R:\PRIVATE\FISCAL\Contracts-Rfps\Contracts-RFP\Rfps\Rfp - WIA\Rfps\RFP HMG, Wellness, MST, Transp 2006-07.Doc

SENECA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

81 Jefferson Street, Tiffin, Ohio 44883

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

FOR

HELP ME GROW PROGRAM

MULTI-SYSTEMIC THERAPIES (MST) PROGRAM

TRANSPORTATION SERVICES

WELLNESS PROGRAM

For the Seneca County

Department of Job and Family Services

RELEASED: April 6, 2006

BIDDERS CONFERENCE: April 19, 2006, 1:00 P. M.

DUE DATE:MAY 1, 2006, 11:00 A.M. E.D.S.T.

Request for Proposals for

Help Me Grow (HMG)

Multi-Systemic Therapy (MST)

Transportation

Wellness

for

The Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services

Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services (SCDJFS), is seeking proposals for the delivery of services for Seneca County families (containing at least one minor child or pregnant adult) whose income is at or below the 200% Federal Poverty Level. The purpose of these programs is to promote self-sufficiency and stability for Seneca County families.

A bidder may submit proposals on any or all of the four component programs of this RFP and must address each component program in a separate complete proposal with all required documents and information .

All proposals over $100,000.00 must be accompanied by a performance bond or certified check

in the amount equal to five percent (5%) of the total proposal bid amount, and made payable to

the Seneca County Board of Commissioners, as a guarantee that the proposal bidder will enter

into anacceptable contract.

The contract period shall run from July 1, 2006 to June 30, 2007, subject to the availability of funding. By mutual consent, the SCDJFS, the County Commissioners, and the Proposer/Provider may determine that an extension of this contract is in the best interests of all Parties. Therefore, by mutual agreement of parties, the contract may be extended for one (1) additional consecutive one year period with no increase in transaction cost or decrease in service, and all other terms of contract remain, unless amended by a written amendment signed by all parties.

To be considered, the proposals must involve a fresh approach to helping families in Seneca County. Particular preferred consideration will be given to providers who clearly delineate how their project outcomes will assist in meeting federal and state goals.

The federal (TANF funded)goals are:

  1. To provide assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own home or in the home of relatives.
  2. End the dependence of needy parents on government benefits by promoting job preparation, work and marriage.
  3. Prevent and reduce the incidence of out-of-wedlock pregnancies and establish annual numerical goals for preventing and reducing the incidence of these pregnancies.
  4. Encourage the formation and maintenance of two-parent families.

The state goals are:

  1. Prevent OWF families that are at risk from hitting the time limits.
  2. Design services for dependent families who will hit the time limits.
  3. Provide services that meet the needs of low income employed families.
  4. Prevent economic dependency for those seeking employment.
  5. Provide services to non-custodial parents to help them meet their obligations as parents and pay child support.
  6. Promote formation of two-parent families.
  7. Provide services to vulnerable children and their families.

The Seneca County Board of Commissioners will receive sealed proposals at their office at 81 Jefferson Street, 2nd Floor, Tiffin, OH 44883 until 11:00 a.m. on May 1, 2006, at which time all proposals shall be publicly opened and read aloud. All applications must be submitted in person or via regular mail. The Proposal envelope must clearly be marked as “Seneca County Department ofJob and Family Services, HMG, MST, Wellness and Transportation Requests for Proposal.@ Fax or E-mail Proposals will not be accepted. All timely proposals will be reviewed based on the criteria and the selected proposals will be notified by mail and follow-up telephone call.

This RFP does not commit the Seneca County Board of Commissioner to award a contract. The Seneca Board of Commissioners retain the right to accept, reject or negotiate proposals received as well as to vary or waive any provisions set forth in this RFP and to award multiple contracts based on the proposals submitted in the best interest of the -Seneca County Board of Commissioner and the SCDJFS, or to reject any and all proposals received and to negotiate with any and all bidders on modifications to proposals.

Further, the Seneca County Board of Commissioners reserves the right to award a contract or contracts on factors other than price. The contract award or awards will be made to the responsible Bidder or Bidders whose proposal(s) will be the most advantageous to the procuring party, past performance, experience, compliance with proposal specifications, prices, and other factors considered in that order.

The Seneca County Board of Commissioners and the SCDJFS reserve the right to accept proposals with minor clerical errors such as misspellings, incorrect page order or similar non-consequential errors, andwaive informalities and minor irregularities in proposals received.

All data, material, and documentation originated and prepared by the bidder pursuant to the contract shall belong exclusively to the Seneca County Board of Commissioners and the SCDJFS, and be subject to disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act.

Proposals must follow the format set forth in the RFP and adhere to the minimum and maximum requirements specified therein.

Reductions in, or elimination of the funding of any contract resulting from this RFP process may occur during the contract period when a bidder fails to meet expenditure, participant, and/or outcome goals specified in the contract or when anticipated funding is not forthcoming from the federal or state governments.

The contract award will not be final until the Seneca County Board of Commissioner and the SCDJFS and the bidder have executed a mutually satisfactory contractual agreement. The Seneca County Board of Commissioners and the SCDJFS reserve the right to make an award without further discussion of the proposal submitted. No program activity may begin prior to the Seneca County Board of Commissioner’s and the SCDJFS’ approval of the award and execution of a contractual agreement between the successful bidder and the SCDJFS.

Seneca County Board of Commissioner and the SCDJFSreserve the right to cancel an award or a contract resulting from the award if new state or federal law, rule, regulation, policy practice or directive makes it necessary or advisable, in the sole discretion of the SCDJFS, to change the program purpose or content substantially or to prohibit such a program.

Seneca County Board of Commissioners and the SCDJFS reserve the right to determine both the number and the funding levels of contracts finally awarded. Such determination will depend upon overall fund availability and other factors arising during the proposal review process.

The bidder warrants that the costs quoted for services in response to the RFP are not in excess of those that would be charged any other individual for the same services performed by the bidder.

Questions regarding this RFP must be in writing and can be directed to info@ djfs.co.seneca.oh.us. All questions and answers will be posted on the website. No questions will be accepted after the bidder’s conference on Wednesday, April 19, 2006.

Bidder Conference

A bidder conference will be held Wednesday, April 19, 2006 at1:00 P.M. at the SCDJFS, Conference Room B, 3362 South Township Road 151, Tiffin, Ohio 44883. Please call 419-447-5011, Deborah Anderson, extension 311 for directions, if required. Though not a requirement, all interested proposers are strongly encouraged to attend this conference.

PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS

Proposal Submission and Instructions

All proposals are to be submitted in accordance with the terms, conditions and procedures stated in this RFP.

A bidder may submit proposals on any or all of the four component programs of this RFP and must address each component program in a separate complete proposal with all required documents and information .

One (1) original proposal and one (1) CD-ROM or diskette) in a sealed envelope marked “ORIGINAL: Seneca County Department ofJob and Family Services, HMG, MST, Wellness and Transportation Requests for Proposal.”

  1. Proposals must be received at the office of the Seneca County Commissioners, 81 Jefferson Street, Tiffin, Ohio 44883) by 11:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Savings Time on May 1, 2006, (the “Deadline”). Proposals not received by the Deadline will be automatically disqualified from consideration—no exceptions. Faxed or emailed proposals will not be accepted.

2.Include all of the required attachments and forms that pertain to your proposal. Failure to do so will disqualify your proposal from consideration. See Compliance Checklist below for a list of some of the required attachments and forms.

3. Proposals must be submitted in WORD format for text (.doc or .rtf format), and are limited

to 30 pages, excluding executive summary, attachments, cover sheet, table of contents and

required attachments and forms.

4. Use 12 point Arial or Times New Roman type with 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, left

and right side of the paper, with single spacing and printed on only one side of each page.

5. Do not staple pages of the proposal.

6. If your proposal has been prepared by a non-permanent employee or outside consultant or

firm, indicate this on the cover sheet of the proposal.

It is the proposer’s responsibility to make sure that all the required elements and forms are included in the proposal. Proposals that do not include the required elements and forms will be automatically disqualified from consideration. If you have any questions about the requirements or feel that special circumstances apply to your proposal, please submit a question in writing to ca..oh.us, Attention: Seneca County Department ofJob and Family Services, HMG, MST, Transportation and Wellness Requests for Proposal.and it will be posted and answered on the Seneca County DJFS website. These questions must be received prior to or presented at the scheduled bidder’s conference. No questions will be accepted after the bidder’s conference on Wednesday, April 19, 2006.

Compliance checklist

Before submitting your proposal, check the following:

1. One (1) original proposal and one (1) CD-ROMS or diskette

2. Program Cover Sheet(Attachment #1)

3. Executive Summary (no more than two pages)

4. Table of Contents

5. Program Description & Program Implementation Plan (up to 30 pages maximum)

6. Bid Bond (for each proposal $100,000.00 or over)

7. Attachments:

a) Budget Form (Attachment #2)

b) Competitive Proposer Affidavit (Attachment #3)

c) Representation, Assurances, and Certifications form (Attachment #4)

d) Staffing Summary Form, including disclosure of family relationships with the

awarding agency (Proposer generated)

e)Memoranda of Agreement describing partnerships and roles (Proposer Initiated

f)) Copy of the last two audited annual financial statements

g) Documentation of Insurance

Narrative

Proposals must include a narrative of the program elements as well as a detailed budget substantiating the proposed cost of meeting the anticipated program outcomes. The program narrative should include an overview of how services will be delivered, a statement regarding staff recruitment and qualifications, of record keeping standards, coordination of supervision, and follow through and evaluation.

Budget

Budgets must outline personnel costs (including fringe and administrative support costs), operational expenses (including space and utilities), equipment expenses (note: equipment purchases as part of this project revert back to SCDJFS upon completion of this project), and miscellaneous expenses as anticipated. (Attachment 2, Budget sheet is included in this packet). The proposer warrants that the costs quoted for services are not in excess of those that would be charged any individual for the same services performed by the Service Provider.

Success is a primary focal point for reimbursement. Proposals should further include a billing plan per service component which delineates how the budget will be condensed to a unit or billable rate (i.e., hourly, component, or actual expense as incurred).

Pre-Award Review and Negotiations

Organizations selected through a competitive request for proposal process may be subject to a pre-award survey to assure they have:

  • A satisfactory record of integrity, business ethics and fiscal accountability, and
  • The necessary organization, experience, accounting and operational controls, and
  • Adequate financial resources or the ability to obtain them

In addition, organizations selected through the competitive request for proposal will be subject to pre-contract award negotiations to assurereasonable competitive rates.

Referral & review

For the Help Me Grow and Wellness Programs, the Provider is the primary source for referrals to theprogram and is responsible for establishing its own outreach and referral procedure and activity for the proposed service(s). However, SCDJFS staff, in cooperation with the Provider, may make individual referrals to the program. Program eligibility determination will be negotiated at the time of award.

For the MST program, the Seneca County Power Cluster is the standard referral entity. However, program eligibility may be negotiated at the time of award.

For the Transportation program, the SCDJFS is the sole referral sourceand will determine eligibility. The Service Provider will provide service at the request of the SCDJFS who will establish eligibility and authorize the service for the individual/family.

Provider Staff Qualifications

The qualifications of staff need to be included in the proposal. The qualifications must include, but are not limited to each staff member’squalification for his/her position, educational background, child welfare and legal experience, and licensure. In addition, the proposal must make clear any family relationships that exist within the bidder’s staff and disclose same in the proposal and thereafter if such relationship should thereafter exist.

ADA Compliance

All bidders must ensure access to individuals with disabilities pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Child Support Enforcement.

The successful bidder agrees to cooperate with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and any Ohio Child Support Enforcement Agency in ensuring his/her employees meet child support obligation established under State laws.

Debarment and Suspension.

Prior to award of a contract over $100,000.00, the proposer shall provide certification regarding his/her/their exclusion status, and that of their principals, from the nonprocurement portion of the General Services Administration’s ‘List of Parties Excluded from Federal Procurement or Nonprocurement Programs’ in accordance with Executive Orders 12549 and 12689.

Dispute Resolution

An interested party may dispute a solicitation or other request by the Agency for offers for a contract; for the procurement of property or services; the cancellation of such a solicitation or other request; an award or proposed award of such a contract; and a termination of such a contract, if the dispute alleges that the termination was based on improprieties in the award of the contract. Disputes must be in writing and addressed as follows: Director, Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services, 3362 South Township Road 151, Tiffin, Ohio 44883, Attention: Dispute Resolution Request.

The filed dispute shall include:

1.The name, street address, electronic mail address, and telephone and facsimile numbers of the interested party,

2.Be signed by the interested party or its representative,

3.Identify the solicitation title and/or contract in dispute,

4.Set forth a detailed statement of the legal and factual grounds of the dispute including copies of relevant documents,

5.Set forth all information establishing the purpose of filing a dispute,

6.Set forth all information establishing the timeliness of the dispute,

7.Specifically request a ruling, and if desired a hearing, by the Director or Designee of the Seneca County Department of Job and Family Services, and

8.State the form of relief requested,

9.Attach any documents to support the dispute

Drug Free Work Place

Bidder and/or its employees, agents or their representatives will not purchase, transfer, use or possess illegal drugs or alcohol nor abuse prescription drugs in any way while performing duties or responsibilities resulting from a contract related from this RFP process.

Equipment

Any software and related documentation developed specifically to support the deliverables, resulting from a contract related from this RFP process shall be owned in its entirety by the SCDJFS.

Payroll Deductions

The successful bidder must agree to accept full responsibility for payment of all unemployment compensation, contributions or reimbursements, insurance premiums, worker’s compensation premiums, all income tax deductions, social security deductions and all other employee taxes and payroll accounting required for all employees.

Liability Insurance

The successful bidder will need to maintain comprehensive liability insurance of one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) and agree to hold the Seneca County Commissioners and SCDJFS harmless from all liabilities or claims caused or resulting from the bidder’s obligation for activities in their proposal.

Verification of the liability insurance must be included in the proposal.

Record Retention

Bidder shall maintain and preserve all financial records related to this contract, including any other documentation used in the administration of the program, in its possession for a period of three years from the date of the submission of the final invoice, and/or will assure the maintenance of such for a like period of time in the possession of any third party performing work related to this contract, unless otherwise directed by the SCDJFS. Bidders will allow local, state, and federal representatives access to all records, program materials, staff, and participants related to any contract awarded hereunder.

If any litigation, claim, negotiation, audit, or other action involving the records has been started before the expiration of the three-year period the Provider shall retain the records until completion of the action and all issues which arise from it or until the end of the three-year period, whichever is later.