Q A Pre ETS RFR Amendment 092718 Posted.docx

Q&A for Pre-ETS RFR Amendment – FINAL 9-27-18

Question #1:

In our current scope of services, students must be referred from the MRC Downtown and MRC Roxbury offices. With the amendment no longer necessarily requiring an MRC referral, do youth still need to come from these specific geographic locations that would be served by these offices?

Answer to Question #1:

During the amendment period, referrals are not required to come from the MRC counselor but they can come from an MRC counselor. You should continue to serve the geographic locations that you had identified in your original proposal. You should continue to make a commitment to serve individuals within that geographic area.

Question #2:

Our original scope requires providing three of the service components to students (Work Based Learning Experience/Internship, Job Exploration Counseling, and Workplace Readiness Training). We also provide self-advocacy instruction. With the amendment, do all students who participate in our program need to participate in all of the components or just at least one?

Answer to Question #2:

In the revised curriculum you should indicate that all of the potentially eligible pre-employment transition services are available based on the client’s individual needs but you can provide just one service to meet the consumer needs.

Question #3:

Will everyone be approved?

Answer to Question #3:

Providers will submit a referral in Formstack to the MRC supervisor who will make an approval decision. The MRC supervisor will base the decision on whether the student is an individual who is between 14-21 (up to their 22nd birthday) who has a disability and is enrolled in high school or post-secondary education.

Question #4:

What is the criteria for approving or rejecting students we submit for referral?

Answer to Question #4:

The criteria that MRC supervisors will apply is the student needs to be between the ages of 14-21 (up to their 22nd birthday) with a disability and they are enrolled in high school or post-secondary education, and that the information required in the Formstack document is complete.

Question #5:

Do all parts of the program have to be completed? (current system is “all or nothing” with completed internship)…If not, does a partial completion count toward count toward our successful student completion goal? Will there be a set number of hours required to establish completion of various components? Can we still be flexible based on student’s needs?

Answer to Question #5:

Students who have been approved and enrolled in a potentially eligible Pre-ETS service component are expected to complete the service component. During the amendment period of time, MRC will be flexible on the number of hours required to complete components based on the student’s needs.

Question #6:

Will MRC still be referring us students? If not, are we required to be in every school in our region or can we reach our goal by working with established schools?

Answer to Question #6:

MRC will continue to refer some students to the programs as part of the amendment period of time. During the amendment period, providers should conduct outreach to schools in their community and make use of existing relationships and develop new relationships with schools where feasible.

Question #7:

Can we still offer paid internships? If so, what are the parameters?

Answer to Question #7:

Paid internships are still allowable under this amendment and the same parameters in the original RFR still exist. Providers are encouraged to provide other work-based learning experiences in group and individual settings such as job shadowing, workplace tours, employer career presentations, and volunteering.

Question #8:

Can students repeat services?

Answer to Question #8:

Yes, students are allowed to repeat services or receive multiple services.

Question #9:

What will the billing look like? Broken down by component completion…hours…???

Answer to Question #9:

The contracts will remain cost reimbursement in the EIM system. Programmatic reporting of services and progress should continue to be reported by service component and student.

Question #10:

What is the effective date for the amended changes to the program? When do we begin serving potentially eligible and the expanded age range?

Answer to Question #10:

Contracts are to be amended and the effective date is the date the contract is signed by the MRC CFO.

Question #11:

Is an internship required of all students served by the program?

Answer to Question #11:

No, an internship is not required of students served by the program. Other work-based learning experiences in group and individual settings such as job shadowing, workplace tours, employer career presentations, and volunteering are encouraged.

Question #12:

How many eligible and potentially eligible students are vendors required to serve each year?

Answer to Question #12:

Providers should revise their curriculum to identify the number of students that can be served during the amendment period.

Question #13:

Is every student required to complete all five core services or can they choose to only participate in specific ones?

Answer to Question #13:

Students may choose to participate in one or more service depending upon their needs.

Question #14:

To submit “all letters and revised curricula” to COMMBUYS by Thursday October 4th, do vendors need to create a new quote?

Answer to Question #14:

All existing providers must submit a letter on their official letterhead via COMMBUYS indicating their agreement that they have reviewed and accepted the revised terms of the RFR. In addition, existing vendors need to update and submit a revised curriculum to include the provision of services to potentially eligible students and to incorporate the expanded age range for consumers served under the RFR.

Any new vendors seeking to apply under this RFR must submit a full proposal following the requirements in the original RFR and this attachment via COMMBUYS.

The letters and revised curricula must be submitted in COMMBUYS either by submitting a new quote, or withdrawing and resubmitting the existing quote.

There are job aids to assist with creating a new quote, and also with withdrawing and resubmitting a quote. Please see below links to these job aids.

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2016/10/ok/withdraw-reopen-resubmit-quote-in-commbuys.pdf.

https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2017/01/uk/create-quote-in-commbuys.pdf