RFP 230000002224 MDHHS Respite Foster Care - Revised 6.15.23.docx

Michigan.gov/MiProcurement

RFP 230000002224

proposal instructions Department of Technology, Management, and Budget – Procurement Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Foster Care Respite Program

Request for Proposal No. 230000002224 Solicitation Manager Name: Katie McFarland Email: McFarlandK1@michigan.gov Main Phone: 1-855-MI-PURCH 1-855-647-8724 This is a Request for Proposal (RFP) for:

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is seeking to create regionalized foster care Respite Programs to provide temporary, occasional relief to foster and relative caregivers. The Respite Program will include services for foster parents and unlicensed relatives providing placement for out of home wards as well as families who qualify for post adoption services.

RFP Timeline

*A bidder’s proposal received at 2:00 p.m. Eastern is late and subject to disqualification.

This RFP is subject to change. Check www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS for current information.

1. PROPOSAL PREPARATION. The State recommends reading all RFP materials prior to preparing a proposal, particularly these Proposal Instructions and the Vendor Questions Worksheet. Bidders must follow these Proposal Instructions and provide a complete response to the items indicated in the table below. 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. Note that all documents and information submitted as part of a proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Proposals received by the State may be posted on the State’s publicly available website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

RFP Structure and Documentation

2. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE STATE. The sole point of contact for the State concerning this RFP is listed on the Cover Page. Contacting any other State personnel, agent, consultant, or representative about this RFP may result in bidder disqualification.

3. OPTIONAL PRE-PROPOSAL MEETING.

An optional pre-proposal meeting will be held on June 8, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time through Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft Teams meeting Join on your computer, mobile app or room device Click here to join the meeting Meeting ID: 231 508 203 652 Passcode: KLcCtq Download Teams | Join on the web Or call in (audio only) +1 248-509-0316,,630322315# United States, Pontiac Phone Conference ID: 630 322 315# Find a local number | Reset PIN Learn More | Meeting options Statements made by the Solicitation Manager or designee at a pre-proposal meeting are not considered modifications to the RFP. If, however, the Solicitation Manager determines modifications to the RFP are warranted after the meeting, modifications will be posted in writing on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS as explained in the Modifications section of this document.

Accessibility requests for reasonable accommodations at the pre-proposal meeting should be made with the Solicitation Manager at least 10 business days before the date of the meeting. Accommodation requests received outside this time period cannot be guaranteed.

4. MODIFICATIONS. The State may modify this RFP at any time. Modifications will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. This is the only method by which the RFP may be modified.

5. QUESTIONS. Bidder questions about this RFP must be emailed to the Solicitation Manager at McFarlandK1@michigan.gov no later than the time and date specified on the Cover Page. In the interest of transparency, only written questions are accepted. Answers to questions will be posted on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. Submit questions using the format below; a Microsoft Excel format or similar is suggested.

6. DELIVERY OF PROPOSAL.

Electronic – The bidder must submit its proposal, all attachments, and any modifications or withdrawals electronically through www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS. 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 proposal deadline. 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 proposal deadline identified in the solicitation Closing On/Closing Date fields (Summary view/Detail view), 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 calling (517) 284-0540 or (888) 734-9749. The Solicitation Manager 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. Note that all documents and information submitted in any manner as part of a proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Proposals received may be posted by the State on the State’s publicly available website after bidders are notified of the award recommendation.

7. MANDATORY MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. To avoid disqualification, the bidder must provide documentation to support the following:

1) Bidder must be a licensed Child Placing Agency.

or

2) Bidder must be in the process of becoming a Child Placing Agency and receive their license within three months of contract award.

Only proposals meeting the mandatory minimum requirements will be considered for evaluation.

8. EVALUATION PROCESS. If all mandatory minimum requirements are met, the State will evaluate each proposal based on the following factors:

Proposals receiving 80 or more technical evaluation points will have pricing evaluated and considered for award.

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

The State strongly encourages strict adherence to the Contract Terms. The State reserves the right to deem a bid non-responsive for failure to accept the Contract Terms. Nevertheless, the bidder may submit proposed changes to the Contract 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 Contract Terms. General statements, such as that the bidder reserves the right to negotiate the terms and conditions, may be considered non-responsive. Failure to respond timely to requests for proposed changes to Contract Terms during ongoing negotiations may be cause for disqualification.

The State 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.

9. NOTICE OF DEFICIENCY. The State reserves the right to issue a Notice of Deficiency to bidders if the State 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.

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

11. RESERVATIONS. The State 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, your preparation and submission of a proposal, and the State’s subsequent receipt and evaluation of your proposal does not commit the State to award a contract to you or anyone, 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) the State received complete proposals, but the proposals did not meet mandatory minimum requirements or technical criteria; 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: (i) information provided by the bidder in response to this RFP; (2) the bidder’s failure to complete registration on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS ; or (3) if it is determined that a bidder purposely or willfully submitted false or misleading information in response to the 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 the State receives only one proposal.

12. 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 the factors stated in the Evaluation Process section of this document, and price, as demonstrated by the proposal. The State will post an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS or in the manner it was originally published.

13. DEBRIEF MEETING AND BID PROTEST. The State will publish an Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis which will provide instructions on how to request a debrief meeting.

If you wish to initiate a protest of the award, you must submit your written protest electronically at BidProtest-DTMB@michigan.gov no later than 5:00pm., ten business days after posting the Award Recommendation and Evaluation Synopsis on SIGMA VSS. The State reserves the right to adjust this timing and will publish any change.

Additional information about the protest process is available at .

14. STATE ADMINISTRATIVE BOARD. Contracts equal to $250,000 or greater than 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.

15. 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 Contract Terms, and that its proposal will be irrevocable and binding for a period of 180 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. The bidder understands that their proposal will become public record immediately upon receipt by the State. Other than verified trade secrets, proposals submitted via www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS are the State’s property.

16. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT FORM AND THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT. As a public record, 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, the State may exempt some information from disclosure as permitted by law. 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.

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. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow CT Form instructions, the proposal may be publicly disclosed in its entirety without redaction after an award recommendation.

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

i. 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.”

ii. Failure to complete and sign a CT Form may result in disqualification of the bidder. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow the CT Form instructions, the proposal, in its entirety, will be treated as a “Public Copy” and may be publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after bidders have been notified of an award recommendation.

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.

b. 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.

c. 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.

d. 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.

e. 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.

confidential treatment form INSTRUCTIONS. Bidder must complete either Section 1 or Section 2 of this CT Form and sign where indicated. Do not complete both sections. This CT Form must be signed by the individual who signed the bidder’s proposal. A completed CT Form must be submitted with your proposal, regardless of whether your proposal contains confidential information.

Failure to submit a completed CT Form with your bid is grounds for rejecting the proposal as non-responsive. If a bidder fails to properly complete and submit the CT Form or otherwise fails to follow CT Form Instructions, the proposal, in its entirety, will be treated as a “Public Copy” and may be publicly disclosed by the State without redaction after bidders have been notified of an award recommendation. See the Confidential Treatment Form and The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) sections of the Proposal Instructions for additional information.

Section 1. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS NOT REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if the bidder does not request confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. If this section is completed, do not complete Section 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS REQUESTED.

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is not requested.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company

Section 2. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS REQUESTED This section must be completed, signed, and submitted with the proposal if bidder requests confidential treatment of any material contained in the proposal. Submission of a completed CT Form is required to request confidential treatment. If this section is completed, do not complete Section 1. CONFIDENTIAL TREATMENT IS NOT REQUESTED.

Provide the information in the table below. Bidder may add rows or additional pages using the same format shown in the table. Bidder must specifically identify the information to be protected as confidential and state the reasons why protection is necessary.

The CT Form will not be considered fully complete unless, for each confidentiality request, the bidder: (1) identifies the Proposal Page #, Section #, and Paragraph #, (2) identifies whether the material is a Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), or Proprietary Information (PI), and (3) explains the specific legal grounds that support treatment of the material as TS, FI, or PI. Bidders must provide a complete justification as to how the material falls within the scope of an applicable FOIA exemption or relevant case law. Bidders must not simply cite to an applicable exemption or case name. Bidders must also provide the contact information for the person at their organization authorized to respond to inquiries by the State concerning the material.

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”.

(1) Proposal Page #, Section #, Paragraph # (2) Material is Trade Secret (TS), Proprietary Financial Information (FI), Proprietary Information (PI) (3) Applicable FOIA Exemption with Written Justification (4) Bidder Contact Information

By signing below, the bidder affirms that confidential treatment of material contained in their proposal is requested and has attached to this form a redacted “Public Copy” of the bidder’s proposal.

RFP Number

RFP Title

Signature

Date

Printed Name, Title, Company vendor questions worksheet Provide a detailed response to each question. “You” and “company” refers to the bidder.

1. Contact Information

Bidder’s sole contact person during the RFP process. Include name, title, address, email, and phone number.

Person authorized to receive and sign a resulting contract. Include name, title, address, email, phone number and vendor customer code in SIGMA VSS.

2. Company Background Information

Legal business name and address. Include business entity designation, e.g., sole proprietor, Inc., LLC, or LLP.

What state was the company formed in?

Phone number.

Website address.

Number of years in business.

Number of employees.

Legal business name and address of parent company, if any.

Has there been a recent change in organizational structure (e.g., management team) or control (e.g., merger or acquisition) of your company? If the answer is yes: (a) explain why the change occurred and (b) how this change has affected your company.

Discuss your company’s history. Has growth been organic, through mergers and acquisitions, or both?

Has bidder ever been debarred, suspended, or disqualified from bidding or contracting with any entity, including the State of Michigan? If yes, provide the date, the entity, and details about the situation.

Has your company been a party to litigation against the State of Michigan? If the answer is yes, then state the date of initial filing, case name and court number, and jurisdiction.

Within the last 5 years, has your company or any of its related business entities defaulted on a contract or had a contract terminated for cause? If yes, provide the date, contracting entity, type of contract, and details about the termination or default.

State your gross annual sales for each of the last 5 years.

If receiving a contract under this RFP will increase your gross revenue by more than 25% from last year’s sales, explain how the company will scale-up to manage this increase.

Describe partnerships and strategic relationships you think will bring significant value to the State.

State the physical address of the place of business that would have primary responsibility for this account if bidder is awarded a contract under this RFP.

To demonstrate qualification as a qualified disabled veteran, you must provide:

(a) Proof of service and conditions of discharge (DD214 or equivalent);

(b) Proof of service-connected disability (DD214 if the disability was documented at discharge or Veterans Administration Rating Decision Letter or equivalent if the disability was documented after discharge); and

(c) Legal documents setting forth the ownership of the business entity.

In lieu of the documentation identified above, you may provide proof of certification by the National Veterans Business Development Council.

Enter the names of documents submitted with your proposal to demonstrate status as a qualified disabled veteran.

4. Participation in RFP Development or Evaluation

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

If you enter “YES,” you are not eligible for contract award. An awarded vendor may not partner or subcontract with anyone to provide goods and services required under a resulting contract if that subcontractor or partner assisted in the development of this solicitation.

If you enter “YES”, you are not eligible for contract award or to work as a subcontractor for the awarded vendor.

5. State of Michigan Experience and Prior Experience

Does your company have experience working with the State of Michigan? If so, please provide a list (including the contract number) of the contracts you hold or have held with the State for the last 10 years.

Describe at least three relevant experiences from the last five years supporting your ability to successfully manage a contract of similar size and scope for the work described in this RFP. The experience listed must reflect work that shows the bidders ability to recruit, develop and retain foster homes.

Experience 1

Company name.

Contact name.

Contact role at time of project.

Contact phone.

Contact email.

City.

State.

Zip.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

2. What role did your company play?

3. How is this project experience relevant to the subject of this RFP?

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 2

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

Experience 3

Company name.

Contact role at time of project.

City.

1. Project name and description of the scope of the project.

Dollar value.

Start and end date (mm/yy – mm/yy)

Status (completed, live, other – specify phase)

Results obtained.

6. Standard Contract Terms

8. Michigan Economic Impact

Number of employees currently employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Number of additional employees to be employed at locations within the State of Michigan if awarded this Contract (if any)

Minimum wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Average wage paid to employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan.

Percentage of employees employed at locations within the State of Michigan that are covered by employer-provided health insurance.

9. Labor, Antidiscrimination and Environmental Laws Compliance

Bidder must disclose any violations of state or federal labor, antidiscrimination and employment laws and regulations received within the past five years.

Bidder must disclose any violations of state or federal environmental laws and regulations received within the past five years.

10. Supplier Diversity

11. Other

12. Response to State Requests

SCHEDULE A - STATEMENT OF WORK CONTRACT ACTIVITIES

Request for Proposal No. 230000002224 Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Foster Care Respite Program This schedule identifies the anticipated requirements of any Contract resulting from this RFP. The term “Contractor” in this document refers to a bidder responding to this RFP, as well as the Contractor who is awarded the contract. The term “Bidder” is used to identify where specific responses to the RFP are required.

The Contractor must respond to each requirement or question and explain how it will fulfill each requirement. Attach any supplemental information and appropriately reference within your response.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO CONTRACTORS/BIDDERS: There are specific requirements for which acceptance must be simply acknowledged through a checkbox(es), and others that require further explanation. Click the appropriate checkbox and complete the entries as appropriate.

BACKGROUND

Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is seeking to create regionalized foster care Respite Programs to provide temporary, occasional relief to foster and relative caregivers. The Respite Program will include services for foster parents and unlicensed relatives providing placement for out of home wards as well as families who qualify for post adoption services.

SCOPE

The purpose of this Contract is to create a regionalized Respite Program to recruit and retain respite foster care homes, provide family support through community-based activities and meetings, assist with initial licensing certification and other licensing services, help to facilitate respite placements into a respite foster home, and provide in-home support as required.

1. Requirements

1.1. Program Requirements

A. Mandatory Minimum Requirements

1) Bidder must be a licensed Child Placing Agency.

or

2) Bidder must be in the process of becoming a Child Placing Agency and receive their license within three months of contract award.

Only proposals meeting the mandatory minimum requirements will be considered for evaluation.

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must provide their license number:

Or

2) Bidder must provide their pending license number if they are in the process of becoming a licensed Child Placing Agency:

B. Client Eligibility Criteria

1) Definition of Eligibility The following children and their caregivers would be eligible to receive respite services in this program.

a) Children who are placed in the foster care or juvenile justice system under the care and supervision of MDHHS.

b) Children who qualify for respite services through medical subsidy post adoption or guardianship being awarded.

c) Children who are receiving services through their Community Mental Health for Serous Emotional Disturbance (SED) and have been assessed as needing respite services.

2) Determination of Eligibility Case eligibility will be determined by MDHHS.

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must describe how they will accept referrals of all eligible cases from DHHS or PAFCs.

2) Bidder must describe the steps involved in how they will accept emergency respite requests verses as needed or scheduled referrals for respite.

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

Further details on Licensing Rules for Child Placing Agencies can be found here:

Licensing Rules for Child Placing Agencies, Pub-11 (michigan.gov)

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must describe how they will ensure compliance with Child Placing Agency Rules 400.12206 Staff Qualifications and 400.12305 Certification Training:

1.2. Service Requirements

A. Service #1 of 6: Recruitment of Respite Families

1) The Contractor must:

(1) Age

(2) Race

(3) Sex, Including Gender Identity

(4) Sexual Orientation

(5) Mental Health Needs

(6) Behavioral Health needs

(7) Developmental Needs

(8) Physical Health Needs

(9) Program Type (i.e., Community Mental Health (CMH), Prevention, Foster Care, Adoption, Juvenile Justice)

c) Establish and measure progress towards the achievement of respite home recruitment goals based on the minimum number of respite beds required on Attachment A – Children to be Served by Region and matching the assessed respite needs for the region established by:

(1) Participating in the annual Adoptive and Foster Parent Recruitment and Retention planning meetings for counties served by the region.

(2) Hosting quarterly meetings with Child Placing Agencies (CPA) and MDHHS juvenile justice staff served in the region to determine if needs have changed or need to be adjusted.

(3) Hosting focus groups every six months with foster, adoptive, and relative caregivers to determine if current goals and capacity of the program are meeting the needs of these caregivers.

d) Develop a recruitment plan in collaboration with the CPA’s and juvenile justice staff served in the region. Recruitment ideas include but are not limited to identification of existing foster homes that are on the verge of closing their license or have not had a placement in over year that may be willing and able to serve as a respite only foster family, reaching out to pre adopt homes, collaborating with foster care navigators, and meeting with MDHHS offices, CMHs, and CPAs to raise program awareness.

If necessary, facilitate the license transfer to the CPA holding the respite program for the region.

e) Attend meetings with the MDHHS Program Office as requested.

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must describe how they will determine the number and type of foster homes needed to meet family's needs for respite in their region:

2) Bidder must describe their experience recruiting foster families and detail their plans for ensuring the minimum number of respite beds are recruited and licensed timely:

B. Service #2 of 6: Family Support

1) The Contractor must:

a) Develop, plan, and convene quarterly caregiver community-based outings or activities open to all foster, adoptive, and relative caregivers in the region with the purpose of caregivers meeting and developing relationships with respite providers licensed by this program. Activities must be at minimum one hour in length.

b) Unit Definition(s): One unit equals one support group or one community-based activity.

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must describe their experience coordinating community-based outings or activities and indicate if they have been successful in engaging families to attend said activities:

2) Bidder must describe how they will coordinate monthly support group meetings for respite providers in the region. Description must include who will lead the proposed support group and how they will engage families to attend:

C. Service #3 of 6: Initial Licensing Certification

(1) In-home orientation

(2) Assisting with gathering necessary documentation

(3) One-on-one Goal, Reality, Options, and Will (GROW) training or use of other approved training resources if the caregiver is unable to attend group GROW training.

(4) Assisting with the completion of required forms and documents.

(5) Requesting Family Incentive Grant (FIG) funds, as needed

(6) Requesting variances or Administrative Review Team (ART) from Division of Child Welfare Licensing (DCWL), as needed.

c) Conduct the following minimum home visits with the caregiver for initial licensure:

(1) Initial visit within two business days of the referral.

(2) Visit every seven days for the first 30 days.

(3) Continue visiting as needed until all required documentation is completed.

A unit definition states how the service will be measured and documented. The unit of service must be clear, measurable, and capable of being documented. For unit rate contracts the unit definition and rate establish the basis on which the contractor will bill and be paid by MDHHS.

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must describe their experience licensing foster families. The description must include the bidder's current average number of days it takes to license a prospective foster family and how the current process would be changed to accommodate this program:

D. Service #4 of 6: Additional Licensing Services

1) The Contractor must:

List all exception(s):

1) Bidder must describe how they will maintain adequate licensing staff to ensure caseload compliance:

2) Bidder must describe their current process in conducting annual licensing reviews, associated home studies, and reports. Bidder must include how this process will be altered (if at all) to accommodate the respite program.

E. Service #5 of 6: Facilitate respite placements into respite foster homes

1) The Contractor must:

(1) Assist respite providers with tracking number of days respite services were provided for accurate billing.

(2) Track respite utilization by child and caregiver ensuring that no child/caregiver is accessing more than 12 days of respite for every three-month period and no more than 14 consecutive days are utilized.

If more than 12 respite days are needed in a three-month period for any child, an…