County of Alameda, General Services Agency – Purchasing
RFP No. 900977, Addendum No. 2
COUNTY OF ALAMEDA
ADDENDUM No. 2
to
RFP No. 901156
for
Transition and Aftercare Supportive Services
Specification Clarification/Modification and Recap of the Networking/Bidders Conferences
Held on October 2, 2013 and October 3, 2013
This County of Alameda, General Services Agency (GSA), RFP Addendum has been electronically issued to potential bidders via e-mail. E-mail addresses used are those in the County’s Small Local Emerging Business (SLEB) Vendor Database or from other sources. If you have registered or are certified as a SLEB, please ensure that the complete and accurate e-mail address is noted and kept updated in the SLEB Vendor Database. This RFP Addendum will also be posted on the GSA Contracting Opportunities website located at .**REVISED EXHIBIT A – BID RESPONSE PACKET
Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, including the Bid Form, has been revised. All Bidders must use the REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, attached to this Addendum, when submitting their bid response.
**REVISED BID DUE DATE
Bid responses are now due on November 25, 2013
Also, please note the revised Calendar of Events included in this Addendum.
Alameda County is committed to reducing environmental impacts across our entire supply chain.
If printing this document, please print only what you need, print double-sided, and use recycled-content paper.
RFP No. 900977, Addendum No. 2
Page 1
County of Alameda, General Services Agency – Purchasing
RFP No. 901156, Addendum No. 2
The following Sections have been modified to read as shown below. Changes made to the original RFP document are in bold print and highlighted, and deletions made have a strike through.
Page 10 of the RFP, Section II. CALENDAR OF EVENTS, has been revised as follows:
II.CALENDAR OF EVENTS
EVENT / DATE/LOCATIONRequest Issued / September 11, 2013
Written Questions Due / by 5:00 p.m. on October 5, 2013
Networking/Bidders Conference #1 / October 2, 2013 @ 10:00 a.m. / at:Social Services Agency
CA Poppy Room
24100 Amador Street
Hayward, CA 94545
Networking/Bidders Conference #2 / October 3, 2013 @ 2:00 p.m. / at:GSA - Purchasing
Room 1107, 11th Floor
1401 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
Addendum No.1 Issued / October 17, 2013October 28, 2013
Addendum No.2 Issued / November 1, 2013
November 8, 2013
Response Due / November 4, 2013
November 19, 2013
November 25, 2013by 2:00 p.m.
*Evaluation Period / November 4 – December 4 December 13, 2013
November 25 – December 18, 2013
*Vendor Interviews / December 3 – 4 December 12 – 13, 2013
December 17 – 18, 2013
*Board Letter Recommending Award Issued / December 30, 2013
*Board Consideration Award Date / January 7, 2014
*Contract Start Date / January 8, 2014
Note: *Dates are approximate.
Page 5 of the RFP, Section D (BIDDER QUALIFICATIONS), Item 1.a. is revised as follows:
Bidder shall shall be regularly and continuously engaged in providing direct services to high risk probation youth, or youth in the child welfare system, for the last five (5) years, including, but not limited to, the following: providing case management services, aftercare services, and community linkages for youth at risk of removal to out-of-home care and their families.
Page 12 of the RFP, Section H (EVALUATION CRITERIA/SELECTION COMMITTEE), the third paragraph from the top of the page, is revised as follows:
Each of the Evaluation Criteria below will be used in ranking and determining the quality of Bidders’ proposals. Proposals will be evaluated according to each Evaluation Criteria, and scored on the zero to five-point scale outlined below. The scores for all Evaluation Criteria will then be added, according to their assigned weight (below), to arrive at a weighted score for each proposal. A proposal with a high weighted total will be deemed of higher quality than a proposal with a lesser-weighted total. The final maximum score for any project is five hundred fifty(550500) points, including the possible fifty (50) points for local and small, local and emerging, or local preference points (maximum 10% of final score).
Page 17 of the RFP, Section K (TERM/TERMINATION/RENEWAL), is revised as follows:
1.The term of the contract, which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, will be three (3)two (2)years.
2.By mutual agreement, any contract which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, may be extended for an additional twoyears at agreed prices with all other terms and conditions remaining the same.
Page 7 of REVISEDExhibit A – Bid Response Packet, Item 5(f), has been revised as follows (please see the entire REVISED Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet included with this addendum):
Explain any special resources, procedures, or approaches that make the services of Bidder particularly advantageous to the County, including any cost effective services for youth and/or leveraging of other funds (e.g., Medi-Cal) for eligible services;
Page 15 of the RFP, Section H (EVALUATION CRITERIA/SELECTION COMMITTEE), Evaluation Criteria table Item F, is revised as follows:
F. / Description of Proposed Services and Methodology:Proposals will be evaluated against the Bidder’s Description of Proposed Services and Methodology required submittal, and the questions below (4 points each):
- Doesthe Bidder demonstrate a thorough understanding of the purpose and scope of the project?
- Does the Bidderdemonstrate experience and/or the capacity to provide support services to the target populations, including potential cost effective services for youth and/or leveraging of other funds (e.g., Medi-Cal) for eligible services?
- Does the Bidder demonstrate the capacity to provide family focused, community based services to parents of youth in out-of-home care grounded in evidence based or best practice model?
- Does the Bidder demonstrate the ability to provide services to youth in out-of-home care in a way that leads to increased stabilization and successful reduced length of stay?
- Does the Bidder demonstrate the ability to engage the youth and family in effective transition and community re-entry plans.
- Does the Bidder demonstrate the capacity to provide youth with after care services that include youth-focused, family-centered, and strength-basedconnections to education and employment resources, as well as connections to pro-social activities?
- Does the Bidder demonstrate the capacity to provide afterhours crisis response, and the capacity to develop crisis plans and/or a safety plan with the youth and family?
- Does the methodology match and contribute to achieving the objectives set out in the RFP?
- Does the Bidder demonstratean understanding of the deliverables and the ability to meet those deliverables that the County expects the Contractor to provide?
Responses to Written Questions
Q1)Page 4 of the RFP, Section A (INTENT), the second paragraph states:
The County intends to award a two-year contract (with option to renew) to the Bidder selected as the most responsible Bidder whose response conforms to the RFP and meets the County’s requirements.
Page 17 of the RFP, Section K (TERM/TERMINATION/RENEWAL), Items 1 and 2state:
1.The term of the contract, which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, will be three (3) years.
2.By mutual agreement, any contract which may be awarded pursuant to this RFP, may be extended for an additional two years at agreed prices with all other terms and conditions remaining the same.
The Bid Form in Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet also requests pricing for three (3) years.
Will this contract be a two-year contract or a three-year contract?
A)This contract will be a two-year contract with the option to extendforadditional years. Please see the revised sections above, as well as the REVISED Exhibit A- Bid Response Packet attached to this addendum.
Q2)Page 5 of the RFP, Section C (BACKGROUND),first paragraph states:
Contractor will be able to focus on one (1) or two (2) programs with the highest number of youth and highest turnover rate so as to assist with stabilization. While the department has reduced the overall number of youth in out-of-home placements, approximately 57% of these youth experienced multiple placements, often times due to running away, re-offending, or program termination.
Can the County please clarify what is meant by assistance in stabilizing placement with the out-of-County situation?
A)Probation Officers (POs) are mandated to visit their youth at least once per month. Probation Officers are also mandated to have contact with the youth’s family at least once per month. Sometimes that connection is not enough. If a situation happens that may place the youth’s placement in jeopardy and their PO is not available, it is helpful to have someone else who is close to the youth and has other ties to the community to help address the issuesat hand. If the youth has made some connections in his/her community, it makes the transition home smoother.
Q3)The County indicates that the “Contractor will be able to focus on one (1) or two (2) programs with the highest number of youth and highest turnover rate so as to assist with stabilization.” Can the County provide the locations of the one or two programs on which the Contractor will focus?
A)Currently, most of the youth are placed out of the County. This contract will try to focus on programs closest to the County with the highest rates of population. However, youth placements can change at any time. The locations will be determined and provided to the Contractor when contract services begin. It is anticipated that once contracted services begin, the program locations will not change.
Q4)To ensure quality collaboration and optimal results, will the one or two programs to be serviced under this contract be given a description of the services, expectations, etc. for this project?
A)Yes. Probation will contact the identified program and relay the goals and objectives of the Contractor’s support. Probation will also work with the programs to ensure cooperation and permission to work with the youth and the program.
Q5)Page 6 of the RFP, Section E (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS), Item 1, states:
Contractor shall provide cultural and linguistic responsive support services for probation involved youth in out-of-home care, those in need of transition supportive services, and non-minor dependents in an independent living environment…
What is the age bracket for a non-minor dependent?
A)The age bracket for a non-minor dependent is 18 to 21 years of age.
Q6)Page 7 of the RFP, Section E (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS), Item 2 states:
Provide transitional and aftercare engagement services for youth returning home through supportive case management services for a period of 90 – 120 days. These services shall assist youth in meeting the obligations of their probation, address their individual criminogenic needs, connect youth with educational services to improve school attendance and progress, provide assistance with locating and maintaining employment, and encourage pro-social activities in their community.
Given this population, it is important to work with the families on parenting, linkages, and crises in the home, outside of working with the youth, which could require additional time per week. This is for youth transitioning home and for stabilization. What if a family needs more time than what is proposed in the RFP for service requirements? What if this additional time exceeds the proposed cost?
A)The County anticipates that some families may need more supports than others. Biddersare encouraged todevelopstrategies to provide individual and/or group supports to parents/family that may be cost effective. This may include leveraging other funding sources such as Medi-Cal or providing services such as offering evidence-based curriculum in which parents could receive a set number of family sessions or groups. The potential varied length of time of supports should be taken into consideration when estimating a cost per youth. The cost per youth provided in the Bid Form will be the maximum cost per youth billable to the County.
Q7)Does the 90 to 120 days also refer to the youth living independently, or only the youth living at home? What is the timeline for the youth living independently?
A)The 90 to 120 days can apply to youth living independently or youth living at home; however, 90 to 120 days is only an estimate. Transition periods vary with each situation. Some youth adapt quicker and better than others. Some youth may need more time than 120 days. Probation wants the services to be youth driven and as close to the 120 days as possible.
Q8)During the 90 to 120 days, are the youth still considered wards of the court?
A)Yes. These youthwill all still be wards of the JuvenileCourt and will be under probation supervision.
Q9)Page 8 of the RFP, Section 2 (SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS),Item 3.a., states:
3.Contractor shall maintain regular contact with youth in placement for no less than three (3) hours per month with a minimum of one (1) hour per visit with the youth in placement to address issues related to placement stability, transitional planning, or other behaviors that the Contractor can assist with.
a.More frequent contact is necessary for youth participating in aftercare services. In such cases, Contractor shall provide at minimum two (2) hours/week per youth, or 12 hours/month with youth and family. Services should be youth-focused, family-centered, strength-based, and assist the youth in making connections to education, employment, and pro-social activities in their community.
For youth in placement, can the County please clarify if it is a total of 3 hours, with one of those hours, being a physical visit with the youth? Or is this a minimum of 4 hours of contact each month, with one hour designated to be at the placement?
A)The total number of hours per month should be three hours. A minimum of one of those three hours should be a face-to-face visit with the youth in his/her placement. The other two hours could be additional visits via telephone, Skype, face-to-face,etc.
Q10)What percentage of youth might the County anticipate being re-entry non-minor dependents who have been in placement then decided to leave the program and return?
A)The County cannot provide an accurate anticipated percentage. Currently, however, Probation has a total of 43 non-minor dependents in care, and only three of them were re-entry. The majority of youth choose to stay in care, transfer to a transitional house at their current placement, or look for a supportive independent living situation (SILP).
Q11)Who makes the decision for a youth to be discharged early from placement (as this could affect the outcome goal, of reducing length of stay)?
A)Probation makes the final decision. Probation, however, wants to work with the Contractor in making this a joint decision; if a shorter program is recommended, other supportive services may need to be in place as the youth transitions home.
Q12)How will the estimated quantity of youths listed on the bid form be referred to transition and/or aftercare programs?
A)The Probation Placement Supervisor will refer the youth to services.
As stated in the Bid Form:
Quantities listed [therein] are annual estimates based on projected usage and are not to be construed as a commitment. No minimum or maximum is guaranteed or implied.
Q13)Will the youth be referred to a combined program of “transition and aftercare” program, or will it be one or the other (i.e., transition or aftercare)?
A)Transition and aftercare are separate services. Transitional planning will begin while the youth is still in the placement program. Once the youth returns home, aftercare services, if needed, would begin. Each case will vary. Some youth may need more supports during the transitional planning stage, while other youth may need more supports during the aftercare stages.
Q14)Beside a group home, is there any youth that are in lock up custody that will be serviced by the Contractor?
A)It is unlikely for the Contactor to work with youth that are in lock up custody. An exception may be made for youth that are in the middle of changing placement for whichcommunity-based services might be recommended. This would allow the youth to receive services at home instead of being referred to a different group home.
Q15)Suppose Bidders want to put in place a multi-disciplinary committee that would include attendance from the Probation Officer to be involved (although attendance and participation cannot be guaranteed). How should be Bidder address that in their bid response?
A)Page of 7 Exhibit A – Bid Response Packet, REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION AND SUBMITTALS, Item 5 requests a Description of Proposed Services and Methodology. This section is where the Bidder should incorporate all of its ideas on how it plans to provide the services to the Probation Department.
Q16)Is there going to be one liaison to make referrals to the Contractor or for the Contractor to communicate with?
A)It is anticipated that the Placement Unit Supervisor will be making referrals. However, the Contractor will be communicating with the youth’s individual Probation Officer on an on-going basis.
Q17)What groundwork has been laid for Probation Officers to participate in the case planning process for the transition?
A)The Probation Department is still developing these processes. More details will be provided to the Contractor after award. However, it is expected that Probation will be involved in the case plan update/development process
Q18)Can the County make any guarantees on the presence and hands-on involvement of the Probation Officers?
A)No. The County cannot make any guarantees with regard to the presence and hands-on involvement of the Probation Officer. With youthinplacement, Probation Officers are traveling frequently. Their involvement is strongly encouraged; however,it may not always be possible. The Contractor will establish connections with the Probation Officer and establish a means of effective communication.
Q19)Page 10 of the RFP, Section F (DELIVERABLES/REPORTS), Item 3 states:
3.Semi-Annual Assessment Reports – Contractor shall track data to report semi-annually to Alameda County Probation Department on assessment of youth and families that may include, but are not limited to, the following
a.Noted improvements