SUD Residential Treatment - Startup Funds to Expand State Capacity

The Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH) is soliciting proposals from behavioral health providers to establish a licensed adult male substance use disorder (SUD) residential treatment program in a state-owned building located at 166 Pawtucket Avenue in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The procurement seeks a vendor to provide American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) residential treatment services at levels 3.1 and/or 3.5, with a specific focus on creating a culturally linguistic, trauma-informed, and gender-specific treatment environment. Key deliverables include establishing a fully operational residential treatment facility that can increase the state's licensed adult substance use treatment capacity. The RFP (RFP25005115) was posted on January 30, 2025, with proposals due by March 18, 2025, at 1:00 PM EDT, and a non-mandatory pre-bid conference scheduled for February 24, 2025, at 2:00 PM EST. Evaluation criteria will include technical merit, cost proposal, and ISBE (Minority/Women/Disability-owned Business Enterprise) participation rates. The initial contract term is approximately one year, beginning May 1, 2025, with potential for four additional 12-month renewal periods based on performance and funding availability.

The solicitation encourages participation from minority-owned (MBE), women-owned (WBE), and disability-owned (DisBE) businesses, with vendors receiving evaluation points based on their proposed ISBE utilization rate. Respondents must be licensed behavioral health providers with the capability to operate a state-licensed residential SUD treatment program for adult males. The RFP requires comprehensive insurance coverage, including $1 million in general liability, workers compensation, and automobile liability, plus $2 million in professional liability coverage. While no specific budget or award value is explicitly stated, the RFP indicates that startup funding will be provided to the selected vendor to establish the program in the state-owned facility. Proposals must be submitted electronically through the Ocean State Procures system, with separate technical and cost proposals required. The technical evaluation committee will comprise state agency staff who will assess submissions based on the outlined criteria. Vendors must demonstrate the ability to provide culturally competent, trauma-informed care in a gender-specific setting that meets all state licensing requirements for substance use treatment.