Evaluation of Pierce County’s Sales and Use Tax for Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts

Pierce County seeks to acquire the services of a contractor to assist in the evaluation of the County’s Sales and Use Tax for Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts, particularly regarding the efficiency and effectiveness of the administration of funds to programs receiving funding from the tax.

Background

In 2020, the Pierce County Council passed Ordinance No. 2020-138s, levying a Sales and Use Tax for Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts. The tax provides funding for expanded access to behavioral health services for Pierce County residents.

The ordinance requires that:

“In calendar year 2026, the Performance Audit Committee shall conduct a comprehensive assessment of all services and programs receiving funding from this tax, which the Council may use in its evaluation of whether to extend the sunset date…”

The ordinance established sections in County Code require the Human Services Department to develop a Behavioral Health Improvement Plan (BHIP) to guide effective use of County-directed behavioral health spending and a Behavioral Health Advisory Board to assist in the development of the plan, which was to reflect the Council’s policy goals to:

A. Reduce the number, time, and rate of avoidable behavioral health crises;

B. Ensure broad access to treatment for Pierce County residents in both urban and rural communities, regardless of the type of health insurance coverage or lack thereof;

C. Prioritize services to especially vulnerable populations, particularly youth and veterans;

D. Divert adults and youth with behavioral health needs from costly interventions (e.g., emergency rooms, hospitals, jails, police, EMS, etc.) to more appropriate services;

E. Reduce rates of substance use morbidity and mortality.

F. Reduce rates of suicide and other self-harm;
G. Link, leverage, and align behavioral health programs and services available in the community; and

H. Provide trauma-informed, culturally competent services.

The BHIP was also to include (a) a six-year plan that prioritized, based on cost-effectiveness, expenditure of County directed behavioral health resources, including any resources raised by the Behavioral Health and Therapeutic Courts Tax, with a focus on early intervention, crisis services, and services for justice-involved populations; and (b) relevant performance and outcome measures for identified objects of expenditure.

The latest plan was released in 2024 and includes guidelines for a request for proposal process that targets specific funding priorities. It also states that “Applicants will be asked to propose innovative and efficient programs that meet the identified needs. This allows organizations with expertise to identify solutions rather than the funders prescribing a specific approach. For the2024-2025 biennium, there were 60 applications with over $69 million in requests for approximately $34 million in available funding. There was also over $10,000,000 in allocations made directly.

Parts of the current evaluation required in the legislation are being conducted internally, as noted in the Scope of Work below. This request for proposals project seeks to address gaps in the analysis and provide an understanding of the effectiveness of the structure of the program.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 2026-RFP-075
• Department: Council
• Department Head: Council (.)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-04-10T23:00:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Consultant Information (5 pts) —

  Consultant Information is provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

   

• Qualifications and Experience (35 pts) —

  Qualifications and experience are provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

• Approach to Work (30 pts) —

  Approach to work is provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

• Pricing (20 pts) —

  Pricing is provided in accordance with the submittal requirements.

   

• Accuracy and Completeness of the Proposal (10 pts) —

  Proposals will be evaluated on the following criteria:

  • The proposal has been formatted in accordance with the submittal requirements. 
  • Spelling and grammatical accuracy. 
  • Coherent and logical flow of written responses

Submission Requirements

• Proposer Confirmation (required) —

  As an authorized representative of the proposer, having carefully examined the Request for Proposals, propose to furnish services in accordance therewith as set forth in the attached proposal.

  I further agree that this proposal will remain in effect for not less than sixty (60) calendar days from the date that proposals are due, and that this proposal may not be withdrawn or modified during that time.

  I hereby certify that this proposal is genuine and not a sham or collusive proposal, or made in the interests or on behalf of any person not therein named; and I have not directly or indirectly induced or solicited any Contractor or supplier on the above work to put in a sham proposal or any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal; and that I have not in any manner sought by collusion to secure to myself an advantage over any other contractor(s) or person(s).

  In order to induce the County to consider this proposal, the proposer irrevocably waives any existing rights which it may have, by contract or otherwise, to require another person or corporation to refrain from submitting a proposal to or performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County, and proposer further promises that it will not in the future directly or indirectly induce or solicit any person or corporation to refrain from submitting a bid or proposal to or from performing work or providing supplies to Pierce County.

   

• Please Confirm (required) —

  By submitting a proposal, proposer agrees that all documents, reports, proposals, submittals, working papers, or other materials prepared by the Contractor pursuant to this proposal shall become the sole and exclusive property of the County, and the public domain, and not property of the Contractor. The Contractor shall not copyright, or cause to be copyrighted, any portion of said items submitted to the County because of this solicitation.

• Supplemental Attachment Confirmation (required) —

  I confirm I have reviewed the content of the following attachment included under this RFP; Sample Agreement and acknowledge I understand and agree to these requirements should my organization receive a contract as a result of this proposal.

• Organization Business IDs (required) —

  Please provide the Federal Tax Number (EIN), Washington State Unified Business Identification (UBI) and the *Unique Entity Identifier (UEI).

  *An 'active' UEI number and cage code are required when the funding is federal and creates a subrecipient relationship between the contractor and the County. 

• Ownership Type (required) —

  Must choose at least two (2) answers.

• Proposal (required) —

  Upload Proposal

• Project Description (required) —

  Please provide a brief, one to two paragraph, description of the project.

• Pricing table required? (required)
• General information on Requesting Department. (required) —

  Please provide General Information on your department:

  EXAMPLE:

  The Pierce County Department of Planning and Public Works (PPW) is responsible for serving the transportation and utility needs of the residents of Pierce County. The Department delivers services relating to road design and construction, long range transportation planning, road maintenance and operations, ferry and airport services, sewer systems and wastewater treatment, solid waste and recycling management, public use facilities, land management services and surface water management programs. The Department's website is a valuable resource for information about the many services provided. Please access the website at www.piercecountywa.org/ppw

• Initial contract period: (required) —

  Please enter the initial contract period:

   

  EXAMPLE:

  The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 12 months. The County has the option of renewing for an additional four years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

• Renewal Options (required) —

  Plese enter the renewal options for this project.

  EXAMPLE:

  The initial contract period is anticipated to be for 12 months.The County has the option of renewing for an additional four years after initial contract is executed. The actual schedule will be negotiated with the selected firm based on consultant and agency staff availability and finalized scope of work.

• Do Federal Terms & Conditions Apply to this Project? (required)
• Estimated Contract Value (required)

Questions & Answers