Request for Proposals to Increase Access to Mental Health Services for Residents Under the Age of 18

Notice to Responders: The City of Kyle, Texas is seeking proposals that can increase access to mental health services and substance use disorders for residents of the City of Kyle and Hays County, Texas that are under the age of 18. This Amendment shall serve as notice that the submittal deadline has been extended from February 2, 2024 at 5 PM to February 16, 2024 at 5 PM. Procedure for submittal shall follow the requirements outlined in the RFP. Request for Proposals The City of Kyle, Texas is seeking proposals that can increase access to mental health services and substance use disorders for residents of the City of Kyle and Hays County, Texas that are under the age of 18. Background In May of 2022, Hays County (“the County”) engaged Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to conduct a Mental Health Needs Assessment to assess the community’s mental health system and provide recommendations to increase the availability of resources to meet the needs of residents within the County. The

assessment identified potential gaps in service and opportunities for improvement across an array of mental health services. In particular, the assessment identified several issues related to children including increased concerns regarding substance abuse and mental health, lack of access to services, lack of resources available to providers and families, and a lack of support in schools. Additional information can be found in the presentation attached to this RFP. Based on these findings, the City of Kyle (“the City”) has determined a great need for increased access to mental health services in the City for residents under the age of 18. As such, the City desires to bridge this gap by partnering with service providers in this field. Proposed Project The City of Kyle is soliciting proposals that aim to increase access to mental health services and substance abuse disorders for residents under the age of 18. Proposals should identify and address the needs of residents under the age of 18 within the community. In coordination with the City, responders must be able to successfully develop a plan to increase access to mental health services for residents under the age of 18 and subsequently implement the plan. The City has identified some funding in the FY 2023-24 budget and Hays County may be willing to financially participate in a partnership depending on the cost and services offered. Potential grant funding is also available depending on the services and approach that is recommended. As such, the proposal submitted should provide a plan on how funding and services could be scaled according to additional funding and partnerships that can be leveraged in the process over time. The City anticipates this program to be created via a cooperation agreement between the City, the County, and the service provider. This RFP is intended for agencies with the necessary capacity and experience to successfully design and implement a plan to increase access to mental health services for residents of the City of Kyle and Hays County that are under the age of 18. This RFP opens January 8, 2024, and all proposals are due no later than February 2, 2024 at 5:00 PM. Qualification Requirements Previous experience providing mental health services to the identified population, including: Providing services to residents under the age of 18; Developing and implementing successful strategies to engage the identified population; and Working with families/caregivers to identify, understand, and address early signs of mental health disorders/behaviors and substance use disorders. Understanding of and experience with the priority population, including: Needs, risk factors, and strengths; Developmental and age-related issues; and Any challenges with engagement. Scoring Criteria Your proposal will be evaluated based on the clarity and detail provided related to each of the following scoring criteria. A maximum of 100 points will be awarded to each proposal and will be used as part of the recommendation process. Agency readiness/capacity (0-15 points) Overall clarity and detail of agency experience with similar and/or related projects Overall clarity and detail of proposed timeline and staff roles/responsibilities Deliverables/measures of success (0-20 points) Overall clarity and detail of proposed project model What will be the deliverables of this contract if successful? How we will measure/demonstrate success? Understanding of Identified Needs and Development of Improvement Plan (0-30 points) Overall demonstratable knowledge of existing community assessments and resources and clear description of how the proposed project avoids duplication and augments services. How will this project expand/augment services and avoid duplication of existing services? What work has your agency done to review available resources and outline gaps/barriers? How will this project meet the goals/recommendations outlined in this RFP and identified in the Hays County Mental Health Needs Assessment? What is the problem or challenge it attempts to solve? What other stakeholders need to be involved in this project in order for it to be successful and how have they been included in its design and will be included in its implementation/evaluation? Budget, Leverage, and Financial Sustainability (0-20 points) Overall clarity and detail of project budget How will proposed expenses and/or services be sustained after the initial City investment? What other funding sources has the agency reviewed, applied for, vetted, etc. Please provide documentation. Coordination/support of Continuum of Care Approach (0-15 points) Overall clarity and detail of proposed project’s connection to a larger continuum of care approach How will this project work with/augment existing publicly-funded services (i.e. insurance reimbursements) and/or why/how is it outside of that system How will you design and implement culturally and linguistically appropriate services for a wide array of local needs? Proposal Format Proposals should include the following information: Cover Letter, signed by the person authorized to bind the firm into an agreement. Complete legal name, address, telephone number, and email address. Statement of Qualifications and Previous Experience Proposed timeline for identifying needs and developing a plan. Proposed budget, partnership proposal, and/or ability to identify grants or other funding sources. Planned Staffing and Organizational Capacity. Any relevant experience collaborating with cities or counties. Provide one (1) original and two (2) copies of the proposal response. Only printed material will be accepted. The pages must be numbered. In addition, an electronic copy shall be submitted via email and sent to jkirkland@cityofkyle.com Three (3) copies must be received by the City of Kyle City Secretary’s Office prior to 5:00 pm on Friday, February 2, 2024. All copies of the proposals must be under sealed cover and plainly marked. One electronic copy shall be provided via email and sent to jkirkland@cityofkyle.com. Proposals shall be delivered or mailed to: City of Kyle Jennifer Kirkland City Secretary 1700 Kohlers Crossing Kyle, TX 78640 Questions Any requests for interpretation should be submitted in writing via email to Jennifer Kirkland at jkirkland@cityofkyle.com As appropriate, interpretations will be summarized in the form of an addendum to the RFP, which will be posted on the City of Kyle website and emailed. Vendors are responsible for making sure they receive all addenda associated with this RFP. The deadline to submit questions is Friday, January 26, 2024 at 5:00 pm. The City reserves the right to waive any minor deviation in proposal responses received when such waiver is in the best interests of the City, and reserves the right to modify any requirements, terms or conditions as outlined in this RFP when such modification(s) is in the best interests of the City. Proposals will be accepted from thoroughly competent, experienced and financially qualified individuals or firms as determined solely by the City of Kyle. Consultants are responsible for the submission of accurate, adequate, and clear descriptions of the information requested. Omissions, vagueness, or inaccurate descriptions or responses shall not be interpreted in favor of the consultant and shall be grounds for rejection. This document is not an offer to contract but is an RFP as defined herein, to satisfy specific user requirements of the City of Kyle. Neither the issuance of the RFP, preparation and submission of response, nor the subsequent receipt and evaluation of any response by the City of Kyle, will commit the City to award a contract to any consultant even if all of the user requirements in the RFP are met. The City may modify these requirements in whole or in part and/or seek additional consultants to submit responses. Only the execution of a written contract will obligate the City in accordance with the terms and conditions contained in such contract. Consultants may be required to make a presentation of their qualifications on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to the Mayor and City Council. Rights to Proposals All proposals, upon submission to the City of Kyle, shall become the City's property for its use as deemed appropriate. By submitting a proposal, the consultant covenants not to make any claim for or have any right to damages because of any misinterpretation or misunderstanding of the specification, or because of any misinformation or lack of information. Nothing contained in this RFP shall create any contractual relationship between the consultant and the City of Kyle. The City accepts no financial responsibility for costs incurred by any consultant in responding to this RFP. The City of Kyle reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and has the right in its sole discretion to accept the proposal it considers the most favorable to the interests of the City of Kyle. In the event that all proposals have been rejected, the City further reserves the right to seek out new proposals when such procedure is deemed reasonable and in the best interest of the City of Kyle. The City of Kyle shall not be liable for any expenses incurred by the applicant including, but not limited to, expenses associated with the preparation of the proposal; any meeting required during the selection process; presentations or interviews; preparation of the cost statement; or final contract negotiations. All responses to the Request for Proposals will become the property of the City of Kyle. The City of Kyle has the following prerogatives with regard to proposals submitted: To adopt any or all parts of a proposal To utilize any or all ideas from proposals submitted To correct any arithmetic errors in any or all proposals submitted To accept or negotiate any modifications to the scope and fee of any proposal following the deadline for receipt of all proposals and prior to contract award To waive any irregularity or any non‐conformity of proposals with this RFP, whether of a technical or substantive nature Agreement for Services The consultant will enter into an Agreement for Services with the City of Kyle based upon the contents of the RFP and the consultant's proposal. The consultant must include with the proposal a description of any exceptions requested to the standard contract. If there are no exceptions requested, a statement to that effect must be included in the proposal. Insurance Requirements Prior to executing an Agreement for Services, the consultant may be required to provide to the City proof of the required insurance and endorsement.