School-based mental telehealth services

Maricopa County Department of Public Health (MCDPH) is seeking a single contractor to provide school-based mental telehealth services across Maricopa County through a cost-reimbursement contract. The initiative aims to deliver virtual mental health therapy sessions to 50,000 students annually, with services available during and outside school hours. Contractors will be responsible for recruiting schools, delivering short-term virtual therapy sessions, establishing referral pathways for longer-term treatment, and tracking program impact. Eligible applicants must demonstrate at least five years of experience in telehealth-based mental health services within school settings, have three years of experience billing insurance for behavioral health services, and have served a minimum of 600,000 students within the past five years. The Request for Proposal (RFP) requires detailed submissions through the BidNet Direct e-procurement platform, with proposals due by 2:00 PM Mountain Standard Time on May 26, 2025. The proposed contract award date is August 1, 2025, with services beginning July 1, 2025. Evaluation will focus on the applicant's experience, capacity to scale services, and ability to meet the program's comprehensive mental health support objectives.

The procurement is open to nonprofit organizations, private organizations, and academic institutions, with no specific set-aside designations for disadvantaged enterprises. Contractors must commit to $100,000 in in-kind contributions, which may include staff time, technology, or resources directly supporting service delivery. The contract is initially funded with $750,000 from the JUUL settlement, with potential renewals for two additional years. Contractors must demonstrate the ability to provide mental health providers licensed in Arizona or provide a detailed plan for securing licensure prior to service delivery. The contract includes cooperative language allowing other Arizona government agencies to utilize the contract with their own funding, each establishing its own scope of work and budget. Indirect costs are capped at 15% of the total budget, and services must be provided without copays or deductibles, with billing directed to third-party insurers including Medicaid. The initiative aligns with Maricopa County's Substance Use Prevention & Response Strategic Plan and requires comprehensive reporting on metrics such as school attendance, disciplinary actions, and tobacco/vaping screening results.