DSHS RFI# 1810-680 Senior Community Service Employment Program

The Aging and Long Term Support Administration (ALTSA) of the Department of Scial and Health Services (DSHS) is requesting information from qualified agencies interested in contracting with the Department to administer the Senior Community Services Employment Program (SCSEP) through its grant with the federal Department of Labor (DOL).

Background

The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) is a community service and work-based job training program for older Americans. Authorized by the Older Americans Act, the program provides training for low-income, unemployed seniors.

SCSEP participants gain work experience in a variety of community service activities at non-profit and public facilities, including schools, hospitals, day-care centers, and senior centers. The program provides approximately 15,000 community service hours to public and non-profit agencies in Washington State, allowing them to enhance and provide needed services. Participants work an average of 20 hours a week, and are paid the highest of federal, state or local minimum wage. This training serves as a bridge to unsubsidized employment opportunities for participants.

Participants must be at least 55 years old, unemployed, and have a family income of no more than 125% of the federal poverty level to qualify. Enrollment priority is given to veterans and qualified spouses, then to individuals who are over 65, or have a disability, or have low literacy skills or limited English proficiency, or reside in a rural area, or are homeless or at risk of homelessness, or have low employment prospects, or have failed to find employment after using services through the American Job Center system.

ALTSA currently administers the SCSEP program in 21 counties across the state through 11 sub-grantees and has identified that the existing format is administratively burdensome and is not conducive to providing services to the participants in the most cost-effective and proficient manner.

Purpose

The purpose of this Request of Information (RFI) is to solicit details regarding interest, capacity and geographic locations from experienced SCSEP Program and other providers interested in providing input as the State SCSEP Program transitions from 11 sub-grantees across the state to a single, or possibly two, sub-grantee solution to provide services in a more cost-effective and proficient manner. The intended timeframe for the transition is to begin with the next Program Year July 1, 2018. Specifically, this RFI seeks to gain information from SCSEP Program providers and other providers to assist in the transition process as to which providers have interest in providing service in the counties served by the State SCSEP grant and which providers in areas they do not currently serve have interest and capacity to develop services in those areas.

Submission of Responses

To respond to this RFI, please submit a letter of interest along with a completed questionnaire. Please submit your response no later than March 2, 2018. Emailed responses are preferred.

You may email your response, deliver it or send it via regular mail to:

Michael Corcoran, SCSEP Program Manager

Aging & Long Term Support Administration

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services

4450 10th Avenue S.E., Lacey, WA 98503 (Delivered Responses)

P.O. Box 45600, Olympia, WA 98504 (Mailed Responses)

(Emailed Responses)

Timeline and Next Steps

This RFI serves as a notice of potential provider opportunity and is the first step in a multi-step process in the development of any particular service. ALTSA reserves the right not to issue a formal solicitation for services as the result of this RFI. Participation in this RFI is voluntary. ALTSA will not award any contracts solely on the basis of information received in response to this RFI. Any future contract that may be awarded must comply with state procurement requirements. This document does not obligate ALTSA to evaluate the services of any respondent or to negotiate to enter into a contract. ALTSA reserves the right to follow up with respondents for in-person or phone interviews to discuss elements included in responses. ALTSA shall not be responsible for any cost that may be incurred by persons responding to this RFI.

Following a review of the responses it receives, ALTSA may choose to interview one or more agencies, may request additional information from some or all respondents, and may enter into one or more contracts beginning in or after Spring 2018.

Thank you for your assistance and participation in this Request for Information.

Request for Information

Attachment 1

Respondent Questionnaire

Please Note: Upon submission to the Department of Social and Health Services, your response to this Questionnaire will be deemed a public record. If you consider any particular information to be confidential or proprietary, please do not include such information in your response and note this concern. Your response may be disclosed to the public if a public record request is requested of DSHS.

Please repeat the applicable number and question above your response to each question.

  1. Your organization name, principal business address, phone number, and fax number.
  1. The name, title, business address, phone number, fax number, mailing address, and email address for the person who will serve as your point of contact for purposes of this RFI.
  1. Briefly describe your organization’s experience in providing SCSEP services in Washington state or elsewhere.
  1. Washington State SCSEP program is currently providing services in 21 counties across the state (Asotin, Chelan, Clallam, Clark, Ferry, Grays Harbor, Island, Jefferson, King, Kitsap, Okanogan, Pacific, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, Spokane, Wahkiakum, Walla Walla, Whatcom, Whitman, Yakima). Please identify the counties your agency would be interested in administering SCSEP services in, or simply indicate “All”.
  1. Indicate the locations of current SCSEP offices and staff in the state of Washington or the closest offices to Washington State if outside of the state. Also, please indicate potential future locations of SCSEP offices and staff to administer this program.
  1. Please indicate your agency’s capacity to provide SCSEP services through a sub-grantee contract starting July 1. 2018.
  1. Please indicate your willingness and ability to sub-contract SCSEP services either during the transition stage or over a longer period.