Lewis Road Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) RFP

Ventura County Behavioral Health (VCBH), a division of the County of Ventura Health Care Agency in California, is issuing a Request for Proposals to identify a qualified provider to design, develop, obtain licensure and certification for, and operate a 38-bed locked Mental Health Rehabilitation Center (MHRC) located on Lewis Road in Camarillo. The facility will serve conserved adults aged 18 years and older with serious mental illnesses and co-occurring substance use disorders using evidence-based, recovery-oriented treatment approaches. The MHRC will be organized into three clinical wings—Intensive Treatment (10 beds), Forensics (14 beds), and Recovery (14 beds)—each addressing distinct clinical needs of conserved populations, including those on Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) conservatorship and Murphy conservatorship. Key requirements include compliance with California Code of Regulations Title 9 for MHRC licensure, maintenance of minimum staffing ratios, achievement of specific performance standards across six domains (access and utilization, clinical outcomes, forensics competency restoration, safety, workforce compliance, and quality improvement), submission of monthly program reports and quarterly performance data, and provision of Medi-Cal specialty mental health services. The RFP evaluation will be weighted as follows: Technical Approach and Program Design (35%), Organizational Capacity and Experience (25%), Community Engagement and Partnerships (20%), Budget and Cost-Effectiveness (15%), and Evaluation and Quality Assurance (5%). Proposals must include detailed budgets for start-up costs (May 1–July 31, 2028) and three fully operational budget years (August 1, 2028–July 31, 2031), with indirect costs capped at 15% of direct salaries and benefits. Critical deadlines include: bidder questions due April 20, 2026; intent to bid deadline of April 25, 2026; proposals due May 7, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.; anticipated contractor selection and award notification on June 19, 2026; contract finalization by July 3, 2026; and operations initiation by May 1, 2028.

The RFP does not specify set-aside designations or restrictions based on disadvantaged enterprise status; however, all bidders must comply with federal exclusion lists (OIG and SAM.gov), maintain active California Secretary of State business entity status, provide audited financial statements, and demonstrate insurance capacity including general liability ($1,000,000 combined single limit), workers' compensation per California statutory requirements, professional liability ($1,000,000 each/$2,000,000 aggregate), and cyber liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate). Bidders must also submit three professional references demonstrating relevant experience in providing mental health services in secure residential rehabilitation settings, evidence-based treatment delivery, and recovery-oriented care models; a completed non-collusion affidavit; and a key staff listing identifying personnel assigned to the project with appropriate licenses and certifications. The contract structure includes an initial one-year term with two optional one-year extensions, subject to Ventura County Board of Supervisors budgetary approval, with compensation established on a not-to-exceed basis and payment contingent upon actual services rendered. No specific budget range or award value is disclosed in the RFP; instead, the County reserves the right to negotiate final payment methodology during contract execution, including potential conversion to a rate-based payment structure. The selected provider will assume all operational costs and risks associated with facility management, staffing, equipment procurement, and regulatory compliance under the oversight of VCBH.