Telemental Health Services

Western Carolina University (WCU) has issued RFP #73-RFP00724 for Telemental Health Services, seeking a qualified vendor to provide comprehensive counseling services for WCU students through a telehealth platform. The procurement aims to enhance existing Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) by offering 24 hours of weekly clinical telemental health services, with students initially referred through CAPS staff. The selected vendor must provide a HIPAA-compliant platform connecting students to independently licensed mental health counselors, maintain professional liability insurance, and deliver detailed analytics about session usage. Proposals are due January 6, 2025, at 2:00 PM ET, with an initial one-year contract term and potential extensions for two additional one-year periods. The university seeks services to commence by February 1st, 2025. Evaluation criteria will prioritize vendor technical approach, qualifications, and experience, with pricing considered in descending order of importance. The vendor must provide pricing for different monthly clinical service hour tiers: up to 100 hours, 100-150 hours, 150-200 hours, and 200+ hours, with cost breakdowns for clinical, administrative, and related services.

No specific set-aside designations or restrictions for disadvantaged enterprises were explicitly mentioned in the documentation. The university currently has no incumbent telehealth vendor providing these services and does not require integration with its Titanium EHR system. While no specific budget range was finalized, vendors must propose per-session fees across different service volume tiers, with no student insurance billing involved. Students will have unlimited sessions, though usage will be monitored for appropriateness, and the vendor must maintain clinical records according to their jurisdiction's licensure laws. The selected provider will be responsible for communicating with a CAPS liaison about service delivery and student care, particularly regarding high-risk symptoms. The contract appears designed to support students' mental health needs, especially in the context of potential psychological impacts from events like Hurricane Helene, with a focus on flexible, accessible telemental health services that complement WCU's existing counseling resources.