RFP 21-2098.docx

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Bureau of Grants and Purchasing

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)

Proposal Submission

All proposals with related material must be submitted electronically using the SIGMA Vendor Self Service (VSS) website. For technical assistance when entering proposals, contact the State of Michigan VSS Support Center at (888) 734-9749 or SIGMA- Vendor@michigan.gov.

Geographic Area:

See Schedule A (Always identify counties.)

The Contractor (awarded bidder) must deliver human services to referred clients in the above geographic area and have direct service providers based within 75 miles of the geographic area for the duration of the contract.

Disqualifying Criteria:

The bidder will be disqualified and the proposal will not be reviewed if there is failure to:

Submit a complete proposal and Schedule B Pricing Matrix to the SIGMA VSS website on or before the bid closing date and time specified.

Stay at or below the maximum award amount per contract year, if provided.

If only one area is to be served, delete this paragraph.Bidders wishing to serve more than one geographic area must submit a separate proposal for each geographic area that they wish to serve. Proposals that combine more than one geographic area will not be considered for award.

Proposals from bidders who are current state of Michigan employees are also disqualified and will not be reviewed.

RFP Number: 210000002098

RFP Format (Rev 4-21) Page 1 of 44

RFP Format (Rev 4-21) Page 18 of 44 From this point on, DO NOT USE TAB. Unprotect the format and press CONTROL F to move to the next typing location (stop code). Protect the format again after the last stop code at the end of Category D in Section IV.

Additional Information:

For purposes of this RFP, transportation and specific assistance costs should be considered actual cost components and should not be included in the proposed unit rate. Unit rate calculations must take into consideration all direct and indirect costs related to performing the service, including mandated insurance costs.

Authority:

Completion:

Penalty:

P.A. 2080 of 1939.

Mandatory.

Agreement Invalid The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) will not discriminate against any individual or group because of race, religion, age, national origin, color, height, weight, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political beliefs or disability. If you need help with reading, writing, hearing, etc., under the Americans with Disabilities Act, you are invited to make your needs known to a MDHHS office in your area.

Table of Contents

This Request for Proposal (RFP) provides interested bidders with sufficient information to prepare and submit proposals for consideration by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and contains the following sections:

Section I Proposal Instructions

Section II Description of Service Specifications

Section III Instructions for Bidders

Section IV Proposal

Section V Confidential Treatment Form (CT Form)

Section I

PROPOSAL INSTRUCTIONS

1. Questions/Inquiries

Questions regarding the content of this RFP must be made by email to Laura Baldwin at BaldwinL1@michigan.gov on or before June 23, 2021. MDHHS staff will not respond to questions regarding the content of the RFP that are telephoned in. Questions may be discussed verbally at the pre-proposal conference if one is scheduled. MDHHS will compile all relevant questions and answers and post these as well as any other clarifications or revisions to the initial RFP onto the SIGMA Vendor Self Service (VSS) website. Interested bidders are advised to monitor the website regularly.

2. Amendment to the RFP

MDHHS may modify this RFP at any time. Modifications will be posted on the SIGMA VSS website via a “proposal amendment.” This is the only method by which the RFP may be modified. Amendments posted before the deadline submission date may include documentations such as questions and answers, revisions, and/or clarifications to the initial RFP. Amendments posted after the deadline submission date may include documentation such as the award recommendation letter.

3. Response Preparation

Bidders must follow these proposal instructions and provide a complete response. References and links to websites or external sources may not be used in lieu of providing the information requested in the RFP within the proposal. Include the bidder’s company name in the header of all documents submitted with your proposal.

4. Delivery of Proposal

The bidder must submit its proposal, all attachments, and any modifications or withdrawals electronically through the SIGMA VSS website. The price proposal should be saved separately from all other proposal documents. The bidder should submit all documents in a modifiable (native) format (examples include but are not limited to Microsoft Word or Excel and Google Docs or Sheets). In addition to submitting documents in a modifiable format, the bidder may also submit copies of documents in PDF. Attachment file size is limited to 6 MB per document. Bidder’s failure to submit a proposal as required may result in disqualification. The proposal and attachments must be fully uploaded and submitted prior to the due date identified on the SIGMA VSS website. Do not wait until the last minute to submit a proposal, as the SIGMA VSS system requires the creation of an account and entry of certain information, in addition to uploading and submitting the materials. The SIGMA VSS system will not allow a proposal to be submitted after the due date and time, even if a portion of the proposal has been uploaded.

Questions on how to submit information or how to navigate in the SIGMA VSS system can be answered by contacting the State of Michigan (SOM) VSS Support Center at SIGMA-Vendor@michigan.gov or 1-888-734-9749. The SOM VSS Support Center office hours are 7:00 AM until 6:00 PM EST, Monday-Friday. MDHHS will not provide assistance related to the submittal of the proposal and all attachments on the day of the proposal deadline. Responsibility for a complete submission lies with the bidder.

5. Evaluation Process

In awarding the contract, proposals will be evaluated by a committee chaired by the MDHHS Bureau of Grants and Purchasing (BGP). Only those proposals receiving a score of 80 points or more will be considered for award. All qualified proposals will be evaluated based on rating criteria identified in the RFP.

MDHHS may utilize all bidder information, without regard to a proposal’s technical score, to determine fair market value for goods or services sought. MDHHS is not obligated to accept the lowest price proposal. If applicable, MDHHS’ evaluation will include consideration of a bidder’s qualified disabled veteran/service-disabled veteran owned business (QDV/SDVOB) status under MCL 18.1261(8). Additional information on the SDVOB preference is available at this Contract Connect website.

MDHHS strongly encourages strict adherence to the standard terms. MDHHS reserves the right to deem a proposal non-responsive for failure to accept the standard terms. Nevertheless, the bidder may submit proposed changes to the standard terms in track changes (i.e., visible edits) with an explanation of the bidder’s need for each proposed change. Failure to include track changes with an explanation of the bidder’s need for the proposed change constitutes the bidder’s acceptance of the standard terms. General statements, such as that the bidder reserves the right to negotiate the standard terms, may be considered non-responsive.

MDHHS reserves the right to establish the criteria by which it will evaluate each bidder’s response, and by which it will determine the most responsive, capable, and qualified bidder(s). In addition to cost, other principal factors may be considered in evaluating proposals relative to:

. Reliability . Bidder’s past performance . Bidder’s ability to respond to all requirements outlined in the RFP . Bidder’s ability to maintain a presence in providing services . Financial stability . Continuity and stability in provision of service . Knowledge transfer activities

If MDHHS determines in its sole discretion that contracting with or awarding a contract to a bidder presents an unacceptable financial risk to MDHHS, MDHHS reserves the right to not award a contract to that bidder.

MDHHS may but is not required to conduct an on-site visit to tour and inspect the bidder's facilities; require an oral presentation of the bidder's proposal; conduct interviews, research, reference checks, and background checks; and request additional price concessions at any point during the evaluation process.

6. Notice of Deficiency

MDHHS reserves the right to issue a Notice of Deficiency to bidders if MDHHS determines after the proposal deadline that a portion of the RFP was deficient, unclear, or ambiguous. Failure to respond to a Notice of Deficiency timely may be cause for disqualification.

7. Clarification Request

MDHHS reserves the right to issue a Clarification Request to a bidder to clarify its proposal if MDHHS determines the proposal is not clear. Failure to respond to a Clarification Request timely may be cause for disqualification.

8. Reservations

MDHHS reserves the right to:

a. Disqualify a bidder for failure to follow these instructions.

b. Discontinue the RFP process at any time for any or no reason. The issuance of an RFP, preparation and submission of a proposal, and MDHHS’s subsequent receipt and evaluation of a proposal does not commit MDHHS to award a contract, even if all the requirements in the RFP are met.

c. Consider late proposals if: (i) no other proposals are received; (ii) no complete proposals are received; (iii) MDHHS received complete proposals, but the proposals did not pass the evaluation process; or (iv) the award process fails to result in an award.

d. Consider an otherwise disqualified proposal if no other proposals are received.

e. Disqualify a proposal based on: (1) information provided by the bidder in response to this RFP; (2) the bidder’s failure to complete registration on SIGMA VSS; or (3) if it is determined that a bidder purposely or willfully submitted false or misleading information in response to this RFP.

f. Consider prior performance with the State in making its award decision.

g. Consider overall economic impact to the State when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation. This includes but is not limited to considering principal place of performance, number of Michigan citizens employed or potentially employed, dollars paid to Michigan residents, Michigan capital investments, job creation, tax revenue implications, and economically disadvantaged businesses.

h. Consider total-cost-of-ownership factors (e.g., transition and training costs) when evaluating proposal pricing and in the final award recommendation.

i. Refuse to award a contract to any bidder that has failed to pay State taxes or has outstanding debt with the State.

j. Enter into negotiations with one or more bidders on price, terms, technical requirements, or other deliverables.

k. Award multiple, optional-use contracts, or award by contract activity.

l. Evaluate the proposal outside the scope identified in the Evaluation Process section of this document if MDHHS receives only one proposal.

m. Evaluate proposals using a method that establishes the relative importance of each deliverable.

9. Award Recommendation

The contract will be awarded to the responsive and responsible bidder who offers the best value to the State, as determined by the State. Best value will be determined by the bidder meeting the minimum point threshold and offering the best combination of price and quality, as demonstrated by its proposal and other principal factors. MDHHS will publish an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on the SIGMA VSS website or in the manner that the solicitation was originally published.

10. Debrief Meetings and Protest

MDHHS will publish an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis, which will provide instructions on how to request a debrief meeting.

Bidders who wish to initiate a protest of the award must submit the protest in writing no later than 3:00 p.m. on the fifth business day after the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis is published. MDHHS reserves the right to adjust this timing and will publish any change.

Submit protests via email to MDHHS-BGP@michigan.gov. Include “Protest” in the email subject line. All protests must include the bid number.

Additional information about the protest process is available at the Contract Connect website under the “Programs and Policies” link.

11. State Administrative Board

Contracts equal to or greater than $250,000 require approval by the State Administrative Board. The State Administrative Board’s decision is final; however, its approval does not constitute a contract. The award process is not complete until the awarded Contractor receives a contract fully executed by all parties.

12. General Conditions

The State will not be liable for any costs, expenses, or damages incurred by a bidder participating in this solicitation. The bidder agrees that its proposal will be considered an offer to do business with the State in accordance with its proposal, including the Standard Terms, and that its proposal will be irrevocable and binding for a period of 90 calendar days from date of submission. If a contract is awarded to the bidder, the State may, at its option, incorporate any part of the bidder’s proposal into a contract. This RFP is not an offer to enter into a contract. This RFP may not provide a complete statement of the State’s environment or contain all matters upon which agreement must be reached. Other than verified trade secrets, proposals submitted via SIGMA VSS are the State’s property.

13. Confidential Treatment Form and the Freedom of Information Act

All portions of the bidder’s proposal and resulting contract are subject to disclosure as required under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231, et seq. However, some information may be exempt from disclosure. Under MCL 18.1261(13)(b), records containing “a trade secret as defined under section 2 of the uniform trade secrets act, 1998 PA 448, MCL 445.1902,” are exempt from disclosure under FOIA. In addition, “financial or proprietary information” submitted with a bidder’s proposal is exempt from disclosure under FOIA. A bidder’s failure to comply with this Section is grounds for rejecting a bidder’s proposal as non-responsive. As a part of its proposal, each bidder must follow the procedure below.

a. SUBMIT A COMPLETED “CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM” (CT FORM) WITH YOUR BID. Completion and submission of the CT Form is required regardless of whether the bidder seeks confidential treatment of information. Failure to submit a completed CT Form may be cause for disqualification from the solicitation process.

i. Complete and sign Section 1 of the CT Form if the bidder does NOT request confidential treatment of information contained in its proposal; or

ii. Complete and sign Section 2 of the CT Form if the bidder requests confidential treatment of certain information. Bidder must also submit a “Public Copy” of the proposal with the trade secret, financial, and proprietary information redacted and clearly labeled as the “Public Copy.”

b. FOIA REQUESTS. If a FOIA request is made for a bidder’s proposal, the Public Copy may be distributed to the public along with the bidder’s CT Form. The CT Form is a public document and serves as an explanation for the redactions to the Public Copy. Do not put any trade secret, financial, or proprietary information in the CT Form. Do not redact the CT Form itself.

c. NO ADVICE. The State will not advise a bidder as to the nature or content of documents entitled to protection from disclosure under FOIA or other laws, as to the interpretation of such laws, or as to the definition of trade secret or financial or proprietary information. Nothing contained in this provision will modify or amend requirements and obligations imposed on the State by FOIA or other applicable law.

d. FAILURE TO REQUEST CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT. Failure to request material be treated as confidential as specified herein relieves the State, its agencies, and personnel from any responsibility for maintaining material in confidence.

e. Bids containing a request to maintain an entire proposal as confidential may be rejected as non-responsive. Bidders may not request confidential treatment with respect to resumes, pricing, and marketing materials. The State reserves the right to determine whether material designated as exempt by a bidder falls under MCL 18.1261 or other applicable FOIA exemptions. If a FOIA request is made for materials that the bidder has identified as trade secret, financial, or proprietary information, the State has the final authority to determine whether the materials are exempt from disclosure under FOIA.

f. Bidder forever releases the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees from all claims, rights, actions, demands, damages, liabilities, expenses and fees, which arise out of or relate to the disclosure of all or a portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP. Bidder must defend, indemnify and hold the State, its departments, subdivisions, officers, and employees harmless, without limitation, from and against all actions, claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs, attorney fees, and expenses (including those required to establish the right to indemnification), arising out of or relating to any FOIA request, including potential litigation and appeals, related to the portion of bidder’s proposal submitted under this RFP that bidder has identified as a trade secret, or financial or proprietary information. The State will notify bidder in writing if indemnification is sought. The State is entitled to: (i) regular updates on proceeding status; (ii) participate in the defense of the proceeding; (iii) employ its own counsel; and to (iv) retain control of the defense, or any portion thereof, if the State deems necessary. Bidder will not, without the State’s written consent (not to be unreasonably withheld), settle, compromise, or consent to the entry of any judgment in or otherwise seek to terminate any claim, action, or proceeding. If a State employee, official, or law is involved or challenged, the State may control the defense of that portion of the claim. Any litigation activity on behalf of the State, or any of its subdivisions under this Section, must be coordinated with the Department of Attorney General. An attorney designated to represent the State may not do so until approved by the Michigan Attorney General and appointed as a Special Assistant Attorney General.

14. Rights to Information Contained in Proposals

All proposals will be considered the property of MDHHS.

15. Independent Price Determination

a. By submission of a proposal, the bidder certifies:

1) The prices of the proposal have been arrived at independently without consultation, communication, or agreement, for the purpose of restricting competition, as to any matter relating to such prices with any other bidder or with any competitor;

2) Unless otherwise required by law, the price quotation in the proposal has not and will not be knowingly disclosed by the bidder to any potential bidder;

3) No attempt has been made or will be made by the bidder to induce any other person or agency to submit or not to submit a proposal for the purpose of restricting competition;

4) The price quoted is not higher than that given to the general public for the same service.

b. The person who submits the proposal certifies that:

1) She or he is the person in the bidder's organization responsible within that organization for the decision as to prices being offered in the proposal, and that she or he has not participated, and will not participate in any action contrary to a. 1 through 4 above; or

2) He or she is not the person in the bidder's organization responsible within that organization for the decision as to the prices being offered in the proposal, but that he or she has been authorized in writing to act as agent for the persons responsible for such decision in certifying that such persons have not participated, and will not participate, in any action contrary to a. 1 through 4 above, and as their agent does hereby so certify; and that he or she has not participated, and will not participate in any action contrary to a. 1 through 4 above.

c. A proposal will not be considered for award if the bidder is found to be noncompliant with any part of Item 6., Independent Price Determination, unless the bidder furnishes a signed statement with the proposal, which sets forth in detail the circumstance of the disclosure and the BGP determines that such disclosure was not made for the purpose of restricting competition.

16. Subcontracting

Subcontractors must be subject to all conditions and provisions of the contract including Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) and Central Registry background checks when applicable.

If subcontracting, the Contractor must obligate the subcontractors to maintain the confidentiality of MDHHS’ client information in conformance with state and federal requirements.

If portions of the services are being subcontracted, the bidder must identify the services the subcontractor will perform and provide all information requested, as it applies to both the bidder and the subcontractor(s).

MDHHS may, at its discretion, require information on the process of an awarded subcontractor proposal.

A Contractor is responsible for the performance of any subcontractors who are held to the same standard of quality and performance as the Contractor. Evaluators of proposals will consider the qualifications of both the Contractor and subcontractor when making contract award recommendations.

17. Price

Prices quoted are firm for the initial term of the contract.

18. Standard Terms

Awards made as a result of this RFP will require execution of a contract with MDHHS. The contract will contain standard terms. A copy of the standard terms was posted on SIGMA VSS as a separate attachment with this RFP.

19. Options to Renew

At the discretion of MDHHS, an awarded contract may be renewed in writing by an amendment not less than 30 days before its expiration. The contract may be renewed for up to two additional one-year periods.

20. Criminal Background Check

If the resulting contract will be with an individual, MDHHS will complete the criminal background check on the Contractor, and the following language will be included in the contract:

The Contractor must notify MDHHS in writing of criminal convictions (felony or misdemeanor), pending felony charges, or placement on the Central Registry as a perpetrator, at hire or within 10 days of the event after hiring.

If the resulting contract will be with an agency, the following language will be included in the contract:

As a condition of this Contract, the Contractor certifies that the Contractor must, prior to any individual performing work under this Contract, conduct or cause to be conducted an Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT) check and a national and state sex offender registry check for each new employee, employee, subcontractor, subcontractor employee or volunteer who, under this Contract, works directly with clients or has access to client information.

Information about ICHAT can be found at http://apps.michigan.gov/ichat.

The Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry website address is http://www.mipsor.state.mi.us.

The National Sex Offender Public website address is http://www.nsopw.gov.

As a condition of this Contract, the Contractor certifies that the Contractor must, prior to any individual performing work under this Contract, conduct or cause to be conducted a Central Registry (CR) check for each new employee, employee, subcontractor, subcontractor employee, or volunteer who, under this Contract, works directly with children.

Information about CR can be found at http://www.mi.gov/dhs/0,1607,7-124-5452_7119_48330-180331--,00.html.

The Contractor must require each new employee, employee, subcontractor, subcontractor employee, or volunteer who, under this Contract, works directly with clients or who has access to client information to notify the Contractor in writing of criminal convictions (felony or misdemeanor), pending felony charges, or placement on the Central Registry as a perpetrator, at hire or within 10 days of the event after hiring.

The Contractor further certifies that the Contractor must not submit claims for or assign duties under this Contract to any new employee, employee, subcontractor, subcontractor employee, or volunteer based on a determination by the Contractor that the results of a positive ICHAT and/or a CR response or reported criminal felony conviction or perpetrator identification make the individual ineligible to provide the services.

The Contractor must have a written policy describing the criteria on which its determinations must be made and must document the basis for each determination. The Contractor may consider the recency and type of crime when making a determination. Failure to comply with this provision may be cause for immediate cancellation of this Contract. In addition, the Contractor must further have a clearly defined written policy regarding acceptable screening practices of new staff members and volunteers who have direct access to clients and/or client’s personal information. These screening practices serve to protect the organization and its clients. The Contractor must also assure that any subcontractors have both of these written policies.

If MDHHS determines that an individual provided services under this Contract for any period prior to completion of the required checks as described above, MDHHS may require repayment of that individual's salary, fringe benefits, and all related costs of employment for the period that the required checks had not been completed.

21. State of Michigan Employees

State of Michigan employees may not act as bidders. Proposals from bidders who are current state of Michigan employees will be disqualified and will not be reviewed.

Policy in Civil Service Rule 2-8, Ethical Standards and Conduct, states an employee cannot represent or act as an agent for any private interests, whether for compensation or otherwise, in any transaction in which the state has a direct and substantial interest and which could reasonably be expected to result in a conflict between the employee’s private interests and official state responsibilities.

Section II

DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE SPECIFICATIONS

Introduction

The Adoption Resource Consultant program reviews cases of children in the foster care system, under supervision of MDHHS, who have a permanency goal of adoption and have been legally ready for adoption for one year or longer without an identified adoptive resource. The program involves case reviews and development of individual adoption plans, intensive recruitment, technical assistance, and training on adoption recruitment, overcoming barriers to adoption, identifying and locating possible adoptive resources and other adoption related topics.

1. PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

1.1. Client Eligibility Criteria

a. Definition of Eligibility normally by funding source or program standards

1) Children in the foster care system, under supervision of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), who have a permanency goal of adoption and have been legally ready for adoption for one year or longer without an identified adoptive family.

2) Children in the foster care system legally ready for adoption as determined by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

b. Determination of Eligibility

MDHHS Adoption Program Office determines eligibility.

1.2. Referral Process

Use the referral process below or enter an appropriate referral process.

The MDHHS Adoption Program Office and/or the Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange (MARE) Contractor will supply a monthly list of referred cases which must be served.

The contractor will ensure that each Adoption Resource Consultant maintains an average caseload of 18 with a maximum of 15 cases in active status only.

2. CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES

2.1. Geographic Area

The Contractor must provide services described herein in the following geographic area: See Schedule A.

2.2. Credentials

The Contractor must assure that appropriately credentialed or trained staff under its control, including Contractor employees and/or subcontractors, must perform functions under this Contract.

The Adoption Resource Consultant (ARC) must have bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferred) in social work or a related field, with previous child welfare experience and demonstrated expertise in developing permanent life-long connections for children in foster care. A preference will be given to those with experience and expertise in the adoption process and the recruitment of adoptive parents.

Other criteria the ARC must have are as follows:

a. The ability to effectively facilitate difficult conversations in which participants have strongly different opinions or perspectives.

b. Knowledge about the Michigan foster care system, the adoption process, child welfare system and MDHHS adoption processes.

c. Strong verbal, written and public speaking skills necessary to positively and effectively communicate the projects’ purpose, work and results, and write reports i.e., Individual Adoption Readiness Assessment, Recruitment Plans, etc.

d. Ability to work in a collaborative manner with government institutions such as MDHHS, private agencies, community organizations, social networks, and stakeholders.

e. Ability to work effectively with individuals from a variety of racial/ethnic backgrounds.

In addition, the ARC must possess the following skills:

a. Organizational skills, including attention to details.

b. Ability to effectively run meetings, including efficient use of an agenda, remaining focused, and encouraging participation.

c. Experience in developing training curricula and training sessions.

d. Ability to convey enthusiasm and lead people around a project.

e. Ability to deal effectively with conflict and remain calm and respectful in dealing with differences in perspective/opinions.

f. Ability to meet deadlines for deliverables and demonstrated educational experience and background necessary to successfully accomplish the identified activities/task/work.

g. Passed all required, applicable state and federal background checks to have contact with children and families served through this contract.

Identify minimum, specific qualifications, such as degrees, training, etc. of staff providing direct services, and, if applicable, any positions overseeing those staff in the credentials section of the contract.

Identify minimum, specific qualifications, such as degrees, training, etc. of staff providing direct services, and, if applicable, any positions overseeing those staff in the credentials section of the contract.

2.3. Services to be Delivered

Service #1 of 4: Case Reviews and Development of Initial Adoption Readiness Assessment (Active Status)

a. Activities the Contractor must perform:

Service descriptions must be clear and specific so the contract is enforceable and can be appropriately monitored and audited.

The service description should clearly define:

a. The service title.

b. Service to be provided.

c. When service will begin.

d. Duration of service.

e. The referral process (if applicable).

f. How the provision of service is to be documented.

g. How the termination of service to a client is determined and documented.

h. How and when the contractor will communicate with MDHHS.

i. The expected time frames for performing tasks.

The Contractor must:

1) Ensure a youth’s case will continue to be in or move to active status at beginning of the month when there is not an identified adoptive family.

2) Contact the assigned MDHHS and/or PAFC adoption caseworkers and supervisors to schedule case reviews within seven days of case opening of an eligible case.

5) Conduct a review of the case file and other pertinent information relevant to the recruitment of an adoptive home for the youth within 30 days of case opening including identifying all significant people in the child’s life, past and present, including caseworkers, foster parents, attorneys, Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers, teachers, therapists, relatives, mentors, faith-based representatives, extracurricular activity leasers, etc.

9) Hold follow-up case review meetings in person or virtually every 30 days to include the adoption worker, adoption supervisor, foster care worker and foster care supervisor, and any other person deemed to be essential to the process by the ARC.

a) These meetings must occur in person at a minimum quarterly.

10) Develop, review, amend and approve monthly update reports following case review meetings excluding the month the quarterly recruitment plan is completed.

11) Update the Professional Team on efforts to identify, locate, and recruit individuals who may be a viable placement option for the youth. Document efforts on all monthly update reports, which will be distributed to all team members within seven days of the completion date.

12) Assist in the recruitment of adoptive families for eligible children including attending recruitment events, contacting, and responding to interested parties and referring them to the adoption worker and child specific recruitment videos, etc.

13) Make efforts to identify, locate, and recruit individuals who may be a viable placement option for youth (i.e. relatives, fictive kin, etc.), including but not be limited to:

a) Mining court and case files for names, dates of birth, and addresses of family members/contact persons.

b) Identify, locate and contact persons with whom the child already has, or had, a bond or positive relationship including birth, kin and adoptive relatives, and if appropriate, even if the person was previously contacted or ruled out as a placement.

e) Utilizing social networking sites to locate and contact individuals previously or currently involved with the youth.

j) Searching Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS) to locate an inmate www.state.mi.us/mdoc/asp/otis2.html.

14) Build a network with persons close to and knowledgeable about the youth such as, workers, foster parents, teachers, relatives, mentors, etc.

15) Facilitate a meeting between the foster care, adoption worker, and the person identified as a viable placement option within seven days of making initial contact.

16) Assist in preparing the youth and family for adoption including addressing any barriers to adoption.

17) Provide contact information of individuals willing to provide support but not placement to the foster care worker and adoption worker.

18) Develop a written plan to administer specific assistance when applicable. The plan must be approved by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

a) Administer specific assistance funds for youth in active status or monitoring status. Funds must support the established Recruitment Plan and must assist in achieving permanency. Funds must not exceed $200.00 per youth per year. Requests that exceed the maximum amount must be authorized by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

19) A case will be considered complete when permanency is achieved through one of the five federal permanency goals or when all appropriate consultation services have been completed as determined by the MDHHS Adoption Program Manager.

b. Volume of Service

1) Clients - The estimated number of eligible clients to be served during the period of this Contract will be: See Schedule A

2) Unit Definition(s): One unit equals one hour of Contractors time performing Service #1 of 4 Case Reviews and Development of Initial Adoption Readiness Assessment services for youth who are in active status including development and completion of applicable reports.

3) Number of Units: The bidder must estimate the number of units proposed in Section IV of the RFP, under Category D10 (Work Plan) Include the following paragraph for Unit Rate/Actual Cost RFP’s only; otherwise delete.

Include the following paragraph for Unit Rate/Actual Cost RFP’s only; otherwise delete.

Service #2 of 4: Case Reviews (Monitoring Status, Goal of Adoption)

a. Activities the Contractor must perform:

The Contractor must:

1) Ensure a youth’s case is moved to monitoring status at beginning of the month following a DHS-4809, Intent to Adopt being signed.

2) Develop, review, amend and approve Recruitment Plans that identify specific recruitment activities, important relationships to the youth, progress towards adoption within 90 days of case opening and quarterly until permanency is achieved.

3) Have contact with the youth virtually or in person no less than monthly to continue to discuss all permanency options, to assess the youth’s attitude and readiness towards adoption and to update any services or assistance that are needed by the youth and/or family.

a) These contacts must occur in person at a minimum quarterly.

4) Hold follow-up case review meetings virtually or in person every 30 days to include the adoption worker, adoption supervisor, foster care worker and foster care supervisor, and any other person deemed to be essential to the process by the ARC.

a) These meetings must occur in person at a minimum quarterly.

5) Develop, review, amend and approve monthly update reports following case review meetings.

6) Develop a written plan to administer specific assistance when applicable. The plan must be approved by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

a) Administer specific assistance funds for youth in monitoring status. Funds must support the established Recruitment Plan and must assist in the adoptive placement of a youth. Funds must not exceed $200.00 per youth per year. Requests that exceed the maximum amount must be authorized by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

7) A case will be considered complete when permanency is achieved through one of the five federal permanency goals or when all appropriate consultation services have been completed as determined by the MDHHS Adoption Program Manager.

b. Volume of Service

1) Clients - The estimated number of eligible clients to be served during the period of this Contract will be: See Schedule A

2) Unit Definition(s): One unit equals one hour of Contractors time providing Service #2 of 4: Case Reviews services for youth who are in monitoring status including development and completion of applicable reports.

3) Number of Units: The bidder must estimate the number of units proposed in Section IV of the RFP, under Category D10 (Work Plan) Include the following paragraph for Unit Rate/Actual Cost RFP’s only; otherwise delete.

Include the following paragraph for Unit Rate/Actual Cost RFP’s only; otherwise delete.

Service #3 of 4: Achieving Alternate Permanency Goals (Monitoring Status) & Cases with Inactive status

a. Activities the Contractor must perform:

The Contractor must:

1) Ensure a youth’s case is moved to monitoring status at beginning of the month following a guardian being identified and/or the receipt of a court order indicating that the goal for the youth has changed to Guardianship, Placement with a Fit and Willing Relative or Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement (APPLA).

2) Provide Adoption Resource Consultant services to eligible youth in determining and finalizing appropriate permanency goals.

3) Develop, review, and amend quarterly recruitment plans and monthly reports that identifies specific activities, the person responsible to complete each activity, and the timeline for completion.

4) Meet with all youth in person prior to a goal change to discuss all permanency options, to assess the youth’s attitude and understanding about permanency and to complete an assessment of the youth’s significant relationships.

5) Attend subsequent monitoring status meetings with youth who are in monitoring status occur virtually or in person monthly to continue to discuss all permanency options, to continue to assess the youth’s attitude towards permanency and to update the assessment of the youth’s significant relationships.

a) These contacts must occur in person at a minimum quarterly.

6) Attend subsequent inactive status meetings with youth who are in inactive status occur at a minimum oncer per calendar month, if the youth’s location is known, to continue to discuss all permanency options, to continue to assess the youth’s attitude towards permanency and to update the assessment of the youth’s significant relationships.

7) Coordinate a professional team that includes foster care staff, adoption staff, residential staff, educational advocates, therapists, Court Appointed Special Advocates, and all other interested parties.

8) Have contact, no less than once per calendar month, with the foster care worker, to discuss case status and progress towards permanency.

9) Update the Professional Team on efforts to identify, locate, and recruit individuals who may be a viable placement option for the youth and document efforts in a report that will be distributed to all team members within seven days from the date the meeting is held.

10) Assist the foster care worker in completion of the applicable forms for the alternate permanency goal and document reasons adoption is not an appropriate goal for the youth and justification as to why another permanency goal is preferred.

11) Develop a written plan to administer specific assistance when applicable. The plan must be approved by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

a) Administer specific assistance funds for youth in monitoring status. Funds must support the established Recruitment Plan and must assist in achieving permanency. Funds must not exceed $200.00 per youth per year. Requests that exceed the maximum amount must be authorized by the MDHHS Adoption Program Office.

12) Provide services until permanency is achieved through one of the federal permanency goals or the case is moved to active status.

a) Guardianship

b) Placement with a Fit and Willing Relative

c) Another Planned Permanent Living Arrangement

13) A case will be considered complete when permanency is achieved through one of the five federal permanency goals or when all appropriate consultation services have been completed as determined by the MDHHS Adoption Program Manager.

b. Volume of Service

1) Clients - The estimated number of eligible clients to be served during the period of this Contract will be: See Schedule A

2) Unit Definition(s): One unit equals one hour of Contractor’s time performing Service #3 of 4: Achieving Alternate Permanency Goals (Monitoring Status) & Cases with Inactive status activities including development and completion of applicable reports.

3) Number of Units: The bidder must estimate the number of units proposed in Section IV of the RFP, under Category D10 (Work Plan)

Service #4 of 4: Technical Assistance and Training

a. Activities the Contractor must perform:

The Contractor must:

1) Verify all Adoption Resource Consultants and Supervisors attend the Dave Thomas Foundation (DTFA) training and are following the DTFA child focused recruitment model.

2) Verify that all Adoption Resource Consultants and Supervisors attend any Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summits.

3) Provide technical assistance and/or training to MDHHS local county offices, the Permanency Resource Monitors, adoption workers, adoption supervisors and the courts on adoption and the development of Initial Adoption Readiness Assessment. Training must be approved by MDHHS Adoption Program Office before implementation.

4) Develop and create, in conjunction with the MDHHS Adoption Program Office educational/training seminars and webinars for adoption staff on topics such as: overcoming barriers to adoption, effective recruitment strategies, identifying and locating possible adoptive resources, and other adoption related topics.

5) Conduct reviews of special populations as determined and referred by the MDHHS Adoption Program Manager.

6) Discuss with the MDHHS Adoption Program Office when referred cases pass six months without permanency.

b. Volume of Service

1) Unit Definition(s): One unit equals one hour of Contractors time performing Service #4 of 4: Technical Assistance and Training services.

2) Number of Units: The bidder must estimate the number of units proposed in Section IV of the RFP, under Category D10 (Work Plan)

2.4. Expected Performance Outcomes

During the Contract, the Contractor must demonstrate measurable progress toward the achievement of the outcomes listed below:

a. A minimum of one adoption per Adoption Resource Consultant annually.

b. A minimum of four adoption matches per Adoption Resource Consultant annually.

The outcomes should include a goal, performance measure, baseline, and a target.

2.5. Reporting Requirements

The Contractor must submit to MDHHS reports that indicate the status and effectiveness of activities performed under this Contract as indicated:

a. The following monthly reports must be submitted no later than the tenth calendar day of the month following the reporting period.

1) Track cases that are reviewed in a basic computerized spreadsheet that will be developed in consultation with the MDHHS Adoption Program Manager. The spreadsheet must include at minimum the following information:

a) Youth’s Name

b) Date of Birth

c) County of Commitment

d) Case Status (Active, Monitoring-Adoption, Monitoring- Other, Inactive)

e) Current permanency goal

f) Case opening date

g) Date Initial case record review was completed

h) Data initial adoption readiness assessment was completed

i) Number of potential adoptive resources identified

j) Was a match identified during the month.

k) Main barriers to permanency.

l) Date the permanency goal was achieved by the youth.

m) Reason for case closure.

4) Submit a monthly report of trainings provided including the type, location, date, time and number and type of attendees i.e. adoption workers, Permanency Resource Monitors, etc.

5) Submit proof of DTFA training for all Adoption Resource Consultants and Supervisors upon completion.

6) Submit an attendance record of all Wendy’s Wonderful Kids Summits attended during the month.

b. Reporting on reviews of special populations as requested.

c. Complete required Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption reports upon request.

Reporting requirements should provide data sufficient to measure and analyze the performance outcomes in Section 2.4.

2.6. Audit Requirements

This Contract constitutes a contractor relationship with MDHHS. No financial audit is required under this Contract by MDHHS. No financial audit costs can be billed to this Contract. In the event the Contractor elects to have a financial audit performed, the submission of the audit report to MDHHS is not required nor desired unless there is a finding of a Going…