Youth Mental Health Day Treatment

Comprehensive, structured mental health day treatment services to youth with a mental health condition and a history of behaviors that are challenging to manage in a home, school or community setting.

Project Details

• Reference ID: 427005-BEF
• Department: Human Services
• Department Head: John Schlueter (Director)

Important Dates

• Questions Due: 2026-05-13T04:59:00.000Z
• Answers Posted By: 2026-05-20T04:59:00.000Z

Evaluation Criteria

• Program Abstract (10 pts) —
  1. Provide an overview of your proposed Youth Mental Health Day Treatment Program, including the population served, core services, setting/location, and what makes your model effective for youth with complex needs and cross-system involvement.
  2. Describe your organization’s mission and how your approach aligns with Dane County Department of Human Services priorities related to keeping youth safely in the community and reducing out-of-home placement risk.
• Program Strategies and Activities (40 pts) —
  1. Describe the treatment model you propose (structure of the day, intensity, group vs. individual services, family involvement, crisis and safety planning).
  2. Describe how referrals will be accepted, how eligibility/readiness will be assessed and addressed, the expected wait times, and how you will handle discharge planning and step-down supports.
  3. How will your program engage caregivers?  Be sure to describe the frequency of contact, methods utilized, and services offered.
  4. What evidence-based modalities will you use to support the youth served?  Describe how staff are trained in the modality identified, and methods used to ensure fidelity to the model.
  5. Describe how you will manage acute risk (suicidality, aggression, elopement), including same-day response, de-escalation protocols, after-hours coordination, and the role of supervisors/clinical leadership.
  6. What activities, if any, does your agency intend to provide which are not billable to Medicaid or commercial insurance?
  7. Describe how you will coordinate with CPS and Youth Justice social workers and other providers (roles, meeting schedule, shared goals, communication during crises, and engagement with court/conditions when relevant).
  8. Describe how you will monitor and ensure equitable access and outcomes for youth and families across race/ethnicity, disability, language, and gender identity within Dane County (including culturally responsive practices and accessibility).
• Experience and Qualifications (20 pts) —
  1. Provide the length of time you have held certification under DHS 40, and explain how you will maintain ongoing compliance.
  2. Describe your experience delivering mental health day treatment to youth with complex behavioral health needs. Include years of experience and typical census.
  3. Provide proposed staffing roles/FTEs, minimum qualifications, organizational structure, and explain how staff will be trained to deliver the proposed program.
  4. Provide your vacancy coverage plan, and explain how you will prevent service disruption in the event of staff vacancies.
• Quality Improvement (10 pts) —
  1. Describe how you will track and report progress on the RFP performance indicators.
  2. Describe your current quality assurance practices, and provide an example of a recent improvement made to the program which resulted from current quality assurance procedures.
  3. Describe how youth and families can provide feedback or file grievances, and how you use satisfaction/input to improve services. 
• Cost (20 pts) —

  Points for cost will be awarded using a relative formula. The proposal with the lowest cost will receive the maximum number of points available for this section. All other proposals will receive a proportion of the cost points according to the following calculation:

  (Lowest Proposed Cost ÷ Respondent’s Proposed Cost) × Maximum Cost Points Available = Score

  In plain language: the lowest-cost proposal earns all available points. Other proposals earn fewer points based on how their cost compares to the lowest. For example, if your proposal costs twice as much as the lowest proposal, you would receive about half of the cost points.

  Please note: for purposes of scoring the pricing for specialized services for women, DCDHS will allocate 80% of the cost score for treatment/supplementary services and 20% for childcare.

• Local Vendor Preference (5 pts) —

  Per Dane County ordinance, a local Dane County vendor automatically receives five (5) points toward the evaluation score.

  Vendors located within the counties adjacent to Dane County (Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, or Sauk) automatically receive two (2) points toward the evaluation score.

  Locally Operated Vendor means a supplier or provider of equipment, materials, supplies, or services which has an established place of business within Dane County and whose business is registered and authorized to do business in the State of Wisconsin. An established place of business means a physical office, plant, or other facility. A post office box address does not qualify a vendor as a Locally Operated Vendor. Dane County Ordinance 25.04(5)

Submission Requirements

• Program Abstract (up to 10 points)
• Program Overview (required) —

  Provide an overview of your proposed Youth Mental Health Day Treatment Program, including the population served, core services, setting/location, and what makes your model effective for youth with complex needs and cross-system involvement. 

• Provider Mission Alignment (required) —

  Describe your organization’s mission and how your approach aligns with Dane County Department of Human Services priorities related to keeping youth safely in the community and reducing out-of-home placement risk.

• Program Strategies and Activities (up to 40 points)
• Treatment Model (required) —

  Describe the treatment model you propose (structure of the day, intensity, group vs. individual services, family involvement, crisis and safety planning).

• Referrals, eligibility, wait times, and discharge (required) —

  Describe how referrals will be accepted, how eligibility/readiness will be assessed and addressed, the expected wait times, and how you will handle discharge planning and step-down supports.

• Caregiver engagement (required) —

  How will your program engage caregivers?  Be sure to describe the frequency of contact, methods utilized, and services offered.

• Evidence-based modalities (required) —

  What evidence-based modalities will you use to support the youth served?  Describe how staff are trained in the modality identified, and methods used to ensure fidelity to the model.

• Acute Risk Management (required) —

  Describe how you will manage acute risk (suicidality, aggression, elopement), including same-day response, de-escalation protocols, after-hours coordination, and the role of supervisors/clinical leadership.

• Activities not billed to Medicaid/Insurance (required) —

  What activities, if any, does your agency intend to provide which are not billable to Medicaid or commercial insurance? If none, please write "N/A" or "None".

• Coordination (required) —

  Describe how you will coordinate with CPS and Youth Justice social workers and other providers (roles, meeting schedule, shared goals, communication during crises, and engagement with court/conditions when relevant).

• Cultural Responsiveness and Accessibility (required) —

  Describe how you will monitor and ensure equitable access and outcomes for youth and families across race/ethnicity, disability, language, and gender identity within Dane County (including culturally responsive practices and accessibility).

• Experience and Qualifications (up to 20 points)
• Certification under DHS 40 (required) —

  Provide the length of time you have held certification under DHS 40, and explain how you will maintain ongoing compliance.

• Experience with Youth (required) —

  Describe your experience delivering mental health day treatment to youth with complex behavioral health needs. Include years of experience and typical census.

• Staffing Model (required) —

  Provide proposed staffing roles/FTEs, minimum qualifications, organizational structure, and explain how staff will be trained to deliver the proposed program.

• Vacancy plan (required) —

  Provide your vacancy coverage plan, and explain how you will prevent service disruption in the event of staff vacancies.

• Quality Improvement (up to 10 points)
• Tracking and Reporting (required) —

  Describe how you will track and report progress on the RFP performance indicators.

• Quality Assurance (required) —

  Describe your current quality assurance practices, and provide an example of a recent improvement made to the program which resulted from current quality assurance procedures.

• Client feedback/grievances (required) —

  Describe how youth and families can provide feedback or file grievances, and how you use satisfaction/input to improve services.

• Cost (up to 20 points) —

  Points for cost will be awarded using a relative formula. Please enter your agency's proposed number of beds in the pricing proposal section of this application, along with the associated daily rate.
  
  The response with the lowest cost will receive the maximum number of points available for this section. All other proposals will receive a proportion of the cost points according to the following calculation:

  (Lowest Proposed Cost ÷ Respondent’s Proposed Cost) × Maximum Cost Points Available = Score

• Budget Backup (required) —

  Please download the below documents, complete, and upload.

• LOCAL VENDOR PREFERENCE (up to 5 points)
• Local Vendor Preference (required) —

  Select a Local Vendor Preference:

  Vendors located within Dane County automatically receive five points toward the evaluation score.

  Vendors located within the counties adjacent to Dane County (Columbia, Dodge, Green, Iowa, Jefferson, Rock, Sauk) automatically receive two points toward the evaluation score.

  Vendors located outside of Dane County of the 7 counties adjacent to Dane County would choose "No Preference".

  NOTE: A post office box address does not qualify as an established place of business.

• VENDOR INFORMATION —

  Please answer the following questions completely. This section of your agency's response is not scored.

• W9 Upload (required) —

  Upload your company's W9 form.

  NOTE: The W9 is required to be signed within the past 12 months

• Agency UEI number:
• Registration with Wisconsin DFI (required) —

  At the time of contracting with the Department of Human Services, agencies must be registered entities in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

  Please check this box to indicate that your agency is registered or will be registered in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions. 

• Please explain. (required) —

  You've indicated that your agency is not and will not be registered with Wisconsin DFI. At the time of contracting with the Department of Human Services, agencies must be registered entities in good standing with the Wisconsin Department of Financial Institutions.

• Fair Labor Practice Certification (required) —

  Has your company been found by the National Labor Relations Board ("NLRB") or the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission ("WERC") to have violated any statute or regulation regarding labor standards or relations in the seven years prior to the date this bid submission is signed?
  
  If yesis answered, a copy of any relevant information regarding such violation is required to be uploaded with your bid submission.
  

  Additional information about the NLRB and WERC can be found using the following links:
  www.nlrb.gov and http://werc.wi.gov.

• Cooperative Purchasing (required) —

  Reference Guidelines - Section F.

  Does your company agree to furnish the commodities or services of this bid to municipalities and state agencies?

• Designation of Confidential and Proprietary Information (required) —

  Please specify what information you wish to designate as confidential and proprietary. Please identify section/ pages/ topic /documents, etc.

  NOTE: Pricing sections cannot be designated as confidential and proprietary.

  If nothing will be designated, simply type "None" in the section below.

• RFP ADDENDA
• I understand that if any addendum is issued I will have to acknowledge the posted addendum. (required)
• If an addendum is posted after I have submitted my proposal response and the resulting addendum requires action to be taken either in the Specification Section or Pricing Section, I understand that: (required) —

  1. I will have to unsubmit my proposal response.

  2. I will have to acknowledge the posted addendum.

  3. I will have to take action in responding to the changes on either the Specification Section or Pricing Section.

  4. I will then have to resubmit my proposal response.

  Further instructions on addendum(a) postings can be found here.

• SIGNATURE DECLARATION
• Solicitation Response Declaration (required) —

  In submitting and confirming this solicitation response, we certify that we have not, either directly or indirectly, entered into any agreement or participated in any collusion or otherwise taken any action in restraint of free competition; that no attempt has been made to induce any other person or firm to submit or not to submit a solicitation response; that this solicitation response has been independently arrived at without collusion with any other vendor competitor or potential competitor; that this solicitation response has not been knowingly disclosed prior to the opening of bids to any other vendor or competitor; that the above statement is accurate under penalty of perjury.

  Further, by submitting this solicitation response, firm agrees with all the terms, conditions, and specifications required by the County in this solicitation and declares that the corresponding solicitation response and pricing are in conformity therewith.

  I have read and understood the entire document.

  I declare under penalty of false swearing under the law of Wisconsin that the foregoing is true and correct.

• Signed on: (required) —

  Write in month, day, year and city/state in which the submission occurred.

  Example: June 27, 2025 in Madison, WI

• Electronically signed by: (required) —

  Provide First Name, Last Name and Title

• Project Description (required) —

  Please provide a brief description of the intended purchase.

• Pricing table required? (required) —

  Always select "Yes" unless this is a Highway WisDot Design Project

• External Pricing Document? (required) —

  Is an external pricing document being used?