PRF80 Technology-Based Behavioral Health Services RFR Final_Amended 06082021.pdf

Document Sensitivity Level: High during development; Low once published. Template v 3.0.0

COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS

OPERATIONAL SERVICES DIVISION

Request for Response (RFR)

Document Title: Technology-Based Behavioral Health Services

Agency Document Number: PRF80

COMMBUYS Bid#: BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022

May 14, 2021

Amended: June 8, 2021

Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as Solicitation) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. Bidders are responsible for reviewing and complying with all Bid requirements. Bidders may contact the OSD Help Desk at COMMBUYS@mass.gov or at 1-888-MA-STATE for technical assistance with COMMBUYS. The Help Desk is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern time, as applicable, except on federal and state holidays.

Bidders with disabilities or hardships that seek reasonable accommodation, which may include the receipt of RFR information in an alternative format, must communicate such requests in writing to the contact person. Requests for accommodation will be addressed on a case by case basis. A Bidder requesting accommodation must submit a written statement which describes the Bidder’s disability and the requested accommodation to the contact person for the RFR. The SST reserves the right to reject unreasonable requests.

https://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm https://www.sec.state.ma.us/cis/cishol/holidx.htm

REQUEST FOR RESPONSE Technology-Based Behavioral Health Services

Revision History

Version Number

Date Author Brief Description

1.0 05/13/2021 AReale Initial release

1.1 05/14/2021 Stavares OSD Review

1.2 6/8/2021 Stavares Amended RFR Section 2.3

Table of Contents Page i

Document Sensitivity Level: High during development; Low once published.

1 INTRODUCTION AND BID OVERVIEW

1.1 SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF PROCUREMENT

1.2 ESTIMATED PROCUREMENT CALENDAR

1.2.1 SUBMISSION OF BID QUESTIONS

1.2.2 BID AMENDMENT DEADLINE

1.2.3 ORAL PRESENTATIONS/PRODUCT DEMONSTRATIONS

1.2.4 LATE BIDS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

1.2.5 DEBRIEFING

1.3 ADDITIONAL BID INFORMATION

1.3.1 ANTICIPATED CONTRACT DURATION:

1.3.2 ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE CONTRACT

1.3.3 ESTIMATED NUMBER OF AWARDS

1.3.4 ADDING CONTRACTORS AFTER INITIAL CONTRACT AWARD

1.3.5 ACQUISITION METHOD(S):

1.3.6 ENTITIES ELIGIBLE TO USE THE RESULTING CONTRACT

2 BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

2.1 COMPANY EXPERIENCE

2.1.1 BUSINESS BACKGROUND

2.2 EMPLOYEE AND/OR BUSINESS TECHNICAL/BUSINESS EXPERIENCE, CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES 5

2.3 CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN (COOP)

2.4 EMERGENCY RESPONSE CAPABILITIES

2.5 FINANCIAL STABILITY INCLUDING BANKRUPTCY, LITIGATION AND CONTRACT DEFAULTS

2.5.1 BANKRUPTCY, LITIGATION, AND CONTRACT DEFAULTS

2.6 REFERENCES AND REFERENCE INFORMATION AND/OR REQUIREMENTS

3 SERVICE, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND COST SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS

3.2 GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE AND ENROLLMENT INFORMATION

3.3 ORDERING AND QUOTES

3.4 ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS

3.4.1 BIDDER CURRENT ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES FORM

3.5 COMPENSATION STRUCTURE/PRICING

3.5.1 COMMBUYS SETUP

3.5.2 VOLUME PURCHASE DISCOUNTS (VPD)

3.5.3 TIERED DISCOUNTS

3.5.4 PROMPT PAY DISCOUNT

3.5.5 AUTHORIZED PRICE CHANGES

4 SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PLAN (SDP)

5 EVALUATION CRITERIA

5.1 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

Table of Contents Page ii

5.2 ALTERNATIVES

5.3 EVALUATION COMPONENTS

5.3.1 SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PLAN (MINIMUM OF 10% WEIGHT OF THE TOTAL AVAILABLE 100%

EVALUATION POINTS)

5.4 BEST VALUE SELECTION AND NEGOTIATION

6 INSTRUCTIONS FOR SUBMISSION OF RESPONSES

6.1 ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES

6.2 LIMITS AND RESTRICTIONS

6.2.1 DOCUMENT PAGES

6.2.2 FILE FORMAT RESTRICTIONS

6.2.3 FILE NAMING CONVENTIONS

6.3 GENERAL QUOTE REQUIREMENTS, PROVISIONS, AND PROHIBITIONS

6.3.1 QUOTE CONTENT

6.3.2 NON-COLLUSION

6.3.3 MULTIPLE QUOTES

6.3.4 MINIMUM QUOTE DURATION

6.3.5 BIDDER’S CONTACT INFORMATION

6.3.6 OWNERSHIP OF SUBMITTED QUOTES

6.3.7 PROHIBITIONS

6.3.8 PUBLIC RECORDS LAW

6.3.9 REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

7 REQUIREMENTS FOR DOING BUSINESS AFTER CONTRACT AWARD

7.1 INK SIGNATURES ON REQUIRED FORMS

7.2 USE OF COMMBUYS

7.3 STATEWIDE CONTRACT VENDOR COMMUNICATIONS PROTOCOL

7.3.1 ALL STATEWIDE CONTRACT QUESTIONS MUST BE DIRECTED TO THE COMMONWEALTH

CONTRACT MANAGER

7.3.2 MAKE APPROPRIATE STAFF AVAILABLE FOR PERIODIC MEETINGS WITH THE COMMONWEALTH

CONTRACT MANAGER

7.3.3 PROVIDE TIMELY RESPONSES TO REQUESTS

7.3.4 MAINTAIN PROFESSIONALISM AND COURTESY IN DEALINGS WITH OSD AND ELIGIBLE ENTITIES. 19

7.3.5 CHANGES TO CONTRACTOR’S INFORMATION

7.3.6 CONTRACTOR ACCOUNT TEAM

7.3.7 SINGLE POINT OF CONTACT

7.3.8 REPLACEMENT OF CONTRACTOR STAFF

7.3.9 ADDING COMMODITIES AND/OR SERVICES ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATEWIDE

CONTRACT

7.3.10 REQUESTING PRICE ADJUSTMENTS ONLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATEWIDE CONTRACT

7.4 OSD PERFORMANCE MEASURES

7.4.1 MINIMUM AMOUNT OF BUSINESS WITH THIS CONTRACT

7.4.2 CONTINUED QUALIFICATION BASED ON PERFORMANCE

7.4.3 FAILURE TO PERFORM CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS

7.5 ADDING ADDITIONAL CONTRACTORS

7.6 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS AND DUE DATES

7.6.1 REPORTING AND PAYMENT DUE DATES

Table of Contents Page iii

7.6.2 QUARTERLY SALES, SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PROGRAM EXPENDITURE, AND ENVIRONMENTALLY

PREFERABLE PRODUCTS REPORT

7.6.3 STATEWIDE CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION QUARTERLY FEE PAYMENT AND REPORT

7.6.4 AUDIT

7.6.5 OTHER TERMS

7.6.6 AD HOC REPORTS

7.7 PAYMENT RELATED TERMS

7.7.1 BILL PAYMENT

7.7.2 LATE PAYMENT FEES

7.7.3 ELECTRONIC FUNDS TRANSFER (EFT)

7.7.4 CREDITWORTHINESS

7.7.5 TAX EXEMPTION

8 RFR APPENDICES

8.1 APPENDIX 1 – REQUIRED TERMS FOR ALL STATEWIDE RFRS

8.1.1 APPLICABLE PROCUREMENT LAW

8.1.2 GENERAL PROCUREMENT INFORMATION

8.1.3 TERMS AND REQUIREMENTS PERTAINING TO AWARDED STATEWIDE CONTRACTS

8.2 APPENDIX 2- INSTRUCTIONS FOR VENDORS RESPONDING TO BIDS ELECTRONICALLY

THROUGH COMMBUYS

9 GLOSSARY

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 1

1 INTRODUCTION AND BID OVERVIEW

1.1 Summary Description of Procurement

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Technology-based Behavioral Health Services Strategic Sourcing Team (SST) are soliciting Bidders for the acquisition of technology-based behavioral health services for students enrolled in public institutions of higher education. The resulting Contract will serve as the primary Statewide Contract used by Executive Agencies of the Commonwealth for the goods and services covered by the Contract. The Contract will also be available for use by other Eligible Entities.

The Department of Higher Education (DHE) and the Operational Services Division (OSD) seek to contract with organizations having a demonstrated ability to recruit and retain a professional staff that is culturally and linguistically competent, capable and committed to providing Trauma-informed, clinical triage, assessment and treatment utilizing a telehealth platform.

DHE and OSD will give preference to bidders who have documented experience delivering telebehavioral health currently, have well developed policies and procedures governing the use of Telemedicine, and have experience training providers in both the technical skills necessary for instituting Telemedicine and the professional best practice competencies required for Telemedicine.

Bidders must have a willingness and commitment to a very high level of coordination, cooperation, and communication with the contracting entity and other community services to ensure quality care outcomes. In addition, they must have the commitment and ability to fulfill all financial and fiscal obligations required by this RFR and their responses to the RFR.

1.2 Estimated Procurement Calendar

Action Date

Announcement of Intent to Procure Friday, April 30, 2021

Bid Release Date Friday, May 14, 2021

Deadline for submission of written questions through COMMBUYS “Bid Q&A”

Friday, May 28, 2021

Official answers for Bid Q&A published (Estimated)

Friday, June 4, 2021

Training for Online Submission – Contractors that have not previously submitted electronic quotes via COMMBUYS are strongly encouraged to attend training

Dates and Times Available:

Locate and Respond to Bids in

COMMBUYS

Thursday, May 20, 2021

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM

Online Webinar:

This interactive webcast provides instructions on several activities:

Locating and responding to bids;

Using the bid Q&A feature; Creating a quote response; Revising a Quote response. Access the webcast here.

https://www.screencast.com/t/GMJLKkilF12

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 2

Bid Amendment Deadline. Online Quote submission begins. Bid documents will not be amended after this date.

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses (“Bid Opening Date/Time” in COMMBUYS)

Tuesday, June 15, 2021 5:00 PM Eastern time

Late bids will not be considered.

Oral Presentations for Selected Bidder(s) (Estimated)

TBD- week of June 21, 2021

Notification of Apparent Successful Bidder(s) (Estimated)

Friday, June 28, 2021

Final Negotiation (Estimated) July 11, 2021

Estimated Contract Start Date (actual start date will be the contract effective date, which is the date the contract is executed by the parties)

July 2021, with services to begin in Fall 2021

*See "Training for Vendors Responding to Bids On COMMBUYS" for instructions on how to register for live webinar and additional trainings that may be helpful to prospective bidders.

Visit https://www.mass.gov/doc/vendor-training-schedule/download for additional Instructor-Led Training and Webinar dates.

Times are Eastern Time (US), as displayed on the COMMBUYS system clock after logging in. If there is a conflict between the dates in this Procurement Calendar and dates in the Bid’s Header, the dates in the Bid’s Header on COMMBUYS shall prevail. Bidders are responsible for checking the Bid record, including Bid Q & A, on COMMBUYS for Procurement Calendar updates.

1.2.1 Submission of Bid Questions

The “Bid Q & A” function in COMMBUYS allows Bidders to ask written questions and receive written answers regarding this Bid. To locate the Bid Q & A, log into COMMBUYS, locate the Bid, acknowledge receipt of the Bid, and scroll down to the bottom of the Bid Header page. The “Bid Q & A” button allows Bidders access to the Bid Q & A page.

All questions must be submitted through the Bid Q & A page. Questions must be asked prior to the Deadline stated in the Estimated Procurement Calendar. The Strategic Sourcing Team (SST) reserves the right not to respond to late questions. Bidders are responsible for verifying that their questions are recorded in COMMBUYS and appear on the Bid Q & A page.

Questions submitted to the SST outside of COMMBUYS will not be answered.

Content entered must be suitable for public viewing. Bidders must not include inappropriate content, including but not limited to, information that could be considered personal, security sensitive, inflammatory, incorrect, or collusory. The SST reserves the right to edit or delete any inappropriate content.

All answers are final when posted. Any subsequent revisions to previously provided answers will be dated.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/vendor-training-schedule/download

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 3

1.2.2 Bid Amendment Deadline

The SST reserves the right to make amendments to the Bid after initial publication. It is each Bidder’s responsibility to check COMMBUYS for any amendments, addenda or modifications to this Bid, and any Bid Q & A records related to this Bid. The SST and the Commonwealth accept no responsibility and will provide no accommodation to Bidders who submit a Quote based on an out-of-date Bid or on information received from a source other than COMMBUYS.

At the SST’s discretion, the Bid Amendment Deadline may be extended. Should this occur, the “Deadline for Quotes/Responses” shall be extended as well. As stated above, it is the responsibility of the bidder for checking the Bid record in COMMBUYS for revisions and updates.

1.2.3 Oral Presentations/Product Demonstrations

Selected Bidders who are asked to participate in Oral Presentations / Product Demonstrations will be expected to prioritize this in their schedules. The SST will make every effort to find a mutually convenient time for the Bidder and the SST. However, failure to appear at the scheduled time of the presentation/demonstration may result in disqualification, reduction of points or other action that the SST deems appropriate.

1.2.4 Late Bids will not be Considered

Bid responses must be received in full by the bid opening date and time shown on COMMBUYS ("Bid Opening Date/Time", i.e., the Deadline for Quotes/Bid Responses). Proposals received after the deadline will be ineligible for consideration and deemed non-responsive. Each bidder/offeror must submit all required bid response forms electronically through COMMBUYS. When submitting a quote electronically through COMMBUYS, please allow sufficient time to complete any online forms and upload documents. If you are in the middle of uploading your proposal when the deadline is reached, the system will stop the process and you will be unable to submit your Quote. It is recommended that Quotes be submitted as far in advance as possible before the deadline to allow time to obtain assistance from the OSD Help Desk if needed.

1.2.5 Debriefing

The SST will conduct debriefings for unsuccessful Bidders, if requested within 14 calendar days of notification that your Quote has not been selected for an award. Debriefing guidelines will be provided in advance prior to the debriefing.

1.3 Additional Bid Information

1.3.1 Anticipated Contract Duration:

The initial term of this Contract is one (1) year. In addition, this Contract has four options to renew of up to one

(1) year each with a maximum possible contract duration of five (5) years.

1.3.2 Estimated Value of the Contract

The estimated value of purchase(s) resulting from this Bid is not known at this time, as it is dependent on the number of institutions of higher education that choose to engage with qualified vendors under this contract. The Commonwealth makes no guarantee that any services will be purchased from any Contract resulting from this Bid.

The goods/services being solicited in this Bid have not been on Statewide Contract in the past. However, the SST believes that there is a significant opportunity for business for interested Bidders.

1.3.3 Estimated Number of Awards

There is no target for the maximum number of Contractors. The SST may award as many contracts as may be in the best interests of the Commonwealth to do so.

Contract renewals will be offered at the sole discretion of OSD. At a minimum, offers to renew will be contingent upon satisfactory contractor performance, compliance with reporting requirements, and adequate sales volume.

1.3.4 Adding Contractors after initial Contract Award

Open Enrollment- If, over the life of the Contract, the SST determines that additional Contractors should be added to meet the requirements of the Commonwealth, these may first be drawn from qualified companies which responded to this Bid but were not awarded contracts and/or the Bid may be reopened to obtain additional Quotes.

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 4

1.3.5 Acquisition Method(s):

Check All Applicable (“X”):

Category

Fee-For-Service

Outright Purchase

Rental (not to exceed 6 months)

Term Lease

License

Other:

1.3.6 Entities Eligible to Use the Resulting Contract

Any Contract(s) resulting from this Bid will be open for use by the following entities:

• Cities, towns, districts, counties and other political subdivisions;

• Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches, including all Departments and elected offices therein;

• Independent public authorities, commissions and quasi-public agencies;

• Local public libraries, public school districts and charter schools;

• Public hospitals owned by the Commonwealth;

• Public institutions of higher education;

• Public purchasing cooperatives;

• Non-profit organizations that are doing business with the Commonwealth;

• Other states and territories with no prior approval by the State Purchasing Agent; and

• Other entities when designated in writing by the State Purchasing Agent.

Each eligible entity is responsible for executing its own purchase orders and paying its own invoices for goods and/or services acquired from this Contract. Contractors will be responsible for marketing their goods and/or services to Commonwealth Agencies and other eligible entities.

2 BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS

2.1 Company experience

2.1.1 Business background

DHE and OSD seek to contract with organizations having a demonstrated ability to recruit and retain a professional staff that is culturally and linguistically competent, capable and committed to providing Trauma-informed, clinical triage, assessment and treatment utilizing a telehealth platform.

DHE and OSD will give preference to bidders who have documented experience delivering telebehavioral health currently, have well developed policies and procedures governing the use of Telemedicine, and have experience training providers in both the technical skills necessary for instituting Telemedicine and the professional best practice competencies required for Telemedicine.

Bidders must have a willingness and commitment to a very high level of coordination, cooperation, and communication with the contracting entity and other community services to ensure quality care outcomes. In addition, they must have the commitment and ability to fulfill all financial and fiscal obligations required by this RFR and their responses to the RFR.

At a minimum, qualified bidders must demonstrate the following through their proposal:

1. Documented experience providing behavioral health services to post-secondary student populations, including students of traditional as well as non-traditional age groups (>age 25), students who participate on a full-time on-campus basis and students who participate on a part-time non-residential basis (the norm for Massachusetts community college students), and undergraduate as well as graduate students.

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/10/xb/eligible.xlsx

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 5

2. Organizational awareness, capability, and capacity to provide culturally responsive and relevant services across, race, ethnicity, language, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status and other identity categories in the delivery of student behavioral health services, and intentionality in addressing asset-based therapeutic approaches that honor students' cultural wealth

3. Access to licensed behavioral and mental health clinicians who are prepared to address a wide range of student needs, including offering trauma-informed approaches, across the demographic of public higher education

4. Adaptable capacity to provide services to all enrolled students of Massachusetts public higher-education system and address elastic demand within response times appropriate to the urgency of student needs

5. An established technology platform, organizational capability and capacity to deliver behavioral health teleservices 24 x 7 x 365, including emergency crisis support

6. Data reporting on student participation and satisfaction, response times and other performance measures (see below) to inform continuous improvement and access to services

7. Implementation of best practices, internal controls and system audits that ensure student privacy is protected pursuant to both HIPAA and FERPA

8. Protocols for utilizing evidence-based practices for assessing and responding to risk of personal safety and public safety when interacting with students, including a clear escalation plan developed in collaboration with the contracting institution of higher education, and triaging capabilities to differentiate student needs and provide appropriate services or refer students for emergency or extended care

9. Professional liability coverage for behavioral and mental health providers

10. Ability to support students who are not physically located in Massachusetts to access resources where they are located

Preferred bidders may also demonstrate the following through their proposal:

1. Alignment and coordination of telehealth services with campus resources and student support protocols

2. Online education and self-assessment tools and student behavioral health resources

3. Navigation of college, community, insurance and other resources to support students in developing a network of service providers

4. Customized service program complementing campus resources and services

Bidders must demonstrate that they meet the mandatory requirements specified in the Service Specifications and Mandatory Requirements sections. Bidders who do not meet all mandatory requirements may be disqualified.

The SST may determine if non-compliance with a mandatory requirement is insignificant, or can be corrected or clarified.

2.2 Employee and/or business technical/business experience, certifications, licenses

Bidders must demonstrate that they meet the mandatory requirements specified in the Service Specifications and Mandatory Requirements sections. Bidders who do not meet all mandatory requirements may be disqualified. The SST may determine if non-compliance with a mandatory requirement is insignificant, or can be corrected or clarified.

2.3 Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)

Bidders should have a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) to enable the organization to continue to perform essential business functions during a wide range of emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents and technological or attack-related emergencies.

In a declared state of emergency where the safety and wellbeing of citizens are at risk, contractors may be asked to supply the purchasing entity with the commodities and/or services under the Statewide Contract on a priority basis.

The Bidder’s Response should indicate whether there is a written Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that describes how the company will continue to do business in case of an emergency. In addition, the Bidder should supply a list of emergency contact information including name, position/title, phone, email, and cell phone. This information will not be considered in the evaluation of the Quote.

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 6

2.4 Emergency Response Capabilities

In a declared state of emergency where the safety and wellbeing of citizens are at risk, contractors may be asked to supply the purchasing entity with the commodities and/or services under the Statewide Contract on a priority basis.

The Bidder’s Response should indicate whether there is a written Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) that describes how the company will continue to do business in case of an emergency. In addition, the Bidder should supply a list of emergency contact information including name, position/title, phone, email, and cell phone. This information will not be considered in the evaluation of the Quote.

2.5 Financial stability including bankruptcy, litigation and contract defaults

2.5.1 Bankruptcy, litigation, and contract defaults

Bidders must provide a list of any outstanding contingencies, such as lawsuits or other claims or charges, against the Bidder related to performance of the services sought under this RFR.

2.6 References and reference information and/or requirements

Bidders must provide references from at least three (3) institutions of higher education who have contracted with the bidder to provide telehealth services similar to those proposed in response to the Service Specifications in this request for response. Reference information provided may be used as part of the Evaluation Criteria to evaluate the bidder’s experience and ability to meet the requirements and specifications of this opportunity. The SST may also contact references if the information provided related to the references is insufficient to inform the evaluation.

3 SERVICE, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND COST SPECIFICATIONS

3.1 Service Specifications

Massachusetts colleges and universities offer an array of campus services to address student success, health, and well-being. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the scope and acuity of student behavioral health issues and the demand for support services has expanded beyond the capabilities and capacity of many institutions.

Each institution, either individually or collectively by segment (Community College, State University, or the University of Massachusetts), may choose to engage with qualifying vendors through direct purchasing agreements. All proposed services shall be made available to all students enrolled in a participating institution contracting with a qualified vendor beginning in Academic Year 2021-2022, with options for up to four renewal years. All bidders must be able to meet the service specifications in close coordination with each campus to understand how each of the service specifications with enhance and not replace existing services. In addition, each bidder will need to work closely with each institution to confirm how services will be delivered to students, and how the institution will collaborate with the vendor to ensure that services are available to meet the needs of students.

DHE and OSD intend to solicit bids for qualified vendors to provide Telebehavioral health Services for Massachusetts institutions of higher education. The Contractor will be responsible for recruiting, maintaining and replacing such staff as is applicable.

This solicitation seeks proposals to provide Telebehavioral health services that will [1] improve access, [2] enhance capacity and [3] increase responsiveness for behavioral health services provided for Massachusetts public post-secondary students seeking services for behavioral health conditions (e.g. depression, self-injury, anxiety, ADHD, stress, psychosis, suicidal ideation, depression, eating disorders, oppression, substance misuse, alcohol misuse, relationship issues, etc.), and provide appropriate referrals for serious conditions when a student is assessed to be at imminent risk .

Qualifying proposals will augment campus health and wellness programs and shall demonstrate coordination with campus and community-based healthcare providers, as appropriate.

Core services must include:

1. Access to 24x7x365 triage to identify service and appropriate response

2. Screening and assessment to identify treatment needs

3. Brief crisis counseling

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 7

4. Short term treatment through individual therapy, group therapy, and/or other means of providing counseling services

5. Support and referral to other community supports (e.g. 12-step programs, peer groups, etc.)

6. Referrals and bridge services to longer term treatment

7. Outreach and marketing to raise awareness of services and incentivize engagement, informed by student feedback

8. Maintenance and support of a Mobile-friendly application providing access to services as well as general wellness information

Equity Agenda

Massachusetts places a high priority on achieving racial equity for all students in every aspect of public higher education, including behavioral health services. Qualifying proposals will demonstrate in the design of behavioral health service interventions a diverse representation among the clinicians who engage and support students.

Qualifying proposals will address how the qualifying vendor plans to recruit diverse clinicians who are qualified to address the needs of all students, demonstrating the ability to match students with diverse and culturally competent counselors who reflect the demographic and cultural characteristics of Massachusetts public post-secondary students.

Massachusetts Behavioral Health Roadmap

Massachusetts is engaged in a reorganization and restructuring of the Behavioral Health system. Approved vendors will be required to monitor these developments and modify services to be most responsive to these changes and to optimize use of resources.

Service Standards

Service Standards are expectations about the structures and processes that must be in place to provide quality telebehavioral health services. Standards also furnish the criteria that enable the Contractor and DHE/OSD to monitor services provided.

3.1.1 Staffing Service Standards

a. The Contractor must provide adequate staffing to meet the needs of the Telebehavioral contract

b. Staff are diverse and culturally sensitive and reflect the cultural and linguistic needs of students served.

c. 24-hour coverage. A clinician is on-call and available to respond to crisis calls within 15 minutes, 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, 365 days/year.

d. Management and Administrative Support Staff. The Contractor must provide competent management and support services to oversee adherence to the contract specifications and standards and to support the work of the staff, including but not limited to billing, management information, and gathering credentialing/privileging information, including a single point of contact for a contracting institution to contact regarding contract administration, and a single point of contact for a contracting institution to contact regarding clinical services.

3.1.2 Staff Hiring, Licensure and Certification

a. The Contractor must recruit, hire, and retain staff required by its Contract with appropriate licensure, certification, registration, training, competence and experience to address the needs of students served.

b. The Contractor shall assess the staff’s ability to fulfill specified responsibilities throughout employment.

c. The Contractor's employment processes must encourage the recruitment and retention of staff from diverse backgrounds including staff who are bicultural and/or bilingual.

d. At time of hire and at least biannually for the duration of employment, the Contractor obtains, through primary source verification, information about each clinician regarding education, current licensure, Board Certification, malpractice coverage/claims, Massachusetts controlled substances registration, Medicare/Medicaid

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 8 sanctions, National Practitioner Data Bank check, continuing medical education, training, experience, and current competence, to ensure compliance with the terms of the RFR.

e. The Contractor must adhere to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) regulations regarding the completion of CORI checks when hiring employees or employing volunteers for the services under this RFR. See CORI Regulations at 101 CMR 15.00 and the Criminal Offender Record Checks Guidance offered on the EOHHS Web Site. When hiring employees under this RFR, the Contractor must screen such individuals to determine if they have been excluded from participation in state and federal health care programs including state Medicaid programs such as MassHealth. If such individuals have been excluded, they shall not be assigned to the work on the Contract, unless written approval is given by the DMH State Medical Director, or her designee. The Contractor must develop, maintain and implement policies and procedures for such purposes at time of hire, e.g.

regular review of the US Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General’s (OIG) list of Excluded Individuals and Entities, and for periodically verifying their status after employment. In addition, the Contractor must maintain a Code of Ethics Policy and procedures and assure that all staff is informed of the Policy.

3.1.3 Professional Liability Coverage

a. The Contractor must require all licensed professionals who provide assessment, care and treatment under the contract awarded as a result of this RFR to maintain professional liability coverage. The Contractor must require or maintain on behalf of all other clinical staff providing treatments pursuant to the contract awarded under this RFR, professional liability coverage in amounts customary to each staff member's profession. The Contractor must maintain professional liability and comprehensive general liability insurance. Massachusetts and Federal agencies and entities that are self-insured and subject to the State or Federal Torts Claim Acts are exempted from this requirement.

b. If applicable, the Contractor must provide the DHE/OSD with evidence of coverage upon request and with immediate written notification of cancellation, non-renewal, or other change in such coverage.

c. The Contractor shall provide DHE/OSD with immediate written notification of any claims received against it or any contract staff relating to treatments provided to students.

d. The Contractor shall provide DHE/OSD with copies of any incident or disciplinary reports relating to contract personnel that must be reported to the Board of Registration in Medicine pursuant to 243 CMR 3.00 or the relevant licensing board, e.g. psychology, nursing, etc.

e. The Contractor shall conduct regular self-audits of internal documentation of compliance with these standards; and provide copies of such to DHE/OSD annually upon contract option renewal or at any time upon request.

3.1.4 Staff Orientation, Education, Training

a. The Contractor is responsible for assuring that all staff/employees are oriented to and educated to assure continued competence to meet the DHE/OSD service specification (see Section 3 and Section 4).

b. the Contractor will be responsible for providing training in technical skills necessary for instituting Telemedicine, policies and procedures governing Telemedicine, and the professional best practice competencies required for the use of Telemedicine in mental health and health care settings

c. Assure knowledge of mandatory reporting and other MA specific laws and requirements

3.1.5 Clinical Service Standards

a. Access to 24x7x365 triage to identify service and appropriate response

b. A defined program of treatment (# of sessions, duration of sessions) and referral that defines the boundaries of short-term telehealth services and referrals for long-term and urgent care

c. Adherence by all staff with Massachusetts licensing requirements related to screening, assessment, treatment planning, discharge planning, and medical records documentation requirements.

d. Timely and accurate staff documentation of every patient/client encounter, which are complete and inclusive of the plan of care and actions taken, and include date of service, reason for service (symptoms and/or diagnosis), RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 9 treatment provided, time and length of service, and electronic confirmation to identify the individual providing the record and the individual rendering the service.

e. Evidence-based and best clinical practices: The Contractor must ensure that staff utilize appropriate evidence-based and best clinical practices as appropriate for specific students, and must facilitate staff training in this regard. Psychopharmacology services are expected to be provided through referral only. Other modalities that may be utilized include, but are not limited to, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Remediation (CR), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Family Systems treatment, Open Dialogue, and current rehabilitation practices.

f. Screening and Assessment: Use of evidence-based tools and processes for assessing treatment needs and prioritizing response to risk

g. Treatment Planning: individualized treatment plan that may include individual, group, psychoeducation, referral to other services, etc.

h. Individual Treatment: provide short-term, time-limited, evidence-based individual psychotherapy

i. Group Treatment: identify common needs and develop group programming to respond.

j. Discharge planning and Transitions Support: identifying other levels of care as needed and support and provide brief treatment to individual through these transitions

k. Collaboration and coordination with local psychiatric emergency services

l. Coordination of services for all students with student health and local resources (e.g. CMHC’s), and student insurance providers.

m. Substance Use Disorders: The Contractor must ensure that the staff utilize appropriate evidence-based and best clinical practices as appropriate for patients with co-occurring disorders,

n. Suicide Prevention: The Contractor must ensure that all staff are trained in current evidence-based and best clinical practices for screening, assessing, monitoring, and if necessary, treating all clients for suicidality.

o. Early Psychosis: The Contractor must ensure that all staff are trained in detecting early signs of psychosis and facilitating referral to specialized psychosis assessment and treatment.

3.1.6 Compliance with FERPA, HIPAA and all applicable privacy laws

Bidders are expected to be in compliance with FERPA, HIPAA and any other applicable privacy laws in all aspects of service delivery and contract administration.

3.1.7 Telehealth Platform

Bidders are expected to provide a telehealth platform to facilitate easy access to services, psychoeducation and coping tools. The platform must be HIPAA compliant.

3.1.8 Outreach and Engagement Activities to student body

Bidders are expected to engage in activities to encourage students to utilize all available services, in coordination with the communication strategies utilized by the contracting institution of higher education. Outreach and engagement may include psychoeducation forums, social media, and engagement of students as stakeholder consultants and ambassadors of the service and resources.

3.1.9 No cost to students (direct or indirect)

Services shall be offered on a monthly per-student fee basis. Students shall not incur any direct fee for these services, nor shall any claims be made against student insurance policies related to the provisioning of these services.

3.1.10 Performance Measures

RFR PRF80 COMMBUYS BID NUMBER BD-21-1080-OSD03-SRC02-62022 Page 10

All qualifying bidders shall propose the methods they will monitor their performance, including but not limited to:

• Response time to student requests for services

• Number of students choosing to engage in services, and to what extent

• Number of engaged students providing feedback on services, whether positive or negative

• Number of engaged students providing positive feedback on services

3.2 Geographic coverage and Enrollment Information

Bidders are expected to be able to provide coverage for at least one and ideally all public institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. A map of the MA public higher education system campuses is provided below and can be found here: https://www.mass.edu/system/documents/MassPublicHigherEdMap2016.pdf

For detailed information on enrollment by institution, including data related to the demographic characteristics of the student population, please visit the Data Center / Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.

3.3 Ordering and Quotes

Responding to Buyer’s quote requests is a requirement of this contract. Contractors choosing not to bid must respond to COMMBUYS quote requests with a “no bid” by selecting the “Is No Bid” checkbox on the General tab of the quote.

Similarly, Contractors choosing not to bid on quote requests received outside of COMMBUYS must respond with a “no bid”.

Contractors must provide a quote that clearly identifies all commodities, materials, services and/or requirements which may incur costs for the Eligible Entity. All quotes must be for only products and/or services that Contractor is awarded to sell under this Statewide Contract. Furthermore, Contractors may not bill Eligible Entities for costs not identified in the quote, accepted by the SST, and agreed to by the Eligible Entity unless otherwise specified.

https://www.mass.edu/system/documents/MassPublicHigherEdMap2016.pdf https://www.mass.edu/datacenter/access/home.asp

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3.4 Environmental Specifications

In 2009, Executive Order 515, establishing an Environmental Purchasing Policy for Executive Departments, was signed. View the Environmentally Preferable Products (EPPs) Procurement Program General Information, Requirements and Guidance for detailed information about the program at https://www.mass.gov/doc/epp-general-information-requirements-and-guidance/download.

3.4.1 Bidder Current Environmental Practices Form

Bidders must complete this form, and submit it with their Quote. The form allows Bidders to communicate existing business practices that foster a sustainable approach to conducting their operations and reduce environment or public health impacts. Bidders may receive additional points in the evaluation phase of the RFR for the environmental initiatives they identify, however, bidders must substantiate all answers in order to receive additional points.

3.5 Compensation Structure/Pricing

Compensation will be based solely on the pricing submitted by the Bidder and accepted by the SST. Pricing must be submitted for all goods and services to be provided on this Statewide Contract. Pricing will be published on

COMMBUYS.

Bidders should provide a chart showing pricing for services, preferably as a flat rate per student per year, proposed to meet the “Service Specifications”, as well as any additional costs not included in the price per student per month, and the approach for determining those additional costs.

Bidders should also confirm that there will be no marketing directly to students and no costs to be directly charged to students from the vendor.

Anticipated expenditures with qualified bidders will be incurred by the public institution of higher education that chooses to engage with a qualified bidder pursuant to the terms of the contract. No institution will be required to engage with a qualified bidder but may be eligible to receive matching funds from the state if they choose to do so.

Participating institutions that have current contracts with bidders that qualify through this procurement may choose to engage in a new contract through this procurement or continue with the pre-existing contract, and would be eligible for matching funds in either circumstance.

3.5.1 COMMBUYS Setup

When obtaining quotes or purchasing under this contract, COMMBUYS will have a Master Contract MBPO that will contain all applicable contract documents including, but not limited to, the RFR and the Contract User Guide.

There will be a Solicitation Enabled MBPO which will be used for obtaining quotes and additionally, each vendor will have an MBPO to use for purchases from that vendor.

3.5.2 Volume purchase discounts (VPD)

Bidders should note if volume purchase discounts would apply in their pricing, and whether the volume would be based on 1) the number of students per institution, 2) the number of students in total across all institutions choosing to contract with the vendor, or 3) another approach to quantifying volume.

3.5.3 Tiered discounts

Bidders should note if tiered discounts would apply in their pricing, and whether the tiers would be based on 1) the number of students per institution, 2) the number of students in total across all institutions choosing to contract with the vendor, or 3) another approach to tiering.

3.5.4 Prompt Pay Discount

All Bidders must agree to offer discounts through participation in the Commonwealth Prompt Payment Discount (PPD) initiative for receiving early and/or on-time payments, unless the Bidder can provide compelling proof that it would be unduly burdensome.

Bidders must submit agreeable terms on the Prompt Payment Discount Form, included on the Bid, unless otherwise specified by the SST. The SST will review, negotiate or reject the offering as deemed in the best interest of the Commonwealth.

The requirement to offer a PPD may be waived by the SST on a case-by-case basis if participation in the program would be unduly burdensome on the Bidder. If a Bidder is claiming that this requirement is a hardship or unduly burdensome, the specific reason must be documented in the Bidder’s Quote.

https://www.mass.gov/doc/epp-general-information-requirements-and-guidance/download https://www.mass.gov/doc/epp-general-information-requirements-and-guidance/download

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3.5.5 Authorized Price Changes

Price adjustments may be considered during contract renewal period. The SST reserves the right to reject any proposed price increases.

4 SUPPLIER DIVERSITY PLAN (SDP)

Massachusetts Executive Order 565 reaffirmed and expanded the Commonwealth’s policy to promote the award of state contracts in a manner that develops and strengthens certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs), Women Business Enterprises (WBEs), Minority and Women Nonprofit Organizations (M/WNPOs), Veteran Business Enterprises (VBEs), Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business Enterprises (SDVOBEs), Disability-Owned Business Enterprises (DOBEs), and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Business Enterprises (LGBTBEs).

All bidders are required to make a significant financial commitment to partner with certified M/WBEs, M/WNPOs, VBEs, and/or SDVOBEs, DOBEs and/or LGBTBEs certified or verified by the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO). Bidders must identify a commitment in the form of a specific percentage of sales made under the resulting contract that will be spent with an SDP Partner(s) on a Massachusetts fiscal year basis, using SDP Plan Form #1 – SDP Plan Commitment. This percentage commitment will extend for the life of any resulting contract.

This requirement extends to all bidders regardless of their certification status, and no bidder will be awarded a Contract unless and until the above requirement is met. In planning their SDP commitment, Bidders certified by SDO must note that the commitment cannot be met by making expenditures within their own company or with parent or wholly owned subsidiary companies. Therefore, Bidders may not list themselves or affiliates as SDP Partners. In order to ensure compliance with this section and encourage bidder participation, SDP Plans submitted by bidders will be evaluated by the SST at 10% or more of the total available 100% evaluation points. Note: this does not mean that the bidder must commit 10% of sales. Questions concerning how the SDP works may be directed to the Supplier Diversity Office (SDO) or bidders may view a description of the SDP on the SDO webpage at www.mass.gov/sdo.

5 EVALUATION CRITERIA

Contractors must submit responses that meet all the submission requirements of the RFR. Only responsive proposals that meet the submission requirements will be evaluated, scored and ranked by the evaluation team according to the evaluation criteria. Additional information may be requested for evaluation purposes.

Any submission which fails to meet the submission requirements of the RFR will be found non-responsive without further evaluation unless the evaluation team, at its discretion, determines that the non-compliance is insubstantial and can be corrected. In these cases, the evaluation team may allow the contractor to make minor corrections to the submission.

Bidder scores will be used to rank Bidders and will determine which Bidders will proceed to subsequent stages of the evaluation and/or enter into negotiations with the Commonwealth to receive a Contract award.

5.1 Mandatory Requirements

Bidders who do not meet all mandatory requirements may be disqualified. The SST may determine if non-compliance with a mandatory requirement is insignificant, or can be corrected or clarified.

Bid terms that include language such as: “must”, “shall”, “will” and “required” are “mandatory.”

At a minimum, qualified bidders must demonstrate the following through their proposal:

1. Documented experience providing behavioral health services to post-secondary student populations, including students of traditional as well as non-traditional age groups (>age 25), students who participate on a full-time on-campus basis and students who participate on a part-time non-residential basis (the norm for Massachusetts community college students), and undergraduate as well as graduate students.

2. Organizational awareness, capability, and capacity to provide culturally responsive and relevant services across, race, ethnicity, language, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socioeconomic status and other identity categories in the delivery of student behavioral health services, and intentionality in addressing asset-based therapeutic approaches that honor students' cultural wealth https://www.mass.gov/info-details/learn-about-the-supplier-diversity-program-sdp file:///C:/Users/wmcavoy/AppData/Local/Microsoft/Windows/INetCache/Content.Outlook/CVVND7WS/mass.gov/sdo http://www.mass.gov/sdo

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3. Access to licensed behavioral and mental health clinicians who are prepared to address a wide range of student needs, including offering trauma-informed approaches, across the demographic of public higher education

4. Adaptable capacity to provide services to all enrolled students of Massachusetts public higher-education system and address elastic demand within response times appropriate to the urgency of student needs

5. An established technology platform, organizational capability and capacity to deliver behavioral health teleservices 24 x 7 x 365, including emergency crisis support

6. Data reporting on student participation and satisfaction, response times and other performance measures (see below) to inform continuous improvement and access to services

7. Implementation of best practices, internal controls and system audits that ensure student privacy is protected pursuant to both HIPAA and FERPA

8. Protocols for utilizing evidence-based practices for assessing and responding to risk of personal safety and public safety when interacting with students, including a clear escalation plan developed in collaboration with the contracting institution of higher education, and triaging capabilities to differentiate student needs and provide appropriate services or refer students for emergency or extended care

9. Professional liability coverage for behavioral and mental health providers

10.