Speech Language Therapy Services

Lake County Schools (LCS) in Florida is seeking proposals for a comprehensive Speech Language Therapy Services contract through RFP #19-0105-P-RP, targeting a three-year initial contract period for district-wide speech and language support services. The procurement aims to establish a vendor pool for providing screening, evaluation, Medicaid, bilingual, and interventional services across the school district, with an estimated annual requirement of 6,750 hours of standard speech language therapy, 540 hours of bilingual preschool evaluations, and 270 hours of additional bilingual K-12 student evaluations. Proposing firms must have speech-language pathologists licensed by the Florida Department of Health or Education, with therapists capable of managing student caseloads ranging from 50-100 students and providing both direct and indirect services. The evaluation process will utilize a 100-point scoring system, with points distributed across cover letter (5 points), firm qualifications (40 points), references (25 points), and cost of services (30 points). Key procurement dates included a pre-proposal conference on February 19, 2020, with proposal submissions due on March 5, 2020, at 2:00 PM EST through www.myvendorlink.com, and an initial evaluation meeting scheduled for March 30, 2020.

The procurement does not specify explicit set-aside designations or restrictions on respondent types, but the RFP indicates a preference for firms with established healthcare staffing and therapy service capabilities. Historical spending for these services has ranged from approximately $914,481 in 2017 to $996,229 in 2018, with 22 contracted Speech Language Pathologists utilized in the 2018-19 school year. The Notice of Award Recommendation revealed a recommended vendor pool including Community Rehab Associates, Inc. (highest score of 93.45 points), Orange Tree Staffing, LLC (87.71 points), and Speech Rehab Services (83.41 points), with total scores ranging from 93.45 to 21.41 points. The contract allows for potential extension up to two additional one-year periods, with rate increases limited to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for All Urban Consumers U.S. City Average during the first five years. Contractors must maintain comprehensive general liability insurance of $1,000,000 and automobile liability insurance of $500,000, with the School Board listed as an additional insured. The agreement includes provisions for background investigations, compliance with Florida statutes, public records retention, and strict confidentiality requirements for student records.