DRAFT RFP Scope of Work.pdf

1. Background and Purpose

As part of the City of Atlanta’s (“City”) commitment to community safety and wellness for all Atlantans, the City and Fulton County in 2015 began collaborating on a pilot for a pre-arrest diversion program, intended to explore comprehensive and inclusive community-based policing initiatives that address underlying issues such as poverty, mental health and safety. The pilot program, as well as the work of the City’s Use of Force Advisory Council, resulted in the launch in 2017 of pre-arrest diversion services via referrals by police officers in limited areas. The program was expanded to officers citywide in 2020. The program then expanded further in 2021 to include community referrals submitted to the City’s Department of Customer Service (“ATL311”) via the non-emergency services line.

In 2025, the City and Fulton County opened the Center for Diversion and Services (“CDS”) which is managed and operated by an independent operator. The CDS offers 24/7 law enforcement drop-off for pre-arrest diversion by the Atlanta Police Department, and other police departments within Atlanta and Fulton County, in order to divert individuals away from arrest and jail and provide them with care and services including food, medical care and behavioral health screening.

Now that the CDS is in operation, law enforcement officer referrals for diversion services are handled directly through the CDS.

These efforts have resulted in the current citywide availability of civilian responses to resident quality of life concerns submitted to ATL311 by residents, and non-emergency calls diverted by the City’s E-911 team to ATL311 to receive a non-traditional emergency service response. These programs are essential services that save critical City resources and provide Atlantans with a holistic set of person-centered resources, strengthening their ability to move forward positively and avoid harmful responses such as arrest, jail and prosecution.

While these programs initially focused on certain core partnerships, the City recognizes that there may be opportunities for additional networks and partnerships. Accordingly, the Purpose of this Request for Proposals (“RFP”) is to solicit qualified vendors to provide citywide mobile civilian response (from ATL311) and pre-arrest diversion services (from E911 to ATL311) beginning in January 2027. These services will focus on meeting fundamental resident needs such as housing, food, case management, legal navigation and job resources. The selected vendor(s) will be awarded an initial two-year contract, with the option to renew for up to two additional one-year terms (for potential total of four years) at the City’s discretion. The City is seeking to select multiple vendors to perform portions of the scope of services, or to potentially operate at alternate hours, including in shifts, to broaden the City’s ability to aid those in need.

2. Qualifications

A. Vendors must possess the following minimum qualifications to be considered.

i. Experience in providing community services, specifically assisting individuals with unmet mental health needs, problematic substance use, or extreme poverty.

ii. Ownership of or access to a records maintenance system for tracking data.

iii. Annual business entity registration filing with the Secretary of State.

iv. A background in harm reduction, behavioral health, mental health and/or crisis care management.

v. Full-time staff capacity that can meet the deliverables required in this scope of work (e.g., program supervisors, social workers and case workers, data analyst, and financial manager).

vi. Ability to staff existing hours of operation (Monday through Friday, 7am -

7pm).

B. Vendors with the following desired qualifications are encouraged to apply.

i. Documented experience collecting data and establishing metrics and benchmarks for success.

ii. Documented experience evaluating and/or assessing program impact and outcomes over time.

iii. Documented experience in trauma-informed and culturally responsive care, and harm reduction principles to maintain a consent-based, non-punitive experience for all clients.

iv. Ability to staff hours of operation outside of Monday through Friday, 7am -

7pm, as may be needed.

v. Vendors should be prepared to provide network of care resources to which they can refer clients.

3. Scope of Work

The scope of work below describes objectives and deliverables the selected vendor(s) must provide throughout the entirety of the contract term with the City. Responses to this RFP should describe in detail the activities, policies, and procedures that the vendor will employ to successfully implement all objectives and deliverables.

Objectives fall into six (6) categories: (1) mobile community referrals and pre-arrest diversion; (2) case management; (3) ongoing community outreach and awareness building;

(4) financial management; (5) data collection, analysis and reporting; and (6) training.

A. Objective 1: Mobile Community Referrals and Pre-Arrest Diversion

I. Deliverable 1: Coordinate and dispatch urgent, time-sensitive community response teams to provide specialized, in-person, and consent-based responses to both (a) resident quality of life concerns submitted through ATL311, and (b) non-emergency call diversion requests transferred by E911 to ATL311.

1. Response teams should arrive at the location where the request was generated within thirty (30) minutes or less and should be able to provide services for up to five (5) people upon arrival to the location.

2. Response teams should be available on Monday through Friday, from 7am to 7pm (with the understanding these hours may expand to include late night and weekend hours during vendor’s contract with the City).

3. Response locations may include homeless encampments, City businesses, the City jail, and other neighborhood areas.

4. Quality of life concerns include basic needs, disturbances, substance use, welfare, mental health, public indecency, temporary housing, and encampments.

5. Specialized responses include offering immediate services and resources such as temporary housing, food, clothing, and/or cell phones, but all clients must be offered the opportunity to enroll in case management such as legal navigation, and permanent housing if such services are available within a reasonable time period.

II. Deliverable 2: Maintain regularly updated database of services, client utilization, and client case management and follow-up.

III. Deliverable 3: Provide follow-up communication within 72 business hours to both 1) customer who contacted ATL311 staff, with update on outcomes of the response teams’ interactions with clients.

IV. Deliverable 4: Provide follow-up communication within 72 business hours to both 1) the customers who contacted ATL311, and 2) ATL311 staff, to provide an update on outcomes of the response team’s interactions with clients.

B. Objective 2: Case Management (up to one year)

I. Deliverable 1: Offer all clients with whom vendor’s mobile teams interact, whether through responses to mobile community referral or pre-arrest diversion request, the opportunity to enroll in case management that offers services such as legal navigation, job resources, and permanent housing (in addition to basic and/or immediate needs such as temporary housing, food, clothing, and/or cell phones).

1. Case management may include activities such as community-based case management, provision of direct support (e.g., emergency housing, food, transportation assistance and/or other barrier reduction support), and warm referrals (and follow-up) to partner services providers and/or agencies for health care, employment, benefit, and/or other helpful assistance.

2. Case Management will be consent-based, and may continue for a period up to one (1) year after the initial interaction or duration of the vendors contract (whichever comes first).

II. Deliverable 2: Maintain regularly updated documentation of case management plans, service providers, client utilization, and communications and follow-up with clients.

C. Objective 3: Ongoing Community Outreach and Awareness Building

I. Deliverable 1: Regularly send teams to varying neighborhoods and locations around the City notifying residents and businesses of the availability and range of services such as needs assessments, and food or shelter referrals. Location examples include businesses, parks, and recreation centers.

1. It is recommended these teams regularly offer needs assessments to residents to ensure services are effective, accessible, and responsive.

2. Submit monthly reports that detail all community outreach and awareness.

II. Deliverable 2: Attend and present on vendor’s ATL311 services at a minimum of twelve

(12) NPU meetings per month and one (1) community event per month to engage and raise awareness of services.

III. Deliverable 3: Collaborate with ATL 311 to raise awareness about vendor services and on community safety and wellness impact.

D. Objective 4: Financial Management

I. Deliverable 1: Maintain ethical, transparent, and effective mechanisms for tracking and managing City funds, and aligning and reporting costs against the budget included as part of vendor’s contract, including day-to-day budget, payroll, and facility related operations.

1. Vendor must notify the City of any financial management-related issues or concerns that may affect vendor’s ability to fully accomplish this scope of work and/or may impact vendor’s services.

II. Deliverable 2: Submit a proposed annual budget to the City no later than November 30th of each year, which the City will review within thirty (30) business days.

III. Deliverable 3: Submit both: (1) detailed, monthly line-item invoices and (2) quarterly financial progress reports that detail budgeted versus actual expenditures.

Vendor Payment Based on Service Level Agreement (SLA) Performance

Payment is contingent upon satisfactory completion of agreed services and deliverables. If services are partially performed, invoices may be adjusted to reflect the reduced scope or level of performance.

1. Vendor payment will be based on the vendor's overall performance score as measured by the Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Vendors achieving an SLA score of 95%–100% will be considered Satisfactory and will receive 100% of the contracted payment.

Vendors achieving an SLA score of 90%–94% will be considered Partially Meets Expectations and will receive payment equal to their final SLA performance score. For example, a vendor with a final SLA score of 92% will receive 92% of the contracted payment.

Vendors achieving an SLA score of 80%–89% will be considered Below Expectations and will receive payment equal to their final SLA performance score.

Vendors achieving an SLA score of 0%–79% will be considered Does Not Meet Expectations and will receive payment equal to their final SLA performance score. In addition, performance at this level may result in corrective action, up to and including contract review or termination, in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

2. Vendor Operating Hours and Service Availability The vendor is required to maintain operations during the agreed-upon business hours specified in the contract or Service Level Agreement (SLA).

Any full-day closure, partial-day closure, delayed opening, or early closure during scheduled operating hours that has not been approved in writing by the City may result in a proportional reduction in the vendor's payment.

For each occurrence, payment will be reduced based on the percentage of scheduled service hours that were not provided. The reduction will be calculated proportionately to reflect the amount of time the vendor was unavailable to perform contracted services.

Closures approved in advance by the City by written documentation to the vendor, including City-observed holidays, will not result in a payment reduction.

IV. Deliverable 4: Provide certified financial audit conducted by external third-party audit team annually.

E. Objective 5: Data Collection, Analysis, and Reporting

I. Deliverable 1: Ensure all data and record-keeping systems, mechanisms, policies and/or procedures effectively protect the confidentiality of the City, partner, stakeholders and clients.

II. Deliverable 2: Provide data for City’s database, submit monthly, quarterly and annual reports to the ATL311 contact person(s) by email, which shall include information as described below:

1. Client Demographics:

i. Name

ii. Enrollment Date

iii. Council District

iv. Police Zone

v. Referral method (311 or law enforcement)

vi. Assigned Care Navigator

vii. Status

a. active

b. advanced (goals met)

c. outreach (no contact)

d. inactive, or discharged)

viii. List of service and resource connections and/or referrals

ix. Outcome of vendor services

x. Discharge Date (if applicable)

xi. Duration of care navigation engagement

2. Reports shall include:

i. Progress, updates and goals for participants in case management to include % towards success

ii. Describe barriers to unsuccessful goals

iii. All mobile community referrals to include service level agreement (SLA) goals

iv. Arrival time goals

v. Customer/Client follow-up outcomes

vi. Number of complaints and outcomes

vii. Community Outreach Report

viii. Organizational chart to include vacant and filled positions for adequate staffing.

ix. Number of mobile community referrals

x. Number of Prearrest diversions (E911 to ATL311)

xi. Response Times

xii. Resident Concerns

xiii. Diverted Charges

xiv. Total number of referrals

xv. Total number of case management clients

xvi. Total number of participants in each status (active, outreach, inactive, discharged)

3. Records should be maintained for a minimum of three (3) years.

4. Within 72 hours of service to client, provide mobile community referrals outcome report to ATL311 detailing the following:

i. Name of Client

ii. Arrival Time

iii. End Time

iv. Outcome

v. If transferred to partner agency or other service provider, list name of other entity.

5. All complaints received from ATL311 must be researched and investigated with detailed explanation and follow-up within 72 business hours of the complaint.

III. Deliverable 3: Establish a regular communication mechanism with the City, e.g., monthly in-person or virtual working session, facilitated by ATL311.

F. Objective 6: Training

I. Deliverable 1: Provide training and technical support related to vendor’s services to all relevant City staff as directed and coordinated by ATL311 on a regular and as-requested basis.

a. Training curricula should include topics such as vendor services orientation;

baseline behavioral and/or crisis care; the goals and principals of pre-arrest diversion and harm reduction, triaging of calls, pre-arrest diversion criteria/eligibility; and trauma-informed and culturally responsive care; best practices for working with individuals.

II. Deliverable 2: Provide additional training for other departments if requested by

ATL311, for technical assistance, and networking opportunities relevant to vendor’s services and the City’s existing and future vision for related community safety and wellness initiatives.