Questions and Answers as of July 7, 2009

Re-Entry Initiative Project for Offenders with Special Needs

RFP: LC-2009-002

Number / Bidder’s Question / MDOC Response
1. / Are you interested in entertaining a bid just to provide mental health and housing services? / No, the contractor will provide community placement and care coordination for all four populations (Medically Fragile, Mentally Ill, Developmentally Disabled and Youthful Offenders).
2. / It appears that this is a “statewide bid” does that mean that the chosen provider will provide the service throughout the state of Michigan. In other words, Can I bid for a particular region, such as, OaklandCounty only? / No, you cannot bid for a particular region. MDOC is looking for a Contractor that will provide services throughout the state.
3. / Can an organization function as both the Administrative Service Organization and the provider of services? / Yes, an organization can function as the Administrative Service Organization (ASO) and the provider of services.
4. / Contract Transition: The RFP states a compensation rate of 15% for cases open prior to 10/1/09 and remaining open 10/31/09.
  • What are the projects regarding how many cases will meet these criteria in each of the 4 population groups?
/ Projection estimates are as follows:
Youthful Offenders: 0
Developmentally Disabled: 0
Mentally Ill: 500
Medically Fragile: Daily utilization figures for this population are not maintained. As of April 30, 2009, 13 placements have been made this current fiscal year.
Bidders are cautioned that these figures are only estimates and based on the current data available.
5. /
  • What are the projections of how many of those cases were admitted in the previous 3 months?
/ No Projections are available.
6. / Compensation – Readmissions within 12 months of discharge: Seeking clarification of 1.062
Does the contractor retain the case rate compensation from the initial admission? / Yes. The Contractor retains the initial case rate compensation. When re-admitted within 12 months no further compensation will be provided other than afforded through an authorized extension beyond 270 days.
7. / Will all released prisoners be U.S. citizens? / Yes, it is expected that all eligible offenders for this project will be U.S. citizens.
8. / 1.011 Notes that the Contractor will serve as an ASO through MPRI.
  • What is the relationship to MPRI?
/ MPRI coordinates the services and supervision of each offender. The Contractor will interface with the MPRI transition team if the offender will be released into the community. This team coordinates and discusses the case management plans.
9. / 1.012 B (2) Returning citizens with mental illness
  • Will they be released from specific facilities?
/ Offenders with a mental illness could be released from any facility although there may be a concentrated number from Gus Harrison Correctional Facility (ARF).
10. /
  • Is there a statistical breakdown of the Axis I and Axis II diagnoses?
/ This information is currently not available.
11. /
  • Historically, what percentage have been determined eligible for Medicaid?
/ Currently there is no information available regarding the Medically Fragile although our assumption is a high percentage of this population will be eligible for Medicaid because many are disabled and will likely be eligible for adult foster care or nursing homes.
No historical data is available for the Mentally Ill population.
12. / 1.012 B (3) Notes prisoners with Traumatic Brain Injury are located in a facility housing prisoners with Developmental Disabilities.
  • Will they be directed to the Developmentally Disabled services or Medically Fragile?
/ Offenders with a Traumatic Brain Injury will be directed primarily to Developmentally Disabled services. There may be instances where some offenders will be directed to Medically Fragile Services.
13. / 1.012 B (4) Youthful Offenders
  • What is the typical age at release?
/ This statistic is not kept.
14. / 1.012 C (3) References stable housing for returning citizens. What is the anticipated ratio of returning citizens with a CSC conviction? / Historically roughly ¼ of the population.
15. / 1.021 10 References “target communities”
  • Have target communities been pre-identified by MDOC?
/ Please see attachment B – Michigan Prisoner Re-Entry Initiative Site Director for details on the MPRI coverage areas.
16. / 1.022 1 Admission
  • How far in advance of release are candidates for this contract identified?
/ Typically offenders are identified three weeks in advance of release although there may be instances where there is more or less notice. Bidders should refer to the table included in Section 1.022.
17. / 1.022 11 Release
  • Are there specified days/times for release to occur?
/ The Contractor will be working with the MPRI Transition Team to discuss parole dates. A release could occur any day of the week (Monday through Friday).
18. / 1.022 13 Discharge Length of service is time limited. The Contractor is to complete a Discharge Report that includes a proposed Aftercare Services Plan. There is the potential for some individuals to be discharged who are not eligible for entitlements and who require interventions beyond final discharge when funding for services ceases e.g. psychological services and medication.
  • If he/she is still on Parole, will the Agent have resources to secure additional services?
/ The agent will not have funding for additional services after the discharge (day 270). The contractor should work aggressively to secure community and family supports for those individuals who are not eligible for entitlements so that they are prepared when the funding ends.
19. / Would the Department consider implementing a system that includes a case study being presented to the parole commission prior to initiating/developing a release plan that would require the inmate meet the goals and program requirements successfully before his/her ERD and if successfully completing the designated program then the parole release would be approved and verified by the commission? / That is out of scope for this RFP.
20. / Please identify the community agencies currently providing any of these services to MDOC (e.g. mental health case management). / For this RFP, we are looking for bidders to identify their community supports and how they will build those relationship and partnerships with community providers. MPRI is a collaborative effort and includes partners with the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Department of Community Health, Department of Human Services, Department of Education.
21. / Please clarify and provide examples of relevant experience requirements that would be acceptable to the MDOC to satisfy the corporate requirement outlined in the RFP on page 78. / Please see information provided in Section 1.021 under Staff and Staff Qualifications. MDOC is looking for experience that is similar in nature to the tasks outlined in this RFP.
22. / Please provide the number of inmates who have been successfully released through the current MDOC re-entry process for the four distinct populations covered under this RFP. / The number of inmates that have been successfully released:
Developmentally Disable & Youthful Offenders– 0 (this is a new population for this scope of work)
Mentally Ill: Estimated for this Fiscal Year: 780 cases.
Medically Fragile: 17
23. / Section 1.061 of the RFP instructs bidders to manage risk of leveraging costs away from this contract through effective entitlement processing. Should the bidder be unsuccessful in securing these, or other kinds of revenue sources, who would be responsible for the un-reimbursed costs, MDOC or bidder? / The bidder would be responsible for un-reimbursed costs and those costs should be included in the Offender Case Rate (OCR) for each service category. The contractor will be responsible for identifying other sources through community and family supports.
24. / Please confirm the table in RFP section 1.061, number 4, represents the average caseload per service category, and that the figures can be used to determine certain costs assumptions such as developing an appropriate staffing model. / Section 1.061 is an example of how to set up the cost assumptions. The bidder should refer to Section 1.021 and the target populations for more specific information.
25. / Section 1.012 of the RFP states there are five hundred twenty-four (524) prisoners that would qualify as “medically fragile.” Section 1.061 lists the average bed utilization at fifteen (15). Therefore it appears that some of the inmates may have to wait to be admitted to the program. How will the state prioritize which inmates are selected for the program? Will sickest inmates be selected first? How will this work in regards to the other three service categories? / Selection is based on the offender’s earliest release date (ERD) and will need approval by the parole board.
26. / Would the MDOC consider subcontracting of certain special needs populations (e.g. medically fragile) to an organization which would function as a subcontractor to the single entity managing this contract? / This RFP does not preclude subcontracting with another entity, and those partnerships would be at the discretion of the bidder.

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