Michigan Crisis and Access Line RFP 260000000897

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and Department of Technology, Management and Budget (DTMB) are soliciting proposals under RFP 260000000897 for crisis command center staffing services to operate the Michigan Integrated Crisis and Access Line (MiCAL). The procurement encompasses three distinct service lines: the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (SOW A1), Frontline Strong Together for first responders and public safety personnel (SOW A2), and the Michigan Peer Warmline (SOW A3). The contractor must operate 24/7/365 crisis intervention services via phone, text, and chat, providing behavioral health support, crisis intervention, de-escalation, safety planning, and resource referrals to Michigan residents. For the 988 line, anticipated staffing includes 95 crisis specialists and 12 supervisors for calls, 95 specialists and 12 supervisors for chat and text, 2 crisis managers, 1 senior manager, and 5-8 administrative staff; Frontline Strong Together requires 7 call specialists, 1 supervisor, and 1 manager; the Peer Warmline requires 26 peer specialists, 4 supervisors, 1 manager, 1 senior manager, and 4 administrative staff. All staff must reside in Michigan and meet specific education, licensing, and background check requirements. Contractors must achieve service level agreements of 95% answer rates within 20 seconds and 90% within 15 seconds for 988 services, with performance credits of $100 to $500 for non-compliance; 95% answer rates within 20 seconds for Frontline Strong Together; and 90% answer rates within 15 seconds for the Peer Warmline. Contractors must become Vibrant Emotional Health affiliates, obtain American Association of Suicidology accreditation within six months, utilize the state-owned behavioral health customer relationship management system (Salesforce), and comply with HIPAA, Michigan Mental Health Code, and 42 CFR Part 2 confidentiality requirements. Evaluation criteria require a minimum score of 80 points on both general and service-line-specific statements of work before pricing evaluation. The RFP was issued April 23, 2026, with bidders' questions due by April 30, 2026, and proposals due May 29, 2026, at 11:50 a.m. Eastern Time, with an anticipated contract start date of August 4, 2026.

The procurement requires all staff to be Michigan residents and mandates fair market wages with quarterly staff retention reporting. If subcontractors perform more than 20 percent of deliverables, at least 20 percent of subcontracted work must be awarded to Michigan-based Geographically Disadvantaged Business Enterprises (GDBE). Bidders may propose on one or more service lines, though Frontline Strong Together bids require concurrent 988 service bids; the State may award 988 services to multiple centers or a single vendor. The incumbent contractor, Common Ground, has provided these services since November 17, 2020, currently staffing 90.2 crisis specialists and 10.6 supervisors for 988 services, 7 Frontline specialists and 1 supervisor, and 26.4 Peer Warmline specialists and 4 supervisors, with current monthly call volumes of approximately 9,623 for 988, 28 for Frontline Strong Together, and 6,857 for Peer Warmline. The contract requires integration with the state-owned behavioral health CRM system and integrated telephony system overseen by MDHHS and DTMB, with 24/7 availability for a contractor program manager. Insurance requirements include general liability of $2,000,000, cyber liability of $3,000,000, and professional liability of $3,000,000. The contract is funded through actual cost reimbursement via a combination of state funds and federal SAMHSA grants (percentage from federal sources varies annually), with the contract term running August 4, 2026, through July 31, 2029, plus up to three additional one-year renewal periods at the State's sole discretion; specific budget ranges were not disclosed in the RFP documents.