FTBS- Cass & St. Joseph Counties

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is soliciting proposals for Families Together Building Solutions (FTBS) services in Cass and St. Joseph Counties through RFP 260000000867. This intensive, home-based family preservation program seeks to reduce child abuse and neglect, prevent out-of-home placement, and strengthen family functioning through behavioral support services delivered over an initial 90-day period with possible extension up to 180 days maximum. The selected contractor must provide comprehensive services including family assessment, safety planning, protective factors documentation, trauma screening, domestic violence inquiry, substance abuse support, and 24/7 crisis intervention availability, with initial face-to-face contact required within three calendar days of referral and weekly face-to-face contact maintained with all children involved. Required deliverables include Initial Prevention Plans within seven days of the first 30-day service period, Updated Prevention Plans every 30 days, Closing Prevention Plans within ten days of case closure, and follow-up visits at three and six months post-closure, with monthly data submission to the Family Preservation Contractor Data and Information Exchange SharePoint. The contractor must maintain a standard FTBS team consisting of one part-time Program Manager (0.2-0.25 FTE) with a bachelor's degree in human services or education and minimum two years supervisory experience, one full-time Supervisor (1 FTE) with a bachelor's degree in human services or education, and four full-time FTBS Direct Workers (4 FTE) each holding a bachelor's degree in human services or education or an associate degree with two years of relevant experience and commitment to complete a bachelor's degree within one year; all staff must complete Family Preservation Core Training within 30 days of hire and specialized trainings within six months. Performance outcomes require 95 percent of families maintain children in the home prior to case closure, with 90 percent sustaining this outcome at six months post-closure and 85 percent at twelve months, alongside 90 percent demonstrating improved protective factors scores and 85 percent annual utilization rates. Bidders must submit questions by February 12, 2026, with answers posted by February 17, 2026, and proposals are due by March 12, 2026 at 3:00 p.m. Eastern Time; the anticipated contract start date is October 1, 2026, with an initial three-year term through September 30, 2029, renewable for up to two additional one-year periods at the State's discretion. Award will be based on technical evaluation criteria weighted as follows: Bidder Experience and Past Performance (20 points), Education, Credentials and Qualifications (10 points), Staffing, Training, Agency Organization and Location (25 points), Program Implementation (45 points), and Vendor Question Worksheet responses (25 points), with a 100-point minimum threshold required for price evaluation.

The RFP does not specify any set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises or restrictions limiting organizational type eligibility. No incumbent contractors or current vendors are identified in the available documentation. The solicitation requires integration with the state's referral and data management systems, specifically the Family Preservation Contractor Data and Information Exchange SharePoint for monthly reporting and coordination with MDHHS Child Protective Services for client referrals and eligibility determination. The contract award is valued at $190,000 annually, totaling $570,000 over the three-year initial term, with this amount encompassing all direct and indirect costs including $6,000 annually for transportation and $3,000 annually for Specific Assistance Funds to support concrete family needs; pricing must be submitted separately and is firm for the entire contract term with adjustments permitted only upon documented evidence of cost changes subject to mutual agreement. Liquidated damages of $5,000 plus $100 per day apply for late or improper completion, and the State reserves the right to modify the RFP, discontinue the solicitation, award to multiple vendors, or award no contract at all. Bidders must comply with federal regulations including debarment and suspension requirements, clean air and water act standards, cybersecurity provisions, and domestic preference procurement rules, with proposals submitted electronically through the SIGMA VSS system in modifiable format.