RFP Counseling 23-07 .pdf

DEMING PUBLIC SCHOOLS

1001 SOUTH DIAMOND

DEMING, NM 88030

VICKI CHAVEZ, SUPERINTENDENT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

#23-07 Mental Health Services

Commodity Codes: 91867, 95262

Proposal Opening Date: November 30, 2022

I. Introduction

The Deming Public Schools intends to acquire Licensed Counseling Services for up to 4 school years (For the 2022-2023, 2023-2024, 2024-2025, and 2025-2026 school years) to provide such services to students in need of mental health services. Both the district and the vendor will have the option to discontinue the contract with written notice provided by April 1st of each school year. Contract for current fiscal year agreement will start January 1, 2023.

The objective of these services is to provide mental health services (including risk and threat assessments) by licensed counselors for students referred by school sites.

Anticipated need:

• Mental Health Services available on a needs basis, 4 days per week based on the district’s adopted calendar (ex. 181 days for 22-23 school year, 7.5 hours per day – Number of and length of days may change year-to-year based upon district calendar). Workdays as per school calendar for student attendance.

Actual needs may change. Vendor should indicate the number of

Counselors to be provided.

Multiple vendors or individuals may be considered depending on the submitted proposals and their ratings.

1. If agreed upon services are not provided, the district can without notice contract additional services from other contract sources.

2. Contract person or company will provide district with work history and references of all individuals providing services in the district. District will have veto option for personnel.

3. All contract service providers must have all required licenses and DPS background clearance provided to the district before initiating any services.

4. Payment will only be made for services rendered. Counselors can only bill for related activities and cannot exceed contracted days or times.

All personnel will be expected to adhere to Deming District Policies and

Procedures. A copy of the “Policy and Procedures” is available in the district’s website (www.demingps.org). Failure to comply with these policies and procedures could result in termination of this agreement.

It is crucial that the Counselors develop a rapport with their assigned school staff and administrators. Issues that cannot be resolved with staff need to begin with the school site administrator, using the proper chain of command.

Failure to follow the proper chain of command can result in termination of contract.

Awarded contractors must have verified providers at least 30 days prior to the start of the contract. Failure to provide the proposed personnel may result in the district’s termination of the award and consideration of other vendors.

Payment will only be made for services rendered and invoiced at most weekly.

Counselors can only bill for related activities and cannot exceed contracted days or times.

II. Proposal Format

The proposal should be formatted in the following manner including the following sections (Format and ease of reading proposal will be considered): Two copies must be submitted and 1 electronic copy (USB Drive), if sending in physical submission. One copy if submitting electronically via Bidnet Direct.

A. Specifications In this section vendors should describe how their proposal meets these requirements as well as include additional information they deem useful for the evaluation team.

1. General Requirements

a. Availability July 1 of each year through June 30 of the following year. Exact dates and number of days will be based on adopted calendar(s) including Extended School Year Plan

b. Comply with background investigation policy, including paying background-check expenses.

c. Complete all documentation required by the district.

d. Must possess a New Mexico Mental Health License.

e. Monthly logs of services rendered.

2. Counseling Services

a. Counseling will be provided for the length of time and for the goals specified in student’s treatment plan.

b. Assist with crisis situations on-site, as needed.

c. Administer Risk and threat assessments.

d. Crisis Intervention

e. Individual Counseling

f. Group Counseling

g. Consultation with staff and parents as necessary.

h. Counseling in Spanish will be provided to accommodate bilingual students.

i. Workdays as per school calendar for student attendance. Services required to be done in the workday may include:

• Travel time between schools

• Direct in session counseling

• Consultation with staff and parents

• Consult with Deming Public Schools Lead Counselor

• Formal and informal evaluations to include:

• Mental Health Evaluations

• Risk and/or Threat Assessments

• Progress tracking and reporting

• Completion of all required Counseling notes together with any other state and district required paperwork

• Staff meetings or other related duties as required by the DPS

Lead Counselor

• Other duties as assigned

B. In-Person vs Virtual

1. Points will be given to proposals who can give in-person services. Due to the services being available to all district students over all age groups In-person services may be required. Please state whether in-person services will be available or will be a Virtual only service.

2. Non-compliance of the awarded provider’s proposed schedule may result in termination of or non-renewal of contract.

C. Personnel Requirements

1. Identify by name the specific personnel that will be contracted to provide services (Sample resumes or resumes of staff who will not be filling the position will not be considered and should not be submitted).

2. Include copies of proposed Counselors’ current license(s)

3. Include copies of proposed Counselors’ current resume.

4. Copies of proposed Counselors’ current transcript(s) must be available upon request.

5. Ability to speak, read and write fluently in English and Spanish is required for Bilingual Counselors.

6. Changes in personnel during the school year must be approved by the

Human Resources Department and the license and approved background check must be submitted before their first day of work. Counselor contracted within 14 days of the 1st day of the contract, the district has the option of considering other vendors to fill this vacancy and terminating the awarded contract.

D. References

References should be provided for the proposed Counselor that highlight the following aspects:

1. Services Quality

2. The Counselors’ ability to effectively document services in a timely manner

3. The Counselors’ reliability, availability, professionalism, rapport with co-workers and students, and ability to follow procedures.

4. Experience within New Mexico School Districts.

E. Price

1. All cost information must be in this section. Vendor must provide an all-inclusive hourly rate (Any additional costs including but not limited to mileage, cost per session, evaluations, progress reports, intake, screening, etc. must be included in the hourly rate).

2. If vendor intends to add gross receipts tax, it must be indicated on the proposal, but not included in the hourly rate.

3. If multiple hourly rates are listed, the highest price will be considered for the proposal.

4. If the hourly rate cannot be determined due to changing variables, additions or vague language, the proposal will not be considered.

5. Upon request from the contractor, prices can be renegotiated annually prior to April 1st for the following school year, State Legislative average school personal approved salary increases.

F. Forms

1. Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form

Respondents are required to complete and return within its proposal a

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION FORM enclosed within this RFP.

2. An 8% in-state resident or native American resident preference will be given to all resident New Mexico businesses that have been issued certification by the State of New Mexico. A 10% resident veteran or native American resident veteran preference will be given to all resident New Mexico businesses that have been issued certification by the State of New Mexico.

To qualify for the preference, the bidder must list a valid resident business certificate number and shall submit a copy of the certificate with the proposal. If you have a question regarding a Resident Business (or Resident

Veteran Business or Native American resident/veteran) Certification, or wish to be given a number, you may contact the New Mexico State

Department of Taxation and Revenue at 505-827-0951. This number is valuable to have as it allows the Schools to consider your proposal at eight to ten percent less than the amount submitted, and could mean a difference in award. Please note that this number is NOT your State CRS Number (i.e.

01-503047-004).

The New Mexico preferences shall not apply when the expenditures for this

RFP include Federal Funds.

III. Evaluation Process and Timelines

A. Proposals will be evaluated on a 100-point basis. The scoring will be as follows:

1. Specifications – 25 points

2. In-person/Virtual Provider –15 points

3. Personnel Requirements – 20 points

4. References – 10 points

5. Price – 30 points

B. Timelines

1. Question submittals:

All questions need to be submitted by November 11, 2022 3:00 PM MST.

Answers will be issued by November 15, 2022 4:30 PM MST.

Direct all question to: Procurement@demingps.org

2. Proposals must be received by the specified deadline. Recommendations will be approved by the District Board of Education at the next scheduled board meeting and vendors will be notified of acceptance of their proposal within 7 days of the board’s decision.

IV. School District Contacts

Sealed proposals, including copies of New Mexico licensure and other appropriate data must be directed to:

Deming Public Schools

Sealed Proposal- RFP # 23-07 Mental Health Services

1001 South Diamond

Deming, New Mexico 88030

Or

Electronic Submission:

Bidnet Direct https://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-mexico/demingpublicschools https://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-mexico/demingpublicschools

a. Vendor proposals are due no later than November 30, 2022 3:00pm MST.

Faxed or emailed proposals will not be accepted. Late or misdirected proposals will not be considered.

b. Proposals that do not include the Campaign Contribution Form cannot be considered.

General Conditions

BRIBERY AND KICKBACKS

As required by Section 13-1-191, NMSA, 1978; it should be noted that it is a third-degree felony under New Mexico law to commit the offense of bribery of a public officer or public employee (Section 30-24-1, NMSA, 1978); it is a third-degree felony to commit the offense of demanding or receiving a bribe by a public officer or public employee

(Section 30-24-2, NMSA, 1978); it is a fourth-degree felony to commit the offense of soliciting or receiving illegal kickbacks (Section 30-41-1, NMSA, 1978); it is a fourth-degree felony to commit the offense of offering or paying illegal kickbacks (Section 30-

41-2, NMSA 1978). Respondents are required to complete and return within its proposal a CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION FORM enclosed within this RFP as Attachment (B).

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

Offeror warrants that it presently has no interest and will not acquire any interest, direct or indirect, which would conflict in any manner or degree with the performance of service under this contract.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION

All proposals will be kept confidential until a contract is awarded. Following award of a contract, all documents pertaining to the proposals will be open for public inspection, except for any material, which is designated by the Offeror as proprietary or confidential.

The school district will not disclose or make public any pages of a proposal on which the

Offeror has stamped or imprinted “proprietary” or “confidential”. Confidential data are normally restricted to confidential financial information concerning the Offerors organization and data that qualifies as a trade secret in accordance with the Uniform

Trade Secrets Act, &57-3A-1 to &57-3A-7 NMSA, 1978. Such data must be readily separable from the proposal in order to facilitate eventual public inspection of the non-confidential portion. If a request is received for disclosure of data for which an Offeror has made a written request for confidentiality, the Purchasing Department shall examine the Offerors proposal and make a written determination which specifies which portions of the proposal should be disclosed in accordance the applicable New Mexico law. Unless the Offeror takes action to prevent the disclosure, the proposal will be so disclosed. The proposal shall be open to public inspection subject to any continuing prohibition on the disclosure of confidential data.

BEST AND FINAL OFFERS

Finalist Offerors may be asked to submit revisions to their proposals for the purpose of obtaining best and final offers. Best and final offers may be clarified and amended at the request of the school district. The scheduled deadline for best and final offer, if requested by the school district, will be determined at this time and notifications will be issued to the finalist Offerors.

PROTEST DEADLINE

Any protest by an Offeror must be timely and in conformance with Section 13-1-172

NMSA, 1978 and applicable procurement regulations. The fifteen (15) day protest period for responsive Offerors shall begin on the day following the Board of Education contract award. Protests must be in writing and must include the name and address of the protestor and the request for proposal number. It must also contain a statement of grounds for protest including appropriate supporting exhibits. The protest must be delivered to the Chief Procurement Officer.

GOVERNING LAW

This solicitation is governed by the laws of the State of New Mexico. By signing and submitting a proposal, the parties agree that any litigation concerning this proposal, limited solicitation, or subsequent contract or purchase order, must be brought in the

Sixth Judicial District in and for Deming Public Schools, State of New Mexico, and each party shall pay its own costs and attorney fees.

QUALIFICATIONS OF BIDDER

The Owner may make such investigations as he deems necessary to determine the ability of the bidder to perform the work, and the bidder shall furnish to the Owner all such information and data for this purpose as the Owner may request. The Owner reserves the right to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by, or investigation of, such bidder fails to satisfy the Owner that such bidder is properly qualified to carry out the obligations of the contract and to complete the work contemplated therein.

CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION DISCLOSURE FORM

Pursuant to the Procurement Code, Sections 13-1-28, et seq., NMSA 1978 and NMSA

1978, § 13-1-191.1 (2006), as amended by Laws of 2007, Chapter 234, any prospective contractor seeking to enter into a contract with any state agency or local public body for professional services, a design and build project delivery system, or the design and installation of measures the primary purpose of which is to conserve natural resources must file this form with that state agency or local public body. This form must be filed even if the contract qualifies as a small purchase or a sole source contract. The prospective contractor must disclose whether they, a family member or a representative of the prospective contractor has made a campaign contribution to an applicable public official of the state or a local public body during the two years prior to the date on which the contractor submits a proposal or, in the case of a sole source or small purchase contract, the two years prior to the date the contractor signs the contract, if the aggregate total of contributions given by the prospective contractor, a family member or a representative of the prospective contractor to the public official exceeds two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) over the two year period.

Furthermore, the state agency or local public body may cancel a solicitation or proposed award for a proposed contract pursuant to Section 13-1-181 NMSA 1978 or a contract that is executed may be ratified or terminated pursuant to Section 13-1-182 NMSA 1978 of the Procurement Code if: 1) a prospective contractor, a family member of the prospective contractor, or a representative of the prospective contractor gives a campaign contribution or other thing of value to an applicable public official or the applicable public official’s employees during the pendency of the procurement process or 2) a prospective contractor fails to submit a fully completed disclosure statement pursuant to the law.

The state agency or local public body that procures the services or items of tangible personal property shall indicate on the form the name or names of every applicable public official, if any, for which disclosure is required by a prospective contractor.

THIS FORM MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND

MUST BE FILED BY ANY PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR WHETHER OR NOT

THEY, THEIR FAMILY MEMBER, OR THEIR REPRESENTATIVE HAS MADE

ANY CONTRIBUTIONS SUBJECT TO DISCLOSURE.

The following definitions apply:

“Applicable public official” means a person elected to an office or a person appointed to complete a term of an elected office, who has the authority to award or influence the award of the contract for which the prospective contractor is submitting a competitive sealed proposal or who has the authority to negotiate a sole source or small purchase contract that may be awarded without submission of a sealed competitive proposal.

“Campaign Contribution” means a gift, subscription, loan, advance or deposit of money or other thing of value, including the estimated value of an in-kind contribution, that is made to or received by an applicable public official or any person authorized to raise, collect or expend contributions on that official’s behalf for the purpose of electing the official to statewide or local office. “Campaign

Contribution” includes the payment of a debt incurred in an election campaign, but does not include the value of services provided without compensation or unreimbursed travel or other personal expenses of individuals who volunteer a portion or all of their time on behalf of a candidate or political committee, nor does it include the administrative or solicitation expenses of a political committee that are paid by an organization that sponsors the committee.

“Family member” means spouse, father, mother, child, father-in-law, mother-in-law, daughter-in-law or son-in-law of (a) a prospective contractor, if the prospective contractor is a natural person; or (b) an owner of a prospective contractor.

“Pendency of the procurement process” means the time period commencing with the public notice of the request for proposals and ending with the award of the contract or the cancellation of the request for proposals.

“Prospective contractor” means a person or business that is subject to the competitive sealed proposal process set forth in the Procurement Code or is not required to submit a competitive sealed proposal because that person or business qualifies for a sole source or a small purchase contract.

“Representative of a prospective contractor” means an officer or director of a corporation, a member or manager of a limited liability corporation, a partner of a partnership or a trustee of a trust of the prospective contractor.

Name(s) of Applicable Public Official(s) if any: ________________________

(Completed by State Agency or Local Public Body)

DISCLOSURE OF CONTRIBUTIONS BY PROSPECTIVE CONTRACTOR:

Contribution Made By:

Relation to Prospective Contractor: __________________________________

Date Contribution(s) Made:

Amount(s) of Contribution(s)

Nature of Contribution(s)

Purpose of Contribution(s)

(Attach extra pages if necessary)

Signature Date

Title (position)

--OR—

NO CONTRIBUTIONS IN THE AGGREGATE TOTAL OVER TWO HUNDRED

FIFTY DOLLARS ($250) WERE MADE to an applicable public official by me, a family member or representative.

Signature Date

Title (Position)