Youth_Behavioral_Health_(Addendum_#1_Revision).pdf

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

26-002-BH-YBH

YOUTH BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

Pierce County

1501 Market St, Suite 420

Tacoma, WA 98402

RELEASE DATE: October 2, 2026

DEADLINE FOR QUESTIONS: October 19, 2026

RESPONSE DEADLINE: November 2, 2026, 2:00 pm

RESPONSES MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO:

https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/piercecountywa https://procurement.opengov.com/portal/%7bproject.government.code%7d

Pierce County

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

Youth Behavioral Health

1. Introduction

2. Pierce County's eProcurement System

3. Summary

4. Objective/Scope of Work

5. Minimum Qualifications

6. Anticipated Contract Details and Expectations

7. Definitions

8. ADA

9. General Information for Proposers

10. RFP Coordinator

11. Timeline

12. Procurement Documents and RFP Holder's List

13. Questions and Answers

14. Pre-Proposal Meeting

15. Submission of Proposals

16. Public Records and Proprietary Material

17. Revisions to the RFP

18. Responsiveness

19. Contract and General Terms & Conditions

20. Costs to Prepare Proposal

21. No Obligation to Contract

22. Rejection of Proposals

23. Most Favorable Terms

24. Concern Resolution Process

25. Cooperative Purchasing

26. Title VI Compliance

27. RFP Questionnaire

28. Administrative, Organization, Threshold Review and Proposal Questions .

29. Evaluation and Scoring

30. Evaluation Process

31. Proposal Scoring Method

32. Scoring Criteria

33. Funding Awards

Request For Proposal #26-002-BH-YBH Title: Youth Behavioral Health

34. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

35. Protest Procedure

36. Copy of Notification to Proposers

Attachments:

A - SAMPLE Client Services Agreement

B - SAMPLE Contract Data Reporting Requirements

1. Introduction

1.1. Pierce County's eProcurement System

Welcome to Pierce County's eProcurement System. This system is inclusive to the procurement process, including submission of any questions and/or clarifications, the release of any addenda/notices, and submission of proposals. It is strongly encouraged that organizations responding to any procurement first read the entire procurement, paying close attention to the timelines, scope of work, eligibility, submission requirements, and specifically to the questionnaire section, which may include required attachments (when applicable), and ask for any clarifications regarding content and instructions early in the process.

1.2. Summary

The County is seeking proposals from organizations to provide behavioral health promotion, prevention, and early intervention services to youth aged 25 years or younger, aiming to strengthen social-emotional skills, reduce violence and substance use risk factors, and improve access to behavioral health care.

Eligible applicants are those who applied for but did not receive funding under the 2026-2027 Puget

Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account (PSTAA), Youth Violence Prevention, or Behavioral Health and

Therapeutic Court (BHTC) Tax RFPs. The County anticipates awarding funding to approximately ten (10) entities through this procurement, with no individual contract award exceeding $100,000 in BHTC Tax funds.

Total funding for the procurement is approximately $750,000. Contracts are anticipated to begin on or around January 1, 2027, and end on December 31, 2027. No renewals or extensions of the period of performance will be granted.

1.3. Objective/Scope of Work

1.3.1. Description of Solicited Services

The County seeks qualified providers to deliver youth behavioral health promotion, prevention, and early intervention services that strengthen social-emotional skills, increase protective factors, and improve connections to behavioral health supports. The intent of this funding is to improve youth mental health outcomes, reduce risk factors associated with violence and substance use, and increase engagement in behavioral health services when needed.

Eligible services may include:

• Social-emotional skill development, including activities that build emotional regulation, resilience, conflict resolution, healthy decision-making, communication skills, and positive peer relationships;

• Peer support and youth mentoring services that promote mental wellness, recovery, help-seeking behaviors, and positive social connections;

• Family engagement, education, and support activities that strengthen family relationships, improve communication, and increase family capacity to support youth behavioral health needs;

• Screening, referral, navigation, and linkage to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services;

• Youth violence prevention activities that address behavioral health risk factors and promote protective factors associated with positive mental health outcomes;

• Substance use prevention and early intervention activities that reduce risk factors and increase protective factors related to youth substance use;

• Other evidence-informed or promising practices that support youth mental health, reduce violence, reduce substance use, and strengthen engagement with behavioral health services.

Programs must demonstrate a clear connection to improving behavioral health outcomes and/or supporting access to mental health or substance use disorder treatment services.

The County intends to maximize flexibility and minimize administrative burden. Applicants may propose service models that best meet the needs of the populations they serve, provided that funded activities support behavioral health promotion, prevention, early intervention, treatment engagement, or recovery consistent with the allowable uses of funding.

1.3.2. Program Requirements

Successful Applicants must ensure that funded programs meet the following operational requirements:

A. Eligible and Focus Participants: Services must serve only youth with a focus on those experiencing mental health challenges, behavioral health concerns, trauma or adverse childhood experiences, substance use disorder concerns, and/or barrier to academic success due to emotional or psychological issues.

B. Service Intensity: Programs must specify the frequency and duration of youth engagement (e.g., weekly sessions, drop-in hours, ongoing case management) sufficient to produce the outcomes described in the applicants’ SMART objectives.

C. Staff Qualifications and Training: Staff providing direct services to youth must have training or experience appropriate to the service proposed (e.g., trauma-informed care, youth mental health first aid, substance use prevention). All staff and volunteers with direct, unsupervised access to youth must complete a background check consistent with Washington State requirements and receive mandatory reporter training.

D. Confidentiality and Data Sharing: Programs must comply with applicable federal confidentiality requirements (42 CFR Part 2) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as applicable, in addition to data reporting requirements described in Section 1.4.4.

1.3.3. Eligible Participants

Services funded through this procurement may only be provided to youth 25 years of age or younger.

Applicants are not required to serve the entire eligible population. Applicants must clearly describe the population they propose to serve, including the age range and any other eligibility criteria or limitations that will apply to participation in their program.

The population and eligibility criteria identified in the successful applicant's proposal will be incorporated into the final contract and will define who may receive County-funded services under that contract.

1.3.4. Eligible Costs

Program budget should include only costs directly related to the program that fall into the categories below. Awarded contractors must ensure that no BHTC Tax funding will supplant any services covered by other funders.

A. Direct Program Operations

1. Direct Service Personnel (salaries/wages/benefits)

2. Supportive Services (client assistance)

3. Subcontracts

4. Professional Services

5. Travel & Transportation

6. Training

7. Supplies & Materials

8. Technology/IT

9. Communications

10. Occupancy (rent/utilities/maintenance)

11. Equipment

12. Insurance

B. Administrative/Indirect (up to 15%)

1. Indirect Staffing

2. Communications (if not captured as direct program cost)

3. Supplies & Materials (if not captured as direct program cost)

4. Occupancy (if not captured as direct program cost)

5. Equipment (if not captured as direct program cost))

6. Insurance (if not captured as direct program cost)

C. Ineligible Costs: Funding under this procurement may not be used for:

1. Construction, rehabilitation, or capital improvements, unless specifically authorized by

Pierce County.

2. Employee commuting costs between home and the employee’s regular work location.

3. Entertainment, gifts, or promotional items.

4. Lobbying, political activities, fines, penalties, or legal settlements.

5. Any expense that is not reasonable, necessary, adequately documented, or directly related to achieving program objectives.

6. Any expense prohibited by federal, state, or local law or by County policy.

1.3.5. Outcomes or Performance Measures

Data Sharing: Successful applicants will be required to submit data in accordance with Attachment B:

Sample Contract Data Reporting Requirements.

Performance Measures: Successful applicants will be required to provide data on the following performance measure:

Improvement in behavioral health functioning pre/post assessment, such as a self-report survey or appropriate behavioral health tools. The specific assessment tool will be determined during contracting process.

In addition to the County-required performance measure above, applicants must submit at least one performance measure that is specific to their proposal. The measure should be supported by a SMART objective that identifies what the program expects to achieve and how success will be measured.

SMART objectives are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Example: By June 30, 2027, provide monthly youth behavioral health promotion, prevention, and early intervention service to at least 200 youth ages 12-18 in the county, including social-emotional skill development, peer support, family engagement, and screening/linkage activities.

At least 70% of participating youth will demonstrate improved social-emotional skills (e.g., emotion regulation, communication, conflict resolution) as measured by a validated pre/post tool, and at least 60% of youth identified as needing additional support will successfully engage in mental health or substance use disorder services.

1.4. Minimum Qualifications

1.4.1. Proposer Eligibility

Proposers who do not meet these minimum qualifications will be considered non-responsive and their proposal will not be evaluated or scored.

A. Submitted proposal under at least one of the following RFPs that was determined responsive and advanced to evaluation, and DID NOT receive any funding from any of the four RFPs listed below:

1. RFP 26-001-CAP-PSTAA, Early Learning Access Opportunities

2. RFP 26-002-CAP-PSTAA, Out of School Programming

3. RFP 26-003-CD-VP26, Youth Violence Prevention FY 2026-2027

4. RFP 25-007-BH-YS, Behavioral Health Youth Services

B. Possess a Washington State Business License

C. Possess a Federal Tax ID Number

All above criteria will also apply to any subcontracted services approved by Pierce County.

1.5. Anticipated Contract Details and Expectations

1.5.1. Term

The initial period of performance of any contract resulting from this procurement is anticipated to begin on or around January 1, 2027, and end on December 31, 2027. No renewals or extensions of the period of performance will be granted. Contractors should not anticipate or rely on any continuation of funding or services beyond the initial period of performance stated above and should structure their proposed budgets and scopes of work accordingly.

1.5.2. Value

The County anticipates awarding funding to approximately ten (10) entities through this procurement, with no individual contract award exceeding $100,000 in BHTC Tax funds. The County may award all, some, or none of funding to any number of contractors based on the proposals received that, in the opinion of the County, is in the best interest of the County.

The total funding available under this RFP is limited and may be distributed among multiple providers.

The County may adjust award amounts, budgets, or service expectations based on the proposal received that, in the opinion of the County, is in the best interests of the County.

1.5.3. Contract Expectations

Successful applicants must use Pierce County funding only after all other available and eligible funding sources, including private, state, and federal funds, have been pursued and billed first.

Additional federal, State, or local funds may become available during the contracting cycle and allocated through this solicitation. Funding may only be awarded for the same scope of services as described in this solicitation.

Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding. If funding is withdrawn, reduced, suspended, reallocated, or otherwise modified after contract execution, Pierce County may amend, renegotiate, withdraw funding from, or terminate the contract as necessary to reflect the available funding and applicable funding requirements and conditions.

Pierce County is moving toward a performance-based contracting approach. Performance measure data, as described in Section 1.3.4 of this solicitation, along with any additional performance outcomes or deliverables negotiated in the final contract agreement, may be used throughout the contract cycle to inform County decision-making.

1.6. Definitions

• “Apparently Successful Proposer (ASP)” means a proposer selected as an entity to perform the anticipated services, subject to completion of contract negotiations and execution of a written contract.

• "Applicant," "Bidder," and "Proposer" mean an organization, agency or provider that submits a formal response to this procurement.

• "Application," "Bid," or "Proposal" mean a formal response to this solicitation.

• “BHTC Tax” means Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Court Tax.

• “CFR” means Code of Federal Regulations.

• “Client,” "Participant," "Household," or "Member" means an individual (or individuals) who receives services, or is eligible to receive services, under this procurement.

• “Contractor” means an individual or organization whose proposal has been accepted by the

County and has been awarded a fully executed, written contract.

• “Geographic Diversity” means ensuring that services, resources, and representation are distributed and accessible across all areas of the County (urban, suburban, and rural) and the organization demonstrates an understanding of regional needs and/or filling gaps of underserved areas.

• “PCHS” means the Pierce County Human Services Department.

• “Procurement” means the process by which the County obtains services.

• “Request for Proposal (RFP)” or "Solicitation" means this document and its attachments in which needed goods and/or services are identified and organizations are invited to provide information as to how they propose to meet the County's needs.

• “RCW” means Revised Code of Washington.

• “WAC” means Washington Administrative Code.

• “Youth” means an individual aged 25 or younger.

1.7. ADA

The County complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Bidders should contact the RFP

Coordinator to request an accommodation.

2. General Information for Proposers

2.1. RFP Coordinator

The RFP Coordinator is the sole point of contact in the County for this procurement. All communications between the Proposer and the County upon release of this RFP shall be with the RFP Coordinator.

Anne Marie Edmunds

Procurement & Contract Specialist

Email: annemarie.edmunds@piercecountywa.gov

Phone: (253) 798-7456

Department:

Human Services

Until the County has completed the evaluation process and issued notices to Proposers, the following communication restrictions apply to this RFP:

• Proposers are to rely solely on written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator.

• Any communications other than written statements issued by the RFP Coordinator will be considered unofficial and non-binding on the County.

• Communication directed to parties other than the RFP Coordinator may result in disqualification of the Proposer.

2.2. Timeline

Proposal Release Date: October 2, 2026

Pre-Proposal Meeting (Non-Mandatory): October 7, 2026, 11:30am

Join Zoom Meeting https://bit.ly/3QABl4K

Meeting ID: 926 1275 9026

Question Submission & Concern Resolution

Request Deadline:

October 19, 2026, 4:30pm

Proposal Submission Deadline: November 2, 2026, 2:00pm

Evaluation Process Completion: November 30, 2026

Estimated Date of Notice to

Successful/Unsuccessful Proposer(s):

December 7, 2026 https://bit.ly/3QABl4K

Deadline for Unsuccessful Proposers to Request a Debriefing:

December 14, 2026, 4:30pm

Hold Debriefing Conferences: December 2026

Estimated Date of Contract Execution: January 1, 2027

The County reserves the right to revise the above timeline.

2.3. Procurement Documents and RFP Holder's List

PROPOSERS WHO REGISTER AND DOWNLOAD RFP DOCUMENTS will be automatically added to the

FOLLOWERS' list in the County's eProcurement Portal. Notifications for solicitation updates, addendum and other procurement information will be sent to all who register on the Pierce County eProcurement

Portal.

2.4. Questions and Answers

Proposers may submit questions through the County's eProcurement Portal, under the Question &

Answer Section, no later than 4:30 pm on the date set forth in Section 2.2. Proposers must be registered in the eProcurement Portal software to submit questions, receive addendums and notifications, and ultimately submit a proposal. Proposers may only rely on written statements issued by the County. Any oral communications are unofficial and are not binding on the County.

2.5. Pre-Proposal Meeting

A virtual or in-person Procurement Workshop will be conducted by Pierce County staff at the time, date, and location as indicated in the Procurement Schedule section of this RFP.

Pre-proposal meeting attendance is not required but is highly encouraged for all organizations considering a response to this solicitation. It is the County’s belief that attending the meeting will assist proposers in presenting the best possible request for funding. During the Pre-Proposal Meeting

Workshop, Pierce County staff will give an overview of the procurement, the procurement process, an overview of the requirements, and will also be available to answer questions and provide technical assistance. Please have the instruction/proposal packet available as well as any questions that the organization may have related to the procurement. The County will be bound only to written answers provided in response to questions. Questions arising during the Procurement Workshop will be documented and answered in the eProcurement Portal.

2.6. Submission of Proposals

2.6.1. Deadline

The proposal must be received by the time/date as indicated in Section 2.2.

2.6.2. Attachments

Follow instructions carefully - if attachments are provided under this solicitation, they are to be utilized as part of the proposal - do not replace or use the organization's own format, as the proposal may be deemed "non-responsive" or "not eligible."

2.6.3. Instructions

All proposals are evaluated on the completeness and quality of the content. Only those Proposers providing complete information as required will be considered for evaluation. The County will not contact the organization for correction of proposals and Proposers are strongly encouraged to carefully review their proposals for completeness and accuracy before submitting. For proposals to be considered responsive and move to the review process, the Proposer must, under Section 3, RFP Questionnaire:

• Acknowledge all required “confirmations.”

• Complete all required attachments, to include uploading any supplemental documents requested in attachments; and

• Submit the following materials as part of the proposal.

o Budget Worksheet (Question 5.6)

2.6.4. Additional Resources/Helps

This section provides a curated list of help articles addressing common questions and challenges proposers may encounter during the Request for Proposal process. The resources below are intended to offer clear guidance, practical solutions, and relevant information to support a smooth and successful submission. Proposers are encouraged to review these materials as needed to better understand requirements, resolve issues, and navigate the process with confidence.

• Vendor Registration

• Following a Project

• Getting Started with Subscriptions

• How to Submit a Question in OpenGov

• How to Submit a Proposal Response in OpenGov

• How to Edit or Withdraw a Proposal after Submission in OpenGov

2.6.5. Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance (TA) is available for this procurement for qualified small organizations. A small organization, for these purposes, is defined as having less than 20 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) staff and an operating budget less than $4 million in the fiscal year prior to applying. Interested organizations will need to fill out the attestation form here and Human Services staff will reach out shortly thereafter with instructions and next steps in selecting a TA provider. Please note that TA may be subject to funding availability and not all requests may be able to be funded.

2.6.6. Electronic Submissions Only

https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/dceacbcf-203c-4b0d-aa57-550043bb0dc0 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/82615c2a-a6e1-46ed-9b33-ec542acf013d https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/c7a5affa-e073-4d5a-8d87-b6eadcf343a9 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/12c62371-147b-45f4-9bcd-cf2ce5f58259 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/8e675a48-dad3-4759-9bae-6b4cb7970d21 https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/article/4f4218bf-7da6-4fc6-b0c3-7eade0776ebe https://www.cognitoforms.com/PierceCounty2/SmallOrganizationAttestationFormForTechnicalAssistance

Only electronic submittal via the County's eProcurement Portal shall be accepted for this procurement.

No hard copies, emails, or fax submittals shall be accepted. The accepted forms of submitted materials are .pdf, png., jpeg., and MS Office formats such as docx. and xlsx.

2.6.7. Addenda & Notices

Proposers must acknowledge and confirm each addendum and notice issued under this solicitation. The system will not allow final submission unless all required confirmations are checked.

2.6.8. No Exceptions for Late Responses

Proposers should allow sufficient time to ensure timely receipt of the proposal by the County’s e-procurement System, OpenGov. Late responses will not be accepted and will be automatically disqualified. The County assumes no responsibility for delays caused by Proposer's technical related system errors.

2.6.9. County Property

All proposals and any accompanying documentation become the property of the County and will not be returned.

2.7. Public Records and Proprietary Material

• Organizations should be aware that any records they submit to the County or that are used by the County even if the organization possess the records, may be public records under the

Washington Public Records Act (RCW 42.56). The County must promptly disclose public records upon request unless a statute exempts them from disclosure. Organizations should also be aware that if even a portion of a record is exempt from disclosure, generally, the rest of the record must be disclosed. Exemptions are narrow and specific.

• Organizations should clearly mark any record they believe is exempt from disclosure.

2.8. Revisions to the RFP

In the event it becomes necessary to revise any part of this RFP, addenda will be published in the

County's eProcurement Portal.

All amendments and notifications of cancellation shall be posted in the County's eProcurement Portal. If you did not receive this solicitation via the County’s eProcurement Portal, please register there to receive further notifications.

The County also reserves the right to amend or add to, retract from, or cancel this Procurement at any time, in whole or in part, and without penalty.

In the event of a conflict between amendments or between an amendment and this Solicitation

Document, the document issued latest in time shall control.

2.9. Responsiveness

All proposals will be reviewed by the RFP Coordinator to determine compliance with administrative requirements and instructions specified in this solicitation. The Proposer is specifically notified that the

County may reject or withdraw a proposal at any time as nonresponsive for any of the following reasons:

• Incomplete proposal,

• Failure to comply with any part of this solicitation or any Attachments to this procurement,

• Submission of incorrect, misleading, or false information.

The County also reserves the right, however, at its sole discretion to waive minor administrative irregularities, which are defined as variances which do not provide a proposer an advantage or benefit over other proposers.

2.10. Contract and General Terms & Conditions

The ASP will be expected to enter into a contract which is substantially the same as the Sample Contract and its General Terms and Conditions attached as Exhibit C. In no event is a Proposer to submit its own standard contract terms and conditions in response to this solicitation. If a Proposer has a concern regarding a certain General Term & Condition, they can raise the issue per the Questions and Answers section of this solicitation.

2.11. Costs to Prepare Proposal

The County will not be liable for any costs incurred by the Proposer in preparation of a proposal submitted in response to this RFP, in conduct of a presentation or interview, or any other activities related to responding to this RFP.

2.12. No Obligation to Contract

This RFP does not obligate the County to contract for services specified herein.

2.13. Rejection of Proposals

The County reserves the right at its sole discretion to reject any and all proposals received without penalty and not to issue a contract as a result of this RFP.

2.14. Most Favorable Terms

The County reserves the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. Therefore, the proposal should be submitted initially on the most favorable terms which the

Proposer can offer. There will be no best and final offer procedure.

The ASP should be prepared to accept this RFP for incorporation into a contract resulting from this

RFP. Contract negotiations may incorporate some or all of the Proposer’s proposal. It is understood that the proposal will become a part of the official procurement file on this matter without obligation to the County.

2.15. Concern Resolution Process

This procedure is available to potential Proposers who are contemplating submitting a proposal in response to this RFP. Only Concern Resolution submissions (Submissions) concerning the following subjects shall be considered:

• A claim that the solicitation unnecessarily restricts competition.

• A claim the solicitation evaluation or scoring process is unfair or flawed, or

• A claim the solicitation requirements are inadequate or insufficient to prepare a response.

Proposers submitting a concern about this procurement shall follow the procedures described below. Submissions that do not follow these procedures shall not be considered. If a Proposer registers a concern against this solicitation, the issue(s) cannot be raised again during the protest period.

All submissions must be in writing and signed by the submitting party or an authorized Agent. The submission must be sent to the Procurement Coordinator, or designee, and needs to be received no later than 4:30 pm, local time, Tacoma, WA, per Section 2.2 Timeline, and must clearly articulate the basis for the submission. The Proposer submitting a concern must also include a proposed remedy.

Upon receipt of a submission, a submission review will be held by the County. The RFP coordinator will respond to submissions in writing and the Finance & Enterprise Services Department Director will be notified of all submissions and provided a copy of the County’s response. A copy of the response to the submission, including any changes to the solicitation, will also be posted in County's eProcurement

Portal.

The concern resolution process does not include an appeal process.

2.16. Cooperative Purchasing

The Washington State Interlocal Cooperation Act, Ch. 39.34 RCW, authorizes public agencies to cooperatively purchase goods and services if all parties agree. By responding to this RFP, Consultants agree that other public agencies may purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract at their own cost and without Pierce County incurring any financial or legal liability for such purchases.

Pierce County agrees to allow other public agencies to purchase goods and services under this procurement or contract, provided that Pierce County is not held financially or legally liable for purchases and that any public agency purchasing under such procurement or contract file a copy of this invitation and such contract in accordance with RCW 39.34.040.

2.17. Title VI Compliance

Pierce County, in accordance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, 78 Stat. 252, 42 U.S.C. 2000d to

2000d-4 and Title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, Department of Transportation, subtitle A, Office of the Secretary, Part 21, nondiscrimination in federally assisted programs of the Department of

Transportation issued pursuant to such Act, hereby notifies all Proposers that it will affirmatively ensure that in any contract entered into pursuant to this advertisement, disadvantaged business enterprises as defined at 49 CFR Part 26 will be afforded full opportunity to submit proposals in response to this invitation and will not be discriminated against on the grounds of race, color, or national origin in consideration for an award.

3. RFP Questionnaire

3.1. Administrative, Organization, Threshold Review and Proposal Questions

1. Administrative Questions

1.1. Proposer Confirmation*

As an authorized representative of the Proposer, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals, propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

I further agree that this proposal will remain in effect for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the date that proposals are due, and that this proposal may not be withdrawn or modified during that time.

I hereby certify that this proposal is genuine and not a false or collusive proposal, or made in the interests or on behalf of any person not therein named; and I have not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any Contractor or supplier on the above work to put in a false proposal or any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that I have not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to myself an advantage over any other contractor(s) or person(s).

In order to induce the County to consider this proposal, the Proposer irrevocably waives any existing rights which it may have, by contract or otherwise, to require another person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal to or performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County, and Proposer further promises that it will not in the future directly or indirectly induce or solicit any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a response or proposal to or from performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.2. Ownership and Copyright of Submitted Materials*

By submitting a proposal, I agree that all documents, reports, proposals, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Proposer pursuant to this proposal shall become the sole and exclusive property of the County, and the public domain, and not property of the Proposer. The Proposer shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of items submitted to the County in response to this procurement.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.3. Supplemental Attachment Confirmation*

I confirm I have reviewed the content of the following attachments included under this RFP: Sample

Agreement and any other documents as identified as "sample" in the Attachments section and acknowledge I understand and agree to these requirements should my organization receive a contract as a result of this proposal.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.4. Insurance Requirements*

By submitting a proposal, I understand and agree that if awarded funding from this RFP, the organization must be able to meet all insurance requirements based on services being purchased, prior to contract execution, and types of insurances may include, but are not limited to:

• Commercial General Liability Insurance: Required on all contracts. Standard levels are $1M occurrence/$2M aggregate (may be higher/lower, depending on value of contract and type of service).

• Commercial Automobile Liability Insurance: Required when the Contractor uses owned, rented, or leased automobiles to complete the services as required per the contract. Higher coverages may be required for fleet/large passenger vehicles.

• Workers Compensation Insurance: As required by Washington State.

• Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance: If the Contractor provides services such as analysis, consulting, counseling, daycare, legal, medical, nursing, pastoral, medical, or other services that require professional licensing.

• Abuse and Molestation: If the Contractor will be working directly with youth under the age of

18, elderly, disabled or other vulnerable populations.

• Cyber/Privacy and Security Insurance: If the Contractor is doing work that could give the

Contractor access to personal or sensitive information from within the County's network or on the Contractor's personal computer, or lead to breaches of security, leading to a loss of privacy or identity theft.

• Crime/Employee Dishonesty Insurance: If the Contractor is in the custody or control of Pierce

County funds such as cash, credit cards, checks or physical property.

• Other insurance(s) applicable to services being purchased: Such as Excess or Umbrella Liability

Insurance if the contract is in excess of $500,000.

In addition:

• Pierce County shall be named as an "Additional Insured" which must be provided in the insurance endorsement; and

• Insurance requirements also apply to any subcontractors hired by the main Contractor to deliver services, where applicable.

Please see "Exhibit D" in the SAMPLE AGREEMENT under attachments to see full insurance requirements. If you have questions regarding insurance requirements, please submit them through the “Question & Answer” section of the RFP.

☐ Please confirm

1.5. Debarment Certification*

As an authorized representative of the Proposer, I certify to the best of my knowledge and belief that the organization and its principals:

A. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any Federal department or agency;

B. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (Federal, State, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of Federal or State antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;

C. Are not presently indicted for or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a government entity

(Federal, State, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (1)(b) of this certification; and

D. Have not within a three-year period preceding this proposal had one or more public transactions

(Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.

E. Does not employ any person nor contracts with any person or agency excluded from participation in federal health care programs under either 42 U.S.C. 1320a-7 (§§1128 or 1128A

Social Security Act) or debarred or suspended.

By checking the confirmation, I understand that a false statement on this certification may be grounds for rejection of this proposal or termination of any award. In addition, under 18 USC Sec. 1001, a false statement may result in a fine of up to $10,000 or imprisonment for up to 5 years, or both.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.6. Pre-Award Financial Risk Assessment Submission Confirmation*

Pierce County is now requiring applicants to complete and submit a Financial Risk Assessment and related documentation annually. In addition, applicants must update their submission six months after their most recent annual submission.

An updated Financial Risk Assessment must also be submitted at any time within the 12-month period following the most recent assessment if either of the following occurs:

• A change in leadership has occurred

• The agency has experienced a funding loss or reduction of 20% or more of its total budget

Pierce County is collecting Financial Risk Assessment documentation through this form.

https://www.cognitoforms.com/PierceCounty2/FinancialRiskAssessmentTool

Upon completion and submission of the form, whether for an initial Financial Risk Assessment or any required update, you will receive a confirmation email. The confirmation email is REQUIRED as part of this application, so save the email confirmation as a .PDF and upload it here.

WARNING: Failure to provide evidence of an acceptable and up-to-date Financial Risk Assessment may be cause for the application to be disqualified from competition.

I understand and agree that my organization has completed the Financial Risk Assessment form within the last six months and/or has updated the Financial Risk Assessment form submission if any of the above conditions apply. Completing the Financial Risk Assessment does not guarantee an award.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

1.7. Proof of Completed Pre-Award Financial Risk Assessment (Upload)*

Once you have submitted the Pre-Award Financial Risk Assessment Form, you will receive an email confirmation. Save the email confirmation as a .PDF and UPLOAD HERE.

WARNING: Failure to provide evidence of an acceptable and up-to-date Risk Assessment may be cause for the application to be disqualified from competition.

*Response required

1.8. Acknowledgement of Contract Data Requirement*

I confirm that my organization has reviewed Attachment B: Sample Contract Data Reporting

Requirements and understand that the final contract will include mandated data reporting requirements.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

2. Organization Information

2.1. Authorized Individual*

Please provide the name and title of the individual authorized to execute a contract on behalf of the organization.

*Response required

2.2. Organization Information*

Please provide the legal name, any d/b/a names, years in business, local address, billing address if different, email address, and phone number of the organization making the proposal.

*Response required

2.3. Organization Contacts*

Please provide the name, phone, and email for:

• Executive Director/CEO/President

• Financial Manager/CFO

• Contract Manager

*Response required

3. Threshold Review Questions

3.1. Eligibility*

Which of the following procurements did you previously submit a proposal that was determined responsive and advanced to evaluation? Must choose at least one (1) answer:

Select all that apply

☐ Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Court Tax Youth Services RFP (25-007-BH-YS)

☐ Youth Violence Prevention RFP (26-003-CD-VP26)

☐ Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account Out-of-School Programming RFP (26-002-CAP-PSTAA)

☐ Puget Sound Taxpayer Accountability Account Early Learning Agency RFP (26-001-CAP-PSTAA)

*Response required

3.2. Washington State Unified Business Identification (UBI) Number*

Please provide the organization's UBI number.

WARNING: Failure to provide a UBI number will be cause for the application to be disqualified from competition.

*Response required

3.3. Organization Tax ID Number*

Please provide the Employee Identification Number (EIN).

*Response required

4. Program Requirements (unscored)

4.1. Confidentiality and Data Sharing Compliance*

By submitting a proposal, I confirm that, if awarded funding, my organization will comply with all applicable federal confidentiality requirements (42 CFR, Part 2 and HIPAA), as applicable to the services proposed, in addition to the data reporting requirements described in Section 1.4.4.

*Response required

4.2. Subcontractor Disclosure*

Will any services under this proposal be subcontracted?

☐ Yes

☐ No

When equals "Yes"

4.2.1. Subcontractor(s) Services Provided*

Identify the subcontractor(s) and describe the services to be subcontracted.

*Response required

When equals "Yes"

4.2.2. Subcontractor Confirmation*

Confirm that subcontractor(s) meet eligibility requirements described in Section 1.5.1.

☐ Please confirm

*Response required

5. Scored Proposal Questions

5.1. Program Design*

Describe the program you are proposing and how services will be delivered to youth. Include:

A. the primary services, activities, and intervention approach;

B. frequency and duration of youth engagement;

C. service delivery setting(s), such as school-based, community-based, or virtual services;

D. hours and availability of services;

E. anticipated number of youth served; and

F. how the proposed approach will achieve the objectives and outcomes identified in this RFP.

*Response required

5.2. Organizational Experience & Capacity*

Describe your organization's experience and capacity to successfully implement the proposed program.

Include:

A. experience providing comparable behavioral health promotion, prevention, and/or early intervention services that demonstrate your operational and administrative capacity to deliver the proposed services;

B. experience serving youth populations, including relevant age ranges and service settings;

C. ability to meet the reporting, funding management, and performance requirements identified in this RFP.

D. Describe your readiness to begin services upon contract execution, including which staff, facilities, partnerships, and operational systems are currently in place and any significant start-up activities that must occur before services can begin.

5.3. Populations, Need & Geographic Area*

Describe the population and geographic area the proposed program will serve and the need the proposed program is intended to address. Include:

A. the population to be served, age range and estimated number of youth to be served;

B. the geographic areas in which services will be provided;

C. the primary behavioral health needs, risks, barriers or service gaps the program will address;

D. relevant data, experience, or other information demonstrating the need for the proposed services

E. how the proposed program will address those needs or gaps.

*Response required

5.4. Participant Eligibility, Engagement and Access*

Describe how your organization will identify, reach , engage, and retain the youth you proposed to serve and make services are accessible and responsive to their needs. Include:

A. the population you propose to serve and any eligibility or prioritization criteria your program will use;

B. how participants will be identified, referred, or connected to services;

C. barriers to accessing and participating in services and how you will address them;

D. how service locations, schedules, communication methods, accommodations, and service approach will respond to participant needs.

*Response required

5.5. Performance & Data*

What SMART-objective performance metric are you proposing and why is it appropriate for your program model? Include:

A. What specific tool(s) will you use to measure behavioral health functioning pre/post (e.g., named validated instrument), and how often will you administer it?

B. What data system(s) or tools will you use to track youth participation, service encounters, and outcomes (e.g., case management software, HMIS-type system, spreadsheets).

*Response required

5.6. Budget*

Complete and attach the required Budget Worksheet. See Section 1.6.2 for funding guidance.

Describe the proposed program budget and how the requested funding will support the proposed services.

• YBH_Budget_Worksheet.xlsx https://government-project.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/287683/ac2d456a-bc45-4e19-9d95-4ab7228315f1_YBH_Budget_Worksheet.xlsx

4. Evaluation and Scoring

4.1. Evaluation Process

All proposals will be reviewed for completeness and compliance with the requirements of this RFP.

Proposals that meet the Minimum Qualifications as identified in Section 1.4 will advance to the formal evaluation process and be scored based on responses to RFP questions and required attachments.

An Application Evaluation Committee (AEC) comprised of approximately five (5) members of Pierce

County staff, members of the Behavioral Health Advisory Board, community representatives, or jurisdictional partners from local, state, or federal agencies with expertise in the subject matter of this procurement will review and score all proposals based on the requirements and content of this RFP.

Department Director Review (50 Points Total)

Following completion of the Application Evaluation Committee (AEC) review and scoring, the Human

Services Director or their designee will conduct a second-level review to evaluate proposals against

County strategic priorities. Director Review scores will be based on:

• System Need and Strategic Value (25 Points)

The extent to which the proposed program will increase access to youth behavioral health services in underserved areas of Pierce County or address geographic gaps in service

• Capacity and Readiness (25 Points)

The extent to which the applicant is prepared to begin delivering services promptly upon contract execution and fully utilize the one-year funding opportunity.

The Director will combine the Director Review score with the AEC score and develop funding recommendations for consideration by the County Executive. The County Executive may approve or modify the recommended funding amounts but will not modify the final proposal rankings or make funding recommendations that are inconsistent with those rankings.

Notice of awards will be sent to County Council at the same time as the awardees are notified.

The RFP Coordinator reserves the right to contact Proposers for clarification of any portion of the

Proposal.

4.2. Proposal Scoring Method

Each evaluator will score the Proposals separately. The scores of all the evaluators will be averaged to determine the Proposer’s score. The average score from the AEC will then be added to the Department

Director Review score to determine rank.

In the event the AEC has clarifying questions for a proposer, they shall notify the Procurement

Coordinator who will, in turn, send the question(s) to the appropriate proposer. The Procurement

Coordinator shall provide a deadline for the answers and shall then notify the AEC members of the response. If members of the AEC wish to change their original scores based on the response to the clarifying question(s), they shall notify the Procurement Coordinator who shall determine the proper subsequent process.

The County reserves the right to award the contract to any organization or combination of organizations whose proposal(s), in the opinion of the County, is in the best interest of the County.

4.3. Scoring Criteria

Points Available - Initial Evaluation: 100

Point Available - Dept Director Review: 50

Scoring

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. Program Design

Question 5.1

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

2. Organizational Experience & Capacity

Question 5.2

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

3. Populations, Need & Geographic Area

Question 5.3

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

4. Participant Eligibility, Engagement and Access

Question 5.4

Points Based 20 (20% of Total)

5. Performance & Data

Question 5.5

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

6. Budget

Question 5.6

Points Based 10 (10% of Total)

Department Director Review

No. Evaluation Criteria Scoring Method Weight (Points)

1. System Need and Strategic Value

Executive's Strategic Plan

Points Based 25 (50% of Total) https://www.piercecountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/146546/Pierce-County-Strategic-Plan?bidId=

2. Capacity and Readiness

Refers to ensuring that services and resources are accessible to all individuals based on relevant qualifications, needs, and circumstances and that services and resources are attentive and adaptable to the unique needs, values, and challenges of individual communities within Pierce County.

Points Based 25 (50% of Total)

4.4. Funding Awards

Funding will generally be awarded in ranked order, from the highest scoring proposal to the lowest scoring proposal. Funding awards are also subject to available funding, effective use of funding, and the

County’s determination that the proposed services are responsive to the requirements and objectives of this RFP.

The County reserves the right to:

• Award multiple contracts

• Make partial awards

• Make fewer awards than anticipated or make no awards

• Negotiate budgets and service levels with a region

• Fund more than one provider within a region

The County reserves the right, at its sole discretion and at any time during the contract term, to modify, reassign, or discontinue services. If services are reassigned or a contract is terminated or discontinued, the County may, without issuing a new solicitation, negotiate and enter into an agreement with a proposer whose proposal was evaluated, scored, and ranked under this RFP.

4.5. Debriefing of Unsuccessful Proposers

Any Proposer, who was not disqualified, who has submitted a proposal and been notified that they were not selected as an ASP may request a debriefing. The request for a debriefing conference must be received by the Procurement Coordinator within 5 days of having been notified that they were not selected.

Discussion at the debriefing conference will be limited to the following:

• Evaluation and scoring of the Proposal.

• Critique of the requesting Proposer’s Proposal based on the comments…