Tribal Centric Behavioral Health Advisory Board

The Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA) is procuring a professional services contract with the American Indian Health Commission (AIHC) to support the Tribal Centric Behavioral Health Advisory Board (TCBHAB), focusing on planning and implementation activities for inpatient behavioral health facilities operated by Tribes statewide. The contract will support developing a Tribal freestanding Evaluation and Treatment (E&T) facility and serve as a critical hub connecting 29 federally-recognized Tribes with the state to discuss crisis system improvements, including work on the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and Native and Strong Lifeline. Key deliverables include maintaining TCBHAB governance infrastructure, hiring a 0.5 FTE dedicated staff, providing technical assistance to tribes and urban Indian organizations, developing education and training materials, and creating implementation materials for Senate Bill 1877. The contract will run from May 7, 2025, through June 30, 2026, with potential extensions up to five years. Interested vendors can submit capability statements demonstrating their ability to meet HCA's requirements by April 30, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

This is a sole-source contract specifically targeting the American Indian Health Commission, which is one of only two non-profit organizations recognized by the State Plan with essential relationships with all 29 federally recognized Tribes and two Urban Indian Health Programs in Washington state. The contract is designed to address significant health disparities among American Indian and Alaska Native individuals, including higher rates of mental health issues, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders. The total contract value is $125,000, with funding allocated across various deliverables such as TCBHAB meetings, subcommittee meetings, plan updates, behavioral health facility guidance documents, tabletop exercises, technical assistance, and implementation materials. The contract allows for up to 10% indirect administrative costs (up to $13,635), and the contractor will invoice HCA upon submission of each deliverable. The procurement is specifically tailored to support tribal governance and planning infrastructure for developing and operating inpatient behavioral health facilities for American Indian and Alaska Native individuals with mental illness and/or substance use disorders.