Community Services Division- Regional Infectious Services for Enhancement Reque

The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS), Community Services Division, is soliciting proposals to establish and operate Regional Infectious Services Enhancement (RISE) Hubs across Connecticut's five service regions, with proposals due December 10, 2026 at 3:00 PM EST and a mandatory virtual bidders' conference on November 5, 2026.

Eligible respondents are private nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3) corporations) or Connecticut municipalities with principal place of business in Connecticut. Proposers must demonstrate organizational experience in behavioral health, healthcare, infectious disease, public health, or comparable services; maintain all required Connecticut licenses and certifications; and possess an existing facility capable of accommodating RISE Hub operations within three months of contract start.

DMHAS will award a maximum of two RISE Hubs per region. Each hub must serve a minimum of 100 unduplicated individuals annually and conduct at least four regional education and training activities annually. Core scope includes integrated infectious disease prevention, education, screening, testing, linkage to care, care coordination, workforce development, and regional collaboration within Connecticut's behavioral health system. Minimum staffing includes a Program Coordinator (0.50–1.00 FTE), Peer Recovery Specialist (0.75–1.00 FTE), Licensed Nurse/RN (0.50–1.00 FTE), and Administrative/Data Support (in-kind).

Total funding is $1,000,000, with a maximum award of $200,000 per region, funded through Substance Use State and Federal sources. The anticipated contract start is March 1, 2027, for an initial term of up to three years. An additional 10 points will be awarded to applicants with SAMHSA-certified Opioid Treatment Programs proposing to house and operate the RISE Hub within their OTP locations.

Evaluation spans organizational requirements (5 points), service requirements (25 points), core components of service (30 points), staffing (5 points), data and technology (5 points), work plan (5 points), budget and narrative (10 points), culturally responsive services (10 points), and contract management and data reporting (5 points). A Letter of Intent is due October 28, 2026 at 3:00 PM. Questions are due November 12, 2026, with answers released by November 17, 2026.