Licensed_and_Specialized_Counseling_Provider_Services.pdf

County of Orange

Social Services Agency

Request for Applications

RFA No.: 063-3078304-VR

Licensed and Specialized Counseling

Provider Services

Released Thursday, September 10, 2026

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

SECTION 2. PROTEST PROCEDURES

SECTION 3. APPLICATION PREPARATION AND EVALUATION

SECTION 4. SCORING CRITERIA

SECTION 5. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES and SCOPE OF WORK

SECTION 6. VENDOR RESPONSES

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1 INTRODUCTION AND INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS

1.1 INTRODUCTION

The County of Orange (County) Social Services Agency is seeking applications from qualified individuals (hereinafter referred to as "Respondents") to provide Licensed and Specialized

Counseling Provider Services. Respondents must meet the minimum qualifications and requirements as set forth within the Request for Applications (RFA) and be capable of providing services identified in the Scope of Work herein.

The County intends that the successful Respondent(s) shall provide LSCP Services proposed in accordance with contract requirements set forth in the solicitation and Model Contract, including

Attachments.

1.2 COUNTY HOLIDAYS DURING SOLICITATION PERIOD

During this solicitation period, the Social Services Agency will be closed on the following County holidays: https://hrs.oc.gov/employee-relations/employee-resources

1.3 INSTRUCTIONS TO RESPONDENTS AND PROCEDURES FOR SUBMITTAL

A. Responses are to be uploaded via the County's eProcurement Portal at https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov. For assistance on uploading Response via County’s eProcurement Portal, please contact procurement-support@opengov.com or https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

B. Examine the Contract Documents and the site of the proposed work carefully before submitting a Response for the work contemplated. Investigate the conditions to be encountered, as to the character, quality, and quantities of work to be performed and materials to be furnished and as to the requirements of all Contract Documents. The County has attempted to provide all information available. It is the responsibility of each

Respondent to review, evaluate, and, where necessary, request any clarification prior to submission of a Response. If any person contemplating submitting a response to this RFA is in doubt as to the true meaning of any part of the solicitation documents attached hereto or finds discrepancies in or omissions from the specifications, they may submit a written request for clarification/interpretation to the County Deputy Procurement Agent (DPA) via the County’s eProcurement Portal under the bid page for this solicitation.If clarification or interpretation of this solicitation is considered necessary by County, an addendum shall be issued, and the information will be posted via the County’s eProcurement Portal. Any interpretation of, or correction to, this solicitation shall be issued by the DPA. It is the responsibility of each Respondent to periodically check the County’s eProcurement Portal to ensure that they have received and reviewed any and all addenda to this solicitation. The

County will not be responsible for any other explanations, corrections to, or interpretations https://hrs.oc.gov/employee-relations/employee-resources https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/ocgov mailto:procurement-support@opengov.com https://help.procurement.opengov.com/en/

Request for Applications 4 of 33 Licensed and Specialized Counseling Provider of the documents, including any oral information. If an addendum is issued, Respondents must acknowledge the addendum via the County’s eProcurement Portal.All questions or requests for interpretations must be received within this solicitation by Tuesday, September

29, 2026, before 4:00 pm.Respondents are not to contact other County personnel with any questions or clarifications concerning this RFA.The DPA will provide all official communication concerning this solicitation. Any County response relevant to this solicitation other than through or approved by the DPA is unauthorized and will be considered invalid.

C. Responses must be valid for a period of at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days from the closing date and time of receipt. No Response may be withdrawn after the submission date.

D. Each Respondent must submit their response electronically via the County’s eProcurement

Portal.

E. All pages must be numbered and identified sequentially by section. Responses must be organized and indexed as outlined in the Response Requirements Section. It is imperative that all Respondents comply, exactly and completely, with the instructions set forth herein.

All responses to this solicitation shall be type written (12-point Times New Roman font, and single line spacing) or word-processed (except where otherwise provided or noted), concise, straightforward, and must fully address each requirement and question.

Paraphrasing the RFA questions is not permitted. Although not as a substitute for a complete written response, additional material, such as technical documents, may be referenced in any response if the material is included in the same section as additional information. Text located in other documents (e.g., references to "see attached" or hyperlinks) will not be evaluated or scored.

F. Responses are not to be marked as confidential or proprietary. The County may refuse to consider any Responses so marked. All Responses and supporting documents will be subject to the provisions of the California Public Records Act (California Code

Government Code 7920.000 et seq.) (PRA) and will be disclosed or withheld in accordance therewith. The County shall not be liable in any way for disclosure of any such records.

Additionally, all Responses shall become the property of the County. Respondents should not request that certain information be treated as exempt, and statements in the Responses should not be marked as confidential or proprietary. In the event that any information is marked as confidential or proprietary, as it may be absolutely necessary, Respondents have the sole responsibility of obtaining any applicable injunctive reliefs to prevent the disclosure of such confidential proprietary information in connection with any request made to County pursuant to PRA or a subpoena for disclosure of such information.

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G. Each Respondent shall exercise reasonable care and diligence to avoid submitting a

Response that could result in a conflict of interest if Respondent were to be selected. This obligation shall apply to the Respondent, the Respondent’s employees, agents, and relatives, sub-contractors, and third parties associated with accomplishing work and services in Response. In the event Respondent has done work for the County on this Project in the past or has reason to believe that a conflict of interest may exist for Respondent in regard to this Project, Respondent should consult with its legal counsel prior to responding to this solicitation. Any Respondent who is found to have an actual conflict of interest may have its Response rejected on that ground. Respondent, its employees and/or consultants may be subject to the provisions of the California Political Reform Act of 1974 (the “Act”), which (1) requires such persons to disclose any financial interest that may be materially affected by services provided under this Contract, (2) prohibits such persons from making, or participating in making, decisions that could reasonably affect such interest; and (3) may require the filing a Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700).If subject to the Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act. Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the Contract by County.

Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

H. By submitting a Response, the Respondent represents that it thoroughly examined the

County’s requirements, is familiar with the services required under this solicitation and is qualified and capable of providing the services to achieve the County’s objectives.

I. Each Respondent must submit its Response in strict accordance with all requirements of this solicitation and compliance must be stated in the Response. Deviations, clarifications and/or exceptions must be clearly identified and listed separately as alternative items on additional information section for the County’s consideration as specified in the

Response Requirements Section, “Statement of Compliance.”

Note: Allow sufficient time to upload all required files. The County’s eProcurement Portal will not allow any uploads after the due date and time specified herein, e.g., if Part 1 and 2 uploaded successfully at 1:58:38 P.M. and Part 3 is in progress of being uploaded at 2:00:01

P.M., Part 3 will not upload successfully.

J. Pre-contractual expenses are not to be included in the response. Pre-contractual expenses are defined as including, but not limited to, expenses incurred by the Respondent in: a) preparing the response to this solicitation; b) submitting that response to the County; c) negotiating with the County any matter related to the Respondent’s response; and d) any other expenses incurred by the Respondent prior to the date of award and execution, if any, of the Contract.

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K. Any Response may be construed as non-responsive and ineligible for consideration if it does not comply with the requirements of the solicitation, including but not limited to technical features, acknowledgment of receipt of addenda, and page number limits, etc. These are common causes for deeming a Response non-responsive.

L. Where two or more Respondents desire to submit a single Response to this solicitation, they must do so on a prime/subcontractor basis rather than as a joint venture. The County intends to contract with a single firm that may subcontract with multiple firms (team) but not with multiple firms doing business as a joint venture.

M. County does not require and neither encourages nor discourages the use of lobbyists or other consultants for the purpose of securing business.

N. The County requires a valid D-U-N-S number prior to Contract Award. If needed, your company may obtain one at no cost at www.dnb.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a D-U-N-S number, please indicate so in your submission response.

O. The County requires a valid Unique Entity ID (UEI) number and full registration prior to Contract Award. Your company must obtain one at no cost at www.usfcr.com. If you are unable to provide/obtain a UEI number, please indicate so in your submission response.

P. Effective from the issuance date of this solicitation until a Contract is awarded or the solicitation is withdrawn, all individuals or entities responding—including their employees, agents, representatives, proposed partners, subcontractors, members, lobbyists, or attorneys (collectively "Respondents")—are prohibited from engaging in any direct or indirect communication with County personnel involved in the selection process, except with the designated DPA. Respondents may continue conducting business with the County on matters unrelated to this solicitation and may communicate with County staff, provided the solicitation is not discussed. Any attempt to engage in discussion regarding this solicitation with anyone other than the designated DPA will be presumed to create an unfair competitive advantage and may result in disqualification.

Q. After the closing date and time for receipt of Responses, evaluation, and if requested by the County, interviews will commence. Respondents who submit Responses most responsive to the County’s requirements may be asked to give a presentation of their response to County staff. The County makes no guarantee as to the number of Respondents selected for interviews. Selected Respondents should be prepared to make its presentation within five business days after notification and be prepared to discuss all aspects of its response in detail, including technical questions regarding the response. Respondents shall not be allowed to alter or amend its response through the use of the presentation process.

http://www.dnb.com/ http://www.usfcr.com/

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1.4 MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS

Respondents shall meet the following minimum requirements and qualifications to proceed to the evaluation process. Failure to have the ability to, upon County request, provide any of the items requested below may result in disqualification of your response. These qualifications must be maintained during the term of any resultant Contract.

A. Must have the ability to do business in Orange County, California.

B. Complete all required Vendor Response questions of the solicitation.

C. Provide all required information, complete all required Exhibits and Forms, and pass all IT security requirements.

D. Certify all sections of the RFA Model Contract, including security requirements.

E. Have five years of consecutive, recent experience in providing services that are the same as or similar to those services being requested in the RFA.

F. Possess a valid and current license for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor

(LPCC), or Licensed Clinical Psychologist, at time of response submission.

1.5 EVALUATION PROCESS

Responses deemed to meet all minimum solicitation requirements will be scored based on the established evaluation criteria, and will be assigned points that measure the responsiveness to each identified criterion. The total number of points earned will be tallied for each Response, based upon the Respondent(s) submitted written materials.

Responses shall be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel of job knowledge experts on the basis of the responsiveness to the requirements in this RFA. The County may request clarifications, or otherwise verify the contents of the Response, including information about the Respondent, Contractors and sub-contractors.

The scoring is based on evaluation of the Response as measured against the Scoring Criteria, in accordance with Section 4.9 of the 2026 County Contract Policy Manual (CPM). A copy of the

2026 CPM can be found at https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm. Responses will be evaluated from the most advantageous to the least advantageous to the County.

1.6 SELECTION/AWARD PROCEDURES

Upon the completion of the evaluation process, the Evaluation Committee will make a recommendation for an award to the County’s DPA. Final award determination shall be subject to reference checks and past performance.

The Model Contract contained herein this RFA is the Contract proposed for execution. It may be modified to incorporate negotiated items and other pertinent terms and conditions set forth in this https://cpo.oc.gov/cpm

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RFA, including special conditions and requirements and those added by addendum, necessary attachments and/or exhibits, and to reflect Respondent’s response and qualifications. Terms and conditions are subject to change between the release of this RFA and implementation of the

Contract, and may be added before the Contract is finalized. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent after submission of its Response may result in its elimination from further consideration.

Exceptions to the terms and conditions of the Model Contract, or the statements regarding

Respondent’s inability to comply with any of the provisions thereof, are not permitted for this RFA.

Negotiations may or may not be conducted with the finalist(s); therefore, the response submitted should contain Respondent(s) most favorable terms and conditions, since the selection and award may be made without further discussion or need for clarification. Any additional exceptions to the terms and conditions made by any Respondent(s) after submission of its response may result in elimination from further consideration.

The award requires approval by the County Board of Supervisors. The master contract and subordinate contracts will be presented to the County Board of Supervisors for approval, and upon such approval, subordinate contracts will be awarded to qualified Respondent(s).

Selected Respondent(s) shall not have any outstanding debt with County, or shall be in the process of resolving outstanding debt to the County's satisfaction, prior to entering into and during the term of the resulting Contract.

1.7 RIGHTS RESERVED TO COUNTY

The County reserves the right to:

A. Make use of any information or ideas in the responses submitted.

B. Request response revisions and hold discussions and negotiations with any Respondent as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

C. Seek publicly available information about the Respondents.

D. Conduct, or not to conduct, oral interviews and/or presentations with the highest-scored

Respondent(s) and additional Respondents.

E. Waive, at its discretion, any procedural, non-material defects, irregularity, or informality, which County deems correctable or otherwise not warranting rejection of the response that do not result in any unfair competitive advantage. Any waiver will not excuse a proponent from full compliance.

F. Verify and validate any information prior to Contract Award and during the entire term of the Contract.

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G. Negotiate the final Contract with any Respondent(s), including pricing/fee schedule, as necessary to serve the best interests of the County.

H. Withdraw or cancel in part or in its entirety this solicitation at any time without prior notice and furthermore makes no representations that any Contract will be awarded to any

Respondent responding to this solicitation.

I. Award its total requirements to one Respondent or to apportion those requirements among two or more Respondents as the County may deem to be in its best interests.

J. Reject any response if it is conditional, incomplete or deviates significantly from the services requested in this solicitation.

K. Request Best and Final Offer from any Respondent determined to be within the competitive range. Unless requested by the County, late Best and Final Offers will not be accepted by the County for any reason. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with

Respondents.

L. Make multiple awards to Respondent(s) for services requested in this solicitation, at its sole discretion, to serve the best interests of the County.

M. Defer award of this Contract for a period of 180 days after the solicitation opening. During this period, Respondent shall guarantee the prices and terms quoted in their responses. The

County and the responsive, responsible Respondent may mutually agree in writing to extend this deferral period.

N. Based upon the County's needs or availability of funding at the time of selection of a contractor or during contract negotiations, to modify the scope of services and contract budget amount. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

Based upon the County's needs or availability of funding at the time of selection of a contractor or during contract negotiations, to modify the scope of services and contract budget amount. In addition, negotiations may or may not be conducted with Respondents.

1.8 TITLE VI SOLICITATION NOTICE

The County of Orange, in accordance with the provisions of the Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 252, 42 USC §§ 2000d to 2000d-4) and the Regulations, hereby notifies all

Respondents that it will affirmatively ensure that any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, will be afforded full and fair opportunity to submit response to this solicitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

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1.9 DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY, INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE FORM W-

9/W-8 REQUIREMENTS

Effective June 3, 2006, all Contractors, entering into a Contract with County, who are not already established in Countywide ERP System as an Auditor-Controller vendor, will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform

Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within 10 days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to Contract administrator, or the DPA, the required W-9 or W-8.

1.10 LEVINE ACT REQUIREMENT

Effective January 1, 2023, all contractors entering into a contract with the County, will be required to submit the Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form for any contributions made on or after

January 1, 2023. In order to comply with this requirement, Respondent agrees to furnish the required Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form as a required submittal with its response. Failure to include the form as required will render the response nonresponsive.

1.11 ANTICIPATED TERM AND FUNDING AVAILABILITY

Contingent upon approval by the Orange County Board of Supervisors, the County intends to award contracts to qualified Respondents that meet the requirements of this RFA. The term of the resulting contract will begin on or about July 1, 2027, and terminate on June 30, 2030. The estimated amount available for each year of the three-year contract will be $840,000 per year, to be shared by all providers, for an estimated maximum of $2,520,000 for all three years.

The County does not guarantee any specified minimum number of referrals or minimum sum of money during the term of the Contract resulting from this RFA. SSA will be the sole source for all referrals to LSCP Services.

The initial three-year agreement may be renewed, subject to contractor performance and continued funding, for a two-year term, without a competitive bid process, at the sole discretion of the

County.

The funding for the contract resulting from this RFA is contingent upon the State budget; receipt of funds from and/or obligation of funds by the Federal Government to the State and from the State to the County; and inclusion of sufficient funding for the services hereunder in the budget approved by the County’s Board of Supervisors for each fiscal year covered by said contract. If such approval, funding, or appropriations are not forthcoming, or are otherwise limited, the contract may be immediately terminated, reduced, or modified without penalty.

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2 PROTEST PROCEDURES

Any actual or prospective bidder or respondent who alleges an error or impropriety in the solicitation or award of a contract may submit a grievance or protest to Vanessa Rooke at vanessa.rooke@ssa.ocgov.com, as set forth herein.

PROTEST PROCEDURES

All protests shall be typed under the protestor’s letterhead and submitted in accordance with the provisions stated herein. All protests shall include at a minimum the following information:

A. The name, address, and telephone number of the protestor;

B. The signature of the protestor or the protestor’s representative;

C. The solicitation or contract number;

D. A detailed statement of the legal and/or factual grounds for the protest; and, E. The form of relief requested.

Protest of Solicitation Specifications:

A. All protests related to solicitation specifications must be submitted to the Deputy

Procurement Agent (DPA), Vanessa Rooke at vanessa.rooke@ssa.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days prior to the Closing Date of the solicitation. Protests received after the five (5) business-day deadline will not be considered by the County.

B. In the event the protest of specifications is denied, and the protestor wishes to continue in the solicitation process, the protestor must still submit a bid/response prior to the close of the solicitation in accordance with the solicitation submittal procedures provided in this solicitation.

Protest of Award of Contract:

A. Protests related to the award of a contract must be submitted to the Deputy Procurement

Agent, Vanessa Rooke at vanessa.rooke@ssa.ocgov.com, no later than five (5) business days after the Notice of Solicitation Results is provided by the DPA.

B. Protests relating to a proposed contract award received after the five (5) business day deadline will not be considered by the County.

C. If the five (5) business day period expires without the receipt of a protest, the department may move forward with the contract award or if necessary, file the item for approval by the Board of Supervisors.

Protest Process

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A. In the event of a timely protest, the County shall not proceed with the solicitation or award of the contract until the DPA issues a decision on the protest.

B. Upon receipt of a timely protest, the DPA will, within ten (10) business days of receipt of the protest, issue a decision in writing which shall state the reasons for the actions taken.

C. The County may, after providing written justification, make the determination that an immediate award of the contract is necessary to protect the substantial interests of the

County. The award of a contract shall in no way compromise the protester’s right to the protest procedures outlined herein.

D. If the protestor disagrees with the decision of the DPA, the protestor may submit a written appeal to the County Procurement Officer requesting an appeal to the

Procurement Appeals Board, in accordance with the process stated below.

APPEALS PROCESS

A. If the protestor wishes to appeal the protest decision of the Deputy Procurement Agent, the protestor must submit, within three (3) business days from receipt of the Deputy

Procurement Agent’s decision, a written appeal to the Office of the County Procurement

Officer.

Written appeals must be sent by mail to the address below with a courtesy copy by email;

County of Orange/County Executive Office

County Procurement Office

400 W. Civic Center Drive, 5th Floor

Santa Ana, CA 92701

Attn: County Procurement Officer

CPOAppeals@ceo.oc.gov

B. Within fifteen (15) business days, the County Procurement Officer will review all materials in connection with the appeal, assess the merits of the protest and provide a written determination that shall contain his or her decision on whether the appeal shall be forwarded to the Procurement Appeals Board.

C. The decision of the County Procurement Officer on whether to allow the appeal to go forward will be final and there shall be no right to any administrative appeals of this decision.

mailto:CPOAppeals@ocgov.com

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3 APPLICATION PREPARATION AND EVALUATION

Respondents should review all requirements and instructions to ensure that each requirement is clearly addressed in the application.

3.1 ELIGIBILITY TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS

To be eligible to submit an application for these services, the Respondent must possess a valid and current license issued by the State of California, Department of Consumer Affairs, as a LMFT, LCSW, LPCC, or Licensed Clinical Psychologist; have an office located within Orange County or with the means to establish an office in Orange County by the contract start date; possess a minimum of two years of experience providing counseling services to children/families with a history of child abuse and/or neglect; and the ability to provide direct services in accordance with the scope of work detailed in this RFA. Current County of Orange employees are not eligible to submit an application.

In order to be eligible to contract with the County, an individual or entity must not be listed on the current Cumulative Sanction List of the Office of the Inspector General (U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services), the General Services Administration’s list of parties excluded from federal programs, or the California Medi-Cal Suspended and Ineligible Provider List.

Accordingly, County will not review any application submitted by an individual or entity found to be on any of these lists and the application will automatically be rejected. County will notify the Respondent of this determination in writing.

The County plans to use the following databases to identify individuals and entities that are not eligible to contract with the County:

• https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/

• https://sam.gov/search/

• Medi-Cal Suspension Search Database

It is the sole responsibility of all Respondents to verify that they are not on any of these lists prior to preparing and submitting an application in response to this RFA. Correction of any errors found on any of the lists, above, is the sole responsibility of the Respondent and must be made prior to submission of the application.

In addition, in order to be eligible to enter into a contract with the County, an individual or entity must not have any pending charge(s) or conviction(s) for violation of criminal law(s) and/or any sanction(s) or disciplinary action(s) imposed or taken against them by any federal or state law enforcement, regulatory or licensing agency or body, including exclusion from Medicare and

Medicaid programs. Accordingly, all Respondents must self-disclose with explanation, or deny the existence of this information pertaining to their principals, executives, and managers directly https://exclusions.oig.hhs.gov/ https://sam.gov/search/

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3.2 REJECTION OF APPLICATION(S)

The County reserves the right to reject any application at any time during the RFA process on the basis of any substantiated actual and/or apparent conflict of interest regarding the performance of the proposed services solicited under this RFA. All Respondents must self-disclose any potential and/or actual conflict of interest(s) in Section 6 - Vendor Responses, Question 1.14. Any

Respondent submitting an application herein waives any right to object to County’s exercise of this right, now or at any future time, before anybody or agency including, but not limited to, the

County Board of Supervisors or any court of competent jurisdiction.

As soon as the County has determined that a Respondent has a conflict of interest as stated herein, County will provide written notification of such conflict and rejection of the application.

The County also reserves the right to reject any application at any time during the RFA process on the basis of any one or more of the following substantiated grounds:

1. Evidence of collusion amongst Respondents;

2. Lack of such business skills and/or financial resources necessary and appropriate to successfully operate the services solicited in this RFA, as revealed by either the financial statement or experience statement;

3. Lack of responsibility as shown by past work, references, or other factors;

4. Default on, or unpaid, County debt;

5. Default on any obligation to County;

6. Current or past failure to perform to County standards any obligation of a contract with

County, as determined by County; and

7. Other causes, as the County deems appropriate, at its sole and absolute discretion.

All applications that are submitted late, irregular, incomplete, conditional, ambiguous and/or obscure and not minor irregularities and/or immaterial or inconsequential variations from the RFA requirements will be rejected. The County will provide a written notification of the grounds upon which an application is rejected.

3.3 MINOR IRREGULARITIES AND DEFICIENCIES IN APPLICATION(S)

The County reserves the right at its sole discretion, to accept an application containing a minor irregularity or when a defect or variation is immaterial or inconsequential.

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The County reserves the right to waive any and all minor irregularities in lieu of seeking corrections thereof. All requests for correction of minor irregularities or notification of waiver thereof will be given to Respondents in writing.

3.4 NON-RESPONSIVE APPLICATION(S)

Any application which fails to conform to the essential requirements of this RFA, such as specifications, may be rejected as non-responsive.

The County will provide a written notification of rejecting non-responsive applications, which will state the specific grounds for the rejection. Therefore, it is the sole responsibility of the

Respondents to ensure their applications are conforming and responsive to all requirements of this

RFA.

3.5 EVALUATION OF APPLICATIONS AND SELECTION OF PROVIDERS

The County plans to review all applications received and enter into contract negotiations with

Respondents that meet all requirements.

The County has the right to conduct a compensation plan analysis to review and audit all business records and related documents of any and all Respondents (including an affiliated or parent company), determine the adequacy, fairness, and reasonableness of the application, and to contact any and all client references.

The County’s determination as to whether a Respondent is qualified and responsive will be based on the information furnished by the Respondent in this solicitation, in-person interview(s) with the

Respondent (if applicable), as well as from other sources determined to be valid by County. Award will not be made until after such investigations, as are deemed necessary, are made by the County regarding the experience and financial responsibility of Respondent, which each Respondent agrees to permit by submitting its application.

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4 SCORING CRITERIA

Members of the Application evaluation committee will evaluate and assign scores based on the

Evaluation Criteria below. Respondents must achieve a Passing Score to be considered for a contract award. SSA will award Contracts with as many qualified Respondents as needed.

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method

1. Form A - Respondent Application

Employment Experience: Maximum 150 points Education/Training/Professional Experience: Maximum 150 points LSCP Areas of Specialization and Supplemental Areas of Specialization: Maximum 200 points Hours of Operation and Office Location (Hours of Operation): Maximum 150 points Hours of Operation and Office Location (Office Location): 100 points Record Keeping: Maximum 75 points Client Engagement: Maximum 75 points

Total Possible Score: 900 points

Passing Score: 630 points

Pass/Fail

5 DESCRIPTION OF SERVICES and SCOPE OF WORK

5.1 BACKGROUND

The County of Orange (County) Social Services Agency (SSA) is currently requesting applications from LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and Licensed Clinical Psychologists to provide child abuse and/or neglect prevention and intervention counseling services.

Services offered through this RFA are for SSA clients in the Children and Family Services (CFS)

Division. The target population comprises culturally diverse individuals and families who are at risk of, or have a history of, child abuse and/or neglect. Clients also present diverse language needs, predominantly Spanish, Mandarin-Chinese, and Vietnamese. Additional language needs also include, but are not limited to, Korean, Cambodian, Farsi, and certified fluency in American

Sign Language.

To meet these service delivery needs, the County is seeking qualified Providers who possess the necessary training and experience working with children and families; possess second language capabilities; and demonstrate experience, specialized training, or certification in areas such as adoption, cognitive behavioral therapy, couples/marital therapy/co-parenting, commercially sexually exploited children (CSEC), domestic violence, Eye Movement Desensitization and

Reprocessing (EMDR), faith-based and/or culturally responsive practice, gang relationships/juvenile delinquency, grief and loss, parenting skills, play therapy, sexual abuse, substance use, stress and anger management, and trauma-informed practice.

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Counseling services to be provided include individual, conjoint, and family counseling to assist clients in areas requiring prevention and intervention services while identifying and understanding issues related to child abuse and neglect, pursuant to California Welfare and

Institutions Code Section 16501. These services assist clients with a history of abuse and/or neglect in achieving treatment goals, modifying behavior, accessing resources that support successful family reunification and/or family maintenance, and gaining sufficient knowledge and skills to prevent future child abuse and/or neglect.

5.2 SCOPE OF WORK

See Attachment A of Model Contract for Scope of Work.

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6 VENDOR RESPONSES

Responses must be prepared simply and economically, providing a straightforward, concise description of capabilities to satisfy the requirements of this RFA. Emphasis should be on completeness and clarity of content with sufficient detail to allow for accurate evaluation and analysis.

Responses are electronically organized into three (3) Parts and are indexed in the order outlined below. Complete all required questions within each part.

Part 1 - Compliance Statements

Part 2 - Company Profile & References

Part 3 - Respondent's Responses

1 PART 1: COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS

Some *required questions might not be applicable to your company. Do not leave any required fields blank. Please indicate "N/A" when necessary. A required field that is left blank will prohibit your response from being submitted.

*indicates that it is required.

1.1 Are you currently a Registered Intern or Unlicensed?*

If "Yes," stop here. You are not eligible to apply.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

1.2 Are you currently an employee of the County of Orange?*

If "Yes," stop here. Current County of Orange employees are not eligible to apply. This includes regular, temporary, and extra help employees.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

1.3 Do you currently have an office in Orange County, California, have the ability to do business in Orange County, California, or will have an office and the ability to do business Orange

County, California, by the start of the contract term?*

If "No," stop here. You are not eligible to apply.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

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1.4 Do you have a minimum of two years of experience providing counseling services to children/families with a history of child abuse and/or neglect?*

If "No," stop here. You are not eligible to apply.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

1.5 Validity of Response*

The County requires that all response be valid for at least three hundred sixty-five (365) calendar days. Submissions not valid for at least 365 days will be considered nonresponsive. The

Respondent shall state the length of time for which the submitted response shall remain valid below:

Please state 365 calendar days if your response will be valid for that period of time. If your response will be valid for a different period of time, please list the appropriate number of calendar days.

Maximum response length: 100 characters

*Response required

1.6 Does your organization accept the reimbursement rate of*

$150 per Counseling Session?

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

1.7 Does your organization understand that the estimated funding is an aggregate (combined) amount to be shared with all selected Respondents?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

1.8 Does your organization understand that the number of referrals for this service is an aggregate (combined) amount to be shared with all selected Respondents, and that no

Respondent providing services is guaranteed any certain number of referrals?*

☐ Yes

☐ No

1.9 Certification of Understanding*

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The County assumes no responsibility for any understanding or representation made by any of its officers, employees or agents during or prior to the execution of any Contract resulting from this solicitation unless:

A. Such understanding or representations are expressly stated in the Contract; and

B. The Contract expressly provides that the County therefore assumes the responsibility.

Representations made but not expressly stated and for which liability is not expressly assumed by the County in the Contract shall be deemed only for the information of the Respondent.

Respondent certifies that such understanding has been considered in this response.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.10 Minimum Qualifications/Requirements Statement*

The Respondent certifies that it has thoroughly examined the County's requirements and meets all minimum qualifications and requirements set forth in this RFA.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.11 Certificate of Insurance Coverage Requirements*

The Respondent shall certify its willingness and ability to provide the required insurance coverage and certificates as set forth in the Model Contract.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.12 Certificate of Insurance*

Attach evidence your organization has or can obtain all required insurance.

*Response required

1.13 Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service Form W-9 Requirements*

All Contractors will be required to submit to County a federal Form W-9, or form W-8 for foreign vendors. County will inform Contractor, at the time of award, if the Form W-9 or W-8 will be required.

In order to comply with this County requirement, within ten (10) days of notification of selection of award of Contract but prior to official award of Contract, the selected Contractor agrees to furnish to the agency Deputy Procurement Agent (DPA) the required W-9 or W-8.

You may upload the appropriate form here or comply within the ten (10) days as described above.

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1.14 Conflict of Interest*

Does the Respondent have an existing relationship with the County, past or current, for any financial or business reasons, or any other reason?

An answer of "NO" shall be considered as Respondent certifying that no relationship exists or has existed as outlined below. An answer of "YES" will allow you to disclose the necessary information to the County.

Respondent with an existing or past relationship with the County, for any reason, shall answer "YES" to this question and disclose:

A. Any financial, business or other relationship with the County, any other entity that the

County Board of Supervisors governs, or any County Board member, officer or employee, which may have an impact, affect or influence on the outcome of the services you propose to provide. Provide a list of current clients, employees, principals or shareholders

(including family members) who may have a financial interest in the outcome of services you propose to provide.

B. Any financial, business or other relationship within the last three (3) years with any firm or member of any firm who may have a financial interest in the outcome of the work.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

1.14.1 Conflict of Interest Follow Up Question 1*

Disclose any financial, business or other relationship with the County, any other entity that the

County Board of Supervisors governs, or any County Board member, officer or employee, which may have an impact, affect or influence on the outcome of the services you propose to provide. Provide a list of current clients, employees, principals or shareholders (including family members) who may have a financial interest in the outcome of services you propose to provide.

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

1.14.2 Conflict of Interest Follow Up Question 2*

Disclose any financial, business or other relationship within the last three (3) years with any firm or member of any firm who may have a financial interest in the outcome of the work.

1.15 Statement of Compliance*

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Respondents understand that, if selected, they will be awarded a subordinate contract under a

Master Contract. Respondents understand they will not be able to submit any exceptions to the

County Model Contract listed in this RFA.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

1.16 Non-Collusion Declaration*

Each Respondent must execute the Non-Collusion Declaration contained in the solicitation and submit it with the Response.

The County of Orange may require that the Respondent, before awarding any subcontract, secure

Non-Collusion Declarations from proposed Subcontractors. The County of Orange does not conduct business with Respondents who engage in the act of Collusion.

• Non-Collusion_Declaration.pdf

*Response required

1.17 Non-Collusion Declaration - A*

Has your firm ever initiated discussions with competing consulting firms about the payment structure of an existing or potential future contract with the County of Orange?

If Respondent selects Yes answer, Respondent must provide a brief explanation below. A

“Yes” answer may preclude you from moving forward in the solicitation Process.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

1.17.1 Reason for Collusion:*

*Response required

1.18 Non-Collusion Declaration - B*

Has your firm participated in any discussions with competing firms in an effort to influence the payment structure for existing or potential County contracts?

Respondent must select one (1). A “Yes” answer may preclude you from moving forward in the solicitation Process.

☐ Yes

☐ No https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/82412/00dc3ed6-53b3-4ed6-8b0a-d868a4aa8eee_Non-Collusion_Declaration.pdf

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When equals "Yes"

1.18.1 Provide names of competing firms: *

*Response required

1.19 Litigation against County of Orange in the past seven (7) years*

Respondent must certify either Yes or No:

A. (Yes) Respondent certifies current/past litigation as follows:

1. Respondent shall provide detailed information regarding litigation (court and case number), liens, or claims involving Respondent, or any company that holds a controlling interest in Respondent, against County of Orange in the past seven (7) years.

B. (No) Respondent certifies that Respondent or any proposed subcontractors do not have any past or current litigation described above.

☐ Yes

☐ No

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

1.19.1 Respondent shall provide detailed information regarding litigation (court and case number), liens, or claims involving any proposed subcontractors, or any company that holds a controlling interest in subcontractor firm(s), against County of Orange in the past seven (7) years.*

*Response required

1.20 Certification Regarding Debarment*

Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• CERTIFICATION_REGARDING_DEB...

*Response required

1.21 Name/Ownership Changes*

Respondent must certify either Yes or No below:

A. (Yes) Respondent certifies past company name changes and/or ownership changes, for

Respondent’s firm and any proposed subcontractor firm, as follows:

1. Respondent shall provide detailed information regarding any company name changes

(including legal business names) in the past seven (7) years.

B. (No) Respondent certifies that Respondent or any proposed subcontractors have not had any company name change or ownership changes in the past seven (7) years.

https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/294419/d471faef-1a77-450c-9cf1-46b2a99e7ce9_CERTIFICATION_REGARDING_DEBARMENT_OC.pdf

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☐ Yes

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

1.21.1 Respondent shall provide detailed information regarding any company ownership changes (including legal business names) in the past seven (7) years.*

*Response required

1.22 The Levine Act: County of Orange Campaign Contribution Disclosure*

The Levine Act compliance is a minimum submittal requirement of this solicitation.

Please complete and sign the County of Orange Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form attached hereto. A proposer’s failure to provide a completed and signed copy will render its proposal as incomplete and nonresponsive.

It is the supplier's responsibility to update the County should any new reportable activity occur between initial disclosure and award.

• Levine_Act_-_Campaign_Contr...

*Response required

1.23 Political Reform Act Confirmation (Statement of Economic Interest - Form 700)*

Check the box to confirm - If subject to the Political Reform Act, Respondent shall conform to all requirements of the Act.

Failure to do so shall constitute a material breach and is grounds for immediate termination of the

Contract by County. Respondent shall indemnify and hold harmless County for any and all claims for damages resulting from Respondent’s violation of this Section.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.24 Contract Signatures*

Upon recommendation of contract award, Respondent will be required to submit the Signed

Contract within ten (10) days of County notification, unless otherwise specified in the RFA.

Selected Respondent will be required to sign a contract upon award. If selected Respondent is a corporation, signature will be provided in accordance with the corporation’s code as specified in this solicitation.

☐ Please confirm…