PO27-001 Sole Source: Northwestern Univ. Trauma/Behavioral Health Research and CANS Project TP

The State of Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) is issuing a sole source procurement (PO27-001) to award a contract to Northwestern University Mental Health Services and Policy Program for research, evaluation, data collection and analysis, training, and technical assistance services in direct support of child welfare operations. The contract encompasses twelve distinct projects including technical assistance for the implementation of the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) assessment tool and Well-Being Measure; trauma training and consultation services; technical assistance for residential treatment facilities and performance measurement systems; service provider administration support; evaluation of the Intensive Placement Stabilization Program; evaluation of staff well-being initiatives; data collection and system administration; technical assistance for placement administration and youth awaiting placement; technical assistance for B.H. Consent Decree initiatives compliance; and technical assistance for the Health Services Management Unit and Division of Child Protection. The contract is designed to support DCFS compliance with the B.H. v. Mueller federal consent decree, which mandates systemic reform of child welfare services for youth with psychological, behavioral, or emotional challenges through seven interconnected interventions including resource development, quality family engagement, child and family team meetings, home of relative/fictive kin licensure, residential monitoring, subsidized guardianship, and administrative case review. Key deliverables include technical assistance, training programs, proprietary data system access and administration (CYCIS, SACWIS, and SPIDER databases), evaluation reports, and performance data analysis. The contract runs from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, with no renewal options. Interested parties must submit written comments or request a public hearing by Friday, May 29, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. to Dianne Richman at Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov or 217-622-1857, with a public hearing scheduled for May 29, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx. The projected contract award date is June 3, 2026.

This is a sole source procurement with no set-asides or restrictions on organizational types; however, the justification for sole source selection is based on Northwestern University's unique and irreplaceable qualifications developed over nearly twenty years of continuous service to DCFS since 2007. Northwestern University holds federally designated specialty credentials including a National Child Traumatic Stress Network designation held by Dr. Cassandra Kisiel, maintains exclusive access to DCFS proprietary data systems, and benefits from Principal Investigator Dr. Richard Epstein's continuous involvement in the B.H. v. Mueller litigation proceedings since 2015 as the only non-party expert with such tenure. DCFS conducted comprehensive vendor evaluations in FY19 and FY25, devoting more than 300 staff hours to assessing cost-effectiveness and alternative vendor availability, concluding that no qualified alternative exists and that onboarding a replacement vendor would require 48 to 84 months and approximately $55 million in equivalent financial investment to replicate the data infrastructure and institutional knowledge. The estimated contract value is $3,800,110.07, consisting of $3,779,110.07 in fixed price costs and $21,000.00 in cost-reimbursable travel expenses, funded entirely through state appropriated funds. Annual contract values with Northwestern University have historically ranged from approximately $2.6 million to $3.9 million, with the FY27 contract value essentially flat compared to the FY26 award despite expanded scope, demonstrating cost containment by the vendor. The pricing is considered fair and reasonable by DCFS procurement officials.