RFP #2027-2000-0004 Behavioral Health Services

The State of Alaska Department of Corrections, Division of Health and Rehabilitation Services is issuing RFP #2027-2000-0004 to procure behavioral health services across thirteen correctional facilities statewide. The procurement seeks proposals from individuals or agencies to provide in-person and telehealth behavioral health and substance use disorder services to incarcerated individuals, with an anticipated need for 21 Mental Health Clinicians (MHCs)—20 assigned to specific facilities and 1 traveling clinician based within 50 miles of an airport to serve remote locations in Nome, Ketchikan, and Bethel. Offerors must meet minimum qualifications of five years of correctional behavioral health staffing experience for agencies or two years of psychotherapeutic casework in a correctional setting for individuals, with preference given to licensed professionals; all MHC staff must meet Alaska's MHC II qualifications at minimum. The contract is structured as firm fixed-price agreements compensating contractors for 1,950 to 2,080 annual hours per position, with offerors required to provide separate local and rural hourly rates. Proposals will be evaluated on Experience and Qualifications (25%), Understanding of the Project (15%), Methodology (5%), Management Plan (5%), Cost (40%), and Alaska Offeror Preference (10% if applicable). The proposal submission deadline is February 23, 2026, at 2:00 PM Alaska Standard Time, with evaluation completion by February 27, 2026, Notice of Intent to Award on March 2, 2026, and contract issuance by March 12, 2026; the contract term runs from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, with optional one-year renewals available through December 30, 2030.

Offerors must hold a valid Alaska business license and comply with extensive security requirements, background investigations, and PREA disclosures prior to contract award. Between two and four separate contracts may be awarded depending on the number of responsive proposals received, as the state maintains a shared funding pool from which multiple contractors will draw; contract approval and continuation are contingent on legislative appropriation and at the state's sole discretion. Required insurance includes Workers' Compensation, Commercial General Liability with a $300,000 minimum, Commercial Automobile Liability with a $300,000 minimum, and Professional Liability with a $500,000 minimum for contracts valued between $100,000 and $499,999. The RFP does not identify set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises, incumbent vendors, or specific integration requirements with existing infrastructure. Interested vendors must contact Benjamin Baker at benjamin.baker@alaska.gov to register and be added to the vendor list to receive subsequent amendments; failure to register may result in proposals being deemed non-responsive.