REQUEST FOR GRANT PROPOSALS (RFGP)
STATE OF MARYLAND
DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCES
CSEA ACCESS AND VISITATION PROGRAMS
CSEA/AV-16-001- S
AMENDMENT NO. 2
August 4, 2015
Dear Prospective Applicants:
This amendment is being issued to amend certain information in the above-named RFGP. All information contained herein is binding on all Applicants who respond to this RFGP. A specific part of the RFGP has been amended. The change is listed below. New language has been double underlined and marked in bold (i.e. word), and language that has been deleted has been marked with a strikethrough (i.e. word).
1. Revise the second to last paragraph of RFGP Section 1.1 as follows:
The Grant will be awarded for a four (4) year three (3) year and ten (10) month period, beginning October 1, 2015 on or about December 1, 2015 and ending on or about September 30, 2019. Each grant will be in the amount of $53,147 per year for each of the first three years of the Grant and in the amount of $44,289 for remaining ten (10) month period, for a total grant of $203,730 $212,588 per recipient. The grantee must provide a 10% in-kind match for this solicitation.
2. Revise RFGP: Subsection 1.3.1 as follows:
1.3.1 The Grant awarded as a result of this solicitation shall be for a period of four (4) three (3) years and ten (10) months. It shall begin on October 1, 2015 or about December 1, 2015 and end on or about September 30, 2019.
3. Revise the RFGP Section 1.9 Multiple or Alternative Proposals as follows:
Multiple and/or alternate Proposals will not be accepted, except that an Applicant may submit separate Proposals for each geographic area identified in Section 1.1 of this RFGP.
4. Revise RFGP Subsection 3.2.1(A) as follows:
A. Accept written referrals of customers in cases involving children who receive assistance under Title IV-D, who require assistance developing or implementing parenting plans, and who reside in the geographic region in which the Applicant provides services, with child support cases, from the court system, the local and State child support agencies, other sources such as local departments of social services, community groups, and self-initiated referrals from non-custodial parents. Referrals may be made via mail, fax, and email.
5. Revise RFGP Subsection 3.2.1(B) as follows:
B. Provide a neutral forum for the non-custodial and custodial parents to develop and modify Parenting Plans that include:
1. A parenting time schedule agreed upon by the non-custodial and custodial parents;
2. Communication techniques for the family to coordinate scheduling conflicts and other parenting decisions; and
3. Goals and objectives towards successful completion of the program.
The Grantee shall exercise reasonable efforts to develop the parenting plan should be developed within thirty (30) days of receiving a referral. When a Grantee is unable to develop the parenting plan within thirty (30) days of receiving a referral, an explanation for the delay shall be included in the case record.
Parenting plans shall be and implemented immediately after each party has agreed to the parenting time schedule. Grantees are encouraged to incorporate other needed services in the parenting plans, such as financial literacy education (e.g., budget management), job development counseling and training, and parenting skills education.
6. Revise RFGP Subsection 3.2.1(D) as follows:
D. Evaluate the custodial and non-custodial parents’ progress toward achieving the goals and objectives outlined in the parenting plan at least once every three months. When needed, the Grantee shall propose new strategies designed to achieve the goals and objectives or to propose modifications to the parenting plan.
7. Revise RFGP Subsection 3.2.1(F) as follows:
F. Provide services designed to assist clients in implementing the Parenting Plans. Such services may include case management services; therapeutic, monitored, or supervised visitation; counseling services; anger management skills training; and/or other conflict resolution services. as required by the referral source. Utilize Satellite Visitation Locations, if necessary and appropriate, for supervised visits, parent-child interactions, counseling, and/or other Grantee meetings with the child and family members. Programs that utilize Satellite Visitation Locations other than those provided at the offices of local departments of social services or at courthouses shall have written agreements with that specify the operational procedures including, but not limited to, hours of operation, security and domestic violence protocols, and administrative policies and procedures for the use of those locations. Copies of the written agreements shall be submitted with the Applicant’s Technical Proposal.
Provide services such as counseling to provide anger management skills and conflict resolution services as ordered by the court. Counseling services must be provided by personnel who have licenses equivalent to or exceeding those of licensed social workers (LCSW) or licensed professional counselors (LPC). The grantee shall submit copies of certifications/licensures for each counselor working in the AV program with the Applicant’s Technical Proposal.
8. Insert new Subsection 3.2.1(I) into the RFGP as follows:
I. The Grantee shall not charge fees to its customers in cases involving children who receive assistance under Title IV-D.
9. Revise RFGP Subsection 3.2.3 as follows:
3.2.3 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS
All items listed in this Section shall be sent to the State Project Manager:
A. Monthly Program Expenditure Report (Attachment H) due by the 15th of the month following the report month.
B. Monthly Progress Report (Attachment I) due by the 15th of the month following the report month.
C. Annual Federal Survey (Attachment J), due on January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th of each year, covering the preceding three calendar months 15 days after the end of the program year.
D. Financial statements pursuant to Section 3.2.2(B) are due thirty (30) days after the end of each grant year.
Failure to submit required reports/information within timeframes identified may result in termination of any Grant awarded through this RFGP or reduction/withholding of Grant Payment as identified in Section 3.6.1 of this RFGP. Final invoice payment is contingent upon receipt of all reports identified above.
10. Revise RFGP Subsection 3.2.5 as follows:
3.2.5 GRANT MONITORING OBLIGATIONS
Item / Due DateProgram Expenditure Report Attachment H - Section 3.2.3 / Fifteenth (15th) day of the month following the report month
Progress Reports Attachment I- Section 3.2.3 / Fifteenth (15th) day of the month following the report month
Annual Federal Survey Attachment J- Section 3.2.3 / January 15th, April 15th, July 15th, and October 15th of each year.
Performance Conference Calls- Section 3.2.2 / Quarterly as scheduled by the State Project Manager
Annual Grantee Meeting – Section 3.2.2 / Annually as scheduled by the State Project Manager
Financial reports pursuant to Section 3.2.2(B) / October 30th of each year.
Problems Escalation Procedure – Section 3.5.2 / No later than five (5) business days after notice of grant award.
Insurance Certificate – Section 3.4 / No later than five (5) business days after notice of grant award and annually, by September 15 of each year thereafter.
The Grantee shall cooperate with all monitoring and audits conducted by or at the request of Federal or State agencies or programs and shall maintain copies of relevant records at the Grantee’s facility for monitoring and audit purposes. At minimum, the State Project Manager will conduct, at least annually, a site visit at each Grantee’s facility to monitor compliance with the requirements of this Grant.
11. Delete and replace ATTACHMENT D – FINANCIAL PROPOSAL, as follows:
Attachment D, Attachment D-1, and Attachment D-2 originally contained within the Request for Grant Proposals document last modified on July 10, 2015, at pages 56 to 60, are deleted and replaced in their entirety by the new Attachment D, a Microsoft Word file, and Attachment D-1, a Micrsoft Excel file, contained as separate attachments to this RFGP.
Applicants are reminded that they must acknowledge receipt of all amendments issued against the RFGP in their Transmittal Letter (see RFGP §§ 1.14 and 4.4.2.3). If you require clarification of the information provided in this amendment, please contact me at (410) 767-7404, or via email at .
By Sang Kang, Procurement Officer
August 4, 2015