Lifespan Suicide Prevention Services

The State of Maine Department of Health and Human Services, Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention is requesting proposals for lifespan suicide prevention training, technical assistance, and capacity building services statewide, with proposals due August 13, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. via the Vendor Self Service System and questions due July 15, 2026. The State seeks a single vendor, and this is an evidence-based service delivery contract rather than a procurement of goods or equipment.

The scope encompasses basic and advanced suicide prevention awareness training, suicide risk screening and assessment, safety planning and lethal means counseling, suicide-safer care practices for medical and behavioral health settings, organizational protocol development, and early intervention strategies for children and adolescents. Minimum annual training requirements are ten basic awareness sessions, twenty advanced prevention trainings, ten risk screening and assessment trainings, five safety planning trainings, five suicide-safer care practice trainings, five organizational protocol trainings, and fifteen early intervention trainings for youth. The contractor must provide postvention response services following suicide deaths of school-aged children and coordinate statewide suicide loss response and resource services for adult suicide survivors. The contractor will plan and implement the annual Beyond the Basics of Suicide Prevention Conference for approximately 250 participants one to two times per year. All trainings must be evaluated with pre- and post-assessments focused on knowledge and skills changes; participant demographics and training metrics must be tracked. Monthly reports documenting activity updates, data collection, and evaluation results are due within thirty days following each month's end. The contractor must comply with Maine IT security policies, maintain appropriate insurance per the State IT-Service Contract, and comply with all state and federal confidentiality laws.

The initial contract term runs October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2028, with two optional renewal periods through September 30, 2030 and September 30, 2031. Proposals are scored on a 100-point scale: organization qualifications and experience (30 points), proposed services (45 points), and cost proposal (25 points). The lowest-cost proposal receives 25 cost points; higher bids receive proportionately fewer points. The State will not request best and final offers. The State reserves the right to make multiple awards if deemed appropriate, and any award is subject to Procurement Review Committee approval with an effective date no sooner than fourteen days after award notification.