PATH4EMS Peer Assistance

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is requesting proposals for PATH4EMS Peer Assistance services to serve certified EMS providers and eligible family members across Arapahoe County and Denver City, with proposals due August 3, 2026 under RFP 2026000285.

The scope comprises mental health counseling, intake evaluations, individual and family counseling, monitoring, crisis response, and educational services addressing emotional stress, depression, substance use, PTSD, marital and family issues, and work-related concerns. Services are delivered during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding state holidays); no after-hours or 24/7 crisis response coverage is required. All clinical services may be delivered via statewide telehealth, though in-person and hybrid models are permitted. Individual clinicians must hold Colorado licensure as LCSW, LPC, LMFT, LP, LAC, or equivalent; vendors must demonstrate minimum five years in mental health services and one year experience serving first responders or similar populations. No separate organizational credentials are required, and no subcontracting is permitted, though affiliated organizations may apply separately.

Reimbursement is capped at $125 per billable hour for all allowable service types; vendors may bill less. Each EMS provider participant (including qualifying family members) is limited to $1,875 in annual funding, with the funding year reset on a rolling 12-month basis from the participant's first billable session. Non-reimbursable costs include no-shows, cancellations, travel time, care coordination, onward-referral time, and documentation time. Currently more than 70 vendors are pre-qualified to provide PATH4EMS services with no guaranteed minimum referral volumes or annual spending per vendor; referrals are allocated based on participant preference. Average billings approximate 10 hours per participant annually.

The contract begins August 1, 2026. Monthly utilization reporting and reimbursement requests must include participant identifier, hours provided, hourly rate, and program status. The contractor must comply with HIPAA requirements, verify participant eligibility prior to service delivery, respond to CDPHE inquiries within two business days, and respond to corrective action notices within 15 calendar days. Vendors must register and submit proposals through the Rocky Mountain E-Purchasing System (BidNet) at www.bidnetdirect.com/cdphe; proposals must be submitted at least one hour prior to the August 3 deadline.