Flexible Support Services Questions - Responses 08302018~1.xlsx
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- Solicitation number
- BD-19-1022-DMH08-8220A-33600
- Issued by
- Massachusetts
About this file
This document is a Flexible Support Services Master Agreement Request for Responses (RFR) issued by the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health (DMH). Through this RFR, DMH is seeking to establish a pool of qualified Provider organizations to deliver home and community-based Clinical Services, Parent/Caregiver Peer Support, Young Adult Peer Mentoring, and Therapeutic Support. These services will be delivered within the context of a Flexible Support Team, Flexible Support Group, or Individual Practitioners. DMH estimates the number of Flexible Support Teams it anticipates contracting in the first year, but notes that this is subject to change. The implementation date for the first qualification period is January 1, 2019, and DMH will execute Statements of Work (SOWs) with qualified providers in advance of this date.
The RFR outlines the billing structure, including monthly unit rates for the Flexible Support Teams based on the specified staffing composition. DMH will monitor caseloads and staffing and may adjust the monthly unit rate if necessary. Providers can indicate their capacity to offer alternative team structures on the Cover Sheet. DMH will enter into SOWs with multiple qualified providers per DMH Area to deliver the Flexible Support Services.
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Sheet1
| Flexible Support Services Master Agreement Request for Response (RFR) |
| BD-19-1022-DMH08-8220A-30193 |
| Areas/Geographic Catchments | |||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer |
| 20 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Areas/Geographic Catchments | Please clarify the Areas and Approximate Service Location Geographic Catchment Area to be Served. The Teams don't always clearly align with a DMH Area or Office. Could you provide as an attachment a list of cities and towns in each "Approximate Service Location Geographic Catchment Area to be Served"? | The Cover Sheet has been revised to include the specific Towns and/or DMH Site Offices included in the Catchment Area. Please see the amended and restated Cover Sheet. |
| 21 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Areas/Geographic Catchments | What cities and towns are included in the Merrimack Valley Catchment Area? | See #20, above in Areas/Geographic Catchment |
| 44 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Areas/Geographic Catchments | Could you please provide a listing of towns by catchment areas that have been identified? | See #20, above in Areas/Geographic Catchment |
| 47 | 8/23/18 | Catherine Flynn/Martha's Vineyard Community Services, Inc. | Areas/Geographic Catchments | The Southeast area includes Team S5: Cape Cod. Is this meant to include the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket? If it does, can an agency bid on only providing services on one or both of the island? If so, how should that be indicated on the Cover Sheet? | Team S5: Cape Cod does not include Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket. |
An agency can indicate on the Cover Sheet the geographic area it has the capacity to serve. The Cover Sheet has been revised accordingly.
The Response Requirements have also been revised so that Responders can indicate their capacity to provide teams that differ from those specified in Attachment D. Differences may relate to staff composition of the team, Flex Services the team can provide, and/or geographic area the Team can serve. However, Attachment D reflects what DMH currently wants for Teams and unless circumstances change, the ability to meet the needs specified in Attachment D, will influence whether or not a Responder is selcted for a SOW initially.
| 60 | 8/23/18 | Tori Rosati/FCP, Inc. | Areas/Geographic Catchments | Can you provide a list of the specific cities/towns in the geographic catchment areas? | See #20, above in Areas/Geographic Catchment |
| 6 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Regional funding | Did each region get to determine the level of funding spent on each modality? | DMH has Areas rather than Regions. Yes, each Area determines how it will spend its funds on Flex Support Services. |
| 5 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Caseloads | Will the information on the caseload #s per region be shared with the provider applicants? | Given the flexible nature of the services, DMH does not have fixed caseload assumptions. |
| Data and Documentation | |||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer |
| 10 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Data Submission | For data and reporting requirements (RFR Subsection 7.4.1, will DMH provide a specific data tracking sheet or is it up to the provider to develop their own? | DMH will provide data specifications for all data that Flexible Support Providers will be required to submit. It is expected that at least in the first year of the contract, all required data that cannot be submitted through EIM will be submitted to DMH as Excel spreadsheets. Before the start of contracts, DMH will issue the Excel data workbooks with all pre-defined data elements. Providers must use this data workbook to submit their non-EIM submitted data. |
| 37 | 8/22/18 | Sam Tith/North Suffolk Mental Health, Inc. | EHR documentation and labels | For those agencies that are already using established documentation for previous DMH services (i.e. IYS), will we now be required to update our EHR documentation so that it labels as FSS? | This procurement is a complete re-design of the Flexible Support Services rates and service structures. All labels and references to the Flexible Support Services, including the Services (Clinical, Parent/Caregiver Support, Young Adult Peer Mentoring, and Therapeutic Support) and Modalities (Team, Group, and Individual Practitioner) used in any documentation or reporting submitted to DMH by providers must reflect the labels and terms used in the new design. |
| 30 | 8/22/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Family Action Plan | Please define Family Action Plan and how it relates to the Community Service Plan. | The Family Action Plan (FAP) identifies the activities and interventions that the Family Partner and parent/caregiver work on together in support of the treatment goals identified identified in the Community Service Plan (CSP). The CSP is the overarching service plan that includes all of the measurable goals, objectives and interventions that the youth and family have identified as priorities and are consistent with the reason for referral to Flexible Support Services. If there is an identified need for parent peer support, the CSP should identify this need and include one or more goals for the Parent Peer Support service. The FAP will then identify the specific activities and interventions that the Family Partner will work on with the parent/caregiver to achieve the goal(s) identified in the CSP. |
| Flex Teams | |||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer |
| 1 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Flex Teams | How many flex teams is DMH going to fund in each region? | Refer to RFR Attachment D. As stated in Attachment D, the list of teams included in the attachment "is an estimate of the number of Flexible Support Teams each DMH Area anticipates contracting in the first year of this procurement based on the needs of the youth and families in the Area, available resources in the local communities, and DMH Area budgets. This estimate includes the approximate maximum number of youth to be served and staffing composition to be provided by each Flexible Support Team. All estimates included in Attachment D are subject to change throughout the life of the RFR. DMH at any time may add additional Flexible Support Teams; utilize fewer Teams than listed and/or change the make up of any Team. In entering into Statements of Work, DMH will collaborate and negotiate with qualified Contractors to refine each Flexible Support Team’s staffing composition, service intervention(s)/activities, and maximum size of the cohort (total capacity) based on the needs of youth/families in the Area." Please note that DMH is organized by "Areas", not "regions". |
| 3 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Flex Teams | Original Question: How will this model provide enough referrals to support a provider to employ a staff person at the FTE(s) required? |
| DMH has restated the question for clarity: How will referrals to a Flex Team support a provider employing staff at the FTE levels specified for the Team? | A Flexible Support Team is designed to ensure staffing capacity to meet the clinical needs of a group of DMH youth (or "cohort"). DMH will refer up to the maximum number of youth in the cohort, and will regularly work with the Team to assess the acuity and/or intensity of clinical needs of the youth/family in the cohort. If the acuity and/or intensity of needs of youth in the cohort are such that the staffing levels of the Team cannot meet the needs of the maximum, then DMH may authorize the Flexible Support Team to serve less than the maximum number in the cohort and/or DMH can add staff to a Team. Regardless of the number of youth referred to and served by Team, the provider will be reimbursed at the monthly unit rate for the Team (see RFR Subsection 8.2). The Monthly Unit Rate for the Team ensures that the Provider maintains the capacity to serve the maximum number of youth in the cohort even in circumstances where DMH refers less than the maximum number of the cohort. | ||||
| 12 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams | Original Question: Can a Program Manager see cases? |
| DMH Has restated the question for clarity: Can a Program Manager on a Flex Team also be a Clinician, and in their clinical capacity also provide clinical services to youth in the cohort? | If a Flex Team includes a Program Manager, in addition to managing the Team, they may also be required to provide clinical oversight and clinical support to Flexible Support Team members, contingent on their credentials. This may include providing clinical services directly to a youth. This will be stated in the Statement of Work. | |||||
| 13 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams | Can Program Manager (less than 1.0 FTE) also be a clinician? | See #12, above in Flex Teams | |
| 43 | 8/22/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Flex Teams | Will flex teams applications that do not contain all requested positions listed under the flex team staff be considered? | Yes, these providers' applications will still be reviewed. These providers will be placed on the Master Agreement list and awarded contracts if they are determined to be qualified. The criteria for the selection of SOWs is set forth in Subsection 10.5 of the RFR. Attachment D sets forth the Department's estimate of its current need. This is expected to change over time and the Department will change its make-up of Flex Services to best meet the needs of its clients. The Cover Sheet has been revised so that Responders can indicate alternative team structures to what is specified in Attachment D, including staff positions, flexible support services, and/or geographic area to be served. | |
| 51 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Bruder-Moore/Community Counseling of Bristol County | Flex Teams | Is there going to be only one provider per area? If not how do you assign cases? | DMH will enter into Statement of Works (SOWs) with multiple providers, holding Master Agreements, per DMH Area. With regard to Teams, DMH will enter into a SOW with only one qualified provider per Team. Areas will enter into SOWs for multiple Teams. Refer to Attachment D for a list of Flex Teams that DMH anticipates creating for the start of services on January 1, 2019. On the Cover Sheet, a Responder must indicate their capacity to support alternative team structures. A Team serves a cohort of youth in the identified Catchment Area. In most cases, youth are assigned to a Team based on geography. However, in the case of a specialty team, youth are referred to a specialty Team based on their clinical needs. |
Additionally, DMH may engage with one or more others providers to provide Flexible Support Services through the Individual Practitioner Modality and/or the Group Modality in the Area. This is determined by the needs of youth authorized for Flexible Support Services by DMH.
| 53 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Bruder-Moore/Community Counseling of Bristol County | Flex Teams | Is a provider of a Flexible Support Team reimbursed the full amount if the Team is under enrolled (i.e., DMH does not referr the maximum number of youth in the cohort)? | Yes. The provider of a Team will be reimbursed at the Monthly Unit Rate for the Team, regardless of the size of the cohort referred. DMH will monitor cohorts and assess enrollments. If DMH determines that consistently low enrollment warrants reducing the staffing on the Team, DMH will amend the Statement of Work accordingly and the monthly unit rate for the team will be reduced by that amount. |
| 56 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Bruder-Moore/Community Counseling of Bristol County | Flex Teams | Taunton/Attleboro area is the Program Manager expected to see clients to meet the 25 cases. | The Program Manager on this Team is a Level 2 position which means this person must be an Independently Licensed Clinician with the expectation that this person will provide clinical service and/or support to the Team. This may include providing direct clinical service to one or more youth in the cohort. |
| 38 | 8/22/18 | Sam Tith/North Suffolk Mental Health, Inc. | Flex Teams: Billing | Original Quesiton: Section 8.2 outlines the billable unit of services. Still requiring further info to understand the entire process. Could you provide an example of how this would work for a 1.0FTE Flexible Support Team (all at level services at 2)? With that example would that mean the total amount of funds an agency would receive in one month of providing FSS would be $27,999? For 3 months $83,977? For 6 month $167,994? Is that correct? |
DMH has restated the question for clarity: Can you provide an example of how a provider would bill for a Team? Example 1 - Worcester Team includes:
1.0 FTE Clinician Level 1 = $7,338
.5 FTE Family Partner Level 1 =$2,568 .5 FTE Family Partner Level 2 (Senior FP) = $2,966 .5 FTE Young Adult Peer Mentor Level 2 (Senior YAPM) = $2,689 .5 FTE Therapeutic Support Specialist Level 2 = $2,689 Billable Amount for one month = $18,250 Billable Amount for three months = $18,250 * 3 = $54,750
Example Two: Merrimack Valley Team includes:
1.0 FTE Program Manager Level 2 = $8,613
2.0 FTE Clinician Level 1 = $7,338 * 2 = $14,676
1.5 FTE Family Partner Level 1 = $5,135 + $2,568 = $7,703
1.0 FTE Young Adult Peer Mentor Level 1 = $4,973
2.0 FTE Therapeutic Support Specialist Level 1 = $4,973 * 2 = $9,946 Total Billable Amount for One Month = $45,911 Total Billable Amount for Two Months = $45,911 * 2 = $91, 822
| 45 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Flex Teams: Caseload Size | What is the expectation of family caseload for each staff identified in attachment D including: Clinician, Family Partner, Peer Mentor and Therapeutic Support Specialist? | See #46, below in Flex Team. |
| 16 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Face-to-face Contacts | Regarding the 14 hour/month face to face average (RFR, p. 19), are these all literal in person contacts or do direct phone calls/emails to the youth and family count toward the total? | These are "literal" in-person contacts, meaning face-to-face. Phone calls and emails are not face-to-face contacts. |
| 36 | 8/22/18 | Sam Tith/North Suffolk Mental Health, Inc. | Flex Teams: Frequency of off-site area meetings | What will be the frequency of off-site area meetings for Teams? | The frequency of meetings between the Team and DMH Area and Site staff is determined by the applicable DMH CYF Area Director. The purpose of these meetings is to review referrals, provide feedback/consultation to DMH regarding the Flex Services, and/or provide relevant input to DMH Area clinical or other meetings, so frequency will be determined to ensure that these goals are achieved. Refer to RFR Subsection 5.1. |
| 22 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Implementation Date | What is the projected date for the execution of SOWs for Teams? | For the First Qualification Period, the implementation date is January 1, 2019. DMH will execute Statements of Works (SOWs) in advance of that implementation date to ensure timely start-up and transition to the new services. After January 1, 2019, DMH will negotiate and execute SOWs on an as-needed basis. |
| 32 | 8/22/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Flex Teams: Number of SOWs | In Attachment D, it states, "DMH may add additional Flexible Support Teams at any time or utilize fewer Teams than listed. In entering into Statements of Work, DMH will collaborate and negotiate with qualified Contractors to refine each Flexible Support Team?s staffing composition, service intervention(s)/activities, and maximum size of the cohort (total capacity) based on the needs of youth/families in the Area.? Is it DMH's intention to award more than one Flexible Support Team a SOW in one of the specified catchment areas? | Through this procurement, Flexible Support Services are being procured as Master Agreement (MA) contracts. Providers will be qualified to provide Flexible Support Services through the Team Modality (they can also become qualified to provide Flex Service through the Individual Practitioner and/or Group Modalities, if they so choose). DMH will choose from the providers on the MA who are qualified to provide Flex Services through the Team Modality to enter into a Statement of Work (SOW) to provide Flexible Support Services through a Team. Teams are configured to serve a cohort of DMH youth. The number of youth in the cohort reflects the typical number of youth DMH serves through Flexible Support Services in that Catchment Area. Attachment D specifies the Teams for which DMH anticipates awarding SOWs for the start of implementation on January 1, 2019. DMH can elect to engage with other Qualified Providers on the MA if the needs of DMH youth in the Catchment Area change (for example, more youth need to be served and we need another Team); DMH wishes to establish a Specialty Team (such as for co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders); or if DMH determines that the quality of services being provided by a Provider with a SOW is not consistent with the Flexible Support Service standards, in which case DMH will terminate the SOW and engage with a new qualified provider to provide the Team. In addition, DMH can elect to provide Flex Services through other Modalities than the Team Modality. |
| 18 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Sharing Team Staff Across Areas | Can staff work on different Teams that serve different areas? | It depends on the FTEs specified for each Team. If one team requires .5 FTE and a second Team requires .75 FTE of the same position, one person cannot fill both positions since this would be 1.25 FTE (more than full time). However, if both Teams only need .5 FTE of that position, it would be possible that one person could work on both Teams. However all staff are required to meet the Flexible Support Service specifications and standards for the services being provided. Given the inherent challenges to this kind of arrangement, one staff person working on two different Teams in two different areas woudl have to be approved by the DMH Child Youth and Family Area Director. |
| 46 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Flex Teams: Size of Cohort | Attachment D identifies a maximum number of youth enrolled at any point of time (ie. 25, 33, etc.). How is DMH calculating the number of families with the staffing that is outlined (ie. 2 Masters, 2 therapeutic supports and peer and family partners)? Is this number of enrolled youth just for the flex team or does it include Individual Practitioners as well? | DMH does not have fixed caseload expectations for the Flex Teams, since caseload will vary depending on the acuity and intensity of needs of the youth in the cohort. Additionally, staffing composition is determined by the number in the cohort, the face-to-face contact standard, and the productivity standards of the rates. |
Additionally, the size of the cohort for a Team is the number of youth to be served by the Team. It does not include number of youth to be served by Individual Practitioners.
55 8/23/18 Ellen Bruder-Moore/Community Counseling of Bristol County Flex Teams: Size of Cohort Original Question: Taunton/Attleboro area are 25 cases guaranteed?
| DMH has restated the question for clarity: Does the cohort size guarantee that number of referrals (for example, the Taunton/Attleboro Team has a cohort of 25, so will there always be 25 referrals to this Team)? | Flexible Support Teams are designed to be able to serve the number of youth in the cohort. However, there may be instances where DMH will refer less than the maximum number in the cohort. Refer to RFR Subsection 5.1. | |||||
| 17 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Splitting FTEs | Is it permissible to hire 1.0 FTEs of Peer Mentor Level 2 instead of 0.50 FTEs each of Peer Mentor Level 1 and Level 2? | DMH determines the staffing levels, desired credentials, and composition of the Team. These are negotiated and the agreed upon stafffing will be set forth in the applicable SOW. | |
| 52 | 8/23/18 | Ellen Bruder-Moore/Community Counseling of Bristol County | Flex Teams: Staff Vacancies | Original Quesiton: What happens if there are staff vacancies regarding reimbursement? |
| DMH has restate the question for clarity: How do staff vacancies impact reimbursement for a Flexible Support Team? | Providers are required to report all staff vacancies when they occur. DMH will monitor vacancies and assess how long the vacancy continues. If DMH determines that the vacancy warrants a reduction in the monthly unit rate for the team (i.e., to subtract the monthly amount for the vacant staff position), DMH will amend the Statement of Work accordingly. | |||||
| 19 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Staffing | If awarded an MA and SOW for Teams in multiple areas, can staff work on multiple Teams in order to have a 1.0 FTE? | See #18, above in Flex Teams. | |
| 14 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Staffing | Can providers fill positions with multiple individuals to total the given FTE? (e.g., two 0.25 FTE staff to fill one 0.50 FTE position) | This must be negotiated with and approved by the applicable DMH Child, Youth, and Family Area Director. | |
| 33 | 8/22/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Flex Teams: Two Teams Same Cohort? | Is it possible for multiple Flexible Support Teams to serve the same cohort in the same catchment area at the same time? | No. The purpose of a Team is to provide the full range of services needed by the cohort of youth and ensure that Team members work together to provide these services in an integrated and coordinated way. Two teams serving the same cohort at the same time would be counter-productive to these goals. | |
| 15 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Flex Teams: Variation from Attachment D | Original Question: For Flexible Support Teams, is DMH expecting one provider to serve all families in a given area or will DMH have multiple providers to serve families in a given area? (For example, would DMH consider 3 SOWs in Plymouth/Quincy, each with a caseload of 11 and one third of the staffing found in Attachment D?) |
| DMH has restated the question for clarity: Would DMH consider Responses that propose team configurations different from what is specified in Attachment D? For example, would DMH consider 3 SOWs in Plymouth/Quincy, each with a caseload of 11 and one third of the staffing found in Attachment D? | For the start of Flexible Support Service contracts on January 1, 2019, DMH expects to purchase Flex Teams as configured and specified in Attachment D. However, through this procurement, DMH is creating a list of qualified Providers to provide Flexible Support Services through one or more modalities. If a provider is able to provide a Flex Team with a different composition than those specified in Attachment D, this should be stated on the Cover Sheet and described in the Response Requirement Category II, #2a. The size and composition of a Flex Team is determined by the number of DMH youth in a geographic area, the clinical needs of the youth and their families, and the DMH budget for that Area. Any or all of these three factors can change over time, therefore DMH may purchase Flex Teams that look different from what is specified in Attachment D. | |||||
| Flex Support Groups | ||||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer | |
| 31 | 8/22/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Flexible Support Groups | Will participation in the flexible support groups be limited to family members of DMH-involved youth? For example, could CBHI-involved families participate? | Flexible Support Groups are limited to family members of DMH-involved youth. Youth can become DMH involved through the DMH "Service Authorization" process or "Limited Service Authorization" process. The Limited Service Authorization process does not require a full DMH Service Authorization. CBHI-involved youth may participate in Flexible Support Groups if they are authorized for Flex Services through the "Limited Service Authorization" process. | |
| General | ||||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer | |
| 11 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | General | Can an agency be a Flex provider (e.g., respite) without providing clinical services in that area? | Yes, an agency can become a qualified Flex provider for the Individual Practitioner and Group modalities, even if they are not qualified to provide clinical services. For example, a provider can be qualified to provide the Family Partner, Young Adult Peer Mentor, and/or Therapeutic Support Specialist service without being qualifed to provide Clinical Services. However, as stated in RFR Subsection 1.2.2, a provider cannot be qualified to administer Flexible Funding only. | |
| 25 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | General | Must an agency be on the MA for Teams in order to be able to receive SOWs for Individual Practitioner and/or Groups? | No. An agency can be qualified to provide Flexible Support Services as Individual Practioner and/or Groups without being qualified to provide Flex Teams. DMH encourages interested parties to seek qualification in any or all Modalities for which they have the capacity or are planning to develop the capacity. | |
| 54 | 8/23/18 | Annie Singh/Justice Resource Institute, Inc | ? | Will the CSA (Community Service Agency) be allowed to remain in place in conjunction with Flexible Support Teams? | The question is unclear. DMH cannot answer. | |
| 28 | 8/22/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | Clinician Progress Monitoring and Transition Indicator Tool | Is the clinician progress monitoring and transition indicator tool measuring client progress and functioning and/or competency of the clinician? | The Clinician monitors progress on treatment goals and transition indicators that have occurred as a result of the work the Clinician, youth and family have engaged in together. Please see Subsection 6.5.1. The monitoring is done as part of the Community Service Plan development and maintenance and it is done to help measure a youth's progress and readiness for discharge. | |
| 2 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Cultural Competency | Does the provider have to use the CLAS assessment or is an alternative acceptable? | An alternative is acceptable. As stated in the RFR Response Requirements, a Responder is required to describe the framework that their organization uses to ensure the provision of culturally and linguistically responsive services. One such framework is the CLAS; however others are acceptable. | |
| Staffing | ||||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer | |
| 9 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Staff Age Requirements | Are there age requirements for either the young adult peer mentor or parent/caregiver peer support? | No, DMH has not specified any age requirements for either peer roles. However, all persons hired must meet the state and federal guidelines for minimum age requirements to work. Additionally, it is expected that the Young Adult Peer Mentor will be a "young adult". For example, it would not be acceptable to DMH to have a forty year old person with lived experience working in the role of a Young Adult Peer Mentor. | |
| 50 | 8/23/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Young Adult Peer Support | Are there any age requirements for the Young Adult Peer Support position? | See #9, above in Staffing. | |
| 48 | 8/23/18 | Catherine Flynn/Martha's Vineyard Community Services, Inc. | Required Staffing Patterns | If an agency can apply to provide services only Martha's Vineyard, what staffing pattern and maximum # of Youth enrolled at one time would be required? | There is no required staffing pattern or maximum number of youth enrolled. Interested parties to this RFR indicate their general capacity to provide Flexible Support Services, including the type of Flexible Support Service (Clinical, Parent/Caregiver Peer Support, Young Adult Peer Mentoring, and Therapeutic Support) AND the Modalities through which they can provide these services. If qualified and included on the Master Agreement, DMH will decide whether to engage in a Statement of Work for the actual delivery of services. A Statement of Work can be for a Flex Team, Group, and/or Individual Practitioner, depending on the number of youth DMH wants to serve and their clinical needs. | |
| 35 | 8/22/18 | Sam Tith/North Suffolk Mental Health, Inc. | Staff: TM Degree Requirement | TM will now be required to at least have an associates degree. This standard veers away from the CBHI requirements that do not require an associates. For those agencies tapping into their already established TM population from the CBHI sector, will there be a waiver process? | Individuals who provide DMH Therapeutic Support Services are referred to as Therapeutic Support Specialists, not "TM". The Staff Credential requirements for the DMH Therapeutic Support Specialist role are as stated in the RFR. There will be no waiver. | |
| Parent / Caregiver Peer Support Group | ||||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer | |
| 39 | 8/22/18 | Megan Hempstead/Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children | Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Group | Specifically for a Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Group, do all group participants need to be parents/caregivers of DMH-eligible youth? | See #31, above in Flex Support Groups | |
| 40 | 8/22/18 | Megan Hempstead/Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children | Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Group | In Section 6.5.2, it says that the Provider obtains and reviews information regarding the current goals from DMH and other relevant collaterals? and later mentions that for Parent/Caregiver Peer Support, the CSP is called a Family Action Plan. If we are submitting only to provider Parent/Caregiver Peer Support through the Groups modality, is it required that we review current goals from DMH and create a Family Action Plan? | Yes, it is required that providers of Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Groups review current goals from DMH and create an FAP. The Community Service Plan and the Family Action Plan are two distinct and separate documents. Refer to RFR Subsection 4.4.2, Bullet 8 and RFR Subsection 6.5.2. Family Action Plans are required for Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Groups; refer to RFR Subsection 5.3. | |
| 41 | 8/22/18 | Megan Hempstead/Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children | Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Group | If an agency is providing Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Groups but is not the provider for the Areas Flexible Support Team, is the Flexible Support Team agency expected to make referrals to the groups? And what communication and coordination is expected between the two agencies? | It is not expected that a Flexible Support Team make referrals to a Parent/Caregiver Peer Support Group since all youth/families participating in Flexible Support Services must be authorized by DMH. A Team may recommend to DMH that a parent/caregiver be considered for a Group, but DMH must make the referral to the Group, not a Flexible Support Team. |
It is expected that all providers involved in the services for a youth and family coordinate treatment plans and services and communicate to the degree necessary to ensure integrated and coordinated care. Refer to RFR Subsection 6.10.
| Providers and Service Area | |||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer |
| 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Providers | What is the vision for providers that will work together on a shared case? | Refer to RFR Subsection 6.10. | |
| 34 | 8/22/18 | Sam Tith/North Suffolk Mental Health, Inc. | Providing Services Outside Catchment Area | RFR mentions on page 11 of the master agreement that providers will be expected to provide services to a client if they leave the catchment area for an ?extended period.? What are the limits to distance out of catchment? For how long agencies obligated to provide services to these clients. What if a family moved more than 1 hour away from the primary agency? | The need for such an arrangement is to support the youth and family during a time of transition from one area to another or from one level of care to another (such as to/from or during an out-of-home placement). DMH recognizes the challenges this situation could pose for providers and therefore will negotiate this kind of arrangement on a case-by-case basis with the goal of supporting an effective and seamless transition for the youth and family. |
| 48 | 8/23/18 | Catherine Flynn/Martha's Vineyard Community Services, Inc. | Required Staffing Patterns | If an agency can apply to provide services only Martha's Vineyard, what staffing pattern and maximum # of Youth enrolled at one time would be required? | There is no required staffing pattern or maximum number of youth enrolled. Interested parties to this RFR indicate their general capacity to provide Flexible Support Services, including the type of Flexible Support Service (Clinical, Parent/Caregiver Peer Support, Young Adult Peer Mentoring, and Therapeutic Support) AND the Modalities through which they can provide these services. If qualified and included on the Master Agreement, DMH will decide whether to engage in a Statement of Work for the actual delivery of services. A Statement of Work can be for a Flex Team, Group, and/or Individual Practitioner, depending on the number of youth DMH wants to serve and their clinical needs. |
| Response Requirements | |||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer |
| 42 | 8/22/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Response Requirements | Is a provider required to respond to sections of response category IV if they do not currently have the workforce capacity, but will look to develop it? If so are attachments required as well or will it be acceptable to state they will be developed with DMH? | Yes, all Items in a Response Category must be answered and all requested attachments must be included. |
| 26 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Response Requirements: Cover Sheet | On the Cover Sheet, are responses to the 5th and 6th columns meant to refer back to the codes on Attachment D? | Please see the amended and restated Cover Sheet and follow new instructions. |
| 23 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Response Requirements: Page Limits | Given that the questions for some sections in the Response are longer than the page limits for answers after using the given font type, size, margins, etc., will DMH consider extending page limits? | DMH is amending the RFR to allow responses to the vignette questions be submitted as attachments. Please note that the response questions do not have to be repeated in the Response, only the Response Category and Item header. |
| 27 | 8/21/18 | Mike Moran/Family Service Association of Greater Fall River, Inc. | Response Requirements: Page Limits | The instructions state that the response to General Qualifications for all Responders must be limited to 2 pages. However, the information sought is extensive. Can you help me reconcile this? | The page limit for the General Qualifications is as stated. Required attachments are not included in that page limit. |
| 59 | 8/23/18 | Lisa Chabot/Advocates, Inc. | Response Requirements: Page Limits | Can you verify that the page limit for Category is two pages? There are several detailed questions that will be challenging to answer within that space limit; and I want to be sure we are giving you the information you need to score our application. | Without a category specified, DMH is unable to answer this question. |
| 8 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | Response Requirements: Resumes | Providers are only required to submit resumes for the management staff correct? | Correct. Resumes are only required for those staff who will have managerial or supervisory responsibilities for the Flexible Support Service being provided. |
| 57 | 8/23/18 | Annie Singh/Justice Resource Institute, Inc | Response Requirements: Vignettes | Can we add the vignettes as an attachment vs. a narrative in response categories IV-VI? | Yes, DMH has changed the Response Requirements to allow the vignettes to be attachments. |
| 58 | 8/23/18 | Annie Singh/Justice Resource Institute, Inc | Response Requirements: Vignettes | Will we need to complete a vignette for the Individual Practitioner modality in response categories IV-VI? | Yes. |
| 24 | 8/20/18 | Sandra Hoy-Maruschak/L.U.K. Crisis Center, Inc. | Response Requirements: Vingettes | Can vignettes be included as attachments? | Yes, see #23, above in Response Requirements. |
| 29 | 8/22/18 | Ellen Caliendo/Assoc For Behavioral Healthcare Foundation Inc | COMMBUYS and Submitting Attachments | Are the Attachments to be uploaded in a PDF as part of the Response section on COMMBUYS or are the three sections: Cover sheet, Responses with attachments, and SDP uploaded in COMMBUYS as one PDF? | The Cover Sheet, Response, all attachments, and SDP can be uploaded in COMMBUYS as one PDF file. |
| 49 | 8/23/18 | Mairin Schreiber/NFI Massachusetts, Inc | Restraint Policy | I.5.a. Asks for providers restraint and seclusion policy, which we have. Can this requirement be satisfied by writing a statement that we do not use restraints or seclusion for our community-based services? | No, this requirement cannot be satisfied with a written statement. Responders much attach their policy regarding restraint and seclusion. As an attachment it will not be counted in determining if the page limit has been exceeded. |
| Statement of Works | |||||
| Question Number | Date Submitted | Submitter | Subject | Question | DMH Answer |
| 7 | 8/17/18 | Katie Joyce/Old Colony Y | SOW | What will be the average # of months for the SOW service for Flex teams? | There is no average number of months for a Flexible Support Team SOW. However, in most cases, the SOW will reflect the DMH Fiscal Year. |
File details come from the government source that posted it. Updated .