Fixed Price Bid
Amendment - 1 / Solicitation Number
Date Printed
Date Issued
Procurement Officer
Phone
E-Mail Address / B0069-08-JW
February 19, 2008
February 19, 2008
Janet K. Watkins
(803) 898-8481
DESCRIPTION: Community Based Alternatives to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities
The Term "Offer" Means Your "Bid" or "Proposal".
SUBMIT OFFER BY (Opening Date/Time): 02/28/2008 @ 3:15 PMSee "Deadline For Submission of Offer" provision
QUESTIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY:See "Questions From Offerors" provision
NUMBER OF COPIES TO BE SUBMITTED: One (1) original and five (5) copies.
***Offers must be submitted in a sealed package. Solicitation Number & Opening Date must appear on package exterior.***
SUBMIT YOUR SEALED OFFER TO EITHER OF THE FOLLOWING ADDRESSES:
MAILING ADDRESS: / PHYSICAL ADDRESS:South Carolina Department of Mental Health
Procurement Office
P.O. Box 485
Columbia, SC29202 / South Carolina Department Mental Health
Procurement Office
2414 Bull Street, Suite 201
Columbia, SC29201
See "Submitting Your Offer" provision
CONFERENCE TYPE: NONE SCHEDULEDDATE & TIME:
As appropriate, see "Conferences - Pre-Bid/Proposal" & "Site Visit" provisions / LOCATION: N/A
AWARD & AMENDMENTS / Award will be posted at the Physical Address stated above on 03/07/2008. The award, this solicitation, and any amendments will be posted at the following web address: .
You must submit a signed copy of this form with Your Offer. By submitting a bid or proposal, You agree to be bound by the terms of the Solicitation. You agree to hold Your Offer open for a minimum of thirty (30) calendar days after the Opening Date.
NAME OF OFFEROR (Full legal name of business submitting the offer) / OFFEROR'S TYPE OF ENTITY:
(Check one)
Sole Proprietorship
Partnership
Corporation (tax-exempt)
Corporate entity (not tax-exempt)
Government entity (federal, state,
or local)
Other ______
(See "Signing Your Offer" provision.)
AUTHORIZED SIGNATURE
(Person signing must be authorized to submit binding offer to enter contract on behalf of Offeror named above.)
TITLE (Business title of person signing above)
PRINTED NAME (Printed name of person signing above) / DATE SIGNED
Instructions regarding Offeror's name: Any award issued will be issued to, and the contract will be formed with, the entity identified as the offeror above. An offer may be submitted by only one legal entity. The entity named as the offeror must be a single and distinct legal entity. Do not use the name of a branch office or a division of a larger entity if the branch or division is not a separate legal entity, i.e., a separate corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, etc.
STATE OF INCORPORATION (If offeror is a corporation, identify the state of Incorporation.)
TAXPAYER IDENTIFICATION NO.
(See "Taxpayer Identification Number" provision) / STATE VENDOR NO.
(Register to Obtain S.C. Vendor No. at
COVER PAGE SCDMH (AUG. 2007)
PAGE TWO
(Return Page Two with Your Offer)
HOME OFFICE ADDRESS (Address for offeror's home office / principal place of business) / NOTICE ADDRESS (Address to which all procurement and contract related notices should be sent.)(See "Notice" clause)Area Code / Number / Extension / Facsimile
E-mail Address
PAYMENT ADDRESS (Address to which payments will be sent.) (See "Payment" clause) / ORDER ADDRESS(Address to which purchase orders will be sent) (See "Purchase Orders” and "Contract Documents" clauses)
Payment Address same as Home Office Address
Payment Address same as Notice Address (check only one) / Order Address same as Home Office Address
Order Address same as Notice Address(check only one)
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF AMENDMENTS
Offerors acknowledges receipt of amendments by indicating amendment number and its date of issue.
See "Amendments to Solicitation" Provision / Amendment No. / Amendment Issue Date / Amendment No. / Amendment Issue Date / Amendment No. / Amendment Issue Date / Amendment No. / Amendment Issue Date
DISCOUNT FOR PROMPT PAYMENT
See "Discount for Prompt Payment" clause / 10 Calendar Days (%) / 20 Calendar Days (%) / 30 Calendar Days (%) / _____Calendar Days (%)
PREFERENCES – SC RESIDENT VENDOR PREFERENCE (June 2005): Section 11-35-1524 provides a preference for offerors that qualify as a resident vendor. A resident vendor is an offeror that (a) is authorized to transact business within South Carolina, (b) maintains an office* in South Carolina, (c) either (1) maintains a minimum $10,000.00 representative inventory at the time of the solicitation, or (2) is a manufacturer which is headquartered and has at least a ten million dollar payroll in South Carolina, and the product is made or processed from raw materials into a finished end-product by such manufacturer or an affiliate (as defined in section 1563 of the Internal Revenue Code) of such manufacturer, and (d) has paid all assessed taxes. If applicable, preference will be applied as required by law. / OFFERORS REQUESTING THIS PREFERENCE MUST INITIAL HERE. ______.
*ADDRESS AND PHONE OF IN-STATE OFFICE
In-State Office Address same as Home Office Address
In-State Office Address same as Notice Address
(check only one)
PREFERENCES – SC/US END-PRODUCT (June 2005): Section 11-35-1524 provides a preference to vendors offering South Carolina end-products or US end-products, if those products are made, manufactured, or grown in SC or the US, respectively. An end-product is the item identified for acquisition in this solicitation, including all component parts in final form and ready for the use intended. The terms “made,” “manufactured,” and “grown” are defined by Section 11-35-1524(B). By signing your offer and checking the appropriate space(s) provided and identified on the bid schedule, offeror certifies that the end-product(s) is either made, manufactured or grown in South Carolina, or other states of the United States, as applicable. Preference will be applied as required by law. / IF THIS PREFERENCE APPLIES TO THIS PROCUREMENT, PART VIII (BIDDING SCHEDULE) WILL INCLUDE A PLACE TO CLAIM THE PREFERENCE.
OFFERORS REQUESTING THIS PREFERENCE MUST CHECK THE APPROPRIATE SPACES ON THE BIDDING SCHEDULE.
PAGE TWO (AUG. 2007)End of Page Two
NOTICE
AMENDMENT NO. 1
Solicitation #B0069-08-JW
Community Based Alternatives to Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities
The Fixed Price Bid Solicitation No. B0069-08-JW is hereby amended to incorporate the following:
Modifications
- The bid opening date has been changed and the award posting date:
New Opening Date: February 28, 2008 at 3:15 p.m.
New Award Date: March 7, 2008
- Part III, Scope of Work/Specifications, Service Plan Development on page 12, add the following item #10:
10.Each qualified provider participating in the plan of care team may be eligible for reimbursement for this service.
RESPONSES TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED
1.Could you please tell us what additional counties were included in the waiver in Year 2 and if you know already what counties will be included in Years 3 and 4?
RESPONSE:
The counties have not been determined for successive years of the Waiver.
2.Could you please tell us how many of the waiver slots are filled right now?
RESPONSE:
None, there will be 50 slots in year one.
- Could you please tell us the average length of time that an individual remains on a waiver?
RESPONSE:
Level of Care (LOC) re-assessments will be conducted annually. If the participant continues to meet the LOC and all financial requirements, they may remain in the waiver.
4.Would it be possible for SCDMH to provide us with some data regarding the quantities and types of services provided under the waiver during its first year of existence?
RESPONSE:
The data for each year will be collected by the grant evaluator and available upon request.
5.Could you please tell us how frequently CALOCUS training is provided by SCDMH to private providers so that we can project an implementation timeline should we be approved as a provider?
RESPONSE:
At the award notification the provider will be given contact information to obtain the training. Providers will be able to set up a time with SCDMH Education/Training/Research Division at their convenience during regular business hours to take the CALOCUS training.
6.In the Bid the rate schedule on page 26 includes a service defined as "Service Plan Development", but in the Bid I could not locate a service description of this service. Could you please clarify if Service Plan Development is an eligible service and if so, could you please provide a service description for that service?
RESPONSE:
Service Plan Development is an eligible service for any qualified provider participating in the Plan of Care team who provides a distinct service for the waiver participant as authorized on the plan of care. (See modification made to this section per this amendment.)
7.Is it correct that an agency does not have to apply for all possible services at this time, as agencies could potentially submit a response for a couple services now and then apply for additional services in the future as it is an open, fixed price bid? Does SCDMH envision that any of the currently listed services will be closed or not accepting any new providers in the future?
RESPONSE:
7a. Yes; 7b. No
8.On page 52 of Attachment V to the Bid, item #10 states to "briefly describe" a number of items. Could you please clarify your expectation as to the term "briefly"? Are provider responses scored more favorably the more detail that is provided or should providers submit more of a short, general overview of the requested items?
RESPONSE:
8a. The descriptions of the programs should be provided in sufficient detail to show that you, as a provider, are qualified to provide the program/service.
8b. Provider responses are not scored, if the provider meets the qualifications and credentials for the services outlined in the fixed price bid and has provided sufficient documentation then they will be awarded a contract. If necessary, additional information may be requested as a result of our review of your submission.
9.If a provider is interested in submitting a response that covers multiple therapeutic services, should the provider answer item #10 specifically in detail for each service (i.e. include a separate section for each service) or should the provider combine all proposed services into one large narrative?
RESPONSE:
Specific detail for each service.
10.Under Respite Care Services, the service is limited to utilizing foster homes, can TDC (temporary de-escalation center), which is currently considered a WRAP program, be included?
RESPONSE:
No, respite care is not to be provided in a residential setting.
- I am a potential provider of service I have applied for tax id's and such - which page numbers of the solicitation applies to a potential provider not in service yet?
RESPONSE:
All pages apply excluding “Section IV:1” that specifically references existing Medicaid Enrolled providers.
12.I am going to be offering community support as well as respite care and transportation services to children and adolescents, will this apply?
RESPONSE:
Community Support services for this fixed price bid are listed on page 40. Transportation is not a separate billable service under this Waiver.
13.What is a bid or offer, what does this mean?
RESPONSE: Refer to page 4 of the document; top of page states the definition:
OFFER – means the bid or proposal submitted in response this solicitation. The terms “Bid” and “Proposal” are used interchangeably with the term “Offer.”
14.I need to supply an original with 5 copies to whom?
RESPONSE: Refer to page 1 (Cover page) of the bid document. “Submit your sealed offer to either of the following addresses.” Send it to the attention of Janet Watkins.
MAILING ADDRESS: / PHYSICAL ADDRESS:South Carolina Department of Mental Health
Procurement Office
P.O. Box 485
Columbia, SC29202 / South Carolina Department Mental Health
Procurement Office
2414 Bull Street, Suite 201
Columbia, SC29201
15.Case Management - Is there a cap/max number of units that can be billed by our agency for CM services? It identifies what services are not billable under CM and gives the rate of 18+ / 15 minute unit. Is there a pre-determined amount of money that is set for each family upon entering the waiver and the Case Manager has to purchase all needed services and case management and stay with in that budget or is there no limit to what can be spent?
RESPONSE:
The plan of care team determines the service and frequency that is needed for each individual participant. There will be a budget developed by the service plan development team. The overall cost for Waiver services cannot exceed the cost of PRTF services.
16.On page 29 under Case Management it states the CM is responsible for purchasing good/services on behalf of participants. Will the agency be responsible for paying for the services not covered by Medicaid or the family? It states we are responsible for tracking the invoices and receipts.
RESPONSE:
Waiver participants are entitled to goods/services as authorized in the plan of care for the purpose of Medicaid reimbursement.
17.Case Management - It states person completing these services must successfully complete training requirements provided by provider. How many hours, what specific topics and who provides the training?
RESPONSE:
Page 15 of the fixed price bid includes general training requirements for providers of services. Providers are responsible for determining specific topics and length of training to ensure that staff that provide case management services in accordance with the service description.
18.IFS - Can a masters level clinician provide IFS under the supervision of a licensed masters level clinician?
RESPONSE:
IFS as defined under the Waiver requires the qualification referenced on page 36.
19.Please clarify the staff qualification discrepancy regarding what’s required to provide individual/family/group therapy vs. what’s required to provide IFS.
RESPONSE:
IFS as defined under the Waiver requires the qualification referenced on page 36.
20.Wrap-Around – Can an agency qualify to provide only one wrap service?
RESPONSE:
Yes.
21.Respite – Is the cap of $157.00 for respite based on 24 hours or for the entire respite service (for instance, if a child is placed in respite for the weekend, is the agency reimbursed $157/day or $157/weekend)
RESPONSE:
$157.00 per day (see page 42).
22.Respite – Is there a maximum number of days participates can be placed in respite?
RESPONSE:
The plan of care team will determine the length of respite care for each participant. The intent is for respite to be a short term intervention.
23.After becoming a Qualified Provider for selected services - Will it be difficult to add on another service once the Agency have the Staff Qualifications? For example: Can you add on Diagnostic/Therapeutic Services once acquiring staff that meets the criteria?
RESPONSE:
23a. All providers may apply for provision of additional services anytime during the term of the contract. Page 9 states that the “offeror must submit an updated Program Information Summary outlining its ability to provide services(s) to additional counties.”
Responses/applications submitted during the term of the contract for consideration of additional services and/or counties will be handled in the same manner as initial submittals.
23b. All providers may apply for provision of additional services anytime during the term of the contract.
24.Is Service Plan Development a separate service or is it included under the Case Management Service?
RESPONSE:
Service Plan Development is a separate billable service.
25.If wanting to provide services in two or three of the pilot counties at start. Would more copies be necessary or will the 1 original and 5 copies be enough?
RESPONSE:
1 original and 5 copies per application.
26.How many program/services can an agency apply for?
RESPONSE:
One or more.
27.Under Diagnostic/Therapeutic Services there are seven sub-categories and under Community-Based Wraparound Services there are 5 sub-categories included. Is each sub-category considered a distinct service?
RESPONSE:
Yes.
28.6 months from now, what procedure would an agency follow to add a service?
RESPONSE:
Page 9 states that the “offeror must submit an updated Program Information Summary outlining its ability to provide services(s) to additional counties.” All providers may apply for provision of additional services anytime during the term of the contract.
Responses/applications submitted during the term of the contract for consideration of additional services and/or counties will be handled in the same manner as initial submittals.
29.The RFP states that the Staff Qualifications for Private or Public Child Services Entities for Diagnostic/Therapeutic Services: (Assessment; Individual, Family and Group Therapy; and Group Therapy for Co-Occuring Disorders) must meet the following criteria: Medical Doctor; Licensed Masters level clinician; Licensed Doctoral level; or Masters level clinician under the oversight of a Licensed Master or Doctoral level practitioner.
Can a Masters level clinician under the oversight of a Licensed Master or Doctoral level practitioner also provide Intensive Family Services?
RESPONSE:
IFS as defined under the Waiver requires the qualification referenced on page 36.
30.Reference Attachment I of the solicitation – Case Management Services Description include:
- Educating referred families about the waiver process and services
(a)How are the clients referred?
(b)How do the clients know who the service providers are?
RESPONSE:
30a. Variety of referrals: examples - self referrals, community providers, family advocacy organizations, state agencies, etc.
30b. The qualified provider list will be made available to families at the initial Service Plan Development team meeting, through the family organization and case managers.
31.Who schedules the Service Plan Development team meetings?
- Coordinating and attending all Service Plan Development team meetings, with family, youth and all other concerned parties in attendance. Attendees are responsible for discussing and developing the Plan of Care (POC). The Case Manager is responsible for writing up the POC that has been agreed upon by theService Plan Development team. The team will be required to meet at least every 90 days to review the POC and discuss progress or any changes that may be needed. Subsequent Service Plan Development meetings can be held at any time, but must be held within 90-day intervals from the date of the first meeting.
RESPONSE: