P2P Tier 2 SOS Hawaii.docx

Location Community-Based Peer Support for Families with Young Children Hawaiʻi County

SCOPE OF WORK

I. Introduction The Hawaiʻi State Department of Health (“DOH”), Family Health Services Division (“FHSD”), Maternal and Child Health Branch (“MCHB”), works in partnership with community-based organizations to strengthen families and support healthy development during early childhood. MCHB prioritizes preventive, community-based approaches that reinforce family resilience, reduce social isolation, and support parents and caregivers during the critical birth-to-five period.

Families with young children may experience stress related to parenting demands, economic insecurity, social isolation, or life transitions. When informal support networks are limited or disrupted, these stressors can compound and increase the likelihood of families needing more intensive services over time. Strengthening early, voluntary, and trusted peer connections is a key strategy for supporting family stability and promoting positive early childhood outcomes.

Peer-to-peer support is grounded in shared lived experience and focuses on relationship-building, mutual encouragement, and community connection. Local peer support normalizes help-seeking, reduces isolation, and provides parents and caregivers with accessible support rooted in their own communities. These services are voluntary, non-clinical, and community-driven, and are intended to complement, rather than replace formal services.

FHSD seeks the services of a community-based organization to provide community-based peer support services for parents and caregivers of children birth to age five within Hawaiʻi County. Services funded under this solicitation are intended to strengthen informal support networks, promote caregiver confidence and connection, and support family well-being through peer-led engagement.

Services shall be provided exclusively within Hawaiʻi County and shall be community-based and accessible to parents and caregivers residing in that region. Peer support activities are expected to reflect local context, community needs, and existing informal support networks. DOH may issue separate solicitations for peer support services in other counties. A single vendor shall not be awarded more than one county under these solicitations.

II. Service Specifications A. Specific Qualifications or Requirements The Vendor shall demonstrate the ability to design and implement community-based peer support services that strengthen informal support networks for parents and caregivers of young children. Services shall be grounded in shared lived experience, mutual support, and community connection, and aligned with preventive, early childhood-focused approaches to family well-being. At a minimum, the Vendor shall:

a. Be based in Hawaiʻi County and demonstrate an established, trusted presence within the county, including meaningful relationships with parents, caregivers, and community networks;

b. Demonstrate experience implementing peer-led, strengths-based, and relationship-centered support models grounded in lived experience, voluntary participation, non-judgmental engagement, and respect for family self-determination;

c. Have a minimum of three (3) years of experience supporting families with young children during the birth-to-age-five period, including experience addressing caregiver stress, social isolation, or family transitions through community-based approaches;

d. Demonstrate an understanding of trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and community-driven peer practices, including trust-building, cultural humility, and reducing barriers to participation;

e. Have the organizational capacity to manage program operations, fiscal accountability, reporting requirements, and subcontracting or partnerships with neighborhood-based peer groups while maintaining the flexible, low-barrier nature of peer support;

f. Demonstrate the ability to recruit, onboard, and support peer facilitators or peer leaders, including guidance on peer roles, ethical boundaries, reflective practice, and appropriate use of lived experience; and

III. Description of Tasks, Responsibilities, and Deliverables Peer support services funded under this solicitation shall be voluntary, relationship-based, and community-driven. Services shall prioritize connection, mutual support, and caregiver well-being and shall be delivered in ways that respect family choice, confidentiality, and cultural context. Activities are intended to strengthen informal support networks and promote family resilience during early childhood. The Vendor shall describe how the following tasks, responsibilities, and deliverables will be accomplished during the period of performance:

A. Peer Support Activities

a. Provide location-based peer-led support opportunities for parents and caregivers of children birth to age five, grounded in shared lived experience and mutual encouragement;

b. Facilitate peer gatherings, parent circles, or group-based support spaces that promote connection, shared learning, and normalization of parenting challenges; and

c. Offer informal one-on-one peer connection, as appropriate and requested by participants to reduce isolation and strengthen trust.

B. Community-Based Engagement and Access

a. Conduct location-based peer support activities in accessible, trusted community settings, including neighborhood-based locations identified by or familiar to families; and

b. Utilize outreach approaches that are low-barrier, welcoming, and non-stigmatizing, encouraging voluntary participation.

C. Peer Practice and Role Clarity

a. Deliver peer support in accordance with peer support principles, including voluntary participation, non-judgmental engagement, respect for family self-determination, and appropriate use of lived experience; and

b. Maintain clear peer role boundaries and ensure services remain non-clinical and relationship-centered, focusing on support rather than assessment, monitoring, or compliance.

D. Partnerships and Subcontracting (if applicable)

a. Partner with or subcontract to location and neighborhood-based peer groups, parent leaders, or community organizations, as needed, to expand reach and cultural relevance within the county; and

b. Maintain responsibility for oversight, coordination, and accountability for all peer support activities conducted through subcontractors.

E. Training, Support, and Sustainability

a. Develop and implement a brief peer onboarding and orientation process, which may include peer roles, ethical boundaries, confidentiality, cultural humility, and trauma-informed engagement; and

b. Provide ongoing support to peer facilitators through reflective supervision, group check-ins, or peer learning opportunities, as appropriate.

F. Documentation, Communication, and Reporting

a. Maintain basic documentation of peer support activities, including participation counts, frequency of activities, and general descriptions of engagement;

b. Participate in DOH-requested meetings, learning sessions, or technical assistance related to peer support implementation; and

c. Communicate regularly with DOH regarding service delivery progress, challenges, and emerging community needs.

IV. Reporting Requirements The Vendor shall submit monthly reports to DOH in a format specified by DOH. At a minimum, reports shall include:

A. Number of families engaged and served during the reporting period;

B. Number of peer support contacts completed;

C. General description of peer support activities provided;

D. Common barriers to engagement or service access identified through peer work; and E. Brief narrative examples illustrating how peer support contributed to family engagement, connection, or stabilization.

V. Period of Performance The period of performance shall be May 15, 2026, through December 31, 2026, subject to the availability of funds.

VI. Compensation and Payment The total compensation under this solicitation shall not exceed $79,500.00. Payment shall be made in accordance with the State of Hawaiʻi purchase order process and only upon satisfactory completion of required deliverables.

Allowable costs may include personnel expenses associated with the delivery of peer support services, supervision, training, and travel within the Hawaiʻi County as well as reasonable administrative expenses (10% -12%) necessary to support program operations. Allowable costs may also include staff time and expenses related to training, supervision, and participation in DOH approved capacity-building and systems-coordination activities that directly support implementation of peer support services.

No advance payment shall be made. The State of Hawaiʻi shall not be liable for any work performed, costs incurred, or obligations undertaken prior to the issuance of an executed purchase order.

VII. Submitting a Quote Awarded Vendor shall acknowledge that “no work shall be undertaken prior to purchase order approval.” The State of Hawaiʻi is not liable for any work, contracts, costs, loss of profits, or any damages whatsoever incurred by the Awarded Vendor prior to the purchase order approval.

A. Submit a quote following the requirements of the scope of services to provide the requested services for the period of May 15, 2026, through December 31, 2026.

B. The attached Deliverable Cost and Timeline Quote table must be completed and submitted as part of the bidder’s response to this solicitation. Each task and responsibility listed in Section III Description of Tasks, Responsibilities, and Deliverables, must be included in the Deliverable Cost and Timeline Quote table. Cost should be based on the administration, purchase and delivery, and evaluation of the project not to exceed $79,500.00

a. Administrative and indirect costs must be reasonable and proportionate to direct service delivery and shall not exceed ten percent (10%) to twelve percent (12%) of the total contract amount. Administrative and indirect costs may include expenses necessary to support program operations, including fiscal management, supervision, training, reporting, and participation in DOH approved capacity-building and systems-coordination activities that directly support implementation of peer support services.

C. The quote must include a detailed Narrative clearly describing how the bidder meets II. Service Specifications: A. Specific Qualifications or Requirements and III. Tasks, Responsibilities, and Deliverables. The detailed Narrative shall include the following information: response to service specifications on specific qualifications or requirements, description of the Bidder in relationship to tasks and responsibilities and compliance with the deliverables in the Cost and Timeline Quote. Additional documentation should be included as attachments to the quote.

D. The quote must include a description of the Bidder’s invoicing procedure and a statement of the Bidder’s ability to receive payment in the form of a purchase order.

E. This solicitation is limited to services delivered solely within the Hawaiʻi County. The DOH may issue separate solicitations for services in other counties. A single vendor shall not be awarded more than one county under these solicitations.

VIII. Form of Payment The Awarded Vendor shall be equipped to accept payment via State purchase order.

IX. Procedure for Invoicing A. Awarded Vendor shall submit invoices based upon completion of deliverables.

B. No advance payment shall be made.

C. The final invoice shall be submitted within thirty (30) days after the end of the project period. Payment on the last invoice will not be processed until all tasks as per the Cost and Timeline Quote Table, responsibilities, deliverables, and activities including reports, is completed to DOH’s satisfaction.

X. Fee to NIC Hawaiʻi Please be advised that the Awarded Vendor will be responsible to pay NIC Hawaiʻi a fee of 0.75% of the award, capped at $5,000. NIC will bill the vendor directly via e-mail and the vendor can make payment online or by sending a check via regular mail. For technical assistance with HIePRO, please call NIC Hawaiʻi at 808-695-4620.

XI. Hawaiʻi Compliance Express State agencies can award amounts of $2,500.00 or greater only to those companies that are registered with Hawaiʻi Compliance Express (HCE). The HCE is an electronic system that allows companies doing business with State or County agencies to quickly and easily obtain proof that they are compliant with applicable laws. The HCE certificate, “Certificate of Vendor Compliance,” is submitted in place of a tax clearance, labor certificate, and a Certificate of Good Standing required in Hawaiʻi Revised Statues (HRS) §103-D-310(c) and Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (HAR) §3-122-112. For most efficient and timely processing, please register now on Hawaiʻi Compliance Express for a fee of $12 per year at https://vendors.eHawaiʻi.gov/hce/splash/welcome.html. For assistance with HCE registration, please call NIC Hawaiʻi at 808-695-4620.

NOTE:

The attached Cost and Timeline Quote Table shall be completed and submitted as part of the Bidder’s response to this solicitation.

Cost and Timeline Quote Table Community-Based Peer Support for Families with Young Children Hawaiʻi County

Planning

Partner Engagement

Outreach

Event Implementation

Data & Reporting

Sub Total

Hawaiʻi General Excise Tax

Total