RFSQ - Residential Services for Harris County Juvenile Probation Department

Harris County, Texas, through the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, is soliciting qualifications via Request for Sealed Quotation (RFSQ) for residential services for juvenile probationers beginning approximately June 1, 2025, for a one-year term. The procurement seeks qualified vendors to provide trauma-informed residential care for youth with developmental disabilities, substance abuse issues, gender-specific needs, sex trafficking victimization, and other specialized treatment requirements. Services must include family therapy, credit recovery, job training, extracurricular activities, skill-building groups, and therapeutic interventions designed to prevent deeper involvement in the criminal justice system. Facilities must be licensed by the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services or equivalent state regulatory authority and demonstrate cultural responsiveness to diverse populations. Vendors must achieve state-required performance outcomes, including 70 percent of youth showing improvement in at least 50 percent of established goals, 75 percent achieving 180-day non-recidivism, and 70 percent achieving one-year non-recidivism, with monthly progress reporting required via a secure web-based system. Compensation is structured on per diem rates covering dietary services, facilities, routine daily services, administration, transportation, and therapy, with additional services potentially constituting up to 25 percent of the awarded contract annually. Evaluation criteria are weighted as follows: ability to provide trauma-informed services (25 percent), cultural responsiveness to diverse populations (20 percent), compliance record with state licensing agencies (20 percent), specialized service capabilities including gender-specific and substance abuse treatment (20 percent), vendor references (5 percent), and pricing (10 percent). A pre-submittal conference is scheduled for January 27, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. CST via phone conference, with written questions due through the Bonfire platform at https://harriscountytx.bonfirehub.com/ by the deadline specified in the Events Schedule. Proposals are due February 16, 2026, submitted via Bonfire or hardcopy to 1111 Fannin, 12th Floor, Houston, TX 77002, with Harris County reserving the right to conduct facility reviews and award to one or multiple vendors subject to Commissioners Court approval.

Harris County has established a Minority- and Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (M/WBE) utilization goal for this procurement, requiring bidders to either meet the advertised M/WBE goal or document good faith efforts to achieve it; failure to submit M/WBE documentation results in bid rejection. Certified M/WBE firms must be currently certified through the City of Houston, Texas Unified Certification Program, U.S. Small Business Administration 8(a), National Minority Supplier Development Council, Houston Minority Supplier Development Council, Women's Business Enterprise National Council, or Women's Business Enterprise Alliance and must demonstrate significant local presence in Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, Brazoria, or Galveston Counties or provide documentation of at least three contracts performed in the market area within the last three years. All contractors and subcontractors are subject to Harris County's mandatory minimum wage requirement of $21.65 per hour for workers directly assigned to the contract, with annual adjustments effective October 1st based on the MIT Living Wage Calculator. Vendors must comply with extensive regulatory requirements including Workers' Compensation Insurance at statutory limits, Commercial General Liability Insurance with combined single limits of $1,000,000 to $2,000,000 depending on contract value, compliance with Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) standards, HIPAA and HITECH Act requirements for Protected Health Information handling, conflict of interest certifications, debarment and suspension certifications, child support obligation certifications, and tax residence certifications. Out-of-state offerors must fund facility visit costs incurred by Harris County Purchasing Department and HCJPD staff representatives prior to award consideration. The RFSQ was posted January 16, 2026, with a response due date of February 16, 2026, and while no specific budget or award value range is disclosed in the procurement documents, compensation will be provided monthly on a milestone or progress-payment basis, with invoices submitted to the Harris County Auditor's Office and services commencing only upon receipt of a purchase order signed by the Harris County Purchasing Agent.