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Amendment 1: Added October 7, 2019 Added attendance List from the optional pre-proposal conference to the Buyer Attachments page  Replaced Buyer Attached A with a revised version dated 10/7/2019 Q2.1.3 - Response type has been changed from a Text (Multi-line) to a File upload. Response to this question must conform to the following three requirements: (1) Font size of 10 points or larger must be used; (2) the margins must be at least one inch on all sides; (3) response must not exceed 2 pages (single-sided). Attachments and supporting documents not specifically required by the RFP will not be evaluated. Pages in excess of the page limitation will not be evaluated. Pages exceeding the standard page size of 8.5” x 11” will be counted as two or more pages, depending on the actual size of the page   Q2.1.4 - Response type has been changed from a Text (Multi-line) to a File upload. Response to this question must conform to the following three requirements: (1) Font size of 10 points or larger must be used; (2) the margins must be at least one inch on all sides; (3) response must not exceed 2 pages (single-sided). Attachments and supporting documents not specifically required by the RFP will not be evaluated. Pages in excess of the page limitation will not be evaluated. Pages exceeding the standard page size of 8.5” x 11” will be counted as two or more pages, depending on the actual size of the page ________________________________________________________________________ PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE: There will be a pre-proposal conference for this sourcing event on Thursday, September 26th at 1:00PM at The Multnomah Building, Room 126, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland, OR, 97214. Attendance is: Optional Purpose and Overview Multnomah County Department of County Human Services’ Youth and Family Services Division (YFS) is seeking proposers from whom it may purchase Youth Stability and Homelessness Prevention (YSHP) services for youth under the age of 18. The goal of these services is to prevent youth homelessness and promote housing stability and safety. This includes ensuring youth at risk of leaving their current home (due to conflict or unsafe conditions) are able to engage in services that stabilize their living situation and prevent exposure to homelessness, as well as ensuring that youth who have already left or been kicked out are able to return home (if appropriate and possible) or connect quickly with supports and emergency housing placement. The program supports youth to stay in school and prevents them from unnecessary involvement in juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Services focus on populations that are disproportionately at risk: youth of color, youth who identify as LGBTQ, and youth who have come into contact with law enforcement. Prevention and early intervention services are intended to build protective factors for youth. The focus is on family reconciliation, resolution of crisis situations that youth experience, and prevention of unnecessary out of home placement. Services are delivered in partnership with the caring adults in young people’s lives including family members (when appropriate), culturally specific organizations, school personnel, social service providers and other relevant partners in order to achieve the program’s goals. Proposed services should achieve the following outcomes for youth: increased engagement with crisis response supports, increased protective factors, maintenance or achievement of safe and stable housing. Services to a very similar target population, but using a different service model, have been funded through Multnomah County in the past under the name of Runaway Youth Services. Program and Planning Background For the last six months of the 2018-19 fiscal year, YFS led a program review process for what was then called Runaway Youth Services. The review included focus groups with youth and families, community input sessions, interviews with key stakeholders, review of performance/utilization data, and best practice/research review. The input and findings from the process informed the change of the name of the program along with the elements of the redesigned program model. Centering the Voices of Youth A number of key messages and priorities for program design emerged from our local engagement with youth and from local and national reports that centered youth experience. Some of the key pieces of feedback were: Youth experience stigma from peers and their communities from the term “runaway” and for going to shelter Youth want to experience what peers do – normalcy and self-determination Supports need to reflect and accommodate youth culture (as youth generally, and specifically as members of culturally specific communities, LGBTQ) Continuity in staff and opportunity to build trust and relationships are important Service priorities: Outreach to schools, culturally specific providers, and other youth-serving organizations Use of social media and text for access, communication and support Mobile or convenient location for connection; meet youth in community where they are (schools, youth-serving organizations, and so forth) Support for youth to develop relationships with other caring adults Culturally responsive case management Family services Key Themes Key themes identified in the full process were are as follows: Themes: Service Approaches (how services are provided) Providing easy access across the county. Mobile or convenient locations, using texting & social media, low-barrier policies/processes. Many stakeholders mentioned taking advantage of technology and other services – crisis lines, school and culturally specific partners Reaching youth where they are. By this, people meant outreach and service delivery in the community – at school, other youth-serving organizations and their homes/housing, as appropriate Culturally responsive. Services need to reflect cultural norms, practices, food, and so forth. It is preferable that staff reflect the youth’s cultural communities and/or work for culturally specific organizations Responsive and experienced in supporting LGBTQ youth Reflecting youth culture and providing the greatest level of normalcy possible Trauma-informed Strengths-based and client-centered Using youth development principles Themes: Services and Activities (what services are provided) Prevention activities in partnership with schools and other organizations Case management and family mediation/reunification Emergency housing. Interest in a host home model was shared by culturally specific stakeholders Strong collaborative partnerships and aligned service delivery with other providers and systems Integration and strong working relationship with Homeless Youth Continuum services and providers In addition, local stakeholder input highlighted the importance of an organizational focus in the provider(s) on staff wellness, self-care, resiliency and retention including remedies for secondary trauma, a living wage, and supportive supervision. Goals, Values and Other Considerations Culturally Responsive Services YFS seeks to hear from organizations that are able to offer culturally responsive services, especially for youth under the age of 18 from communities of color and youth who identify as LGBTQ. A successful applicant will demonstrate strong partnerships with culturally specific organizations in order to best provide support to youth of color, immigrants and refugees who are at risk of, or already experiencing, homelessness. Youth from communities of color, LGBTQ, queer and transgender youth represent a significant percentage of youth who are at risk of homelessness and other negative outcomes associated with lacking a stable living environment. Multnomah County uses the following definitions for culturally responsive and culturally specific services. Culturally responsive services are general services that have been adapted to honor and align with the beliefs, practices, culture and linguistic needs of diverse consumer/client populations and communities whose members identify as having particular cultural or linguistic affiliations by virtue of their place of birth, ancestry or ethnic origin, religion, preferred language or language spoken at home. Culturally responsive services also refer to services provided in a way that is culturally responsive to the varied and intersecting “biological, social and cultural categories such as gender identity, class, ability, sexual orientation, religion, caste, and other axes of identity.” Culturally responsive organizations typically refer to organizations that possess the knowledge and capacity to respond to the issues of diverse, multicultural communities at multiple intervention points. Culturally responsive organizations affirmatively adopt and integrate the cultural and social norms and practices of the communities they serve. These agencies seek to comprehensively address internal power and privilege dynamics throughout their service delivery, personnel practices and leadership structure. Culturally specific services are services provided for specific populations based on their particular needs, where the majority of members/clients are reflective of that community, and use language, structures and settings familiar to the culture of the target population to create an environment of belonging and safety in which services are delivered. Culturally specific organizations typically refer to organizations with a majority of members/clients from a particular community. Culturally specific organizations also have a culturally focused organizational identity and environment, a positive track record of successful community engagement, and recognition from the community served as advancing the best interests of that community. Specific characteristics and principles of culturally specific organizations include: ·         Mission statements that are aligned with the needs of the communities served ·         Knowledge of the effects of structural and individual racism and discrimination, and specific racial/ethnic disparities the community faces  ·         Multiple formal and informal channels exist for meaningful community engagement and participation, which can and does result in desired community change. Channels are consistent with community’s cultural norms and affirm positive cultural identity, and include opportunities for feedback throughout organization ·         Robust recruitment, hiring practices and leadership development result in diverse and skilled workforce that demonstrate shared experience and are trusted by the community served Youth Engagement and Positive Youth Development YSHP services are aligned with the Homeless Youth Continuum (HYC), and incorporate key values of the HYC, including with the Continuum’s values of youth engagement and Positive Youth Development approaches. It is expected that organizations will engage in youth engagement and Positive Youth Development approaches in their service delivery practices. For youth engagement, the HYC commitment is stated as youth “will have meaningful opportunities to participate in, contribute to, and impact their community, their personal goals and outcomes, and structures and activities.” Positive Youth Development practices are embedded in the Assertive Engagement Service Delivery Model which focuses on relationship development and long term community connections through Positive Youth Development and culturally responsive practices. Positive Youth Development practices work with youth to improve their assets, agency, contribution and supportive environment. Alignment with State Organizations and Initiatives Throughout the program review and RFP development process, YFS has included and consulted with staff from the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), with the intention of partnering now and in the future to provide the most aligned model for jointly supporting youth in Multnomah County who are experiencing instability or homelessness. DHS’ Runaway and Homeless Youth Program intends to align with the County's investment and connect DHS funding so that it enhances and supplements the efforts in Multnomah County to keep youth safely housed in emergencies. DHS Child Welfare, as part of the statewide shelter capacity building efforts, is taking the needs of Multnomah County youth under 18 into account as they plan for youth who are currently part of the foster care system and experiencing instability in their placement or homelessness. It is expected that the successful applicant for YSHP will participate in the YFS/DHS partnership efforts. Target Population The target population is youth under the age of 18 who are at risk of unaccompanied homelessness, who have already left home on their own or have been kicked out of their home. Within that population, there is a focus on youth who are disproportionately at risk: youth of color, youth who identify as LGBTQ, and youth who have come into contact with law enforcement Service Delivery Area Services shall be provided and made accessible throughout Multnomah County. Funding DCHS has budgeted approximately $670,000 annually, a mix of federal, state and local funding for the program. A portion of the funding ($100,000 annually) is contingent on the receipt by YFS of an Oregon Youth Development Division (YDD) grant. The YDD awards are anticipated to be announced in early fall. YFS anticipates that other resources may be identified to leverage the county investment (such as those noted in the Alignment with State Organizations and Initiatives section above). As that occurs, YFS will align additional resources it receives and thus funding may increase over time. There is also the possibility that the successful YSHP applicant could receive additional funding directly from other sources (either through a separate grant application or being awarded as the YSHP provider). Funding of the work described in this RFP is not guaranteed. Fluctuations in funding year to year should be expected. The County cannot assure that any particular level of work will be assigned and the contract will permit the County to add or remove work as necessary depending on availability of funding. Scope of Services The service provider(s) will deliver services in alignment and collaboration with community organizations and institutions who also support and/or serve youth under the age of 18 who are at risk of unaccompanied homelessness, who have already left home on their own or have been kicked out of their home. This includes: ●   Strong collaborative partnerships with culturally specific youth and family service providers, DHS, Schools, Law Enforcement and the Multnomah County Department of Community Justice ●   Strong aligned working relationship with Homeless Youth Continuum and other youth serving providers for easy access and movement between providers and continuity of services ●   Aligned service delivery with other advocates and case managers; particularly those working with LGBTQ and culturally specific youth ●   Regular coordination meetings with the above groups to align efforts, identify gaps and partnership opportunities, and solicit feedback on the Youth Stability and Homelessness Prevention services The service provider(s) will work closely with DCHS YFS staff, Homeless Youth Continuum providers and other key community partners (including culturally specific organizations and other organizations serving youth from marginalized communities (i.e. LGBTQ), schools, law enforcement, DHS and other government agencies) to further identify and prioritize activities and focus areas to enhance services and alignment. All proposed services must be delivered using culturally responsive, trauma-informed, and strengths-based approaches. They must also be grounded in an understanding of Positive Youth Development and the characteristics of youth under 18 who experience homelessness. Further description of these approaches can be found in the Goals, Values and Other Considerations section. Proposers are encouraged to detail what they believe to be the most effective combination of staffing, service components and partnerships that reflect the expected approaches and required services. Expected Approaches Proposers are expected to employ the following approaches when delivering YSHP services. ●   Reflective of youth culture and providing the greatest level of normalcy possible ●   Low barrier access – for youth first and foremost, but also for families, DHS, schools, law enforcement, and other supportive adults ●   Meeting youth where they are in their communities and places they already go (schools, community and youth centers, culturally specific organizations, and home, as appropriate) ●   Prevention focused - maximizing opportunities to prevent youth from being without safe housing and/or on the street ●   Leveraging other resources and partnerships Required Services There are three service areas that each proposer must offer as part of their service delivery model for this program. 1. Access & Outreach ·         24/7 text and phone access to services ·         Mobile response available to meet youth in person, as needed, and provide transportation. Responsive to law enforcement within a reasonable timeframe ·         Conducting outreach to key partners including school counselors, school district homeless liaisons, culturally specific and other youth-serving organizations, DHS, law enforcement ·         Outreach to youth using social media and in person, to the extent possible 2. Crisis and stability support that includes: ·         Needs and safety assessment ·         Emotional support ·         Crisis intervention ·         Safety planning ·         Family mediation and reunification, when possible and appropriate ·         Connection to a broad array of support services 3. Emergency housing ·         Overnight emergency housing options with capacity to serve 125 youth annually; and at least four available beds at any given time ·         Short-term case management services for youth who are in emergency housing Other Potential Services Two other potential services that may be proposed in addition to the required service components were identified in the review process. Proposers may offer other services beyond these two. 1. Safe Places ·         Emergency safe place(s) for youth under 18 - defined places that either are already open 24/7 and can act as a safe location or can be opened as needed to provide a safe place for immediate safety, crisis planning, and other support ·         Drop-in location 2. Longer Term Case Management and Support Services ·         Long term case management delivered in the community and in close alignment with schools, community based organizations and other youth case management ·         Developmentally appropriate case management using the Assertive Engagement model ·         Connection and brokering to needed support services in the community: family counseling, youth service centers that offer drop-in and other safe space and culturally responsive supports, etc. SERVICE TRANSITION STRATEGY   The County is committed to maintaining uninterrupted service between contracts. DCHS expects Contractors to have staff hired and trained to begin delivering services on February 1, 2020 to the greatest extent practicable.  During the immediate post-award period, the successful proposer will be required to develop a transition plan that includes transition and capacity needs to successfully ramp up service delivery. DCHS anticipates that mid-December 2019 through January 2020 will be the initial transition period. Should this solicitation result in a change in providers, there may be some overlap in funding between new and existing providers in order to support a smooth transition.  Any new provider will be expected to work cooperatively with the current provider to minimize the impact the transition will have on current participants. DCHS will convene transition conversations and review and approve all service transition plans. DCHS will support contractors as much as reasonably possible to ensure a successful transition. FISCAL REQUIREMENTS AND REPORTING The program office will negotiate final reports with the selected proposer during contract negotiations. PERFORMANCE MEASURES/PERFORMANCE CONTRACTING Please see Buyer Attachment B - Outputs and Outcomes for the anticipated performance measures. CONTRACT NEGOTIATION  The County will initiate contract negotiations with the responsive and responsible proposer with the highest scoring proposal. Multnomah County may, at its option, elect to negotiate general contract terms and conditions, services, pricing, implementation schedules, and such other terms as the County determines are in the County’s best interest. If negotiations fail to result in a contract, the County reserves the right to terminate the negotiations and initiate contract negotiations with the next highest scoring responsive and responsible proposer. This process may continue until a contract agreement is reached. CONTRACT AWARD Through this RFP process, the County is seeking to award one contract. Award, as determined by the County, will be made to the responsible proposer whose proposal the County determines is most advantageous to the County, based on the evaluation process and evaluation factors described in this RFP. The County reserves the right to select a proposer who has submitted a proposal scoring fewer points than a higher scoring proposal based on the proposer’s ability to best meet the County’s programmatic needs. If a proposer who has submitted a proposal that has scored fewer points is recommended for selection, the Board of County Commissioners must approve the award. Multnomah County strongly encourages the participation of Minority-Owned, Women-Owned, and Emerging Small Businesses and Organizations in providing these services. CONTRACT TERM  Fixed term. The contract term shall be five (5) years. COMPENSATION AND METHOD OF PAYMENT Contracts will be paid on a Cost Reimbursement Basis. COOPERATIVE PURCHASING Not Applicable. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS The proposer awarded a Contract as a result of this RFP and the follow on allocation process will be required to provide the insurance described in the table below and other terms of Exhibit 2 of the Multnomah County Services Contract located in the Buyer Attachments page. Minimum insurance requirements: Type of Insurance   Amount  Per Occurrence  Aggregate  Type of Insurance   Amount  Per Occurrence  Aggregate  Professional Liability               $1,000,000   $1,000,000   $2,000,000 Commercial Gen Liability    $1,000,000   $1,000,000   $2,000,000 Commercial Auto Liability    $1,000,000   $1,000,000    Sexual Abuse/Molestation   $1,000,000   $1,000,000   $2,000,000 Workers Compensation              Required              JOINT PROPOSALS Not Applicable. MULTIPLE OR ALTERNATE PROPOSALS Multiple or alternate proposals shall not be accepted unless specifically provided for in this section. In the event alternate proposals are not accepted and a proposer submits alternate proposals, but clearly indicates a primary proposal, it shall be considered for award as though it were the only proposal submitted by the proposer. MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS At the time of proposal submission, Proposers must meet the following minimum requirements. Failure to provide any of the required documents or meet any of the below requirements shall result in rejection of the proposal. 1.    The Proposal response must be received by Multnomah County Purchasing no later than 4:00 P.M. local Portland time on the proposal submission deadline. 2.    Proposer Representations and Certifications The Proposer must certify that they agree to the Proposers Representation and Certification terms in the Pre-requisite page of the Sourcing Event. At the time of Contracting, Proposers must meet the following minimum requirements. Failure to provide any of the required documents or meet any of the below requirements shall result in cancellation of the contract 1.    Proposers must be legal entities, currently registered to do business in the State of Oregon (per ORS 60.701). 2.    Proposers must submit verification that all insurance requirements are met. 3.    Proposers must have a completed Pre-Award Risk Assessment (See Procedural Instructions in the Buyer Attachments page of this Sourcing Event).

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