Children, Youth, and Family Full Service Partnership Wraparound (FSPW)

The County of Sacramento Department of Health Services, Behavioral Health Services (BHS), seeks to procure an integrated Children, Youth, and Family Full Service Partnership Wraparound (FSPW) model under a single contract. Services must be available countywide, including rural and geographically isolated communities, and must actively engage tribal partners and culturally rooted supports.

The FSPW model will integrate multiple service components into a single coordinated outpatient Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) framework delivered through the Full Service Partnership (FSP) model and consistent with Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) requirements for FSPs, including provision of intensive, coordinated, community-based outpatient services for individuals with the highest behavioral health needs.

Core components of the FSPW model will include:

Outpatient SMHS delivered through the FSP model in accordance with BHSA FSP requirements and Sacramento County Policy and Procedure for SMHS Medical Necessity.
High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) (see Attachment Q – Medi-Cal High Fidelity Wraparound Concept Paper).
County-directed Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), such as Multisystemic Therapy (MST) delivered in alignment with BH-CONNECT requirements and applicable model fidelity standards (see Attachment O – BH-CONNECT Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Policy Guide).
Flexible services and supports, including Immediate Needs, stabilization resources, and housing related supports, as authorized by County policy and All County Letters (ACL) No. 25-47 and Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) 25-027 (see Attachment J), the BH-CONNECT Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) Policy Guide (see Attachment O), and other applicable state guidance.

Collectively, these components will be referred to as FSPW throughout this RFA. Additional detail regarding required components and service expectations is provided in Section 2.2 – Integrated FSPW Model Overview and associated attachments.

All timeline references are in Pacific Standard Time (PST). For instructions on submitting bids, visit https://opengov.my.site.com/support/s/.

Background

Sacramento County is one of eighteen counties located in the Central Region of the State of California. The State of California, Department of Finance estimates the 2022 population of Sacramento County to be approximately 1.6 million. As such, Sacramento is considered a large county, especially in comparison with the populations of surrounding counties.

Sacramento is one of the most ethnically and racially diverse communities in California. While the Wilton Rancheria Tribe is the only Federally Recognized Tribe in Sacramento County, Native Americans from local and out of state tribes currently reside in Sacramento. Historically, Sacramento County has been one of three counties with the highest number of newly arriving refugees in California. However, in recent years, Sacramento County has resettled the most Refugees and Special Immigrant Visa holders (SIVs) as compared to any other County in California. With the addition of Arabic as a threshold language in 2017 and Farsi in 2020, Sacramento County now has a total of seven threshold languages (Arabic, Cantonese, Farsi, Hmong, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese).

Children's Outpatient SMHS

Sacramento County BHS administers outpatient SMHS for children, youth, and families pursuant to the Medi-Cal 1915(b) waiver and Section 1115 authorities. Children’s SMHS are provided by County-operated programs and contracted community-based organizations and include outpatient and intensive community-based services designed to address functional impairment associated with diagnosed mental health conditions. Services are delivered in accordance with Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) requirements for individuals under age 21 and focus on preventing deterioration, supporting developmental progress, and stabilizing youth in home, school, and community settings.

Sacramento County contracts for FSP programs as a core component of the children’s outpatient SMHS continuum. FSP programs deliver intensive, coordinated, and individualized services to children, youth, and families with complex behavioral health needs, including those involved with child welfare, probation, and other public systems.

Also within the children’s outpatient SMHS continuum, Sacramento County also contracts for High Fidelity Wraparound as a service delivery approach embedded within outpatient SMHS. Wraparound provides a team-based, family-driven, and strengths-focused care coordination model that supports and complements specialty mental health treatment and case management.

Current FSP and Wraparound programs represent necessary, but separate, core components of the County’s children’s behavioral health continuum. Through this procurement, Sacramento County seeks to combine FSP and Wraparound with EBPs and Flexible services and supports, including Immediate Needs, stabilization resources, and housing related supports, into a single, integrated model called Full Service Partnership Wraparound (FSPW) to reduce fragmentation, eliminate duplication, and improve engagement and outcomes for families with the highest needs. This FSPW model also brings compliance with new Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) mandates that FSPs and Wraparound be a combined program.

This procurement is implemented within the framework of the BHSA, which restructures the former Mental Health Services Act. BHSA prioritizes care for individuals and families with high behavioral health needs, strengthens requirements for evidence-based and community-defined practices, and standardizes FSP expectations to ensure fidelity to approved models and measurable outcomes. It also mandates counties to advance health equity, deliver culturally and linguistically responsive interventions, and use data to identify and reduce disparities.

Also aligned with BH-CONNECT, this procurement will expand access to Medi-Cal-funded, community-based behavioral health services for children and youth. BH-CONNECT promotes family-centered models that transition away from facility-based treatment toward community integration, and emphasizes workforce capacity, model fidelity, and accountability for outcomes, particularly for youth experiencing system involvement, housing instability, or critical transitions.

Sacramento County, Department of Health Services, Behavioral Health Services’ Vision, Mission, and Values

The following vision, mission statements and core values define BHS’s mental health system of care objectives. They also provide direction and guiding principles for how all services are delivered through the mental health system of care:

BHS Vision - We envision a community where people from diverse backgrounds across the life continuum have the opportunity to experience optimum wellness.

BHS Mission - To provide a culturally competent system of care that promotes holistic recovery, optimum health, and resiliency.

BHS Core Values:

Respect, Compassion, Integrity
Client and/or Family Driven
Equal Access for Diverse Populations
Cultural Competence, Adaptive, Responsive and Meaningful
Full Community Integration and Collaboration
Coordinated Near Home and Natural Settings
Strength-Based Integrated and EBPs
Innovation and Outcome-Driven Practices and Systems
Wellness, Recovery and Resilience Focus

Project Details

Reference ID: MHC/037
Department: Health Services
Department Head: Tim Lutz (Director)

Important Dates

Questions Due: 2026-03-28T00:00:32.697Z
Pre-Proposal Meeting: 2026-03-12T00:00:12.846Z — https://events.gcc.teams.microsoft.com/event/9b0fb02e-f0e5-4358-9c70-9585fe7b95f9@2b077431-a3b0-4b1c-bb77-f66a1132daa2

Meetings & Milestones

Event	Date	Location
Applicants’ Conference (attendance required)	2026-03-12T18:00:00.000Z	Virtual Meeting

Addenda

Addendum #1 (released 2026-03-13T19:18:56.618Z) —
Sacramento County posts the Mandatory Applicant Conference PowerPoint presentation to OpenGov with this addendum for reference. Based on a question submitted through the OpenGov Q&A portal, the County made a clarifying edit to the slide titled “Writing a Strong Response.” The edit clarifies that narrative responses should explain how the Applicant will implement the RFA requirements in practice, rather than restating the RFA language. This clarification aligns the slide with the RFA and does not change or modify the RFA requirement

Evaluation Criteria

Materials Proposed (5 pts)
On Hand Inventory (5 pts)
Experience (30 pts)
Price (25 pts)
References (5 pts)
Quality of Response (20 pts)
Risk Assessment (10 pts)

Submission Requirements

Proposal (without Cost Proposal) (required) —
Please Upload your COMPLETE Proposal here. Upload fee proposal separately in the next step.
Information Security Requirements (required) —
Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.
Separate Cost Proposal (required) —
Confirm that your fee proposal is not attached in your Proposal and is attached separately here.
Include your shipping terms here (required) —
ex.) Shipping terms are FOB destination freight prepaid and added
-
Explanation of standard F.O.B. Terms:
- F.O.B. Destination, freight prepaid: Seller pays freight charges, Seller owns goods in transit, Seller files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Destination, freight collect: Buyer pays freight charges, Seller owns goods in transit, Seller files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Origin, freight prepaid: Seller pays freight charges, Buyer owns goods in transit, Buyer files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Origin, freight collect: Buyer pays freight charges, Buyer owns goods in transit, Buyer files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Origin, freight prepaid and added: Seller pays freight charges and adds to invoice, Buyer owns goods in transit, Buyer files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Destination, freight prepaid and added: Seller pays freight charges and adds to invoice, Seller owns goods in transit, Seller files claims (if any)
Include your payment terms here (required) —
(e.g. N30; 2% 10, N30, etc.)
Application Package: Required Acknowledgements —
All required forms, certifications, acknowledgements, and attachments must be completed and submitted through Section 10 (Application Submission/Certification of Intent to Meet RFA Requirements) in OpenGov. Applicants must complete all required fields, respond to all required yes/no checkboxes, and upload all required attachments in the designated fields and specified formats as instructed.
Failure to complete all required acknowledgements, fields, uploads, or failure to submit required documents in the specified format and location, shall result in the Application being deemed non-responsive and administratively screened out.
Application Package: Required Uploads —
1. Attachment A – Certificates of Insurance (PDF Upload Required)
Applicants must upload current certificate(s) of insurance demonstrating required coverage levels, or written evidence from an insurance broker that required coverage will be in place prior to contract execution and commencement of services.
1. Attachment B – Application Narrative (Single Combined PDF Required)
Must be uploaded as one combined PDF and must comply with all narrative content, formatting, and page-limit requirements set forth in Section 9. Content exceeding stated page limits will not be reviewed or scored.
1. Attachment C – Eligibility Documentation: SMHS Program Experience (PDF Upload Required)
Applicants must upload documentation demonstrating compliance with Minimum Program Experience Requirements as identified in Section 6.3, including contractual responsibility for operating a qualifying California county children’s outpatient SMHS program.
1. Attachment D – Independent Audited Financial Statement (PDF Upload Required)
Applicants must upload their most recent complete audited financial statement, including accompanying notes, prepared by an independent CPA for a fiscal period not more than 24 months old at the time of submission. A reviewed financial statement may be submitted only if permitted under this RFA. See 10.2.20 for additional information.
1. Attachment E – Required Policies and Procedures (Separate PDF Uploads Required)
Applicants must submit two Applicant agency Policies and Procedures as required by Section 6.5 of this RFA, including a Flexible Funds Policy and a Housing Interventions and Documentations Policy (HMIS and SmartCare).
Each required policy must be uploaded as its own PDF file in the designated Attachment E upload fields. Bundled or combined policy submissions may be deemed non-responsive.
File Naming Convention
Each uploaded file must be named using the following format:
[AgencyName]_[DocumentDescription]_MHC037.pdf
Examples:
- ExampleAgency_AttachmentA_Insurance_MHC037.pdf
- ExampleAgency_AttachmentB_Narrative_MHC037.pdf
- ExampleAgency_AttachmentC_EligibilityDocumentation_MHC037.pdf
- ExampleAgency_AttachmentD_Audit_MHC037.pdf
- ExampleAgency_AttachmentE_FlexibleFundsPolicy_MHC037.pdf
- ExampleAgency_AttachmentE_HMIS_SmartCare_MHC037.pdf
Files that do not follow this naming convention may be deemed non-responsive and may not be reviewed at the County’s discretion.

Upload Location
All documents must be uploaded in Section 10 of OpenGov in the corresponding Attachment fields.
Documents uploaded in incorrect fields, incorrect formats, or as combined files when separate uploads are required may not be reviewed and may result in the Application being deemed non-responsive.
Organization Information (required) —
Provide the following:
- Legal name of the organization (must match the name on IRS records and any submitted contracts or financial statements)
- Physical address (street address, city, state, ZIP code; P.O. Boxes are not permitted for physical address)
- Mailing address, if different from the physical address
- Federal Tax Identification Number (FEIN)
Point of Contact (required) —
Enter the name and title of the person to contact regarding this RFA.
Point of Contact Email Address (required) —
Provide the email address of the Point of Contact.
Person/Title Authorized to sign on organization’s behalf (required) —
Enter person/title and email.
Years in Operation (required) —
Enter the number of full years the organization has operated under its current legal business name, as registered with the State of California.
For purposes of this application:
- “Legal business name” refers to the name of the legal entity, not a Doing Business As (DBA) name.
- If the organization operates under one or more DBAs, the reported years must still reflect the length of time the legal entity has existed under its current legal name.
- Changes in DBA, branding, program names, or ownership structure do not reset the years in operation unless the legal entity itself changed.
The County may verify this information using publicly available records (e.g., California Secretary of State filings) or documentation submitted elsewhere in the application.
List active contracts or other commitments (e.g., consulting arrangements) (required) —
Applicants should provide a list of all active contracts and commitments held by the organization throughout California, in Sacramento County and outside of Sacramento County. A listing of national or international contracts is not required.
This information helps the County assess organizational capacity, workload, and readiness to implement the program. You do not need to provide contract details beyond what is requested; a concise list of active California contracts is sufficient for the County’s assessment of organizational capacity. Please include contract term, legal contract name, service description, fund source(s), and contract value.
Litigation Disclosure (required) —
Describe any litigation involving the organization and/or principal officers thereof. Please include details about resolution/conclusion.
Financial Interest Disclosure (required) —
State whether the organization holds a financial interest in any other business. If yes, list all entities.
Controlling Interest Disclosure (required) —
State whether the organization holds controlling interest in any other entity. If yes, list all entities.
Ownership Disclosure (required) —
State whether the organization is owned or controlled by another entity or individual. If yes, list all relevant parties.
Application/Certification of Intent to Meet RFA Requirements (required) —
The Applicant certifies that it meets all minimum qualifications described in Section 6 – Eligibility to Apply, including required SMHS program experience, and has uploaded all required documentation demonstrating compliance.
County of Sacramento Contractor Certification of Compliance with Child, Family and Spousal Support (required) —
WHEREAS it is in the best interest of Sacramento County that those entities with whom the County does business demonstrate financial responsibility, integrity and lawfulness, it is inequitable for those entities with whom the County does business to receive County funds while failing to pay court-ordered child, family and spousal support which shifts the support of their dependents onto the public treasury.
Therefore, in order to assist the Sacramento County Department of Child Support Services in its efforts to collect unpaid court-ordered child, family and spousal support orders, the following certification must be provided by all entities with whom the County does business:
APPLICANT hereby certifies that either, choose below.
New APPLICANT shall certify that each of the following statements is true:
1. APPLICANT has fully complied with all applicable state and federal reporting requirements relating to employment reporting for its employees; and
2. APPLICANT has fully complied with all lawfully served wage and earnings assignment orders and notices of assignment and will continue to maintain compliance.
NOTE: Failure to comply with state and federal reporting requirements regarding a Applicant's employees or failure to implement lawfully served wage and earnings assignment orders or notices of assignment constitutes a default under the contract; and failure to cure the default within 90 days of notice by the County shall be grounds for termination of the contract. Principal Owners can contact the Sacramento Department of Child Support Services at 1-866-901-3212, by writing to P.O. Box 269112, Sacramento, 95826-9112, or via the Customer Connect website at www.childsupport.ca.gov.
APPLICANT hereby certifies that either:
(a) the APPLICANT is a government or non-profit entity (exempt); or
(b) the APPLICANT has no Principal Owners (25% or more) (exempt); or
(c) each Principal Owner (25% or more), does not have any existing child support orders; or
(d) APPLICANT’S Principal Owners are currently in substantial compliance with any court-ordered child, family and spousal support order, including orders to provide current residence address, employment information, and whether dependent health insurance coverage is available. If not in compliance, Principal Owner has become current or has arranged a payment schedule with the Department of Child Support Services or the court.
Certification Regarding Debarment and Suspension (required) —
APPLICANT agrees to comply with 45 CFR Part 76.100 (Code of Federal Regulations), which provides that federal funds may not be used for any contracted services, if APPLICANT is debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency.
I (We) certify to the best of my (our) knowledge and belief, that APPLICANT named below and its principals:
1. Are not presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency;
2. Have not within a 3 year period preceding this application been convicted of or had a civil judgment rendered against them for commission of fraud or a criminal offense in connection with obtaining, attempting to obtain, or performing a public (federal, state, or local) transaction or contract under a public transaction; violation of federal or state antitrust statutes or commission of embezzlement, theft, forgery, bribery, falsification or destruction of records, making false statements, or receiving stolen property;
3. Are not presently indicted or otherwise criminally or civilly charged by a governmental entity (federal, state, or local) with commission of any of the offenses enumerated in paragraph (2) of this certification; and
4. Have not within a three 3 year period preceding this Application/agreement had one or more public transactions (Federal, State, or local) terminated for cause or default.
5. Shall notify COUNTY within 10 days of receipt of notification that APPLICANT is subject to any proposed or pending debarment, suspension, indictments or termination of a public transaction.
6. Shall obtain a certification regarding debarment and suspension from all its subApplicants that will be funded through this Agreement.
7. Hereby agree to terminate immediately, any subApplicant’s services that will be/are funded through this Agreement, upon discovery that the subApplicant is ineligible or voluntarily excluded from covered transactions by any federal department or agency.
Statement of Compliance with Sacramento County Good Neighbor Policy (required) —
1. 1. APPLICANT shall comply with COUNTY’s Good Neighbor Policy. APPLICANT shall establish good neighbor practices for its facilities that include, but are not limited to, the following:
  1. 1. Provision of parking adequate for the needs of its employees and service population;
    2. Provision of adequate waiting and visiting areas;
    3. Provision of adequate restroom facilities located inside the facility;
    4. Implementation of litter control services;
    5. Removal of graffiti within seventy-two (72) hours;
    6. Provision for control of loitering and management of crowds;
    7. Maintenance of facility grounds, including landscaping, in a manner that is consistent with the neighborhood in which the facility is located;
    8. Participation in area crime prevention and nuisance abatement efforts; and
    9. Undertake such other good neighbor practices as determined appropriate by COUNTY, based on COUNTY’s individualized assessment of APPLICANT’s facility, services, and actual impacts on the neighborhood in which such facility is located.
  1. APPLICANT shall identify, either by sign or other method as approved by DIRECTOR, a named representative who shall be responsible for responding to any complaints relating to APPLICANT’s compliance with the required good neighbor practices specified in this Section. APPLICANT shall post the name and telephone number of such contact person on the outside of the facility, unless otherwise advised by DIRECTOR.
  2. APPLICANT shall comply with all applicable public nuisance ordinances.
  3. APPLICANT shall establish an ongoing relationship with the surrounding businesses, law enforcement, and neighborhood groups and shall be an active member of the neighborhood in which APPLICANT’s site is located.
  4. If COUNTY finds that APPLICANT has failed to comply with the Good Neighbor Policy, COUNTY shall notify APPLICANT in writing that corrective action must be taken by APPLICANT within a specified time frame. If APPLICANT fails to take such corrective action, COUNTY shall take such actions as are necessary to implement the necessary corrective action. COUNTY shall deduct any actual costs incurred by COUNTY when implementing such corrective action from any amounts payable to APPLICANT under this Agreement.
  Applicant’s continued non-compliance with the Good Neighbor Policy shall be grounds for termination of this Agreement and may also result in ineligibility for additional or future contracts with COUNTY.
Assurance of Cultural Competence Compliance (required) —
Applicants shall comply with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations, laws, statutes, and policies related to culturally and linguistically responsive services for diverse populations, in alignment with the Sacramento County Behavioral Health Services Cultural Competence Plan objectives and the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care.
In a culturally and linguistically competent system, each provider organization shows respect for and responds to individual differences and special needs of the community. Services are provided in the appropriate cultural context and without discrimination related to, but not limited to race, ethnicity, national origin, income level, religion, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, or physical disability. Culturally competent providers are aware of the impact of their own culture on their relationships with consumers and know about and respect cultural and ethnic differences. They adapt their skills to meet each family’s values and customs. Cultural competence is a developmental and dynamic process – one that occurs over time.
Cultural Competence Definition
Cultural Competence is defined as a set of congruent practice skills, knowledge, behaviors, attitudes, and policies that come together in a system, agency, or among consumer providers, family members, and professionals that enables that system, agency, or those professionals and consumers, and family member providers to work effectively in cross-cultural situations. (Adapted from Cross, et al., 1989)
Cultural Competence Guiding Principles
Cultural Competence is an ongoing process that is critical to eliminating cultural, racial and ethnic disparities in the delivery of quality mental health and substance use disorder services. Cultural Competence enhances the ability of the whole system to incorporate the languages, cultures, beliefs and practices of its clients into the service and should be incorporated into all aspects of policymaking, program design, administration, service delivery, data collection and outcome measurement. The County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California developed the following guiding principles and corresponding strategies for counties to use in operating a culturally and linguistically competent system of care to eliminate disparities.
- Commitment to Cultural Competence and Health Equity
  - Address cultural competence at all levels of the system including policy, programs, operations, treatment, research and investigation, training and quality improvement. (CLAS Standard 1)
  - Demonstrate commitment to cultural and linguistic competence in all agency policy and practice documents, including the mission statement, statement of values, strategic plans, and policy and procedural manuals. (CLAS Standard 2)
  - Provide easy to understand print and multimedia materials and signage in languages commonly used by the population in the service area to inform them of the availability of language assistance services offered at no cost to them. (CLAS Standards 8 & 6)
- Identification of Disparities and Assessment of Needs and Assets
  - Collect, compile and analyze population statistics across language, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status markers and evaluate the impact of County Client Services Information data across same statistical areas. (CLAS Standard 11)
  - Conduct regular assessments of community health assets and needs and use the results to plan and implement services that respond to the cultural and linguistic diversity of populations in the service area. (CLAS Standard 12)
- Implementation of Strategies to Reduce Identified Disparities
  - Develop, implement, and monitor strategies for elimination of identified disparities (including upstream approaches that address the social determinants of health) and track impact of those strategies on disparities. (CLAS Standard 9)
  - Utilize a quality improvement framework to monitor and evaluate Cultural Competence Plans and disparity elimination activities and share improvement targets and progress with stakeholders. (CLAS Standards 10 & 15)
- Community Driven Care
  - Develop formal and informal relationships with community members, community organizations, and other partners to maximize the delivery of effective culturally, ethnically and linguistically appropriate care, and monitor the outcomes of these partnerships. (CLAS Standard 13)
    - Ensure representation of consumers, individuals with lived mental health/behavioral health experience; family members of a consumer; children; youth; parent/caregivers of youth with serious emotional disturbance; and representatives from unserved/under-served/inappropriately served communities including Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals on their advisory/governance body/committee to develop service delivery and evaluation (with a recommended minimum of 50%).
  - Establish and implement a transparent and inclusive process for obtaining client, community, and staff input related to cultural competence planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Create and utilize culturally and linguistically appropriate conflict grievance resolution processes. (CLAS Standard 14)
  - Address cultural competence at all levels of the system including policy, programs, operations, treatment, research and investigation, training and quality improvement. (CLAS Standard 1)
  - Demonstrate commitment to cultural and linguistic competence in all agency policy and practice documents, including the mission statement, statement of values, strategic plans, and policy and procedural manuals. (CLAS Standard 2)
  - Provide easy to understand print and multimedia materials and signage in languages commonly used by the population in the service area to inform them of the availability of language assistance services offered at no cost to them. (CLAS Standards 8 & 6)
- Identification of Disparities and Assessment of Needs and Assets
  - Collect, compile and analyze population statistics across language, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status markers and evaluate the impact of County Client Services Information data across same statistical areas. (CLAS Standard 11)
  - Conduct regular assessments of community health assets and needs and use the results to plan and implement services that respond to the cultural and linguistic diversity of populations in the service area. (CLAS Standard 12)
- Implementation of Strategies to Reduce Identified Disparities
  - Develop, implement, and monitor strategies for elimination of identified disparities (including upstream approaches that address the social determinants of health) and track impact of those strategies on disparities. (CLAS Standard 9)
  - Utilize a quality improvement framework to monitor and evaluate Cultural Competence Plans and disparity elimination activities, and share improvement targets and progress with stakeholders. (CLAS Standards 10 & 15)
- Community Driven Care
  - Develop formal and informal relationships with community members, community organizations, and other partners to maximize the delivery of effective culturally, ethnically and linguistically appropriate care, and monitor the outcomes of these partnerships. (CLAS Standard 13)
    - Ensure representation of consumers, individuals with lived mental health/behavioral health experience; family members of a consumer; children; youth; parent/caregivers of youth with serious emotional disturbance; and representatives from unserved/under-served/inappropriately served communities including Limited English Proficient (LEP) individuals on their advisory/governance body/committee to develop service delivery and evaluation (with a recommended minimum of 50%).
  - Establish and implement a transparent and inclusive process for obtaining client, community, and staff input related to cultural competence planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. Create and utilize culturally and linguistically appropriate conflict grievance resolution processes. (CLAS Standard 14)
- Workforce Development
  - Establish workforce recruitment strategies that ensure adequate levels of consumer/peer (persons with lived experience), community (navigators, community health workers), administrative, support, and professional staff, reflective of the diversity of the populations served. Emphasize professional development opportunities, self-care strategies to address stress and micro-aggressions, and other retention efforts. Develop corrective measures to address severe shortages impacting ability to serve county populations (WIC 4341, CLAS Standard 3).
  - Provide ongoing cultural competence and quality improvement training to consumer/peer (persons with lived experience), community (navigators, community health workers), administrative, support and professional personnel (trained behavioral health interpreters, bilingual staff) in order to effectively address the needs of cultural, racial and ethnic populations, including linguistic capability. (CCR Title 9 Section 1810.410, CLAS Standards 4 & 7)
- Provision of Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services
  - Ensure access to culturally and linguistically appropriate services (treatment interventions, engagement strategies, outreach services, assessment approaches, community defined practices) and offer language assistance at no cost to them, for all diverse unserved, underserved and inappropriately served populations by making them: available, accessible, acceptable, accommodating, and sensitive to historical, cultural, spiritual and/or religious experiences, values, and traditional healing practices and ceremonies. (CLAS Standards 1 & 5)
  - Make available behavioral health services that are responsive to the numerous stressors and social determinants of health experienced by cultural, racial and ethnic populations which have a negative impact on the emotional and psychological state of individuals and make every attempt to provide greater access to services, e.g., evenings/weekend hours and in less stigmatizing settings (primary care, faith-based organizations, community organizations, etc.
“While culturally competent service delivery systems will continue to have primary goals around ongoing elimination of inequities for specific racial, ethnic, and cultural communities, culturally competent systems must be sufficiently flexible in order to promote improved quality and effectiveness of services for all community members…” (County Behavioral Health Directors Association of California Framework for Advancing Cultural, Linguistic, Racial and Ethnic Behavioral Health Equity, Updated 2016, page 2).
APPLICANT hereby agrees that it shall comply with the principles and guidelines set forth as outlined above, and shall:
1. Promote and support the attitudes, behaviors, knowledge, and skills necessary for staff to work respectfully and effectively with clients and each other in a culturally diverse work environment. Support evidence-based, community-defined, promising and emerging practices that are congruent with ethnic/racial/linguistic/cultural group belief systems, cultural values, traditional healing practices, and help-seeking behaviors. Support the county’s goal to reduce disparities to care by increasing access, decreasing barriers, and improving services for unserved, underserved, and inappropriately served communities.
  - Provide an emotional environment that ensures people of all cultures, ages, sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression feel welcome and cared for. This shall include: respect for individual preferences for traditional healing practices, alternative, spiritual and/or holistic approaches to health; a reception staff that is proficient in the different languages spoken by clients; bilingual and/or bicultural clinical staff that is knowledgeable of cultural and ethnic differences, needs, and culturally accepted social interactions and healthy behaviors within the client’s family constellation or other natural support system and is able and willing to respond to clients and their natural support system in an appropriate and respectful manner.
2. Have a comprehensive management strategy to address culturally and linguistically appropriate services, including strategic goals, plans, outcomes, evaluation, policies, procedures, and designated staff responsible for implementation.
  - As outlined in the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services Cultural Competence Plan Objectives:
Ensure progress in the delivery of culturally competent services through the biennial completion and analysis of a system-wide Agency Self-Assessment of Cultural Competence.
1. Develop and implement a strategy to recruit, retain and promote qualified, diverse culturally and linguistically competent administrative, clinical, and support staff, reflective of the community, that are trained and qualified to address the needs of the racial and ethnic communities being served.
  - As outlined in the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services Cultural Competence Plan Objectives:
Increase the percentage of direct service staff by 5% annually to reflect the racial, cultural and linguistic makeup of the county until the makeup of direct services staff is proportionate to the makeup of Medi-Cal beneficiaries plus 200% of poverty population.
1. Require and arrange for ongoing education and training for administrative, clinical, and support staff in culturally and linguistically competent service delivery. In addition to ensuring that staff members participate in required cultural competence trainings offered by Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services, APPLICANT shall provide cultural competence training to all employees.
  - As outlined in the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services Cultural Competence Plan Objectives:
75% of direct service (including ADS) staff and supervisors will have completed the California Brief Multicultural Competence Scale (CBMCS) and/or equivalent cultural competence training approved by BHS.
1. Provide all clients with limited English proficiency access to bilingual staff or interpretation services at no cost to the client.
2. Provide oral and written notices, including translated signage at key points of contact, to clients in their primary language informing them of their right to receive no-cost interpreter services.
3. Translate and make available signage and commonly used written client educational material and other materials for members of the predominant language groups in the service area.
  - Create a physical environment that ensures people of all cultures, ages, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression feel welcome and cared for. This shall include: decorating waiting and treatment areas with pictures that reflect the diverse cultures of Sacramento County; providing reading materials, resources, and magazines in varied languages that are at appropriate reading levels and are suitable for different age groups, including children and youth; considering cultural differences and preferences when offering refreshments; ensuring that any pictures, symbols or materials on display are not unintentionally disrespectful to another culture.
4. Ensure that interpreters and bilingual staff can demonstrate bilingual proficiency and receive training that includes the skills and ethics of interpreting, and knowledge in both languages of the terms and concepts relevant to clinical or nonclinical encounters.
  - As outlined in the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services Cultural Competence Plan Objectives:
Maintain the standard that 98% of staff identified as interpreters complete the approved mental health/behavioral health interpreter training and receive certification. Include system partners in training to expand pool of trained interpreters in emerging language populations.
1. Ensure that the clients' primary spoken language and self-identified race/ethnicity are included in the provider's management information system as well as any client records used by provider staff.
2. Promote equity in behavioral health service utilization by actively engaging and sustaining meaningful participation of representatives from unserved, underserved and inappropriately served communities at every step of program planning, implementation, outcome measurement and evaluation. Collaborate with diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, LGBTQ, and emerging refugee communities to learn more about how they define and view culturally and linguistically competent outreach, engagement, and behavioral health wellness and recovery services.
Statement of Compliance Quality Management and Compliance (required) —
IF AWARDED THE CONTRACT, the applicant will be required to comply with all applicable items below in conformity with the program being implemented:
Quality Management and Compliance policies and procedures and internal administrative controls are critical to prevent fraud, abuse and ensure appropriate quality of care, billing accuracy and fiscal integrity.
QUALITY MANAGEMENT:
Demonstrate ability to:
1. Meet site certification standards for State/County and funding sources for delivering services.
2. Analyze, resolve and respond to consumer grievances and complaints and County time sensitive requests for corrective actions.
3. Establish and track selected benchmarks and work plans meaningful to County Quality Management, agency and program quality improvement goals.
4. Conduct internal utilization review and participate in county utilization review/peer review processes.
5. Participate in system wide or community Quality Improvement Committees and other quality improvement studies and system-wide activities.
6. Monitor quality or client care in all elements of program design.
7. Establish internal protocols for reporting and responding to critical incidents, conducting appropriate follow-up investigations and plans of correction.
8. Designate qualified individuals to manage and prepare internal and external clinical reviews, audits and follow-up actions.
COMPLIANCE:
1. Demonstrate evidence of a Compliance Program to meet federal, state or regulatory requirements depending on the funding source.
2. Designate qualified individuals to manage key elements of agency Compliance Program and interface with County Compliance Program and complete follow-up actions.
3. Initiate and conduct agency level reporting, training, and education plan to meet federal, State and County Compliance Program requirements.
4. Develop and oversight procedures to monitor clinical documentation and billing accuracy.
5. Delineate designated internal controls to validate, crosscheck and correct staff billing and clinical privileges and service authorization accuracy.
6. Develop administrative systems and controls to monitor staff qualifications, enroll and disenroll staff in accordance with privileges and professional regulatory bodies (Office of the Inspector General (OIG), National Practitioners Database (NPDB).
7. Ensure site certification standards are continuously maintained in accordance with State / County and funding source requirements.
With my confirmation I certify that my agency is able to comply with Quality Management and Compliance reference listed above.
Attachment A- Certificate(s) of Insurance, documenting current coverage (required) —
Please upload Certificate(s) of Insurance or insurance letter from broker as outlined in Insurance Screening.
     General Liability: $2,000,000
     Automobile Liability: $1,000,000
     Worker’s Compensation/Employers Liability: Statutory/$1,000,000
     Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Liability: $2,000,000
     Sexual Molestation & Abuse: $250,000/$1,000,000 (per person or occurrence/annual aggregate)
     Cyber Liability including Identity Theft, Information Security and Privacy Injury: $2,000,000 per claim or incident and $2,000,000 aggregate.
--OR--
Insurance Broker’s Letter Demonstrating Ability to Meet County Requirements.
Attachment B - Application Narrative (required) —
Narrative questions and formatting instructions may be found in Section 9 of this RFA.
Attachment C – Minimum Program Experience Requirement – Children’s Outpatient SMHS (required) —
Applicants must upload Eligibility Documentation demonstrating compliance with the minimum program experience described in Section 6.3.
Attachment D – Independent Audited Financial Statement (required) —
Independent Audited Financial Statement Instructions: Applicants must submit their latest complete audited financial statement with accompanying notes, completed by an independent Certified Public Accountant (CPA), for a fiscal period not more than 24 months old at the time of submission.
If the submitted audit is for a parent organization, the parent organization must be identified and must agree to be a party to the resulting contract or provide a financial guarantee acceptable to the County.
Submitted audited financial statements will be reviewed by the Department’s Accounting Manager to assess financial stability and organizational capacity. The review will result in a Pass or Fail determination.
At minimum, the review will consider:
- No adverse auditor opinion.
- No disclaimer of auditor opinion.
- No unresolved going concern or material financial viability issues.
In addition, financial stability may be evaluated using the following indicators:
In addition, financial stability may be evaluated using the following indicators:
1. Liquidity ratios
  1. Current ratio (current assets divided by current liabilities)
  2. Quick ratio (cash plus government securities plus accounts receivable divided by total current liabilities)
2. Leverage ratio
  1. Debt ratio (total liabilities divided by total assets)
3. Working capital
  1. Total current assets minus total current liabilities
The County may request clarification, additional documentation, or follow-up information from the Applicant and/or the independent CPA who prepared the audit. Such information may be considered in the County’s determination.
Failure to submit an audited financial statement meeting the requirements of this section may result in the application being deemed non-responsive.
Attachment E – Policies and Procedures (P&Ps) Regarding Flexible Funds and Housing Interventions (required) —
Applicants must upload 2 agency Policies and Procedures addressing the following required areas:
1. Required Policy #1: Flexible Funds Policy
2. Required Policy #2: HMIS and SmartCare Documentation Policy
Each uploaded policy may be either a current adopted policy or a draft policy prepared specifically for the proposed FSPW operations. Detailed content and structural requirements for each policy are defined in Section 6.5 and govern the adequacy of the submitted document.
Submitted policies, whether draft or final, will be reviewed for completeness and alignment with Section 6.5 requirements on a Pass/Fail basis. Policies are not subject to narrative page limits and will not be independently scored; however, failure to submit all required policies may result in the Application being deemed non-responsive.
Procurement Opportunities Program - Local and Micro Business Preference —
PURPOSE
The purpose of the Procurement Opportunities Program is to promote and enhance the utilization of local and small business enterprises in the County’s procurement and contracting processes. Small businesses contribute to the overall economic health of the community. Therefore, government has a compelling interest to provide economic opportunity to small businesses. The economic health of the community is dependent upon an active and thriving business community, including both large and small businesses. For this reason, the program is designed to provide procedural assistance and contracting information to any firm wishing to do business with the County. This program is not, however, intended to become a separate activity within the County’s procurement and contracting process. It is intended to be an integral part of the County’s standard procurement and contracting process.
INCENTIVES
Service and supply acquisition: For material, supply, construction and/or non-professional service contracts of less than $1,000,000 processed through the Department of General Services, Contract and Purchasing Services Division, or through the Delegated Purchase Order (DPO) Program. The County of Sacramento will award a two-percent (2%) price or point micro-business preference to State Certified Micro-Business enterprises located within the Sacramento Regional Market Area (Sacramento, El Dorado, Placer, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba Counties), and/or a five-percent (5%) price or point local business preference.
The Delegated Purchase Order program (a delegated purchasing program utilized by department “DPO Buyers”) includes a provision requiring the departments to obtain multiple quotes based on the dollar amount of the purchase. This program will eliminate the quoting requirement if the DPO Buyer issues a DPO to a certified micro-business in the Sacramento Regional Market Area. When obtaining multiple quotes, the DPO Buyer shall apply all applicable preferences stipulated in this program.
LOCAL BUSINESS PREFERENCE QUALIFICATIONS
Pursuant to Sections 2.56.420 and 2.56.440 of the Sacramento County Code, where applicable, a local price or point preference credit of 5% shall be granted to Local Business Enterprises on supply and non-professional service contracts of less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) to business enterprises located within Sacramento County when evaluating bids for material, supply, construction, and/or non-professional services acquisitions processed through the Department of General Services, Contract and Purchasing Services Division or through the Delegated Purchase Order Program. In order to qualify for local preference, a vendor must meet all of the following criteria (as defined in SCC 2.56.420):
1. The business maintains its Principal Place of Business within the geographic boundaries of the County of Sacramento.
  1. Suppliers and professional truck drivers are not required to maintain their principal place of business within the County, but must maintain a Fixed Office within the County. Suppliers must also maintain a continuously stocked inventory within the County consistent with the type of goods for which the business is seeking a local preference. Professional truck drivers must also park their registered vehicles and trailers within the County when not under contract for use. The business may be required to submit to the County a copy of its rental or lease agreement evidencing its Fixed Office location.
2. The business must provide 50 percent or more of the contracted product from its own local inventory.
3. The business must possess a current County of Sacramento business license or a business license from a city within the County. If the business’s Fixed Office is located in a city that does not issue business licenses, the business must be current with the city’s business operations taxes or other business regulations.
4. The business has been established and conducting business activities in the County for at least six months preceding the due date of the bid/proposal for which a local preference is being sought. The business may be required to submit to the County evidence of its business activities within the Sacramento area during the preceding six months.
5. The business must have paid sales tax to either a city located within the County or to the County of Sacramento. The business may be required to submit to the County copies of its State of California Board of Equalization sales and use tax returns.
This preference shall also be provided to Sacramento Regional Market Area businesses that meet the criteria of a Local Business Enterprise for the county in which they are located, provided that:
1. Those criteria are at least as stringent as section 2.56.420(d); and
2. The county in which such businesses are located also provides pricing preferences to businesses located within Sacramento County.
Bidders claiming local vendor preference for any Request for Bid, Price Quote, or Request for Proposal must submit an Affidavit of Eligibility (see page 3) with their bid, quote or proposal response, unless an approved affidavit is already on file.
For questions or assistance relating to the County of Sacramento’s Local Vendor Preference Policy, call the Contract & Purchasing Services Division at 916-876-6360 or visit our website at www.saccountybids.net.
Complete information regarding this program is located on the following website:
http://www.dgs.saccounty.net/capsd/Pages/County-Purchasing-Code.aspx#2.56.410
MICRO-BUSINESS PREFERENCE QUALIFICATIONS
Most County contracts are open to competitive bidding. It is the policy of the County to actively solicit participation by small business enterprises in its procurement and contracting activities. In order for the County to readily find small businesses to solicit, businesses should (1) be certified with the State of California, Office of Small Business and DVBE Services, or reciprocal agency, and (2) register with the State of California, Department of General Services.
The County will accept certifications from the State of California, Office of Small Business and DVBE Services, or reciprocating governmental agencies. The County will accept formal certifications from other agencies within the State of California for documentation purposes. For a firm to be eligible for a two-percent (2%) price preference, it must meet all of the following criteria (as defined in SCC 2.56.420):
1. formally certified micro-business,
2. independently owned and operated,
3. is not dominant in its field of operation,
4. has its Principal Place of Business located in the Sacramento Regional Market Area,
5. together with its affiliates, is either a service, construction, or non-manufacturing firm with twenty-five (25) or fewer employees, and
6. an average annual gross receipts of five million dollars ($5,000,000) or less over the previous three years.
COMPLETE THIS SECTION IF YOU QUALIFY FOR AND WISH TO CLAIM A 5% LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE AND/OR A 2% MICRO-BUSINESS PREFERENCE (REFER TO PREVIOUS INFORMATION FOR QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS).
To claim the local vendor preference (5%), complete the items in the sections below. To claim the micro-business preference, complete the items in the sections below. To claim both preferences (7% combined), complete all applicable sections. Incomplete forms may be rejected.
Does your company qualify for the Local Business Preference, and/or the Micro-Business Preference? (required) —
Select "Yes" if your company meets either of the local/micro business preference qualifications above.
If you selected "No" then the remaining "Local/Micro Business" questions do not require a response EXCEPT for the two (2) confirmations "Under penalty of perjury, the undersigned states that the foregoing statements are true and correct..."
Legal name of Business and Physical Address (Also Include Mailing Address if different). —
Enter the following information here:
1. Legal name of business
2. Physical street address, city, state & zip code
3. Mailing address (only if different from physical address)
County and Year Business was Established —
1. County established:
2. Year established:
3. Business license number:
4. Business license issued by:
Does your business have more than one office in the State of California? —
If Yes, specify the office location considered as the point-of-sale for sales tax purposes:
1. Office Location: street address, city, state, zip code
For transactions which require sales tax, provide the Reseller Permit Number —
Please enter the following information exactly as it appears on your permit:
1. Permit number
2. Company name
3. Street address, city, state, zip code
Procurement Opportunities Program - Local Business Preference Questionnaire
Is your Principal Place of Business located within the geographic boundaries of the County of Sacramento?
Does your business provide 50 percent or more of the contracted product from its own local inventory?
Does your business possess a current County of Sacramento business license or a business from a city within the County?
Has your business been established and conducting business activities in the County for at least six months preceding the due date of the bid/proposal for which a local preference is being sought?
Has your business paid sales tax to either a City located within the County or to the County of Sacramento?
Under penalty of perjury, the undersigned states that the foregoing statements are true and correct. The undersigned also acknowledges that any person, firm, corporation or entity intentionally submitting false information to the County in an attempt to qualify for local preference shall be prohibited from bidding on Sacramento County products and services for a period of one (1) year. (required)
Procurement Opportunities Program - Micro-Business Preference Questionnaire
Is your business independently owned and operated?
Is your business not dominant in its field of operation?
Together with your affiliates, is your business either a service, construction, or non-manufacturing firm with twenty-five (25) or fewer employees?
Does your business have an average annual gross receipts of five million dollars ($5,000,000) or less over the previous three years?
Provide the company's State of California Small Business Certification Number and expiration date. —
California Small Business Certification Number:
Expiration Date:
Under penalty of perjury, the undersigned states that the foregoing statements are true and correct. The undersigned also acknowledges that any person, firm, corporation or entity intentionally submitting false information to the County in an attempt to qualify for local preference shall be prohibited from bidding on Sacramento County products and services for a period of one (1) year. (required)
Electronic Pricing Table (required) —
Would you like to have bidders respond to an electronic pricing table through OpenGov?
Choose this if:
1. This is a quote for a finite set of goods or commodities
2. This is a public works bid, but you want the bidder to list their total project cost here.
3. Seeking services for hourly rate schedules
Separate Fee Proposal Upload (required) —
If you are NOT using the Electronic Pricing Table option, will you want your bidder to separate a Price Proposal from the rest of their Response? You'll want to do this if you open your bids initially WITHOUT showing price, and then come back in after a technical evaluation to unseal pricing later.
Show scoring/weights for the evaluation criteria in RFP? (required)
Will this procurement require onsite services or goods to be delivered by the supplier? (required)
Are services involved in this project? (required)
Include HIPPAA form? (required)
Include Good Neighbor Policy? (required) —
Applies to contract when vendor provides a direct service to County constituents and has a potential impact on neighborhoods
Is this project going to exceed $1m? (required) —
If project is in excess of $1M, this will Include the Iran Contracting Act Disclosure Form and exclude the local/micro business preferences.
Include Web Accessibility Policy? (required) —
Applies contracts with web content
Is this project Federally funded? (required)
Will this project include software (any type)? (required)
Include Prevailing Wage? (required)
Do you want to include a question for respondents to confirm that they will accept all County contract terms & Conditions? (required) —
If "YES" Buyer must attach the associated contract or contract language in the Attachments section.
Basis for Award (Calendar Days) (required) —
Proposal responses will be considered valid for a period of [##] calendar days after RFP closing date above (Enter a number value only such as "90" or "120").
Allow vendors to include their own shipping & payment terms? (required) —
If "yes" vendors will be prompted to include their own shipping & payment terms in their submission.
If "no", you will be prompted to insert shipping & payment terms in the next questions.
Shipping Terms —
Only enter shipping terms here if you selected "no" above. If shipping terms are not applicable, you may enterN/A in this field. Otherwise, leave blank.
Explanation of standard F.O.B. Terms:
- F.O.B. Destination, freight prepaid: Seller pays freight charges, Seller owns goods in transit, Seller files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Destination, freight collect: Buyer pays freight charges, Seller owns goods in transit, Seller files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Origin, freight prepaid: Seller pays freight charges, Buyer owns goods in transit, Buyer files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Origin, freight collect: Buyer pays freight charges, Buyer owns goods in transit, Buyer files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Origin, freight prepaid and added: Seller pays freight charges and adds to invoice, Buyer owns goods in transit, Buyer files claims (if any)
- F.O.B. Destination, freight prepaid and added: Seller pays freight charges and adds to invoice, Seller owns goods in transit, Seller files claims (if any)
- N/A
Payment Terms —
Only enter information here if you selected "no" above. Otherwise, leave blank.
Will this project require the use of mulch, bark, compost or other organic product? (required)

Questions & Answers

Q (Flex Funds): If an agency meets most of the minimum requirements, but does not have flex funds or pay for direct client costs, does that make us ineligible to apply?

A: Yes. Applicants must meet all minimum qualifications which includes demonstrating experience managing flexible or non-service client funds and submit documentation verifying this experience as part of Attachment C. Applications that do not provide documentation substantiating the required minimum qualifications will be deemed non-responsive during the screening process.

Q (FIT RFA): Is this taking the place of the previous FIT/TBS RFA?

A: No. This RFA does not replace the previous FIT/TBS RFA. It is a separate procurement.

Q (IPS Program): Will an Individual Placement and Support (IPS) component/model/program be required for this FSP?

A: No. An Individual Placement and Support (IPS) model is not required under this RFA.

Q (Flex Funds): If our agency utilizes flexible funds in our SMH (and other programming such as Kinship Support where we use flex funding) that are derived by fundraising and/or other dollars, would this qualify as meeting minimum qualifications of demonstrating experience managing flexible funding?

A: Yes, provided the experience meets the Minimum Qualifications in Sections 6.2 and 6.3. Applicants must demonstrate “experience managing flexible/non-service client funds in accordance with County requirements.” As stated in Section 6.3, “Applicant experience must be derived from a single integrated program and may not be met through aggregation of multiple contracts, pilots, service components, subcontracted roles, or programs.” Experience must be documented through Attachment C.

Q (No subject): Would an single integrated continuum of services that the funding county has decided to split into multiple contracts organized by funding stream be eligible to meet the requirement under 6.3 ("Minimum Program Experience Requirements"). The program meets all qualifications other than the funding county's decision to administer multiple contracts for the single integrated program.

A: Applicants must meet the requirements in Section 6.3 – Minimum Program Experience Requirements. As stated, “Applicant experience must be derived from a single integrated program and may not be met through aggregation of multiple contracts, pilots, service components, subcontracted roles, or programs.” The intent of this requirement is to ensure that the documented experience reflects the operation of one integrated program with centralized leadership, staffing structure, and service model, rather than a collection of separate programs combined to meet the eligibility thresholds. If a county administers funding for a single integrated program through multiple contracts or funding streams, those documents may be submitted as evidence provided they clearly demonstrate that the services operate as one coordinated program. However, applicants may not combine multiple unrelated programs, contracts, pilots, service components, subcontract roles, or service sites in order to meet the minimum experience thresholds. Applicants must provide documentation that clearly demonstrates that the required experience is derived from one integrated program, even if multiple contractual documents are used to show that experience.

Q (No subject): 6.3 requires that applicants demonstrate documentation of a program that implements at least one evidence-based practice. What would qualify as appropriate documentation that an EBP is implemented in the qualifying program if it is not listed in the accompanying contract?

A: Applicants must meet the requirements in Section 6.3 – Minimum Program Experience Requirements and provide documentation demonstrating that the qualifying program implements at least one evidence-based practice. If the EBP is not identified in the contract, Applicants may submit other documentation that clearly substantiates implementation of the EBP within the qualifying program. For example, but not limited to, a signed contract with the EBP certifying agency, current company policies on implementing the EBP, a letter from the EBP certifying agency confirming approval to use within the last 5 years, etc.

Q (Multiple Awards): Does the County intend to ultimately award multiple contracts to various providers? If so, is there an estimate for the number of providers to be awarded?

A: Yes. As stated in Section 5.2 “The County anticipates making multiple awards under this RFA. Individual contract maximums, service capacity, and funding allocations will be established during post-award negotiations and may be based on variables such as application score, demonstrated capability, proposed staffing and service model, and County-determined system needs, and will be reasonably proportional to the scope and intensity of services awarded. No Applicant is guaranteed a minimum funding level, service volume, or client capacity or census.” As stated in Section 8 – Rights of the County, the County reserves the right to “make a contract award to one or more applicants” and to “determine the number of resources allocated to successful applicants.”

Q (Minimum Experience Requirements): Section 6.3 Minimum Program Experience Requirements requires applicants to have experience providing service delivery to a minimum of 150 unduplicated children and youth under age 21. Please confirm that bidders demonstrating alternative and extensive experience providing services to individuals under 21 years old (for example 145 unduplicated children) (while meeting requirement #1 and 2) is sufficient and would not disqualify their proposal.

A: No. Applicants must meet the Minimum Program Experience Requirements in Section 6.3, including demonstrating that the qualifying program served “a minimum of one hundred fifty (150) unduplicated children and youth under age 21, or two hundred (200) children and youth annually.” These thresholds are intended to ensure that Applicants have demonstrated experience operating large-scale children’s Specialty Mental Health Services programs with sufficient clinical infrastructure, staffing depth, fiscal capacity, and operational systems to manage a high-acuity, cross-system program serving youth and families with complex needs. Applicants that do not meet this requirement will not meet the eligibility requirements and their applications will be deemed non-responsive.

Q (Minimum Experience Requirements): May the County consider awarding multiple providers smaller programs and allow proposers to demonstrate their experience serving a smaller population size (regarding the Minimum Program Experience Requirements listed in Section 6.3)?

Q (Numbers Served): Please confirm that minimum number of clients served can be demonstrated via data reports (our total client count stated in our contract is for up through ages 25).

A: Yes. Applicants must submit documentation consistent with Section 6.3 – Minimum Program Experience Requirements substantiating that the qualifying program met the required client volume. As stated in Section 6.3: “If a single document does not demonstrate all Minimum Program Experience Requirements below, a combination of documents may be submitted, provided that all documents: Clearly pertain to the same single program; Collectively demonstrate that the Applicant was contractually required to deliver the required program elements; and reflect a centralized program, not aggregated experience across multiple programs, counties, or locations.”

Q (Budget or Cost Proposal?): Page 28 of the RFP mentions that applicants should clearly delineate PSH-related staffing and budget allocations. Does this RFP include showing a budget and budget narrative? If so, is there a budget form or cost proposal form we should use? Or do we just create one ourselves?

A: No. The RFA does not require submission of a budget, budget form, budget narrative, or cost proposal form as part of the application. The RFA language you cite, “Clearly delineate PSH-related staffing, services, and budget allocations” is in Section 3.11 – Housing and Homeless Integration, which is part of Section 3 Scope of Work. These sections describe program expectations for PSH-related services when the program is operational.

Q (No subject): In the Applicant Conference, a slide was shared titled “Writing a Strong Response,” which identified that a strong response “clearly explains how the proposed model will function in practice, not just what the RFA requires;” “identifies roles, supervision, caseload expectations, and how fidelity and quality will be monitored;” “provides concrete examples of how services will be delivered, coordinated, and adapted to youth and family needs;” “includes realistic, trackable performance measures tied to stabilization, engagement, and system impact;” and “explicitly aligns the proposal with RFA requirements, BHSA, BH-CONNECT, and Medi-Cal standards.” These items (including a proposed model, roles, caseload, fidelity monitoring, examples of services, and performance measures) are not addressed in the RFA section 9.4, “Application Narrative Questions (Attachment B).” Where does the county anticipate applicants addressing these elements of a strong response within the narrative responses, given that the existing Narrative Questions request specific information unrelated to these elements and have strict page limits?

A: Applicants must respond to the questions provided in Section 9.4 – Application Narrative Questions and comply with the page limits and instructions identified in the RFA. The phrase “not just what the RFA requires,” as referenced in the Applicant Conference slide, means that strong responses should go beyond restating RFA language and instead describe how the Applicant will operationalize the requirements in practice, such as how services will be delivered, coordinated, supervised, and monitored within the Applicant’s proposed program model. This guidance was intended to clarify the expected level of operational detail in narrative responses and did not introduce additional application requirements beyond those identified in the RFA. As noted during the conference, the presentation was provided for informational purposes only and does not modify or replace the RFA. Applicants should address the narrative questions in Section 9.4 within the structure and page limits described in the RFA.

Q (No subject): We are a current FIT provider, would wrap around be a service in additional to our FIT services or would we have to chose between programs?

A: The FSPW procurement is a separate program with its own service model, scope of work, and procurement requirements. Organizations that currently provide FIT services may choose to apply for the Wraparound FSP procurement if they believe they can meet the requirements outlined in that procurement. Participation in the FIT program is not required in order to apply for Wraparound services, and organizations are not being asked to choose between programs as part of the Wraparound procurement. Proposals for the Wraparound FSP procurement will be evaluated independently based on the criteria described in the procurement.

Q (Impact on Existing County Contracts ): Is the Full Services Partnership Wraparound Contract going to replace or be in addition to all current SMHS contracts?

A: This procurement does not address all Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) contracts delivered in Sacramento County. As described in the RFA, current Sacramento County providers with child serving FSP or Wraparound contracts must apply and be awarded under this RFA to continue delivering those services through the integrated FSPW model.

Q (Age Range): There are currently 2 FSP's in Sacramento County that serve a TAY population, this FSPW appears to be for children, youth (up to age 21) and families. Will this FSP have any ability to support youth into their adulthood (to 26) using the Adult SMHS or are those services only for the caregiver/family members of the client?

A: No. The FSPW program described in this RFA serves children and youth under age 21 who meet Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) medical necessity criteria. Agencies that currently operate programs serving youth under age 21, including the TAY FSP and JJDTP FSP programs, must submit an application and be awarded under this RFA if they wish to continue providing FSP services to youth. As part of this RFA, Sacramento County will transition services for eligible youth under age 21 currently provided through the TAY FSP, Family FSP, and JJDTP FSP programs into the new FSPW continuum once agencies awarded through this RFA are operational. Youth 21 and over may be transitioned to the adult FSP continuum if longer term services are needed. Transition planning will be decisions made post award in coordination between the county, providers, and clients when clinically indicated. This procurement focuses on the children and youth system of care. Adult Full Service Partnership programs operate under a different service structure and require different clinical models, evidence-based practices, and staffing approaches. Maintaining separate youth and adult program structures helps ensure providers can maintain fidelity to the clinical practices designed for each population and sustain the level of intensity required for youth with complex needs. Youth enrolled in the FSPW program who reach age 21 may transition to Adult Full Service Partnership programs if they continue to meet eligibility criteria. Adult services referenced in the RFA are limited to caregivers or family members when clinically indicated and linked to the youth’s treatment needs.

Q (Drafting HMIS policy): To create the SmartCare/HMIS policy, should we reference the requirements in the RFP, page 30 HMIS and SmartCare Documentation Expectations?

A: Applicants are expected to have, or be able to rapidly operationalize, participation in required data systems supporting service delivery, including SmartCare (Sacramento County’s Electronic Health Record) and the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), where applicable. These systems support clinical documentation, care coordination, housing-related services, and compliance with County, State, and federal requirements. Providers must demonstrate a general working knowledge of system use and the ability to integrate documentation, workflows, and staff training into daily operations. Policies and procedures submitted with the application may be in draft form and do not need to be exhaustive or demonstrate detailed technical expertise in either system. However, responses should reflect a reasonable and implementable approach to onboarding, staff training, data entry, and ongoing compliance. Publicly available resources are available to support implementation. For HMIS, applicants may reference training and guidance available through Sacramento Steps Forward’s HMIS Support Hub: https://www.sacramentostepsforward.org/provider-hub/hmis-support-hub/hmis-training-resources/ The County will provide additional guidance and onboarding support to successful applicants for SmartCare and other required systems during implementation.

Q (Adult MH Services): Does the contracted agency have to provide adult mental health services directly? Or, can we subcontract for these services?

A: The FSPW model is a single integrated, team-based service model. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, services, including clinical services, care coordination, caregiver services, and Child and Family Team (CFT) facilitation, are expected to be delivered in a coordinated and integrated manner. Applicants are expected to prioritize delivering caregiver services within the FSPW program whenever clinically appropriate. Subcontracting is not prohibited; however, the prime contractor remains responsible for ensuring that services are integrated, coordinated, and do not result in fragmented care. Any subcontracting arrangements must support continuity of care, clear accountability, and consistent coordination across all service components.

Q (Additional EBPs): Please confirm that applicants are only required to include MST as an EBP in the application and that additional county-required EBPs would be addressed in an addendum to the contract.

A: Applicants must demonstrate the ability to implement MST. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, the FSPW model includes High Fidelity Wraparound as an evidence-based practice, with MST implemented when directed by the County.

Q (Additional trainings): In the RFP on page 10, paragraph 3, “...participate in required training & technical assistance...” Can the County provide an estimate of frequency, hours and which roles would need to participate so that we can budget accordingly?

A: No. The County does not provide a fixed estimate for the frequency, hours, or specific roles required to participate in training and technical assistance. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, Applicants must participate in required training and technical assistance, including activities required by the State Designated Center of Excellence (COE). The COE establishes training and fidelity expectations, and the County may require additional participation consistent with program implementation.

Q (HMIS requirements): Are providers required to go through a credentialling process for the HMIS? Do users require specific provider designations or other qualifications to use the system? Are there ongoing credentialling or training requirements for the HMIS? Do notes in the HMIS require review, approval or co-signature by a supervisor?

A: Providers are not required to be credentialed or onboarded in HMIS at the time of application. Following award, successful applicants must obtain access and comply with all applicable HMIS requirements as part of program implementation. HMIS participation, including user access, training, system protocols, and documentation requirements, is established and administered by the local HMIS lead agency, Sacramento Steps Forward. Applicants are not expected to be experts in HMIS at the time of application. However, applicants must demonstrate a general understanding of HMIS and a reasonable approach to onboarding staff, completing required training, and integrating HMIS into program workflows to support coordination and documentation expectations.

Q (Aftercare capacity): RFP, page 20: Aftercare services for at least 6 months for youth stepping down from STRTPs, per ACL No. 21-116 and BHIN No. 21-061. How best to predict the number of youth who may step down each year? Can the County provide an average number of STRTP step downs from the last few years?

A: The County does not provide projections for the number of STRTP step-downs that may occur each year. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, Applicants must be prepared to provide aftercare services for at least six (6) months for youth stepping down from STRTP placements, consistent with ACL No. 21-116 and BHIN No. 21-061. For general context only, Sacramento County has received approximately 25 aftercare referrals across FY 24/25 and FY 25/26 to date. This information is provided for reference and does not represent a guaranteed volume or a prediction of future demand. STRTP step-down volume may vary year to year based on system factors including placement availability, reunification timelines, and cross-system decision-making.

Q (Additional trainings): RFP page 21: Successful Applicants must actively participate in all required training, technical assistance, fidelity monitoring, learning collaboratives, and COE activities as directed by Sacramento County, DHCS, and BH-CONNECT. For budgeting and staffing, could the County give an estimated number of hours per month and which roles are required in these spaces?

A: No. The County does not provide a fixed estimate for the number of hours per month or specific roles required. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, Successful Applicants must participate in required training, technical assistance, fidelity monitoring, learning collaboratives, and Center of Excellence (COE) activities. COE models, including MST and HFW, include ongoing training, supervision, and fidelity monitoring expectations. Applicants should reference applicable COE guidance to inform staffing and participation planning. COE website: https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/CalAIM/Pages/Centers-of-Excellence.aspx MST website: https://www.mstservices.com/mst.bhcoe HFW website: https://humanservices.ucdavis.edu/wraparound-services

Q (COLAs): RFP page 36: Funding under this RFA does not guarantee COLA. For staff retention, it is important that we are able to offer COLAs. Can we build a budget with COLAs as long as the total budget does not exceed the $27,970,489 contract limit?

A: Applicants are not required to submit a program budget as part of the application under this RFA. Budget development, including any assumptions related to COLA, is not part of the application. As stated in Section 11 – Funding, “Funding under this RFA does not guarantee COLA.”

Q (Caseloads): What is the minimum number of youth/cases to be served at any given time? What have been the average number of youth receiving FSP-level services in Sacramento County over the last few years?

A: The RFA does not establish a minimum number of youth to be served at any given time. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, services are based on referrals and system needs. The RFA further provides that service capacity and expectations will be determined during contract development with successful Applicants. For context only, in FY 24/25, approximately 440 youth (under age 21) were served through existing FSP programs; however, this information is provided for general reference and does not represent a required service level or guarantee of future volume.

Q (HFW Determination): Will the provider, using IP-CANS and CFT meetings, determine which cases receive HFW or will the County determine this?

A: There is no singular referral pathway into FSPW. Referrals may originate from outpatient providers, placing agencies, or other system partners based on identified need. Once enrolled, the FSPW provider is responsible for determining the appropriate level and type of services, including High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW), using the IP-CANS, medical necessity criteria, and the Child and Family Team (CFT) process. Service intensity and modality are not discretionary and must align with clinical need as indicated by the IP-CANS and CFT. These determinations are expected to be reassessed on an ongoing basis to ensure appropriate level of care. The County may also identify and refer youth for FSPW when system partners determine that FSPW-level services are needed. This structure is intended to support a responsive system with multiple access points while maintaining consistent, clinically-driven service determination within the FSPW model.

Q (Definition for Flex Funds): Please clarify what acceptable uses of funding would fall under the following requirement in the Section 6.3 – Minimum Program Experience Requirement “Management of discretionary or flexible client supports, including direct client purchases and non-treatment staff time (e.g. “Flex Funds”).”

A: The requirement refers to an applicant’s experience administering and overseeing client-specific flexible or discretionary supports, including processes for approving, tracking, and documenting direct client purchases and associated non-treatment service activities that support client stabilization and engagement in services. Examples of this type of experience may include, but are not limited to, providing client-specific supports such as assistance with basic needs (e.g., food, clothing), transportation, short-term or one-time housing-related expenses, or other purchases intended to remove barriers to engagement or support stabilization. The focus of this requirement is on whether the applicant has practical experience using flexible or discretionary supports to meet client needs within a behavioral health service context. Please refer to Section IV – Flexible Funds, Housing & Homeless Integration of the RFA for County expectations related to allowable use, decision-making, documentation, and oversight of flexible funds.

Q (Maximum Awarded Client Slots per Provider): Does this RFP include a maximum number of unduplicated members that each provider can serve? (NOTE: The recent Adult FSP RFP placed a limitation on the maximum number of clients to be served per site (240 unduplicated members) or per provider (2 sites, 480 unduplicated members)).

A: This RFA does not establish a maximum number of unduplicated members per provider or per site. The County does not require applicants to propose a specific program size or capacity in order to respond to this RFA. Applicants should respond to the staffing and service requirements described in the RFA, including the Scope of Work and Staffing sections, based on their proposed approach to delivering services. Final program capacity, service levels, and funding will be determined through the County’s award and contract negotiation process.

Q (Minimum Program Experience Requirement ): If the proposer’s experience currently includes a program that serves the required number of youth/adolescents but is not solely a children's outpatient SMHS program, e.g. also serves adults, would that meet the minimum requirement?

A: Yes, provided that the applicant can clearly demonstrate that the children’s outpatient Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) component of the program independently meets the minimum program experience and scale requirements described in the RFA. Applicants should refer to the Eligibility to Apply/Minimum Requirements section of the RFA for full details.

Q (Minimum Program Experience Requirement ): Our organization has experience serving 160 unduplicated individuals per year under 21 in FY24 (128 unduplicated under 21 in FY23 and 146 unduplicated under 21 in FY25) in a single FSP program. We serve a much larger population of individuals per year in our mobile crisis outpatient program (which serves individuals of all ages). (1) Would our FSP program, with the number of unduplicated youth served per fiscal year as described above, meet the minimum service requirement to submit a bit? (2) Please confirm that our mobile crisis program, which provides flex fund oversight and implementation of an EBP, is sufficient to meet the minimum qualifications to apply to this RFP.

A: The County cannot make determinations regarding an individual applicant’s eligibility or responsiveness through the Q&A process. Applicants are responsible for reviewing the Minimum Requirements outlined in the RFA and determining whether their organization meets those requirements at the time of application submission. As described in Section 6.3 – Minimum Program Experience Requirement, applicants must demonstrate experience operating a children’s Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) program that meets the specified program scale requirements for youth under age 21, as well as experience delivering an Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) within an SMHS service model and managing flexible client supports. The qualifying SMHS program is not required to be a Full Service Partnership program; however, it must meet the program scale and service requirements specified in the RFA, including the delivery of specialty mental health Medi-Cal services. Applicants should ensure their responses clearly distinguish applicable program experience, populations served, and service volumes, and provide sufficient documentation to demonstrate compliance with all Minimum Requirements.

Q (Minimum Program Experience Requirement ): We serve 1143 children per year in our mobile crisis outpatient program, which provides flex fund oversight and implementation of an EBP. However this is not a dedicated children's outpatient program, it also serves adults. Please confirm that this is sufficient to meet the minimum qualifications to apply to this RFP.

A: The County cannot make determinations regarding an individual applicant’s eligibility or responsiveness through the Q&A process. The Minimum Requirements outlined in Section 6.3 – Minimum Program Experience Requirement do not specify that experience must be met through programming dedicated exclusively to serving children. Applicants are responsible for demonstrating that their experience meets all Minimum Requirements and clearly distinguishing applicable program experience, populations served, and service volumes.

Q (Reimbursement Type): Please clarify the anticipated reimbursement model (fee-for-service, bundled rate under BH-CONNECT, a case rate based on tier of service per client per month). Please outline whether there are different rates intended for different services.

A: As described in Section 4 – Funding and Incentives of the RFA, funding includes Medi-Cal fee-for-service reimbursement for eligible services and non-Medi-Cal funding for coordination, stabilization, and flexible supports. The County anticipates that payment methodologies may include a combination of approaches, such as fee-for-service and case rate and/or bundled payment structures aligned with service intensity and program design. These approaches are intended to support the delivery of integrated, team-based services that are not easily captured through traditional fee-for-service models. Final payment methodologies, including any applicable rate structures, will be determined through the County’s contracting process and may evolve over time in alignment with State guidance, including BH-CONNECT and related Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) initiatives. Applicants are not required to propose rates as part of this RFA.

Q (Total Contract Amount): Please confirm whether the total contract amount stated in the RFP ($27,970,489 for all contracts combined) is for a single fiscal year, or the total funding over the course of the 5-year term.

A: The funding amount of $27,970,489 reflects the estimated annual funding across all FSPW providers, not the total over the full RFA term. Funding amounts are estimates and subject to County approval.

Q (Interviews?): Will the County be scheduling interviews with bidders after reviewing the proposals?

A: The RFA does not include an interview or oral presentation phase as part of the evaluation process. Applications will be evaluated based on the criteria described in the RFA, including responsiveness to Minimum Qualifications and the scored Application Narrative.

Q (Work Plan): Please confirm there is no Work Plan required with this proposal.

A: Confirmed. The RFA does not require submission of a Work Plan as part of the application.

Q (Policies and Procedures): ~Regarding instructions that applicants must upload two agency Policies and Procedures, including “Required Policy #2: HMIS and SmartCare Documentation Policy,” we were confused by the subsequent instructions on page 47 that say: “8. Attachment E – Policies and Procedures (P&Ps) Regarding Flexible Funds and Housing Interventions.” Please clarify exactly what policies should be covered in the second required policy.

A: Applicants are required to submit two (2) Policies and Procedures as part of Attachment E: Policy #1: Flexible Funds and Housing Interventions Policy #2: HMIS and SmartCare Documentation The reference to “Attachment E – Policies and Procedures (P&Ps) Regarding Flexible Funds and Housing Interventions” identifies the required content for Policy #1. A separate policy addressing HMIS and SmartCare documentation must also be submitted as Policy #2. Applicants should ensure both policies are clearly labeled and responsive to the requirements described in the RFA.

Q (Formatting): Under each Roman Numeral section, must the header: “A. QUESTIONS: “ be included in the narrative, or can we start with the question prompt that follows the “A”? ~Is it only the BOLDED section headings that must be include in the narrative, and not any following sentences that start, “Describe your organization’s….”? ~Is it only the LETTERED Subsection headers that must be included in the narrative, and NOT any of the numbered subsections in Arabic numerals? (See for an example the numbered subsections at the top of page 55 of the RFP).

A: Applicants should follow the Narrative Response Instructions in the RFA. Applicants are expected to maintain the structure of the Narrative Sections, including bolded section headings, lettered subsections, and corresponding prompts, to ensure responses are complete and can be evaluated consistently. The “A. QUESTIONS:” header does not need to be included verbatim.

Q (No subject): At the bottom of page 54, in the prompt for section II. Cross-System Coordination and Child and Family Team (CFT) Facilitation, under Question A, must we also include the following, second paragraph as the question text in the narrative?: “Child-serving systems may include, but are not limited to, Child Protective Services, Probation, Substance Use Disorder Treatment providers, Medi-Cal Managed Care Plans, education partners, Youth Detention Facilities, and other relevant entities.”

A: Applicants should follow the Narrative Response Instructions and maintain the structure of the Narrative Sections, including all questions or topic areas as written. The referenced paragraph is part of the question and should be included as written in the narrative response.

Q (No subject): ~Under the narrative section III. Family Services, Including Adult Caregiver Services on pages 55-56, you have TWO questions lettered “A.” Is that intentional?

A: The duplicate “A.” labeling in Section III is not intentional and is the result of a formatting issue that may occur when the RFA is downloaded. The formatting appears correctly within OpenGov. Applicants should respond to each question in the order presented and treat each as a separate response item. Including the question content will help evaluators clearly identify which question is being addressed.

Q (Formatting ): In our narrative, can we delete the number of pages and points that appear after each Roman Numeraled section header?

A: Applicants are not required to include the page limits or point values in their narrative responses. Applicants should maintain the Narrative structure, including section headings and the full question or topic area as written. Providing sufficient context (e.g., restating the question) is important to ensure evaluators can clearly identify what is being addressed.

Q (No subject): ~Please confirm you do not need to include in our narrative any RFP text that says, “Your response must describe…”

A: Confirmed, Applicants are not required to include instructional language (e.g., “Your response must describe…”) verbatim in their narrative. As stated in Section 9 – Narrative Response Instructions, B. Structure and Organization, “Applicants are not required to include instructional or scoring language (e.g., ‘Applicant will be rated…’) and inclusion or omission of such language will not be considered in scoring.” Applicants must still state the full question or topic area exactly as written and ensure all components are fully addressed

Q (Conference registration status): Is our agency able to still apply for this grant if we did not attend the conference registration? We are just being informed of this opportunity so did not know about the prior attendance of the registration so please advise!

A: In addition to meeting the minimum qualifications requirements, attendance at the Mandatory Proposers’ Conference is required to submit an application, as outlined in the RFA. The County provided notice of this opportunity through multiple channels, including a provider email distribution list, posting on the Sacramento County Contractors/Bidders webpage, publication in the Sacramento Bee, and various public meetings including the Behavioral Health Commission and the Youth and Family Prevention and Treatment Committee.

Q (AAP families & Eligibility?): Will AAP families be eligible through this contract? And, if so, how will funding be braided or complimentary? (Medi-cal vs AAP funding sources)

A: Youth that need specialty mental health services can be served through our FIT program. Until state regulations change, AAP families will continue to access wraparound programs using their AAP funds in coordination with and approved by their AAP social worker and then contracting directly with a provider and not through our programs.

Q (Service Length ): With the expansion of the umbrella model will services be limited to 18 months, with an External Process Review required at the 18 month mark?

A: As described in the RFA, service duration is not defined by a fixed timeframe. Services are individualized based on medical necessity and ongoing assessment of need. The RFA includes expectations for periodic review and transition planning; however, it does not establish a standard 18-month limit or require a specific External Process Review at that timeframe.

Q (MST When Directed?): The RFA and the conference materials indicate that MST will be provided “when directed by the county.” Will criteria be developed for these referrals? Specifically, how will the county communicate when MST should be provided?

A: As described in the RFA, MST will be implemented as a County-directed EBP. The County will provide direction regarding when MST should be implemented as part of program operations and contract implementation, not at the client level. Once implemented at the program level, client enrollment into MST will be a clinical decision made by the CFT. Applicants are not required to define MST referral criteria as part of this RFA but should demonstrate the ability to implement MST with fidelity and respond to County direction.

Q (Census ): Will there be even a general idea of expected census capacity? We understand from the conference that programs are encouraged to build based on what we can manage, but we’re wondering if there is a baseline census we’ll need to demonstrate in order to show we can serve effectively within the model.

A: The RFA does not necessitate a required minimum or baseline census. Applicants are responsible for proposing a program design that is feasible and aligned with the intensity, fidelity, and service expectations described in the RFA, including the integrated FSPW model. Final capacity will be determined based on information unavailable to us until the point of award including the number of awards and other variables such as geographic locations, ability to quickly scale up operations etc.

Q (Number Of Youth Served): Can County provide the number of youth served by the Wraparound Program in FY 24/25?

A: In FY 2024–2025, the County’s Wraparound programs served 300 unduplicated youth. This information is provided for general reference only and does not establish a required or guaranteed program size under this RFA. Final program capacity, service levels, and funding will be determined through the County’s contracting process.

Q (Caregiver Services ): Will the caregivers receiving services be required to have their own EHR? How will those services be reimbursed? (Medi-cal?)

A: Caregiver services are provided as part of the integrated service model described in the RFA and must be documented in accordance with applicable Medi-Cal and County requirements. When caregivers are the direct recipient of a billable service, providers must establish and maintain appropriate client records and episodes in the EHR consistent with those requirements. As described in Section 4 – Funding and Incentives, reimbursement is based on Medi-Cal fee-for-service for eligible services, with non-Medi-Cal funding available to support coordination, stabilization, and caregiver-related services that are not Medi-Cal reimbursable.

Q (Caregiver Services Outcomes/Tools): For services provided to caregivers, are there specific outcomes/tools that will be required?

A: The RFA does not prescribe specific outcome measures or tools exclusively for caregiver services. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, applicants are expected to “implement outcome monitoring and quality improvement practices” aligned with the integrated service model, including tracking progress toward service goals for youth and caregivers as applicable. Any required outcomes, tools, or reporting expectations will be further defined through the County’s contracting and implementation process

Q (Formatting ): On page 52, Section B, you state: “Applicants are not required to include instructional or scoring language (e.g., “Applicant will be rated…”) and inclusion or omission of such language will not be considered in scoring.” There is no clear definition of “instructional language” and this could be interpreted in different ways, giving some applicants more space to answer questions. (Note: Including all questions as written will already take up two of the 18 page max). An example of the text creating confusion is under section II: "Your response must address both cross-system coordination and facilitation of CFT meetings, including:…” Or under Section III: “Describe your organization’s approach to delivering clinical services to children and youth with high-intensity behavioral health needs.” Can you provide a narrative template including only the words and lines that must appear, without room for misinterpretation?

A: Applicants should follow the Narrative Response Instructions outlined in Section 9 – Narrative Response Instructions, B. Structure and Organization. As stated in that section, applicants must “state the full question or topic area exactly as written prior to each response,” and “are not required to include instructional or scoring language (e.g., ‘Applicant will be rated…’).” Instructional language refers to explanatory or directive text that provides guidance on how to respond (e.g., “Your response must address…” or “Describe your organization’s…”). This language does not need to be repeated verbatim; however, applicants must fully address all components of each question. The County will not provide a narrative template. Applicants are responsible for ensuring their responses are complete, clearly organized, and responsive to all questions within the page limitations.

Q (Page numbering): Can you confirm that the required page numbering is for the narrative section (18 pages) only?

A: Yes. Page numbering applies to the Application Narrative only (18-page limit). As described in Section 9 – Narrative Response Instructions, page limits and formatting requirements apply to the narrative section; attachments and required forms are not included.

Q (Therapy services for WRAP clients): If clients/families are receiving WRAP services under this contract, would we need an additional outpatient mental health contract in order to also provide therapy services?

A: No. As described in Section 3 – Scope of Work, the FSPW model is a single, integrated service model that requires specialty mental health services, High Fidelity Wraparound and potentially Multi-Systemic Therapy under one contract. Therapy services are provided within this model and do not require a separate outpatient contract.

Q (No subject): In the RFP, section 9.3 C. B. regarding tables, charts, and graphics, point 3. requires that "A legible font size is used (minimum 12-point)." Can you clarify whether any legible 12-point font may be used? Or must tables, charts, and graphics use Verdana font only?

A: Any legible font may be used for tables, charts, and graphics, provided it meets the minimum 12-point font size requirement. As described in Section 9.3 – Formatting Requirements, C. Tables, Charts, and Graphics, the requirement is for legibility and minimum font size. The specified font requirement Verdana applies to the narrative text, not to tables, charts, or graphics.

Q (No subject): For caregivers to qualify for the SMHS provided individually/directly to them as part of their own episode of services under FSPW, will the caregiver need to have active Medi-Cal insurance coverage at that time? Or will their services be somehow billed to or linked directly to youth’s Medi-Cal insurance/coverage?

A: Caregivers receiving Specialty Mental Health Services (SMHS) as the direct recipient of services must meet applicable Medi-Cal eligibility requirements for those services to be reimbursed through Medi-Cal. Caregiver services are not billed under the youth’s Medi-Cal coverage. When caregivers receive services as direct clients, services are documented and billed in accordance with Medi-Cal and County requirements.

Q (Caregiver Services): Will caregiver therapy services be required to be provided at all tier levels or all services types e.g. FSP, HFW, other EBPs when clinically appropriate?

A: Caregiver services, including therapy, are provided when clinically appropriate and based on medical necessity, and are not required at all tier levels or across all service types.

Children, Youth, and Family Full Service Partnership Wraparound (FSPW)

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