PRTF High Acuity Beds

The Colorado Department of Human Services, Division of Child Welfare, is requesting proposals to contract with one or more qualified vendors to operate 10–15 Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility (PRTF) beds serving children and youth with high-acuity mental health and behavioral needs, with proposals due October 1, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Mountain Time and a public opening at 1:15 p.m. MT on the same date. Current PRTF licensing compliance with Colorado Regulations Code sections 7.701, 7.705, and 7.714 is mandatory; vendors must also be enrolled or eligible to enroll with the Department of Healthcare Policy and Financing as a Health First Colorado (Medicaid) provider and meet Colorado Department of Education requirements to operate a facility school.

The scope targets youth with complex presentations including co-occurring diagnoses, extensive trauma histories, suicidal ideation, self-harm, aggression, chronic elopement, and reactive sexualized behaviors who have not succeeded in lower levels of care. Vendors must demonstrate clinical expertise in evidence-based treatment interventions, trauma-informed care, de-escalation techniques, and robust discharge planning. Preferred criteria include detailed service models, trauma-informed and evidence-based treatment frameworks, staff qualifications and supervision models, behavior management and restraint protocols, collaboration processes with placing authorities, protocols for managing runaways and preventing unnecessary hospitalizations, and quality assurance procedures with outcome measurement.

The contract term runs January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2027, renewable for up to four additional years at the State's discretion contingent upon appropriated funds and contractual compliance. Funding is authorized through House Bill 24-1038, which guarantees State reimbursement for designated PRTF beds via an incentive rate mechanism and county placement allocations supplemented by Medicaid daily rates. Pricing shall include a daily rate for occupied beds, a separate daily rate for vacant beds to sustain operations, and itemized costs for staffing, facility maintenance, administrative overhead, clinical services, and client care. Proposals must not exceed 25 pages and address all evaluation criteria with specific citations. The updated questions deadline is September 14, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. MT, with responses posted September 18, 2026. Vendors must submit redline exceptions to standard State contract terms and a sample monthly invoice. A HIPAA Business Associate Agreement governs Protected Health Information handling.