Active SLED Opportunity · MICHIGAN · DETROIT WAYNE INTEGRATED HEALTH NETWORK
AI Summary
Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network seeks qualified providers for outpatient Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) mental health services through an RFQ. Submission deadline is July 30, 2026.
Through this Request for Qualifications (RFQ), Detroit Wayne Integrated Health Network (DWIHN) invites qualified not-for-profit and for-profit entities who meet the qualifications and specifications set forth herein to submit responses for consideration and placement on a Qualified List of Providers to deliver Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) treatment services for... **Solicitation Type**: RFQ - Request for Qualifications (Informal) **Source ID**: PU.AG.USA.2244.C16126501 **Piggyback Contract**: No **Question Acceptance Deadline**: 07/16/2026 02:00 PM EDT **Questions are submitted online**: Yes **Bid Submission Type**: Electronic Bid Submission **Additional Bidding Instructions**: Scan and upload the Response Form and Appendix A - Rate Acceptance Sheet seperately. Scan and upload Proposal Response, and all other required documents and forms. ... **Owner Organization**: DWIHN **Solicitation Number**: 2026-007 **Reference Number**: 0000430032 **Pricing**: In attached document **Bid Documents List**: | Item Name | Description | Mandatory | Limited to 1 file | |---|---|---|---| | Respone Form | Signed Response Form, with all addendums noted on Page 1 of form | Yes | No | | Terms & Conditions | Signed and Dated Terms & Conditions Form | Yes | No | | Reference Form | Completed Reference Forms | Yes | No | | Business Information Form | Completed Business Information Form | Yes | No | | Ethics in Contracting Vendor Form | Completed Ethics in Contracting Vendor Form | Yes | No | | First-Tier Subcontractor Form | Completed First-Tier Subcontractor Form | Yes | No | | W-9 | Current and signed W-9 Form | Yes | No | | DWIHN Vendor Form (EFT) | Completed DWIHN Vendor Form (EFT) with Bank Letter and/or Cancelled Check | Yes | No | | Debarment Form | Completed Debarment Form | Yes | No | | Rate Acceptance Form | Signed and Acknowledged Rate Acceptance Form | Yes | No | | Detailed Response | Detailed Response to the Proposal | Yes | No | **Questions and Answers**: | Question | Answer | |---|---| | As a newly established ABA provider without an independent organizational service history, may the references requested in Section 3(A)(3) consist of professional organizational references who can verify the experience and quality of care provided by our key personnel, or is DWIHN specifically requesting references from past families served, possibly when key personnel were at other agencies? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | The RFQ requests two distinct sets of references, and we would appreciate clarification on the first. Section 3.A.4 requests three letters of clinical or professional reference for serving the Medicaid population with ABA, which we understand and have prepared. Section 3.A.3, however, requests three references "for ABA services" using the Reference Form on page 25, which asks for the name of establishment, address, dates of service, contact, and annual volume/contract amount. Because our ABA services are delivered directly to individual children and their families rather than to "establishments," we want to be certain we provide what is intended. Could you clarify what type of reference is expected on the Reference Form - for example, a contracting entity or payer (PIHP/CMHSP/MCO) we have served, a referral source such as a physician or school district, or a partner organization - and how this reference is meant to differ from the clinical/professional reference letters requested in Section 3.A.4? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | The minimum qualification requires the respondent to be an ABA provider "within or around Wayne County," and Attachment A references "current and/or potential service location(s)." We are actively planning to expand into the DWIHN service area regardless of this solicitation and are in the process of securing a location, but have not yet opened an operating center. Could you confirm whether a signed letter of intent (LOI) for a location in or around Wayne County satisfies this requirement, or whether a signed lease or an open, operating center is required? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | What is the anticipated geographic service area for outpatient ABA services under this RFQ (e.g., all of Wayne County, specific ZIP codes, specific catchment areas)? What is the expected member volume or caseload DWIHN anticipates awarding under this RFQ? Are providers required to offer services at a fixed physical location, or are telehealth/in-home ABA services acceptable? Is there a minimum staffing requirement (e.g., number of BCBAs, RBTs) to be eligible to respond? Does this RFQ cover only ABA services, or may respondents also propose complementary services (e.g., speech therapy) as part of an integrated service package? What licensure/certification documentation must be submitted with the proposal (e.g., BCBA certification, state licensure, agency accreditation)? Is prior DWIHN network provider status required, or may new providers apply directly through this RFQ? What is the anticipated contract term and are renewal options available? Will reimbursement be fee-for-service, capitated, or another payment model? Is this a single-award or multiple-award solicitation? Is there a required proposal template or forms package, and where can it be found within the BidNet posting? Are there page limits or specific formatting requirements for the technical proposal? Is a pre-proposal conference or site visit planned, and if so, is attendance mandatory? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(A)(3) requires respondents to provide at least three references for ABA services and directs respondents to use the Reference Form on Page 25. Please confirm whether completing the Reference Form is sufficient to satisfy this requirement or whether respondents must also attach a separate letter from each reference listed on the form. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Please clarify who may serve as an acceptable reference for the required ABA Reference Form. May references include: Families or guardians who received ABA services; PIHP or CMHSP representatives; School representatives; Collaborating clinicians or healthcare professionals; Contracting organizations; Current or former employees or contractors; or Other individuals with direct knowledge of the respondent’s ABA services? Must references listed on the required Reference Form be external to and independent of the respondent organization? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(A)(3) requires at least three references for ABA services, while Section 3(A)(4) separately requests three letters of clinical or professional reference and states that those letters are used for Preferred Qualification scoring. Please confirm that: The ABA references submitted on the Reference Form are mandatory. These are the references identified as mandatory under Item 17 of Attachment B. The three clinical or professional reference letters requested under Section 3(A)(4) are a preferred qualification used for additional scoring and are not required for a response to be considered responsive. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Because Section 3(A)(3) requires respondents to provide “at least” three references, may a respondent submit more than three ABA references? May a respondent also submit more than three clinical or professional reference letters? When more than three references or letters are submitted, will DWIHN review and consider all qualifying submissions, or will only three be evaluated? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | May the same individuals or organizations listed on the required ABA Reference Form also provide the clinical or professional reference letters requested under Section 3(A)(4)? Alternatively, must respondents use separate contacts for the required Reference Form and the preferred clinical or professional reference letters? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | For the clinical or professional reference letters, please clarify who qualifies as an acceptable clinical or professional reference. Specifically: Must the writer be external to and independent of the respondent? May a current employee or contractor provide a letter? May a former employee or contractor provide a letter? May the writer be a licensed clinician, supervising professional, treatment partner, school representative, healthcare professional, PIHP or CMHSP representative, or representative of a contracting organization? Are former families, guardians, clients, or other recipients of services excluded from the clinical or professional reference-letter category? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Please identify the minimum information that must be included in each clinical or professional reference letter for it to receive Preferred Qualification consideration. Would a letter satisfy the preferred qualification if it: Identifies the writer’s title, credentials, organization, and relationship with the respondent; Describes the writer’s knowledge of the respondent’s ABA or related clinical services; Addresses the respondent’s clinical performance, professionalism, quality of care, and customer service; and Recommends the respondent to provide ABA treatment to Medicaid beneficiaries? Must the letter also specifically identify or document: Medicaid-funded ABA services previously provided; The dates during which services were provided; The population served; The number of individuals served; The writer’s direct observation of ABA treatment; or The specific Medicaid payer, PIHP, or CMHSP involved? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Must the writer’s title, credentials, organization, and professional relationship with the respondent be stated within the reference letter itself? Alternatively, may the respondent provide this information in a separate reference summary submitted with the letters? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(A)(4) requests clinical or professional reference letters demonstrating experience “serving the Medicaid population with Applied Behavior Analysis Treatment.” Please clarify what qualifies for this preferred qualification. Must the individual have been enrolled in Medicaid, must Medicaid have reimbursed the specific service, and must the respondent have billed Medicaid directly? Or may qualifying experience include ABA-related services provided to a Medicaid-enrolled individual when the service was funded by commercial insurance, private pay, or provided pro bono? Would the following qualify: ABA treatment or behavioral consultation for a Medicaid waiver beneficiary over age 21 who privately paid because the Medicaid Autism Benefit did not apply; ABA services for a Medicaid-enrolled individual with commercial insurance as primary and Medicaid as secondary; Behavioral consultation, family/caregiver training, clinical supervision, behavioral assessments, treatment-plan development or review, or coordination with another ABA provider; Third-party ABA consultation for an individual receiving Medicaid-funded ABA from another organization; or Pro bono ABA-related services for a Medicaid-enrolled individual? For each category, please clarify whether it may be used on the mandatory ABA Reference Form under Section 3(A)(3), in the preferred reference letters under Section 3(A)(4), or only as supplemental evidence of general ABA experience. If these categories qualify, should the reference identify the person’s Medicaid status, funding source, dates of service, type of service, whether the work involved direct treatment or consultation, and the respondent’s clinical role? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Please clarify whether qualifying experience under Sections 3(A)(3) and 3(A)(4) is limited to direct one-to-one ABA treatment or whether the following ABA-related services may also qualify: Behavioral consultation; Family and caregiver training; Clinical supervision of ABA services; Behavioral assessments; Functional behavior assessments; Treatment-plan development, review, or modification; Coordination with an individual’s primary ABA provider; Third-party clinical consultation; Pro bono ABA-related services; and Privately paid ABA-related services provided to Medicaid-enrolled individuals. If these services qualify, must the reference clearly distinguish between direct ABA treatment and other services such as consultation, assessment, supervision, caregiver training, or treatment-plan support? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(A)(14) requires respondents to demonstrate the ability to serve at least fifty Medicaid beneficiaries “upon contract award,” while also allowing current capacity levels and/or a detailed plan to achieve the required capacity. Section 3(A)(9) requests the number of staff currently employed and/or to be hired to support expansion. Please clarify whether respondents must have all BCBAs, BCaBAs, RBTs, and BTs hired and ready to begin serving fifty DWIHN beneficiaries immediately upon contract award, before the number and timing of referrals are known. Alternatively, may a respondent demonstrate the operational ability to accept and sustain at least fifty active DWIHN beneficiaries through a detailed expansion plan in which additional staff are hired and onboarded as referrals and authorizations are received? If a phased expansion plan is acceptable, may supporting evidence include current staffing and immediate capacity, interested or contingent personnel, projected positions to be hired, recruitment and compensation strategy, onboarding and credentialing timelines, BCBA supervision capacity, staffing ratios, referral-based hiring triggers, and administrative and technology readiness? Please clarify whether “upon contract award” requires fifty immediately staffed openings or a feasible, documented ability to build and maintain capacity for at least fifty beneficiaries as DWIHN referrals are received. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Please clarify the process by which a provider placed on the Qualified List may subsequently receive a DWIHN ABA contract. Will DWIHN select providers for contract awards immediately following the RFQ evaluation, or will providers remain on the Qualified List until DWIHN identifies a future network, geographic, capacity, or member-access need? If a DWIHN member or family requests an ABA provider that is on the Qualified List but does not yet have an executed ABA contract, may that request initiate DWIHN’s contracting and credentialing process with the provider, or must the provider already hold an executed ABA contract before it may be selected by or offered to members? Please also clarify whether respondents will receive separate notices regarding: Placement on the Qualified List; Selection for a contract award; Completion of credentialing; and Authorization to begin accepting DWIHN ABA referrals. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | The Preferred Qualifications section references receipt of Practical Functional Assessment and Skill-Based Treatment training or an equivalent intervention. Is completion of a formal certificate program required? Alternatively, may key personnel demonstrate this qualification through documented graduate-level education and supervised unrestricted BCBA fieldwork, including review of PFA/SBT research, written comprehensive analyses, competency-based assignments, supervision records, and an attestation from the supervising BCBA or instructor? If acceptable, please clarify the documentation DWIHN would like respondents to provide. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | The Preferred Qualifications section awards consideration when the respondent or subcontractor has one or more service locations within Wayne County and requests verification through Google Maps, MapQuest, or similar documentation. Please clarify how an exclusively or primarily in-home and community-based ABA provider may demonstrate this preferred qualification. Does “service location” require a fixed clinic or office address within Wayne County, or may a respondent identify its Wayne County in-home service area, administrative base, staff hub, or proposed future location? If the respondent does not maintain a clinic but provides services throughout Wayne County in members’ homes and community settings, what documentation should be submitted? Respondents would not identify individual member residences due to privacy and confidentiality requirements. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(A)(6) asks respondents that are directly contracted for ABA services with another Michigan PIHP/CMHSP to list those contracts and initiation dates. Please clarify whether holding a current or prior direct PIHP/CMHSP ABA contract is required for eligibility or scoring, or whether this information is requested for informational purposes only. If a respondent does not currently hold a direct PIHP/CMHSP ABA contract, may it demonstrate relevant experience serving Medicaid-enrolled individuals and waiver beneficiaries through other arrangements, including: ABA services funded through commercial insurance when Medicaid is secondary; Privately funded ABA treatment or behavioral consultation for an adult waiver beneficiary who is no longer eligible for the under-21 Medicaid Autism Benefit; Pro bono ABA-related services; Behavioral consultation; Family and caregiver ABA training; Behavioral assessments and treatment-plan reviews; IEP or school-based behavioral reviews; and Third-party consultation for individuals receiving Medicaid-funded services through another provider? Please clarify whether these arrangements may be considered evidence of ABA and Medicaid-population experience when the individual is enrolled in Medicaid or receives services through a Medicaid waiver, including the Children’s Waiver, SED Waiver, or an adult waiver, even though the respondent was not directly referred or reimbursed by the PIHP/CMHSP. If so, should this experience be included in the organizational experience narrative and references rather than identified as a direct PIHP/CMHSP contract? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(A)(6) asks respondents to identify direct ABA contracts with Michigan PIHPs or CMHSPs. Please clarify whether respondents may also present current contracts and service history involving other Medicaid-funded services as evidence of organizational capability, even when those contracts are not specifically for ABA. For example, may a respondent describe its experience providing other therapy services through DWIHN and other Michigan PIHP/CMHSP systems to demonstrate: Familiarity with Medicaid and waiver-service requirements; Experience serving Medicaid-enrolled individuals and waiver beneficiaries; Compliance with PIHP/CMHSP contracting, credentialing, and provider requirements; Person-centered planning and coordination with case managers, supports coordinators, families, and other providers; Medicaid authorization, documentation, billing, compliance, and audit-readiness processes; Quality-improvement, clinical oversight, and staff-monitoring systems; and Organizational infrastructure supporting service delivery across multiple Michigan counties? Should this experience be included in the Organization and Staffing, Experience and Qualifications narrative and considered during evaluation, provided the respondent clearly distinguishes its non-ABA Medicaid-funded contracts from its ABA-specific experience? Please also clarify whether satisfactory performance under an existing DWIHN contract for another service array may be submitted as evidence of the respondent’s organizational readiness, compliance history, and ability to meet DWIHN requirements for ABA services. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Section 3(E)(2) provides different timeline requirements for non-currently contracted respondents and currently contracted respondents. Please clarify which requirement applies to an organization that currently holds a DWIHN contract for another service array but does not currently hold a DWIHN ABA contract. Should the respondent submit a timeline for onboarding staff and beginning ABA services as a non-currently contracted ABA provider, or a timeline for expanding services as an existing DWIHN-contracted organization? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | The RFQ recognizes in-home ABA service delivery and asks respondents to identify service locations, service settings, geographic coverage, and facility resources. Please clarify what information and supporting documentation DWIHN expects from a respondent that provides ABA exclusively or primarily in members’ homes and community settings and does not operate a dedicated ABA clinic. Specifically: For the request to “list all locations,” should an in-home provider list its administrative office, its Wayne County geographic service area, or both? Should the respondent submit a service-area map showing the Wayne County communities or ZIP codes it intends to serve? How should an in-home provider address the request for “facility resources” when treatment will occur in members’ homes and appropriate community settings? May the respondent describe its administrative infrastructure, electronic health record, mobile clinical resources, staff workspaces, assessment and treatment materials, transportation capacity, telehealth capabilities, and access to community-based locations? What verification should be submitted for proposed in-home and community-based coverage? Individual member residences would not be listed as organizational service locations due to privacy and confidentiality requirements. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | My name is Elise Hester, BCBA, and I am the owner of Paper Lantern Therapies, LLC, a provider of in-home Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) services. Our practice is built on child-led, affirming, relationship-based care that prioritizes each child's strengths, autonomy, and meaningful family collaboration. As a growing organization, we are actively hiring clinicians as we onboard new clients. We are currently fully staffed to support the counties we serve; however, to expand services into Wayne County, our hiring plan would be driven by contract growth and client demand. I wanted to ask whether this model aligns with Wayne County's expectations. Is the county open to partnering with providers who build staffing in response to awarded contracts, or is preference given only to organizations that are already fully staffed within Wayne County prior to contracting? | Answered in Addendum 1 | | The Preferred Qualifications section references annual Safety-Care® Crisis Prevention Training or equivalent safety training. Please clarify whether a documented, trauma-informed, hands-off crisis-prevention and de-escalation program may qualify as equivalent training for preferred-qualification scoring. Some providers use a least-restrictive clinical model emphasizing prevention, identification of escalation, environmental modification, functional communication, reinforcement-based intervention, de-escalation, individual dignity, and staff and member safety rather than restraint or routine physical-management procedures. Does equivalent training need to include physical-management or restraint competencies, or may a provider satisfy this preferred qualification through documented annual training focused on trauma-informed, hands-off crisis prevention and de-escalation? Would a respondent lose preferred-qualification points solely because its clinical policies and staff training do not include restraint or physical-management procedures? Please identify the specific competencies and documentation DWIHN expects, such as training certificates, course descriptions, annual completion records, crisis-prevention policies, staff competency assessments, and an explanation of the provider’s clinical approach to managing challenging behavior. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Attachment A requires documentation verifying that the respondent currently operates as an ABA provider within or around Wayne County and identifies current or potential service locations and maps as examples. Please clarify what documentation DWIHN will accept from a provider that primarily delivers ABA services in members’ homes and community settings and does not maintain a dedicated ABA clinic. May acceptable documentation include: A narrative describing current ABA operations and the service-delivery model; An administrative office address and map; A map showing the provider’s Wayne County service area without identifying member residences; Aggregate, de-identified information regarding individuals currently or previously served; Current staffing information, licenses, certifications, and an organizational chart; ABA policies, service descriptions, marketing materials, or website information; Redacted agreements, invoices, or service documentation; and Professional or organizational references verifying ABA operations? Please confirm that respondents are not expected to disclose member names, residential addresses, Medicaid identification numbers, clinical records, or other protected health information to satisfy this requirement. If documentation related to individual services is required, please identify the information that must remain visible, what may be redacted, and whether DWIHN provides a secure submission method. | Answered in Addendum 1 | | Hi I was wondering if I can get a copy of the site visit and the credentialing process. Thank you | Answered in Addendum 1 | **Addendums**: | Addendum | Date | Note | |---|---|---| | Addendum No. 1 | 07/29/2026 05:04 PM EDT | | **Communications**: - Communication No.2: Notice of Upcoming Addendum and Extension of Response Deadline — Communication # 2.docx - Communication No.1: Clarification Regarding the Question & Answer Process and RFQ Timeline – RFQ 2026-007 Outpatient Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services — Communication # 1.pdf
SLED stands for State, Local, and Education. These are solicitations issued by state governments, counties, cities, school districts, utilities, and higher education institutions — as opposed to federal agencies.
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