Talking Circle - 2

The State of Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Division of Juvenile Justice and Youth Services (JJYS) is procuring Talking Circle group services through a single-source, non-competitive procurement process. The contractor will deliver weekly Talking Circle sessions at JJYS facilities to help juvenile justice-involved youth develop coping skills aligned with the stages of change model and improve interpersonal relationships. Deliverables include conducting Monday through Friday sessions between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., providing all learning materials and group supplies, maintaining daily and weekly behavior ratings documentation, and submitting invoices with attendee sheets and service descriptions. The contractor must possess a minimum of five years of documented experience leading Talking Circle groups with juvenile offenders and must be authorized by a recognized indigenous peoples tribe to facilitate these sessions. All contractor staff must pass Division of Licensing and Background Check screening prior to accessing youth or confidential information. The procurement notice was posted on March 27, 2026, with a due date of April 2, 2026. The contract term is five years, running from April 2, 2026, through April 1, 2031, with renewal options contingent on budget availability.

This is a sole-source procurement with the justification based on Elk River Foundation being the only identified contractor meeting the specialized requirements of Talking Circle facilitation experience and tribal authorization. Interested and qualified vendors may submit written challenges with documentation demonstrating competing sources or comparable services to contest the sole-source determination. The estimated contract value is $220,000 over the five-year period, with billing structured at $150.00 per Talking Circle group with a maximum limit of 150 groups annually, plus mileage reimbursement in accordance with Utah DHHS policy. The contractor must maintain multiple insurance coverages including general liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence), professional liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence with $3,000,000 aggregate), and automobile liability ($1,000,000 per occurrence) if transporting clients. Payment is contingent upon actual service delivery, with invoices due within 20 days of the billing period's conclusion. Interested vendors should direct inquiries to Jane Stecklein at DHHS Purchasing (385-303-3429 or dhhscontracts@utah.gov).