Sole Source - Stress & Trauma Treatment Center

The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is issuing a sole source procurement notice for a contract award to Stress & Trauma Treatment Center (SATTC) to provide school-based trauma-informed support services under the federally-funded SAMHSA TISS/REACH OUT program. The services include screening, referral, consultation, and treatment services addressing the trauma-related needs of students and families in Illinois Educational Areas #5 and #6, which comprise 123 school districts in Southern Illinois serving approximately 54.1% low-income students in a designated mental health shortage area. Key deliverables include direct trauma-informed treatment services targeting a minimum of 6,750 students, staff training and implementation plans, and consultation services with schools in alternative education systems and high-need referral districts. The contract is valued at $250,000 and is funded entirely through a competitive federal grant award from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The estimated contract period runs from December 1, 2025, or upon execution, through September 30, 2026, with zero renewal options. The deadline for interested parties to submit written comments or request a public hearing is Friday, February 13, 2026, at 4:00 p.m., with the public hearing scheduled for February 18, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. via WebEx. Written comments should be directed to Dianne Richman at Dianne.Richman@illinois.gov or 217-622-1857. The hearing will be cancelled if no written comments or hearing requests are received by the February 13 deadline.

ISBE justified the sole source determination based on SATTC's unique geographic proximity to the service areas, established relationships and memoranda of understanding with schools in the region, extensive expertise in trauma-informed services, and prior performance as a subcontractor under Contract 24027 from September 30, 2022, through June 30, 2024, also valued at $250,000. SATTC was specifically named in ISBE's awarded SAMHSA grant proposal and has already developed customized systems and processes for the grant implementation. The procurement documents do not indicate any set-asides for disadvantaged enterprises or other organizational restrictions; however, the sole source justification emphasizes that with less than one year remaining in the federal grant term, identifying and acclimating an alternative vendor would be impossible and would result in service discontinuation affecting approximately 6,750 students. ISBE determined the $250,000 contract price as fair and reasonable through comparison with similar services purchased under other grants. The State Purchasing Officer approved the sole source determination on February 18, 2026. No other incumbent vendors or competing bidders are identified in this procurement.