DLA-20 National Council for Mental Wellbeing Consulting Agreement 2026

The State of Utah Department of Health and Human Services is seeking to award a consulting agreement to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing for DLA-20 (Daily Living Activities-20) assessment tool training and certification services without engaging in a standard competitive procurement process. This is a sole-source procurement justified by the National Council's exclusive copyright ownership of the DLA-20 assessment instrument and its status as the only entity authorized to provide official certification training. The scope of work includes a DLA-20 Trainer Module consisting of a train-the-trainer series for up to 12 staff members, delivering one hour of pre-planning, four two-hour train-the-trainer sessions (eight hours total), review and individualized feedback on required assignments, and a comprehensive training packet including PowerPoint presentations, vignettes, handouts, and supplementary materials to be completed within a three-month timeframe. The training is essential to maintain standardized assessment practices across contracted providers in the Ryan White Program, which is required by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to use the DLA-20 tool to evaluate client acuity and functional capabilities. The Notice of Intent to Award was posted on April 14, 2026, with a challenge period deadline of April 21, 2026, during which interested and qualified vendors may contest the sole-source determination by submitting documentation of competing sources, comparable products, or equivalent solutions. The contract permits the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to train one individual from each of Intermountain Health and University of Utah Health Care agencies, with an initial recertification fee waived for September 2027 and standard biennial recertification fees beginning in September 2029.

This procurement is restricted to the National Council for Mental Wellbeing as the sole-source vendor, with no set-aside designations or disadvantaged enterprise restrictions applicable given the non-competitive award justification. The incumbent vendor and current contractor is the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, located in Washington, DC, with Vantage vendor number VC241653, and the primary contact is Fadela Balhaj. The existing infrastructure requiring integration includes the Utah Department of Health and Human Services' client portal system and the agency's Case Management Service Standards for contracted providers, both of which are currently configured specifically for the DLA-20 assessment tool. Switching to an alternative assessment tool would require complete redesign of the client portal system at significant cost and effort, further supporting the sole-source justification. The total fixed cost for consultation services is $10,000.00, payable at the project's beginning, with no additional budget ranges or contingencies specified. Vendors must comply with Utah's anti-boycott requirements under Utah Code 63G-27 et seq., certifying they are not engaged in economic boycotts or boycotts of the State of Israel and agreeing to maintain this certification throughout the contract term.