272736 NOTICE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT - Sexual and Domestic Violence Core Services Procurement

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Community Health and Prevention, Division of Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention and Services is conducting a notice of community engagement for RFR 272736 to restructure sexual and domestic violence core services procurement, with input deadline August 31, 2026.

This is a community feedback phase, not a vendor RFR or RFQ. The Division is gathering input from survivors, individuals who have perpetrated violence, caregivers of children exposed to domestic violence, DPH-funded providers, non-DPH-funded providers, and organizations serving populations disproportionately impacted by sexual and domestic violence—with particular emphasis on BIPOC-led and culturally specific organizations. The engagement prioritizes responses from young adults aged 18–24 who experienced sexual and domestic violence during childhood.

Current services under nine program models—Children Exposed to Domestic Violence, Supervised Visitation Services, Intimate Partner Abuse Education Program, Rape Crisis Centers, General Community-Based Domestic Violence, SDV Services for Communities Experiencing Inequities, Emergency Shelter, Housing Stabilization, and DV/Substance Misuse/Trauma Shelter—are contracted through June 30, 2028. The Division intends to use community input to assess, recommend restructuring or refinement, and prepare requests for responses to select vendors for service provision beginning July 1, 2028.

The engagement process spans five phases: Information Gathering and Preparation, Engaging Key Entities, Data Collection (surveys and focus groups), Analysis, and Report and Recommendations. Survey materials and recruitment content will be available in 11 languages with interpretation services in additional spoken languages and ASL. Focus group participants will receive $100 gift cards; survey respondents will receive $25 gift cards. The Division employs trauma-informed and equity-centered approaches, addresses accessibility needs, and incorporates safety considerations for participants in abusive relationships or those with histories of perpetrating violence. All data collected is protected under Massachusetts General Law Chapter 24A, with waivers of signed consent documentation to protect participant privacy.