraged to allow sufficient time to complete the application process in order to become familiar with the requirements of the eContract Philly interface, upload all required documents, and resolve any technical issues prior to the submission deadline. The City need not accept, and may discard, responses that are incomplete, late, or submitted in any other format.

Electronic File Limitations eContract Philly accepts attachments up to 8MB of the following file types: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Project, Adobe PDF or in a compressed zip file. Larger attachments must be split into smaller attachments to accommodate this file size limitation. There is no limit to the number of attachments that may be uploaded.

Every Entity…