Michigan Crisis and Access Line RFP 260000000897

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, on behalf of the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget, is procuring crisis command center staffing services through Request for Proposal No. 260000000897 to support the Michigan Integrated Crisis and Access Line (MiCAL) initiative serving Grand Traverse County and Lansing City. This is a hybrid-term contract solicitation seeking contractors to provide 24/7 omni-channel crisis support services via phone, text, and chat modalities, with bidders able to respond to one or more of three service lines: the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline/MiCAL (Schedule A1), Frontline Strong Together for first responders (Schedule A2), or Michigan Peer Warmline (Schedule A3). The primary deliverables include continuous crisis intervention, active listening, risk assessment, de-escalation, safety planning, resource referral, and coordination with community behavioral health services across Michigan. Key objectives encompass achieving 95 percent answer rates within 20 seconds for calls (90 percent within 15 seconds) with a service level floor of 85 percent, maintaining 99.98 percent service availability, completing crisis specialist training at hire and annually, and providing monthly detailed reporting on call volume, distress scores, referral numbers, follow-up contacts, abandonment rates, and staffing metrics. Required qualifications include being a 988/Vibrant Emotional Health Affiliate with American Association of Suicidology accreditation or ability to obtain it within six months of contract start, employing Michigan-resident staff only, utilizing state-owned phone systems and behavioral health customer relationship management systems, and maintaining comprehensive HIPAA compliance, Michigan Mental Health Code compliance, and 42 CFR Part 2 compliance. For Schedule A1, the anticipated staffing structure includes 95 Crisis Specialists for calls, 12 Crisis Supervisors, 95 Crisis Specialists for chat and text, 12 Crisis Supervisors, 2 Crisis Managers, 1 Senior Manager/Director, and 5-8 Administrative staff; Schedule A2 requires 7 call specialists, 1 supervisor, and 1 manager; and Schedule A3 requires 26 Peer Warmline Specialists, 4 Supervisors, 1 Manager, 1 Senior Manager/Director, and 4 Administrative staff. Evaluation criteria are weighted at 100 technical points across vendor background, transition planning, staffing, and project management, with proposals scoring 80 or more points advancing to pricing evaluation. The RFP was issued April 23, 2026, with a bidder question deadline of April 30, 2026, and a proposal submission deadline of May 29, 2026 at 11:50 a.m. Eastern Time; the anticipated contract commencement date is August 4, 2026, with a three-month transition period (no payments August 4-19, followed by paid transition through October 31) and full operational service commencing November 1, 2026. The contract term runs from August 4, 2026, through July 31, 2029, with the option for renewal for up to three additional one-year option periods at the State's sole discretion.

There are no set-aside designations specifically identified for disadvantaged enterprises or minority-owned businesses in the RFP documentation; however, the requirement that all contractor personnel must be Michigan residents effectively restricts geographic eligibility. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. The infrastructure requirements mandate that contractors utilize state-owned hardware and systems, including the State-owned phone system and behavioral health customer relationship management system, with compliance to Michigan's Digital Accessibility Standards for any digital deliverables. Additionally, contractors must integrate with the existing Vibrant Emotional Health 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Network framework and coordinate with local Mobile Crisis Teams, emergency departments, police departments, and referral services. Service level agreement violations incur financial credits of $100 for the first five occurrences per calendar year and $500 for subsequent occurrences. While the Schedule B pricing template provides a sample showing labor costs of $195,520 annually plus $10,500 in supply costs for a two-position staffing model, the actual award value depends on which service line(s) are bid and the contractor's proposed staffing structure; contracts valued at $250,000 or greater require approval by the State Administrative Board. The State reserves the right to conduct site visits, require oral presentations, and award multiple contracts or individual service line contracts based on proposal evaluation.