Peer Support Services for Persons on the DSPD Wait List

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Services for People with Disabilities (DHHS/DSPD), is issuing Request for Proposals #DHHS26053 to establish five-year contracts with multiple qualified vendors to provide peer support services for individuals and families awaiting Home and Community Based Services (HCBS). The services consist of time-limited peer support delivered by individuals with lived experience in disabilities or who have served as family caregivers, with deliverables including needs identification, support and guidance provision, system navigation assistance, and resource connection for persons remaining in home and community-based settings. Qualified vendors must demonstrate a minimum of two years of experience working with individuals with intellectual disabilities, related conditions, acquired brain injuries, or physical disabilities; providing information and referral services; developing disability-related training programs; assisting with Social Security, Medicaid, Department of Workforce Services, and Vocational Rehabilitation benefits; assisting with mental health system navigation; and delivering coaching and skills-building services. Peer Mentor staff must be at least 18 years old, possess relevant lived experience, complete peer support training from qualified professionals, and obtain Family Peer Support Specialist certification. Evaluation will utilize a technical proposal scoresheet with nine weighted criteria assessed by three evaluators on a 0-5 scale, with a required minimum threshold of 9,750 points (78 percent of 12,500 total possible points) for proposals to advance; cost proposals are not required as DHHS will establish contract rates. The proposal submission deadline is March 6, 2026, submitted electronically through Utah Public Procurement Place (U3P), with service delivery available across four geographic regions: Northern, Wasatch Front, Central/Eastern, and Southern Utah counties.

The RFP contains no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises; however, support coordinators with existing DHHS contracts are ineligible to submit proposals unless their current contracts will be terminated. No incumbent vendors or current contractors are identified in the solicitation materials. Vendors must complete and submit six required forms including a Data Sheet, IRS Form W-9, Conflict of Interest Disclosure Statement, Business Associate Agreement addressing Protected Health Information (PHI) handling and HIPAA compliance, Region Selection Form indicating geographic service areas, and a Technical Proposal with resumes documenting required experience qualifications. The Business Associate Agreement requires contractors to implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards per 45 C.F.R. Part 164, report security incidents within two days of discovery, and bear all costs associated with data breaches including notification and credit monitoring services. Compensation for peer support services is established at $18.03 per quarter-hour increment, with billing submitted through the Electronic 520 Billing process via the UPI system; administrative costs cannot exceed 25 percent of program costs. DHHS anticipates awarding all eligible and responsible offerors meeting the minimum score threshold, and contract award does not guarantee the vendor will be requested to provide services.