RFR 214830_Housing Stability and Support_ Bidders Presentation_4_6_21.pptx

Housing Stability and Support

RFR# 214830

Bidders’ Conference April 6, 2021

Commonwealth of Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Bureau of Substance Addiction Services

Overview Purpose & Goals Provider Eligibility Populations Served House Settings Service Elements Caseloads, Staffing, and Supervision Supervision and Training RFR deadline & application requirements Question & Answers Deadline

NOTE: All previously contracted Supportive Case Management service vendors must respond to this RFR in order to continue to provide services. While this is a rolling RFR, proposals must be received by Friday, April 16, 2021 in order to be considered for the initial contracting period to beginning July 1, 2021. Applications received after April 16, 2021 will still be accepted, but DPH cannot guarantee a contract will be in place starting July 1, 2021.

Purpose & Goals Purpose:

The overall goal of this procurement is to provide Housing Stability Support services in both permanent and transitional housing settings to single adults, families, and young adults. Vendors may apply for their chosen combination(s) of housing setting and population served.

Goals:

Establish community-based supports to maintain ongoing goals in the recovery process.

Reduce the risk of relapse through encouraging and supporting residents to coalesce as a community to support each other in their recovery from substances and in the development of independent living skills.

Provide services to families that also includes facilitating access to local child development and parenting skills workshops.

But why intervention and why school based?

Housing Stability Support vendors must be able to deliver supportive services to adults, families, and young adults in housing funded through other arrangements, which may include self-pay, local public housing authorities, and HUD funding through Continuums of Care in Massachusetts.

The housing program must include:

Harm Reduction model of care Option to include Housing First principles Regular business hours (40 hrs/wk) On-call emergency service available 24/7

Specifications and reimbursement for this procurement are based on Housing Stability Support services provided within the following contexts: (A) population served, and (B) housing setting.

Provider Eligibility

(SAMHSA’s Center for the Application of Prevention Technologies report June 2014) List of risk factors for developing a substance use disorder a student may have:

Populations Served

The population targeted for these services includes people who are in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) and/or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorders and who are eligible for supportive housing programs.

These individuals and families must be severely limited in their ability to live independently because of lack of income, diminished social skills, and/or insufficient social supports.

They also must be capable of self-preservation and participation in prescribed activities that promote their independent living skills.

Populations Served Single adults aged 18 and older This includes men, women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming individuals aged 18 years and older who are not accompanied by children or other adults.

Families with at least one parent in recovery This includes pregnant women, single-parent adults (mothers, fathers, and/or legal guardians) with their children, two-parent families and/or legal guardians with their children. Programs serving families must include:

Partnerships with child development and parenting experts;

Support for family reunification, when appropriate;

Service plans that include each family member;

Engaging and providing support for parents to become advocates for their children;

Family recreational activities (at least quarterly);

Facilitation of access to day care, after school programs.

Young adults aged 18-24 Programs serving young adults must include:

Developmentally appropriate expectations as defined by the Positive Youth Development framework;

Support for continuation of educational or vocational goals.

House Settings Permanent housing allows tenants to stay in the unit until they decide to move to another permanent housing setting within the community or until they are discharged from the Housing Stability Support program with cause.

Tenants would have a lease or a participation agreement.

Permanent housing can be in one building, scattered or clustered sites.

Permanent housing sites must be ADA compliant based on the requirements of the funding source for the housing units.

Transitional housing allows tenants to remain in this setting up to 24 months (720 days). Tenants may or may not have a lease. However, they should have a participation agreement.

Transitional housing is congregate housing settings with shared kitchens, bathrooms and common meeting spaces.

Tenants are expected to move into permanent housing upon discharge.

Demonstrated site control is required for transitional housing settings.

Transitional housing settings include a part-time House Manager position.

Transitional housing must meet ADA requirements.

Service Elements Assessment: Support Worker to complete a thorough assessment at intake with client/family to identify client strengths and service needs.

Individual Service Planning: Support Worker to complete an Individual Service Plan (ISP) in collaboration with the client within first week of admission.

Support services: Provide ongoing support services to individuals to coordinate supports for the maintenance of recovery

Discharge planning: Complete a Discharge Plan in collaboration with the client ensuring supported transition into community-based permanent housing outside of the program.

Caseloads, Staffing and Minimum Requirements

Supervision and Training Support Workers are given, at a minimum, one hour per week of face to face, individual or group supervision with the Program Manager. Weekly staff meetings are additional and do not count toward the required supervision.

All staff (including House Managers) must demonstrate their willingness to participate in training and technical assistance provided by BSAS funded statewide capacity-building trainers in Opioid Overdose Prevention, Nonviolent Crisis Management, Medication Assisted Treatment, Harm Reduction, Trauma-Informed Care, and Motivational Interviewing.

Electronic Submission All responses to be submitted electronically using the online submission tools available to Vendors registered in COMMBUYS.

All Quotes must be received by the Department of Public Health before:

DPH is not responsible for delays encountered by Bidders or their agents, or for a Bidder’s local hardware failures, such as computers or related networks, associated with bid compilation or submission.

While this is a rolling RFR, proposals must be received by Friday, April 16, 2021 in order to be considered for the initial contracting period to begin July 1, 2021. Applications received after April 16, 2021 will still be accepted, but DPH cannot guarantee a contract will be in place starting July 1, 2021.

INK Signatures The Commonwealth of Massachusetts requires Contractors to submit original ink-signature only if not on file with the comptroller:

Commonwealth Terms and Conditions Request for Taxpayer Identification and Verification (Mass. Substitute W9 Form) Electronic Funds Transfer Sign Up Form

File Format and Naming Conventions For additional instructions about naming conventions and the document titles see the Checklist of Attachments found in the Application Response Form on page 8.

The description entered during the file upload process ensures each file is readily identified by Company Name, RFR and content.

Document Title File Name Assign when creating documents

Scanned Documents Scanned documents will be accepted and must be scanned in such a way that they can be read on a computer monitor and printed on 81/2” x 11” paper, unless otherwise specified.

DPH is requiring that all response attachments that are uploaded in COMMBUYS include the company name of the Bidder and the RFR number.

RFR Attachments The forms listed on the COMMBUYS Bid Solicitation; File attachment section for this RFR must be submitted with your response where indicated.

To assist bidders in identify the purpose of the attachments for this procurement; the forms posted on the COMMBUYS attachment section have a prefix according to the following chart:

COMMBUYS HELP DESK

COMMBUYS HELP DESK

1-888-627-8283

8:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Thank you!

Questions?

Written questions must be sent to: Kevin.Botelho@mass.gov

Questions deadline:

Thursday, April 8, 2021 by 1:00 PM

Questions and answers will be posted on COMMBUYS image1.png image2.png image3.jpeg image4.png image5.png