The Office of
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, Central Licensing Office requested
PCPA to distribute the following request for proposal (RFP) for community
residential rehabilitation (CRR) services. Readers should disregard the response
due date as it is in a few days. Those interested in replying should contact
the county administrator, Carol Waltz, immediately at 814-355-6782.
I.
Background Information
Centre County Mental Health/Mental Retardation is soliciting proposals for
the provision of alternate 24/7 residential services for a male consumer with
serious mental illness who is currently receiving this service in Centre county.
The gentleman currently resides with two roommates. Staffing patterns are
1:3 with awake overnight coverage. During community outings, a second staff
person is sometimes required as this gentleman ambulates at a slower pace
than his roommates and may need assistance. As a result of ambulation issues,
a one story home is preferred and an attached garage. The home would need
some adaptations (i.e., rails for toilet and walk-in shower). The current
provider of service has provided 60 days written notice to the county indicating
their intention to terminate this program. This is effective November 15.
The current provider would consider selling the three-bedroom home to a potential
new provider of service. Two additional residents could reside in the home
if they are currently receiving funds for full-time residential services.
In addition to his on-going mental illness, the gentleman also has a number of medical conditions which have been managed within the full-care CRR setting. This gentleman has done quite well in the community. He is involved in volunteering his time at the local library and enjoys participating in numerous community activities including attending church. His family is very involved and his sister is his legal guardian. This gentleman has indicated that the following issues are important to him:
- Living in a house without steps.
- Having his own bathroom.
- Living alone, but will live with the two men who he lives with (he stated that they really don’t socialize). He doesn’t want to live with more people in the house, only less.
- Having transportation available.
- Taking car rides to places that he likes such as state parks, Governor’s Road, and other places he likes to go.
- Living close to church that he likes to attend.
- Being able to have and play music and DVD’s (likes science fiction).
- Having people work with him who can help him. He prefers to work with women, but they would have to be able to assist him with getting up if he were to fall or needed help getting out of a chair.
- Having staff who would help him with his medications (he doesn’t believe in pills but understands why he is taking them; he wants to learn what medications he is taking), laundry (believes he can do some of this himself), changing and making his bed and keeping his bedroom clean (he can remove sheets but needs help putting them on), making meals that do not have to be cooked such as sandwiches, and shopping (he will read the labels to choose foods on his diet plan). He has stated that he can clean windows, dust, set and clear the table without staff assistance and that he takes care of his hygiene without assistance.
- Having staff who likes and talks to him and who he likes and can talk to.
- Going to the library. Likes books and would continue doing the labor at the library that he currently does.
- Having food and drinks that he likes (he explained how much and how many cups of coffee, water, and soda pop he can have).
- Having his possessions and being able to say how they are used.
- Eating some foods that he likes (he also said that he was not to have many of them).
The gentleman’s legal guardian has indicated that in choosing a provider, the following requirements are important to her:
- A program that is smoke-free with no indoor pets.
- Follow all current and future regulations.
- Follow a detailed ISP.
- Follow all future ISP’s and that she play an essential role in their development.
- Provider should be steeped in psych/social rehabilitation. The expectations are: a) to provide ongoing training and oversight for staff, such as medically necessary diet, oversight of medications delivery, transport to all medical appointments, etc.; b) provide active and daily psych/social rehabilitation (recovery) services such as normalization activities in the community with staff (this would be church, picnics, garage sales, library, sports events, plays, concerts, field trips, activities at Penn State and high schools, exhibits, fairs, movies, Grange Fair, go out to breakfast, lunch, dinner, etc.; and, c) staffing pattern of two (2) during the day and until 9:00 p.m. to accomplish ISP goals.
The family of the noted gentleman is very involved in his life and it is a must to have a good and on-going working relationship with them as well as open, honest communications. The provider will need to meet locally with the family regularly at first, and once mutually agreed upon, meetings can be held when either family or provider call one, scheduled as soon as possible, and generally for the purpose of discussing issues or concerns that arise. Matters are to be resolved in the best interest of the gentleman.
Centre County MH/MR has allocated $86,367 to provide residential services for this gentleman. This is an annualized amount and will be pro-rated pending the date that a provider assumes responsibility for the program.
Proposals should include cost projections, staffing patterns, and a proposed program format that indicates the ability and willingness of the provider to address the aforementioned needs of the consumer and family.
Centre County MH/MR intends to solicit proposals from internal and external county sources. The selected agency will be expected to work with the current residential facility and the legal guardian to make the gentleman’s transition as smooth and stress free as possible.
Five (5) copies of the RFP must be received by the MH/MR office, Ground Floor, Willowbank Building, 420 Holmes Street, Bellefonte, PA, 16823 by 4:30 p.m. on October 29. Proposals will not be considered if submitted late. Proposals should be marked to the attention of Carol Waltz, Administrator.
Final approval of the selected RFP will come from the Centre County Board of Commissioners. Proposals will be reviewed by appropriate Centre County MH/MR staff, central region OMHSAS staff, and the family and their designee. The Centre County Board of Commissioners and the Centre County MH/MR office are not liable for any costs incurred by the applicant agency prior to an approval of the contract. Centre County MH/MR reserves the right to disqualify any provider’s proposal that is not fully responsive to the service specifications or submission outlined in the RFP. Centre County MH/MR reserves the right to reject any and all proposals as a result of the RFP. Awarding of the contract will not only be based on providing services within the available funded amount, but also on the applicant agency’s ability to deliver services, reputation of the applicant, and quality of services previously delivered.
II. Format Requirements
A.
Identification of Applicant Agency
Please provide the name, address, and telephone number of the agency. The
name of the executive director or CEO should be provided as well. If a different
individual will be the contact person, please identify that individual.
B.
Applicable Regulations
Applicants are asked to describe their familiarity with applicable regulations
for residential options.
C. Background Statement and Prior Experience
Briefly describe the applicant agency’s experience with residential
and day service activities for persons with serious and persistent mental
illness. The description should be in narrative form and address the various
activities planned to occur in both the residential and day service portions
of delivered services.
D.
Agency Organization
Please provide a proposed organizational chart to indicate individuals responsible
for various components of service delivery. It should include the individuals
responsible to fulfill any terms and conditions imposed through potential
contractual obligations.
E. Budget
Respondents are required to prepare a proposed budget for the provision of
services. The budget is to include projected line item expenditures, a proposed
roster of personnel, projected per unit cost of service, and supporting justification
for line item expenses. All applicable line items are to be completed for
consideration.
F.
Submission Date
Completed proposals are due in the Mental Health/Mental Retardation office
by 4:30 p.m. on October 29. Five copies should be submitted to Carol Waltz,
Administrator. The address is: 420 Holmes Street, Bellefonte, PA 16823.
