Orientation & Mobility Services needed for RSSLC

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on behalf of HHSC and the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is requesting bids for orientation and mobility services for individuals with vision impairments at Richmond State Supported Living Center (RSSLC) in Richmond, Texas, with responses due August 20, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. CST and questions due August 12, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. CST.

The scope requires a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) with minimum one year of experience to provide training, evaluations, treatment planning, and staff instruction in vision rehabilitation. The contractor must deliver services at least one day (8 hours) per week between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Central Time, with a four-hour response requirement for service calls and one-hour response for emergencies. Place of performance is RSSLC in Richmond, Texas.

COMS certification through the Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP) is mandatory. Bidders must submit three verifiable references for similar services completed within the last five years, background check documentation, and a Certificate of Interested Parties (Form 1295) if selected.

The initial contract term runs three years from September 1, 2026 through August 31, 2029 with no renewal options; HHSC reserves the right to extend up to one additional year for continuity or transition. Historical annual spending for similar services is $42,000, representing a guideline only. Pricing must be firm, fixed hourly rates for regular business hours and outside regular hours submitted on the required Pricing Sheet (Exhibit C). Price adjustments may be permitted only if correlated to Consumer Price Index or changes to Federal Minimum Wage with Contract Manager approval.

Insurance requirements include workers' compensation, commercial general liability ($1 million per occurrence / $2 million aggregate), commercial automobile liability ($1 million combined single limit), professional liability ($1 million), and umbrella liability ($1 million). All mandatory exhibits including HHS Solicitation Affirmations (Exhibit A), Pricing Sheet (Exhibit C), Bidder Reference and Qualifications Form (Exhibit D), and TIN Application Form 4109 (Exhibit F) must be submitted; failure to submit required exhibits results in disqualification. Bids are accepted only in US dollars and must remain binding for 240 days from submission. Bidders must register with the IAM Online portal to access the optional HHS Online Bid Room submission method. Contact: Michael McKelvy at HHS Purchasing.