RFQ DESD-MH-2025-01_QA Response 12042025.pdf

Q&A Response | Due 12/4/2025 RFQ DESD-MH-2025-01 School-Based Mental and Behavioral Health Services

1. How many total school sites and therapists are expected, and does Douglas ESD require providers to staff all sites, or will assignments be distributed among multiple vendors?

Each school district will make its own determination regarding service providers and staffing. It is our understanding that staffing may be limited to one district, with a maximum of two sites (one elementary and one secondary). At the district’s discretion, this may be reduced to only one site.

2. What are the expected caseload sizes per therapist?

Typical caseloads per clinician are 20-25 students, however one hour session per week is not required per child.

3. Who will serve as the primary point of contact at each school for scheduling, coordination, and integration into existing support structures?

Douglas ESD will be the regional coordinator/Point of contact. For District facing needs or policies, it will be the School District Superintendent or designee.

4. If multiple providers are selected, how will school assignments and caseloads be distributed among vendors.

If multiple providers are selected, assignments and caseloads will be distributed at the discretion of each school district. Caseloads and site assignments will be allocated based on district-specific needs, priorities, and qualifications of the selected vendors.

5. Does the school or parent make the referral? If the school, how do you handle parental consent?

The referrals will be made by the district services team. The vendor will be contracted directly with the district, therefore, the provider is responsible for obtaining and documenting consent. ESD Coordinator will obtain consent to work with the district via a MOU for working with selected provider(s).

6. How is scheduling handled for on-site therapy sessions?

Scheduling is determined on a case-by-case basis. The school building administrator and ESD coordinator will work with the provider to determine times of day based on the student’s schedule to ensure that no core classes are infringed on. Generally, students can be scheduled anytime outside of core curriculum classes. Certain exceptions exist for students that need electives for graduation, and final scheduling for High Schoolers would be verified with the guidance counselor and building administrator.

7. Are virtual sessions acceptable, when appropriate?

The RFQ requires a clear, realistic plan for therapist deployment, triage, and support across districts, including a sample “On site service delivery model.”

8. Please provide historical encounter volume, by school, for the last 2 years. Please indicate if sessions were delivered virtually or onsite.

This is a new program, therefore, we do not have historical data.

9. Are IEP meetings, crisis response, and family therapy billable services or uncompensated expectations?

Scope of billed services would be determined by the vendor, in alignment with Medicaid standards and billing practices, based on the breadth of workflow within the caseload.

10. Will multiple vendors be awarded simultaneously, and can sites be reassigned mid-term?

Multiple vendors could be awarded but change of assignments will be initiated by the School District Superintendent and negotiated on a provider capacity basis for the district.

11. Please provide the current contract and any addenda to the contract.

At present, no contract exists for these services. Following the selection of qualified bidder(s), formal agreements will be executed between the district and the contractor.

12. Who is the incumbent provider?

Not applicable; ADAPT serves as the regional LMHA point of contact for crisis-based services.

13. What services has the incumbent provider not previously provided that Douglas ESD wishes to be included?

The goal of the RFQ is to create a model that will foster closer collaboration within the realities of a school-based setting by working with relevant teachers, staff and school-based team members (within the coordinated scope of ROI’s) to translate skills into a classroom setting that can be better generalized into the child’s everyday realities, instead of isolated to the therapy room; as to be better generalized / practiced in context, as needed or in conjunction with behavioral considerations in a school environment.