eMMA COVER Letter- 26-MULTI-CS-BH-001.pdf

This is a cover letter and solicitation notice issued by the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services, Office of Procurement, for the procurement of behavioral health evaluation services across multiple regions of the state. The Department seeks to award up to three contracts, one per geographic region (Eastern, Capital South, and Western), to provide psychological evaluations, psychiatric evaluations, Certificate of Need evaluations, psychosexual evaluations, consultations, and court appearances for adjudicated and pre-adjudicated delinquent youth ages 12-20. Estimated annual service volumes include 150 psychological evaluations, 20-50 updated evaluations by region, 15 psychological and psychiatric consultations each, 5 court appearances, 5 CON psychiatric evaluations, 3 updated CON evaluations, 50 psychosexual evaluations, and 100 missed appointments. The pre-bid conference is scheduled as a virtual meeting on March 18, 2026 at 11:00 a.m., with bids due April 1, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. via the eMMA online bidding platform. The contract term runs five years from June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2031 with no renewal options. Written questions must be submitted by March 25, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.

A 5% Minority Business Enterprise subcontracting participation goal has been established, with MBE-certified prime contractors permitted to self-perform 2.5% while fulfilling the remaining 2.5% through certified MBE subcontractors. Pricing shall be fixed-price with virtual evaluations billed at a 20% reduction from the established fee and in-person evaluations billed at the full rate. Bidders must demonstrate two years of experience within the past five years providing community-based mental health evaluations to court-involved youth and provide three reference letters. Staff must hold current Maryland licenses with psychologists requiring at least two years of post-doctoral experience evaluating adolescents and psychiatrists requiring at least two years of post-fellowship experience. All contractor personnel must complete CJIS criminal background checks and comply with Child Protective Services clearances and Prison Rape Elimination Act requirements prior to assignment. Insurance requirements include Commercial General Liability ($1 million per occurrence/$3 million aggregate), Professional Liability ($1 million per claim/$3 million aggregate), Cyber Security/Data Breach ($5 million per occurrence), and Workers' Compensation coverage. No federal funding is involved, and travel reimbursement is not provided.