RFP 11108_Exhibit 8_final.pdf

RFP 11108

Exhibit 8

Frequently Asked Questions

Facility and Building(s) – Related Questions

1.

Question: a. How many total classrooms are there?

b. How many staff offices are there?

Answer: a. There are three classrooms and one computer lab.

b. There are ten staff offices in the main building and one in the modular.

2.

Question: a. What are the number of sleeping rooms?

b. Are all sleeping rooms single occupancy?

c. Would doors with windows be permitted for the sleeping rooms?

Answer: a. There are forty (40) sleeping rooms.

b. Yes. All sleeping rooms are single occupancy.

c. Yes. Doors with windows are permitted for the sleeping rooms.

3.

Question: a. How old are the current AC units?

b. When were they last serviced?

c. Are there any HVAC concerns or repairs in progress?

Answer: a. The current AC units are twenty-five (25) years old.

b. The facility is on a monthly service agreement.

c. There are no HVAC concerns or repairs in progress.

4. Question: Is there a functioning sprinkler system throughout the building? If not, will sprinklers be installed prior to the contract award?

Answer: Yes, there is a functioning sprinkler system throughout the building.

5. Question: Does the facility have a generator?

Answer: Yes, there is a generator.

6.

Question: If this facility is in a flood-zone, how many evacuations has the facility experienced in the past five years due to a flood warning?

Answer: This facility is not in a flood-zone. There was one evacuation in 2024 due to a hurricane.

7.

Question: Is the food prepared for youth in-house, or catered? If in-house, is all the kitchen equipment working properly?

Answer: The food is prepared in-house and all the kitchen equipment is working properly.

8.

Question: Where is the Control Room in the facility?

Answer: The Control Room is in the main building.

9.

Question: a. How many cameras are at the facility and are they all operational?

b. When was the video surveillance system last updated?

Answer: a. There are eighty-one (81) cameras at the facility, and all are operational.

b. The system was last updated in March 2026.

10.

Question: If there are multiple buildings at this location, please clarify which buildings are included with this procurement.

Answer: There is one main building, a classroom modular, a Career and Technical Education (CTE) building, and two storage sheds.

11. Question: What is the census utilization for the last twelve (12) months?

Answer:

Walton Year/Month MHOS SAOS

26-Jul 86% 78% 26-Jun 84% 77% 26-May 93% 77% 26-Apr 88% 90% 26-Mar 61% 88% 26-Feb 60% 77% 26-Jan 76% 72% 25-Dec 93% 87% 25-Nov 97% 91% 25-Oct 100% 95% 25-Sep 97% 100% 25-Aug 99% 83%

12.

Question: What are the current major maintenance projects that are pending completion?

Answer: The current major maintenance project that is pending completion is the re-surfacing of the kitchen floor.

13.

Question: What is the current major maintenance fund balance?

Answer: The current major maintenance fund balance is $18,035.28.

14.

Question: Does the Department plan to provide any start-up/cost reimbursement funds to the winning

Respondent so that necessary facility projects can be completed?

Answer: There are no start-up/cost reimbursement funds available for this program.

15.

Question: Are all the showers and bathrooms PREA compliant, or will they be prior to the Contract award?

Answer: All showers and bathrooms are PREA compliant.

16.

Question: Under the Video Surveillance Systems section, will the Department accept requesting access to video instead of having full access?

Answer: No. The Respondent is required to grant the Department access per the solicitation.

17.

Question: Can the Department provide floor plans with the room measurements so Respondents can understand the size of each room to better propose innovative programming?

Answer: Floor plans shall be provided by the Procurement Officer per request via email.

18.

Question: Are there any State-owned vehicles available for use at the program? If so, how many and what is the year/make/model?

Answer: There will be no Department-owned vehicles available. Any vehicles needed shall be requested in the Respondent’s Attachment H - Budget.

Bureau of Procurement and Contract Administration (BPCA) – Related Questions

19.

Question: Can the Department please provide an editable version of Attachment D, Attachment O, and

Attachment Q in Microsoft Word format?

Answer: Please contact the Procurement Manager, via email, for a copy of Attachments D, O, and Q in

Microsoft Word format.

20.

Question: Can the Department please provide Exhibit 5 and Exhibit 6 in either Microsoft Word or

Microsoft Excel format?

Answer: Please contact the Procurement Manager, via email, for a copy of Exhibits 5 and 6 in Microsoft

Word format.

21.

Question: Submitting replies/proposals: If the preference is for electronic copies, are hard copies still required?

Answer: The solicitation says “Respondents shall submit the required information and documents for this solicitation in the hard copy and electronic submittal of Volume 3”; therefore, both formats are required.

Services Sought / Solicitation – Related Questions

22.

Question: Can the Department please provide the names of the staff members who will be evaluating this solicitation?

Answer: The Evaluators for this solicitation are:

• Jill Foy

• Pamela Parenti

• Vedra Woods

• John Banaghan

• Dakota Banks

• Patrick Brock

• Jamie Franz

Please Note: Evaluators for this solicitation are subject to change based on the needs of the Department and availability of the individuals.

23.

Question: Per the solicitation, the Respondent must include a “detailed plan for the provision of clinical staff and clinical services to include weekends and evenings; for services including, but not limited to, individual, group, and family therapy.”

a. Is it sufficient for the Respondent’s plan to indicate that per the model requirements of the chosen EBPs and per the individualized needs of youth as specified on their treatment plans, clinical services may be available on weekends and evenings, as needed?

Answer: No. Per the OHS Attachments, a mental health clinical staff person must be on-site seven days per week, to meet the unique needs of the youth, and to provide clinical services as outlined in the relevant OHS Attachment(s). This allows for flexibility, with the administration of therapeutic activities and crisis intervention services, while accommodating time for educational requirements, and for parents/guardians/co-parents to be involved in family treatment services.

24.

Question: The solicitation states “an orientation process that begins prior to, or within two hours of, admission to the program” is required. The current requirement is within twenty-four (24) hours. Can this requirement be modified to give staff the twenty-four (24) hours?

Answer: No. Per Chapter 63E-7.101 (6), F.A.C., Youth Admission, Intake, and Orientation, it states, “A residential commitment program shall begin the orientation process for each youth admitted to the program prior to, or within two hours of, admission to the program.”

25.

Question: The solicitation states that there will be “continuous, twenty-four (24) hours awake supervision every day of the year.” Can you confirm that this requirement applies to having awake staff, NOT awake ratios 24/7?

Answer: Twenty-four (24) hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year, all youth must have in-sight supervision everyday by staff who are awake and not sleeping.

26.

Question: “Job Placement” is mentioned throughout this solicitation. Would you clarify if this is meant for during their stay, during their transition, or both?

Answer: Both.

27.

Question: Is it the Department’s expectation that pre- and in-service training plans will NOT be required to be submitted to DJJ to be approved prior to December 1 of the year preceding implementation? It is our understanding that plans will only need to be submitted to DJJ for approval as part of the proposal for this solicitation. Is an annual calendar or annual plan equally acceptable for use at the program?

Answer: No. The resulting Contract will require that the annual in-service training plan and the pre-service training plan be submitted for review and approval to the Residential Regional Director each year.

28.

Question: Under the Religious and Spiritual Opportunities section, the solicitation indicates the Respondent “shall provide regular faith-based opportunities and quarterly documented attempts to provide religious services and education that encompasses all faiths.”

a. Is taking youth to church services on Sundays satisfy this requirement, provided that different options are available to youth?

b. Does the State have a listing of approved volunteer organizations that could provide the sort of services to Youth as described here?

Answer: a. Yes. Church services on Sundays, and different options available to youth, satisfies this requirement.

b. No. We do not have a running list of volunteer organizations; however, the internet may provide you with organizations in the area, or those that are close by.

29.

Question: Are there any specific delinquency interventions required for this program?

Answer: A list of approved curricula is located at: https://www.djj.state.fl.us/partners-providers-staff/fidelity-accountability-and-support/research-informed-and-best-practices

30.

Question: Is the minimum mandatory hourly wage of $19 a gross hourly wage, or does this factor in any company-paid benefits?

Answer: The minimum mandatory hourly wage is $19.00, not inclusive of benefits.

31.

Question: For flexible bed components, will there be a definitive amount of either type beds at any given time as service requirements are obviously different?

Answer: Yes, there will be a set amount of either type beds at the beginning of the resulting Contract. After Contract execution, those beds may flexible, and any changes to the total number of beds will be discussed with the Provider, prior to such a change.

32.

Question: Does the Department want all primary services, interventions, and treatment services on the same document, and for the Respondent to indicate which populations receive which services?

Answer: Yes. Please complete a Designation and Request to Change Primary, Intervention, and Treatment Services Form for all components.

https://www.djj.state.fl.us/partners-providers-staff/fidelity-accountability-and-support/research-informed-and-best-practices https://www.djj.state.fl.us/partners-providers-staff/fidelity-accountability-and-support/research-informed-and-best-practices

33.

Question: Will any staff currently employed by the Respondent who do not meet the basic degree requirements, but who have previously received a waiver from the Department, be exempt in the new Contract?

Answer: Yes, if a waiver was in place for a specific staff person previously, that waiver shall remain in place, as long as the staff is in good standing. The Respondent shall state that such a waiver is in place within their written response to the solicitation.

34.

Question: The solicitation indicates that the Department can reduce the Respondent’s monthly invoice at its discretion for the amount allocated for unfilled positions. Please confirm that if the Respondent can maintain ratios by paying overtime to existing staff the penalty will not apply.

Answer: No. By executing the resulting Contract, the Respondent agrees to always maintain the required ratios. In the Attachment H - Budget, all the program costs (including staff) add up to equal the filled per diem amount paid in the resulting Contract. Should 15% or more of the Respondent’s total program positions be vacant at any one time, the Department may reduce the Respondent’s monthly invoice to recoup the salary not being paid because of excessive vacancies.

Office of Health Services (OHS) Medical and Mental Health – Related Questions

35.

Question: What are the nursing requirements?

Answer: Please see the Health and Nursing Services Attachment included in the solicitation for specific requirements.

36.

Question: For Substance Abuse Treatment Overlay Services (SAOS) programs: The SAOS Attachment references an LMHP on-site five days. Will the Department consider exempting existing master level counselors who are working toward licensure (i.e., registered interns) into this role?

Answer: Registered interns may not work as a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP).

37.

requires that “psychiatric services be provided in the facility.” Will the Department allow these services to be provided via telehealth modality?

Answer: No. Telemental health services (individual and group therapy sessions) are not permitted currently.

Tele-psychiatry services should be requested from the Office of Health Services (OHS).

38.

requires that “Note: Process Groups based on Evidence Based therapy models (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Family Systems, Reality Therapy, Humanistic Therapy, Insight-oriented Therapy, Behavior Therapy, etc.) are allowable two times per week, and all other MH/SA group therapy services shall be Evidence-Based therapy curricula.”

Will the Department consider allowing more flexibility in this requirement, as evidence-based curricula cohorts vary based on youth admission/discharge timelines and frequencies? As an example, a youth in transition will likely have finished all formal evidence-based interventions such as ART and CYT, so may need more process groups to meet the 4-per-week requirement.

Answer: Yes. If a youth has successfully completed evidence-based curricular based groups, then that youth can participate in a greater number of process groups, or increase the number of individual sessions for the week. It is not therapeutic for a youth to repeat a curricular-based group if that youth successfully completed the group.

39. Question: For Substance Abuse Treatment Overlay Services (SAOS) programs: The SAOS Attachment requires that “A qualified professional licensed under Chapters 458, 459, 490 or 491, F.S.

must be on-site and provide a substance abuse service each day Substance Abuse Treatment Overlay Services (SAOS) are provided.”

a. As group frequency has been reduced, how will this be reflected, since SAOS is no longer a separately billed service?

b. Will the Department consider removing this language?

Answer: a. If the program has a 397 License, then non-licensed clinical staff may provide substance abuse treatment services under the supervision of a licensed professional. However, the Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) does not need to be on-site during such service provision. Substance Abuse services are not billed separately; however, these services are governed by 65D-30, F.A.C.

b. No.

40.

table specifies minimum therapist qualifications as “master’s degree student interns.”

Please clarify this requirement, as registered internship is not a requirement specified in section 3b “minimum non-licensed clinical staff qualifications.”

Answer: There is a difference between a student intern and a registered intern. The non-licensed mental health clinical staff must, if not otherwise licensed, have at minimum a bachelor’s degree and be a currently enrolled master’s degree student and has reached the internship phase of the program.

A registered intern already holds a master’s degree and is approved by DOH to provide treatment services under the supervision of a Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP). Thus, a student intern or a registered intern may serve as non-licensed mental health clinical staff working in MHOS or SAOS programs.

41.

requires that “Family therapy shall be provided monthly at a minimum for all youth.” Will the Department consider changing the language of this requirement to “shall be offered” or “shall be scheduled” as the Respondent cannot control whether parents will attend scheduled sessions?

Answer: If a parent/guardian/co-parent does not attend a family session the therapist will document that in the progress notes.

42.

Question: If the LMHP is serving as the DMHCA, will that individual being full-time on-site satisfy the requirements listed in the MHOS/SAOS attachments under clinical staff requirements a and b?

Answer: The Licensed Mental Health Professional (LMHP) and the Designated Mental Health Clinician Authority (DMHCA) can be the same person, satisfying the requirements of being on-site at least forty (40) hours per week, five days of the week.

43.

Question: Will the Department be providing funding for compression to appropriately hire and retain qualified licensed mental health and medical professionals?

Answer: Funds were added to current contracts in 2023 to address minimum wage requirements and compression. Based on the compression of salaries for licensed mental health and medical professionals, the minimum required annual starting salaries for the following staff shall be (not inclusive of benefits):

a. Non-Licensed Mental Health Staff - $50,000

b. Licensed Mental Health Staff - $79,000

c. Designated Mental Health Clinician Authority (DMHCA) - $85,000

d. Registered Nurse (RN) - $72,000

e. Health Services Administrator (HSA) - $80,000