Solicitation Call Invitation to Negotiate #FY 16/ Case Management Services

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1 Solicitation Call Invitation to Negotiate #FY 16/ Case Management Services Below are responses to questions submitted at the Solicitation Call or via , grouped by Agency: Questions submitted by Bethany Christian Services: Question 1: Question 2: Question 4: Question 5: What is the ideal number of CMOs for Heartland to have? This has not been decided. HFC is seeking to have at least 2 but no more than 5 agencies providing dependency case management services in Circuit 10. Would you be open to a provider that hasn t necessarily performed case management in Florida yet, but has a breadth of child welfare case management experience nationally? Yes. HFC is seeking providers who can demonstrate their ability to provide the highest quality service while also consistently meeting or exceeding performance outcomes. If a new provider is selected, what has Heartland thought about as far as transition, and what supports would be available for a new provider? HFC is allotting a 6 month period for transition (January through June 2017). The level of support will be dependent upon the agency selected and an assessment of their needs. For example, an agency who already provides dependency case management services in the State of Florida will most likely not require as much systemic training as an agency who has not provided this service in Florida before. How detailed would Heartland like the budget submitted? Budget narrative? HFC is looking for a detailed line item budget along with a detailed budget narrative. This information is critical in assessing the agency s understanding of costs associated with operating this type of program. How is birth parent visitation currently handled within Heartland s network? Are there any visitation center, home makers, or transportation services contracts in place? Birth Parent visitation is the primary responsibility of the assigned case management organization and is a high priority item for the children and families we serve. Frequent and quality visitation is crucial to a child s well-being and helps facilitate the healing process for the family as a whole. There is one (1) contract for supervised visitation services utilizing the ABC evidenced based model. This program is operated through the United Way of Central Florida out of the Family Fundamentals location in Lakeland. The supervised visitation that is occurring at this site is a pilot. HFC has identified 1 CMO who is supplying cases for that pilot and there are no immediate plans to open this up to other CMOs at this time. At some point in the future, the services may be expanded, but that will not be considered until the pilot is

2 completed and evaluated. That center should not be considered as an option for anyone responding to the ITN at this time. Questions submitted by Devereux: Question 1: Question 2: Page 3 of the ITN states: Submit copies of any external monitoring/accreditation reports completed on your agency within the past two (2) years (excluding reports completed by HFC). Submit copies of any internal monitoring/quality/compliance reviews conducted by your agency in the past two (2) years. For these reports, do we need to submit the ones related to child welfare/case management or for all programs? HFC is requesting that internal and external reports associated with all lines of business the agency has in the State of Florida be submitted for review and as evidence of quality business operations. As I asked at the Bidder s Conference, do you have any further expectations related to size of the contract other than what is outlined on page 1 of the ITN? No. The funding allotted to this service in the ITN is for the service as a whole. The individual contract sizes will be dependent upon the number of agencies selected through this procurement process. At the Bidder s Conference there was a mention of the requirement for a Letter of Intent and it is due to Heartland for Children on September 16, although it is not stated in the timeline of events (Page 8 of 95). Do you have a specific format and /or deadline time for receiving it? (if yes, I realize that this question needs to be answered prior to the release of answers to questions) There was an addendum posted on the website requiring the letter of intent to be submitted by September 16 th. There was not a specific format specified or expected. Questions submitted by Directions for Living: Question 1: Anticipated funding available is $13,057, to be divided into a minimum of two and maximum of five contracts (pg. 1 of the ITN). What is the current breakdown of funding per existing CMO? What is the current funding amount per child in circuit 10? The three agencies serving Polk County each have $3,364, in funding for the fiscal year. The funding for the agency serving Hardee and Highlands counties is $3,176, The funding amount per child in Circuit 10 is not a metric that is calculated because the CMO contract allocations are a fixed amount but the population served is an ever changing number. These are no reject services.

3 Question 2: Can you please describe the circuit or judicial breakdown in circuit 10? Where are courthouses located? Do CMO s cross counties for primary assignments? Do you have an internal OCS working agreement between the three counties? Can you explain how the current four providers are assigned primary children in circuit 10? Question 4: Question 5: The Polk County courthouse is located in Bartow (255 N. Broadway Ave.); the Highlands County courthouse is located in Sebring (430 S. Commerce Ave.); and the Hardee County courthouse is in Wauchula (417 W. Main St.). CMOs will be expected to cross county lines for children placed within any of the 3 counties in Circuit 10. Families living or children placed outside of the circuit will be served based upon approved Out of County Services processes and agreements. There is no OCS between the 3 counties making up Circuit 10. Currently 3 CMOs cover Polk and receive those cases on a rotational basis generally for all cases originating in Polk. Hardee and Highlands cases are assigned to 1 CMO that serves that area in addition to them serving all OCS and ICPC cases within Circuit 10. If selected, will we be afforded collocated space with the lead agency and CPI? No. The agencies selected through this ITN will be expected to secure and maintain their own administrative location within Circuit 10 which is the arrangement in place with the current providers. In order to respond to this ITN, interested applicants must: submit a detailed proposal of Case Management Services, describe how each agency approaches families and stakeholders to ensure timely permanency, etc. (pgs. 2-3 of the ITN). Is there a specific format this should be written in? Is there a font type and size requirement? What is the minimum and maximum word count allowed? Minimum and maximum page limit? What is the preferred binding method for all original and copies of the proposal? What sections/outlines are required and how should they be designated in the proposal? Is there a budget format? No specific format is required. The agency may use any font type and size. There is no minimum or maximum word or page limit. There is no preferred binding method; however, please ensure that the original and copies are labeled as outlined in the ITN. There is no specific outline needed for the proposal. Using an outline similar to the requirements listed in the ITN will be helpful to the reviewers. How will each section be scored and what is the weight? Can you provide a copy of the scoring tool?

4 Question 6: Question 7: Question 8: Question 9: Question 10: Question 11: Question 12: HFC will not be providing a copy of the scoring tool in advance because we want to see proposals that really market what your agency brings to the table and not just responses written to answer a question on a tool. Of the 1,881 children currently being served, how many are young adults open to an independent living program? Over the last three months, the number of young adults open to IL services has been between Are startup/cost reimbursement funds available prior to services being provided? Startup costs, where applicable, will be negotiated with the provider upon selection. Can we have a copy of the current job descriptions for the positions listed on page 69 of 95 on the ITN? Ex. Permanency Manager, Family Team Conferencing Facilitator Can you provide a sample organizational chart for the CMO s? These documents will be uploaded to under the About Us, Joining HFC s Provider Network page by September 30, Provider will maintain and staff a centralized file room in each of its services delivery locations where all case files are kept and organized according to HFC specifications (pg. 68 of 95 on the ITN)? What are the duties of this staff person in relation to the ASK system? The staff person will be expected to ensure timely scanning and uploading of all case related documents into the ASK system. Does the lead agency upload the documents from the CMO into the ASK system? No. The CMO has this responsibility. Can you please provide us with a copy of the templates for all of the reports needed to fulfill all contract requirements? Is there a budget template available to guide the budget process? These documents will be uploaded to under the About Us, Joining HFC s Provider Network page by September 30, What additional funding is available for court ordered services such as psychological/psychiatric evaluations for clients without insurance? HFC maintains a Resource Manager position who can authorize necessary services for payment by HFC following receipt of a service authorization request from the CMO. The

5 CMO also will have a small amount of funding within their contract called Family Support Funds that the CMO can utilize, and has the responsibility for managing, to meet needs related to the child or family. Question 13: Question 14: Question 15: Question 16: Question 17: Does Circuit 10 have a county health plan that offers behavioral health services to Polk, Hardee, and Highlands Counties? There is a plan in Polk County. We believe there may be plans in Hardee and Highlands as well but HFC has not had interactions with these services. Children who are sheltered into the child welfare system will be eligible for Medicaid services. We have an accreditation that covers every service line, would this suffice as a copy of an external monitoring/accreditation report conducted within the past two years? Yes, that would be one example of the type of monitoring report we are seeking. Can you please provide an example of an internal quality review so that we can understand the width and scope of question 10 (pg. 3 of the ITN)? One example would be a peer review of service delivery compliance and quality. We are looking for any type of documentation of an internal self-assessment to see if you are meeting expectations in the performance of processes and quality service delivery. The schedule of events/timeline lists an address and a call-in number for the opening of proposals (pg. 8 of the ITN). Can you please confirm that applicants are welcome to attend the opening of proposals in person at the address provided? Applicants may call in at the number provided or attend the opening of proposals in person at the address provided on page 8 of the ITN. Opening of the proposals will be a short meeting. We will only be opening the proposals and identifying who the respondent was during this time. If we are selected to present: Is there a limit on the number of presenters we are allowed to utilize? There is no limitation on the number of presenters Are we permitted to bring audience members to assist with timekeeping, and moving the presentation along on the laptop? Yes. Are we allowed to use PowerPoint, Prezi, YouTube videos, etc. in our presentation? Yes. Do we have to provide a copy of our presentation to Heartland for Children? This is not required, but highly encouraged. Are we allowed to use our own equipment, such as laptops, projectors, speakers, etc.? Yes. Are we able to provide handouts to the evaluation team?

6 Yes. Can providers attend others presentations and scoring? Providers can attend other presentations as these are open to the public. The actual scoring of the proposals and presentations will not be open to the public. How many evaluators will be participating in the scoring? HFC is still identifying the evaluation team but is anticipating having up to a total of 7 evaluators. Will you please name the evaluators or the agencies they work for so that we do not communicate with them in advance of the scoring? The evaluators that are being explored work for HFC, the Guardian Ad Litem s Office, the office of Regional Council, and a representative from the Polk County Court. Questions from Gulf Coast Jewish Family and Community Services, Inc. Question 1: Total funding is $13,057, to be divided into a minimum of 2 and up to a maximum of 5 contracts to be awarded through this procurement. Currently there are 4 CMO s providing services. Is there a specific amount for the RFP budget? Page 1, funding. Question 2: Question 4: Question 5: There is not a specific amount for the budget from respondents. This will be an area for negotiation once the final respondents for consideration are identified. For the purposes of responding to the ITN the respondent should submit a budget and a scale of the program they would propose they could operate well. Is there a budget template you want us to use for submission of the budget? If yes, please provide. There is no specific budget template that needs to be used. HFC will upload a template for the budget narrative to under the About Us, Joining HFC s Provider Network page by September 30, 2016 that can be used but is not required. Is there a specific fulltime equivalent (FTE) or staffing pattern requirement for ITN? HFC is looking for proposals from the agencies as to what pattern they feel will allow them to be successful with our families. There are a few specific positions for specialty services that HFC anticipates maintaining regardless of who is selected and these are included in the ITN on page 69 of 95. What does access procedures refer to in the instructions regarding response to full array of Case Management services? Page 2, first bullet. This refers to client access to your organization, workers, etc. For example what are your office hours going to be, where is your office located in relation to public transportation, oncall protocols, any technology that might enhance access to services, etc. Regarding, Heartland for Children has joined the trauma integration movement and expects our contracted case management providers to be leaders in our trauma informed child welfare system. Would we need to have certain positions and specific training to fulfill this

7 requirement? Page 2, second bullet. Question 6: Question 7: Question 8: Question 9: Question 10: Question 11: Question 12: Specific positions are not necessarily required and all case managers will receive trauma training as part of their pre-service training. This is more about a philosophical approach to service delivery with families that is expected to be part of the organizational culture. Regarding, What is the stability of case management staff and supervisors within your organization? does this mean Polk or statewide? Page 2, last bullet. We are looking for the most detailed information you can provide for your organization as a whole. We would like to see overall data for your organization but also have it broken out into service lines as well as service delivery locations. Regarding: Submit reports detailing your agency s performance on the DCF Mandated Performance Measures and Heartland for Children Performance Measures noted in this advertisement. How far back do you want us to provide? Page 3, third bullet. The last 2 years would be sufficient. Regarding: Submit copies of any external monitoring/accreditation reports completed on your agency within the past two (2) years (excluding reports completed by HFC). Does HFC want all of the agency s external monitoring reports or just the ones pertaining to the existing CMO in Circuit 10? Page 3, fourth bullet. HFC is requesting that internal and external reports associated with all lines of business the agency has in the State of Florida be submitted for review and as evidence of quality business operations. Regarding, Submit copies of any internal monitoring/quality/compliance reviews conducted by your agency in the past two (2) years. Do you want all reports for the entire agency or just CMO Heartland? Page 3, fifth bullet. HFC is requesting that internal and external reports associated with all lines of business the agency has in the State of Florida be submitted for review and as evidence of quality business operations. Can you please provide the evaluation methodology and scoring matrix? HFC will not be providing a copy of the scoring tool in advance because we want to see proposals that really market what your agency brings to the table and not just responses written to answer a question on a tool. Will existing providers get extra points in the scoring? No Are exhibits allowed for supplemental information such as an Agency Trauma Informed Plan that will be referred to in the narrative? Yes, agencies may attach exhibits.

8 Question 13: Do you have a preference on how the original and the 5 copies are bound for submission? There is no preferred binding method; however, please ensure that the original and copies are labeled as outlined in the ITN. Questions submitted by Impower: New Questions: Question 1: Question 2: Question 4: Does HFC teach PRIDE for adoptive families? HFC does not use the PRIDE curriculum for adoptive families. HFC uses Adoption 101. The CMO will not be responsible for providing the adoption training for potential adoptive families. This is conducted by HFC. How many children are currently free for adoption? There are about 36 children currently free for adoption that are not matched with a potential adoptive family. What is HFC s FY17 adoptive target and what is the performance in the past two years? HFC s FY17 adoption finalization target is 140. Last year HFC missed the target by 1 and the previous year we exceeded the target. Does HFC utilize a visitation provider for supervision of visitation? If so, which pot of funds does this impact? There is one (1) contract (funded separately from the CMO contracts) for supervised visitation services utilizing the ABC evidenced based model. This program is operated through the United Way of Central Florida out of the Family Fundamentals location in Lakeland. Visitation is the primary responsibility of the assigned case management organization and is a high priority item for the children and families we serve. The supervised visitation that is occurring at this site is a pilot. HFC has identified 1 CMO who is supplying cases for that pilot and there are no immediate plans to open this up to other CMOs at this time. At some point in the future, the services may be expanded, but that will not be considered until the pilot is completed and evaluated. That center should not be considered as an option for anyone responding to the ITN at this time. Question 5: Question 6: What is the current assignment of CMA s; assigned children and cases? Currently the number of children assigned to each of the three agencies serving Polk County range from ; the agency serving Hardee and Highlands has 442. Please share statistics and % of maltreatment types, relating to removals for the past two fiscal years.

9 Question 7: Question 8: Question 9: Data for this question can be accessed using the Child Protective Investigation Trend Report at dreports.shtml Will HFC assist financially in startup with capital expenses (i.e. computers, server) and/or first month of salaries? Startup costs, where applicable, will be negotiated with the provider upon selection. If an existing CMA is not awarded a new contract, would computers and phones from that agency be available to awardees? If a contract is terminated the computers are part of the agency inventory that reverts back to HFC. HFC can then allocate those computers to a new contractor. Cell phones are not part of the inventory and would not be transferrable. Can you provide copies of current contracts? The template included in the ITN is the current contract with the Polk County CMOs with only the contract amount and provider information removed. The contract for the CMO currently in Hardee and Highlands has slightly fewer staff and a slightly smaller contract value but everything else is the same. Questions Previously asked at Bidders Conference: Question 1: Question 2: Question 4: Question 5: Are Family Finders duties expected and required? Yes, they are included in the current case management contract responsibilities. The use of the PET tool appears to be required. Is there a cost to the provider for this? The PET tool does not have any royalty, usage, or scoring costs. Does HFC provide service center space? If so, is there a cost to the provider? No, HFC does not provide space to its current providers. Does HFC provide equipment (laptops, phones, etc.) and IT support? The Provider is expected to include costs for all equipment in their budget planning. Occasionally HFC is able to assist with some computer equipment but this is not guaranteed. HFC provides minimal IT support and it is generally geared towards the ASK system. IT Support is the primary responsibility of the Provider. Is the provider expected to manage and authorize UM expenditures (100/800, FS, FP, etc. funding)

10 Question 6: Question 7: Question 8: Question 9: Question 10: Question 11: Question 12: The provider is expected to manage the Family Support funds in the contract. Other services can be submitted for authorization and payment through the HFC Resource Manager. Are the Family Support Funds included in the contract amount or is this separate? If separate, what is the annual budgeted amount for Family Support Funds what is authorized to be purchased thru this funding source? Family Support Funds are included in the contract amount. Per the current case management contracts, Family Support Funds are for the temporary provision of cash or inkind assistance to clients when there is an identified unmet need that is directly related to supporting the safety, permanency, or well- being of the children and families being served. Funds may be spent on, but are not limited to, food, clothing, shelter, utilities, child care, respite care, homemaker/housekeeper services, household maintenance, or transportation. Is the Provider expected to manage Master Trust accounts? The management of the Master Trust Accounts is an HFC responsibility but the provider also has responsibilities associated with master trust accounts including, but not limited to, completion of expenditure plans, submission of receipts to support expenditures, etc. Does HFC provide Pre-Service training at no cost to Provider? Currently HFC does provide Pre-Service classroom training to all Child Welfare professional trainees at no cost to its Providers with the exception of staff salary and travel costs. Providers are responsible for their completion of Phase I training field activities prior to taking the post-test. Providers are also responsible for required activities following the posttest to include full certification requirements regarding field observations, individual supervision and group supervision. Does HFC provide CSEC training at no cost to Provider? Generally there is no cost to the provider for this training other than staff salary and travel costs. Does HFC have a separate contract for the provision of Adoption services? No. Selected agencies will be expected to provide comprehensive case management including adoption services to each client referred under this Standard Subcontract. Does HFC have a separate contract for the provision of Independent Living services? No. Selected agencies will be expected to provide and coordinate independent living services and instruction for youth ages and young adults ages according to Florida Statutes, Administrative Code, and in accordance with Heartland for Children s Independent Living Program guidelines. Does HFC provide clerical staff at the service centers to manage the files and the file room? Front desk?

11 No. Selected agencies will be expected to maintain and staff a centralized file room in each of its service delivery locations where all case files are kept and organized according to HFC specifications. Questions submitted by OHU: Question 1: Question 2: Does the example contract represent an example of Polk County only in regards to staffing? As the south counties, Highland and Hardee counties do have a similar but different staffing model and would just like this confirmed. Yes, the sample contract was a Polk County model that is currently in place. HFC acknowledges the staffing pattern that is currently in place in the south counties is slightly different. External reports: limited to Florida or interested in national external monitoring; limited to child welfare or to also include behavioral health? How far back do you want turnover data? Is this for Florida only or organization wide; to also include all service lines? HFC is requesting that internal and external reports associated with all lines of business the agency has in the State of Florida be submitted for review and as evidence of quality business operations. We are looking for the most detailed information you can provide regarding turnover for your organization as a whole. We would like to see overall data for your organization for the past 2 years but also have it broken out into service lines as well as service delivery locations. It was stated that providers may submit their own company budget template and that it be as detailed as much as possible. Is there a written part of the financial budget that is required to be in the body of the document in addition to submitting in the budget template itself? Along with the line item budget HFC is looking for a detailed budget narrative that covers each line item. The provider may use any format that they choose to provide this information and if HFC feels additional information is needed we will request it from the respondent. Questions submitted by Youth Villages: Question 1: How have referrals been divided among the current CMOs? Does HFC anticipate this structure changing post contract award? Currently 3 CMOs cover Polk and receive those cases on a rotational basis generally for all cases originating in Polk. Hardee and Highlands cases are assigned to 1 CMO that serves that area in addition to them serving all OCS and ICPC cases within Circuit 10. This structure may change depending on the provider s selected and what areas they cover. The cases reentering care are generally the responsibility of the CMO that previously handled the case

12 and that excessive reentries may contribute to a higher caseload since those are not subject to the rotational process. Question 2: Question 4: Question 5: Question 6: Question 7: Question 8: How will HFC decide the anticipated number of youth/families served for each CMO? Currently 3 CMOs cover Polk and receive those cases on a rotational basis generally for all cases originating in Polk. Hardee and Highlands cases are assigned to 1 CMO that serves that area in addition to them serving all OCS and ICPC cases within Circuit 10. This structure may change depending on the provider s selected and what areas they cover. Services are no reject so we cannot anticipate how many cases each agency will be assigned but the current assignment process is designed to try and keep the number of cases entering a Provider s front door relatively equal but the Provider must also manage the back door to maintain a manageable case load. How will geographies be divided among the chosen CMOs? Currently, three agencies serve Polk County and one agency serves Hardee and Highlands counties. How the service area is divided will be determined by the number of contracts awarded and the particular agencies selected. What is the average length of stay for a child receiving case management services? The average length of stay is currently approximately 15 months. What certification trainings will the HFC Training Department provide? HFC will provide the required child welfare professional pre-service classroom based training. HFC will also provide the specialized human trafficking training that is required for case managers working with verified or suspected victims of human trafficking. Additionally HFC will provide Family Team Conferencing Training to applicable staff. Of the available $13,057, total funding amount, what percentage will each contracted CMO be reimbursed? The amount of funding for each contract awarded will be determined by the number of agencies selected and the level of staffing expected. On page 5, the ITN lists a qualification requirement as being a licensed Child Placing Agency (CPA) in the State of Florida. Will the contractor be required to have their CPA license prior to submission of a proposal or by the contract start date? A respondent must have initiated the CPA licensing process prior to submission of a proposal and obtained the license prior to publication of an Intent to Award. Upon receipt of the licensure the respondent must forward a copy to the Procurement Manager to be added to the respondent s file. HFC cannot award a contract to a provider pending licensure. As a CPA, will the CMO be responsible for placing children, or will that be done by HFC?

13 Question 9: Question 10: Question 11: Question 12: Question 13: Currently, HFC is responsible for identifying placements for children who need a licensed placement (foster home or group home) however the assigned case manager is responsible for taking the child to the identified placement and completing any required paperwork and admission processes. Identification of, and transportation to placement with relatives or non-relatives is the responsibility of the assigned Case Manager. Who will provide foster care services (e.g. foster care provider, HFC, or CMO)? HFC provides training and licensure of foster homes. Case Management providers are expected to fully support those foster homes where their assigned children are placed. On page 69, the ITN states that provider shall employ CMO case managers and other child welfare personnel. What are the necessary credentials and expectations for each required staff? 2 permanency managers 2 family team conferencing facilitators 2 independent living life coaches 1 adoption specialist 6 supervisors 30 case managers The individuals filling the positions listed above must, at a minimum, hold Child Welfare Professional certification (or in the process of obtaining certification), corresponding education, and cleared through Level II background screening per Florida Statutes and Administrative Code. General expectations of these positions will be uploaded to under the About Us, Joining HFC s Provider Network page by September 30, In reference to the required staff, will each contracted CMO be expected to maintain this level of staffing regardless of the number of individuals they serve? In the solicitation conference on 9/12, it was stated that the CMO providing services to Highlands and Hardee counties had a smaller census then those CMOs providing services in Polk County. Will the contracted CMOs be allowed staffing flexibility depending on the CMO s census? Each contract will specify the expected level of staffing (and corresponding funding) and will need to be maintained regardless of caseload census. If it is determined during the term of the contract that the level of staffing is not appropriate, any change would be made through negotiation with HFC and the contract amendment process. Would HFC consider contracting with a CMO at a lower capacity (census and staffing) to pilot a trauma-informed care initiative in order to compare permanency outcomes against traditional CMO services? HFC is always willing to consider innovative ideas and strategies. However, this ITN is expected to be contracted as written. Alternatives to the current model can be proposed to HFC as independent proposals separate from this ITN. Would HFC consider contracting with a CMO to provide services for youth aging out of the child welfare system?

14 HFC has previously had contracts for the over 18 population but made a shift a few years ago to try and maintain better continuity in service delivery for this population. It is HFC s intent that a CMO provide services to all youth ages 0-23 from entry to permanency/independence.