MDHHS seeking proposals for new contracts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Feb. 23, 2023 

MEDIA CONTACT: Bob Wheaton, 517-241-2112, WheatonB@michigan.gov

MDHHS seeking proposals for new contracts to focus on behavioral health needs of children in foster care, juvenile justice

LANSING, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is requesting proposals from residential facilities that can meet the behavioral health needs of children in the foster care and juvenile justice systems.

The request for proposals – issued this week – is part of the department’s efforts to expand access to services to youth who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

MDHHS is asking congregate care providers to submit plans for placement in their facilities to address the needs of youth who must access therapeutic treatment programs – meaning services to stabilize and treat youth dealing with serious mental health concerns, like suicidal thoughts.

The department issued a similar request for proposals in November. The new request includes further clarifications and some changes to the requirements that are meant to enable additional congregate care facilities to take advantage of the opportunity. For example, the new request for proposal provides new congregate care facilities with the time needed to become licensed.

The idea of the new contract model being used for congregate care is to encourage greater innovation in caring for the unique needs of children in the state’s foster care and juvenile justice systems.

This effort is part of a multi-faceted approach by MDHHS to address a national need for expanded behavioral health services for youth. The demand is coupled with a nationwide staffing shortage that makes it difficult to provide needed services, which MDHHS is also addressing.

MDHHS contracts with child-caring institutions to provide specialized treatment to youth in foster care or the juvenile justice system. In recent years it has been challenging in Michigan and nationally to find foster care and juvenile justice placements – especially residential therapeutic treatment beds.

To earn state contracts, facilities must demonstrate through the request for proposal process that they can meet the specialized needs of children.

Agencies that would like to submit a proposal should go to the “Child Caring Institution – Therapeutic Short-Term Treatment Program” Bid Number 230000001297-1 at www.michigan.gov/SIGMAVSS after registering on that website. For assistance with registration or navigating the site, contact the Office of Financial Management at 517-284-0540 or 888-734-9749 and press “1” on the automated menu, or email [email protected]. Vendors who intend to submit a proposal and have questions should contact the solicitation manager, Mary Ostrowski, at 517-249-0438 or [email protected].