REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS. Dorchester Health Initiative

Transcription

1 REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS Dorchester Health Initiative Background Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC) established the Dorchester Health Initiative (DHI) in 2004 to address health issues affecting the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston. In the first three year cycle ( ) the health priorities were asthma and youth violence prevention. In each of the subsequent funding cycles, priorities for the DHI were identified through a community health needs assessment and guidance from advisory committee members. These priorities have included youth violence prevention, obesity and diabetes prevention, physical and emotional wellness and chronic disease prevention and management. This request for proposals seeks services for the upcoming three-year grant cycle Fiscal Years 2017 through 2019 (October 1, 2016 September 30, 2019). The Need: Community Health Needs Assessment Tufts Medical Center completed its tri-annual Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) in early The data reviewed for the CHNA included neighborhood specific health data from the Boston Public Health Commission and interviews with key stakeholders from the Dorchester community residents and major service providers. The Advisory Committee which includes community members, health care professionals and Tufts MC leadership, identified two critical health issues for the Dorchester community: substance (opioid) abuse and youth violence. The current crisis with opioid abuse not only affects the health of the individual with substance abuse disorder but the overall health of his/her family and community. The use of opiates may begin with a physical or psychological trauma such as a sports injury, chronic health condition or surgery, emotional/psychological trauma, abuse of other substances, stress, or mental illness. As complex as the causes might be for opioid use and youth violence, helping individuals and their families deal with these issues and their many consequences is as complex. Substance abuse disorder and youth violence are not isolated issues but rather intertwined. These issues have an impact upon the individual as well as the individual s family. There are disruptions to family relationships, loss of economic stability, abandonment of parental responsibilities, increased risks for family violence and emotional trauma. Principles and Goals of the Tufts Medical Center Dorchester Health Initiative The new three-year grant cycle, October September 2019, will focus on improving the health of Dorchester residents who are experiencing the direct and indirect effects of substance abuse disorder and/or youth violence.

2 Historically, Tufts Medical Center has always sought to partner with community-based organizations which have the cultural and linguistic capacity to design and integrate health related activities into their core programming to improve the health of their constituents. Among the guiding principles: Services provided by organizations respected by their communities have a deeper impact The on-going relationships between community members and their service providers provide a longer timeframe to achieve health education and health improvements For the upcoming DHI funding cycle, Tufts Medical Center is seeking community partners with expertise to address substance abuse disorder and/or youth violence, are experienced working with the target population and trusted by their constituents to provide services that prevent substance abuse, increase access to treatment, support recovery, offer support services to family members, or reduce youth violence. Prevention services may be targeted to an at-risk population for the use of opiates or youth violence to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors: Individuals at risk for sports injuries or chronic condition which would require pain medication Individuals whose family or close social network includes someone who is abusing and addicted to a substance Middle and high school students who may be influenced by peers to experiment and abuse substances or whose perception is that they can control their use of recreational drugs and that there are no long term effects to their physical and cognitive development Youth who are at-risk for bullying or gang involvement Youth and/or adults from families at-risk for domestic violence Activities to increase access to treatment for substance abuse may include: Creating (or compiling) and distributing materials to inform community members about the availability of treatment resources (print or electronic media) Creating resources that educate community members about treatment and recovery services and the recovery process Identifying community members who are at risk for addiction and linking them to services Establishing and publicizing links to treatment and recovery resources that are available 24/7 The goal of recovery support and/or support services to family members would be to provide: Services that help family members, friends or co-workers better understand the treatment and recovery process and the supports the person in recovery needs Services to support families, friends or co-workers, to deal with the trauma and stress of a family member or friend who is involved in substance abuse Support services to help individuals succeed in their recovery and reintegration into the community (includes housing, employment, and re-establishing family relationships) Information on the resources available to help with the treatment and recovery process Support services and resources to help community members who have been exposed to violence and traumatic events to regain their emotional health and reduce the effects to their physical health

3 Services that incorporate an intergenerational approach Applicant Eligibility Tufts Medical Center is seeking proposals from well-established, publicly or privately funded community-based 501(c)(3) organizations with expertise in health and/or human services (social services, literacy, workforce development, recreation, education, or community development), and experience serving the needs of Boston residents and the proposed target population. Eligibility factors include: Applicants must be located in Boston, MA and accessible to the target population. Applicant s services should focus on the target populations residing in Dorchester. The applicant s prior experience working with the proposed target population. Prior experience providing services for substance abuse and/or youth violence prevention. Previously funded service providers and/or new bidders are encouraged to apply. Funding Grants will be awarded for a one-year period with funds renewable for a second and third year contingent upon satisfactory program performance and the availability of funds. The maximum grant award to an organization will be $50,000 each year. DHI funding may not be used for general operating expenses, occupancy, or indirect costs. DHI funding may not be used to replace funding currently being used to support similar activities. Administrative Requirements, Documentation, and Evaluation Reporting requirements will consist of a semi-annual and year-end written report, which would be structured to record planned and actual service levels, outcomes, client characteristics and brief narratives evaluating the efficacy of key program activities and strategies conducted by the DHI funded project. Financial reports documenting program expenses will be part of the semi-annual and year-end reports. These reports are due to the funder within 10 working days after reporting period. Grantees will be required to attend 2 meetings during the course of the program year with Tufts Medical Center staff, DHI Advisors and other DHI grantees to share information, best practices and opportunities for peer learning. Grantees will be expected to maintain participant records and to exercise all policies and protocols to maintain client/patient confidentiality. Grantees will be evaluated mid-year and at the end of the program year. The baseline for evaluation will be the goals, objectives, and outcomes presented in the grantee s proposal.

4 Proposal Guidelines: 1. Program Summary (5 points) Provide a two paragraph summary describing the proposed program goals and design, the target population, number of participants to be served on an annual basis, start and end dates, and the annual amount of DHI funding requested. 2. Statement of Need(s) (10 points) Identify the target population you propose to serve with DHI funding (including demographic characteristics of the target population such as neighborhood of residence, primary languages, countries of origin, ages, race or ethnicity and educational backgrounds). Describe how the target population s health issue aligns with DHI priorities and how the need was identified. Reference any data sources that were reviewed and how recent the data was compiled. 3. Agency Experience (10 points) Describe the agency s experience in working with the target population and how the proposed activities relate to the agency s core mission and services. Describe prior experience in providing the services that are being proposed. 4. Program Design (35 points) This section asks you to describe in detail the key elements of the program, the sequence of activities that will be implemented to identify and engage the target population, the specific activities that program participants will be engaged in. Describe how outreach activities will ensure that the proposed target population will be recruited for the program. Detail any eligibility requirements for program participation and describe how eligibility will be determined. The program design and services must be responsive to and address the need for service for the target population identified in the statement of need. Indicate if the proposed DHI program will be a stand-alone or if it will be integrated with other similar activities within your agency, if the program provides services to participants in a group situation, cyclically, or individually on an open-ended/open-exit approach. In addition to your narrative for this section, please complete a work plan and timeline using the recommended format found in the attachments to this RFP. The work plan should reflect the key activities that are described in the narrative for this section. The requested work plan is not meant to replace the narrative. The scoring for this section will be based upon the narrative. Your narrative and work plans should include: Timeline: start and end dates for all activities. Program Activities: an outline of all program components and program activities available to program participants. Indicators for Success: List the indicator(s) for success for each objective and activity, and list how these indicators will be measured. Clear and measurable goals and objectives: Goals and objectives should be stated clearly and reflect those that are proposed for year one and the cumulative goals and objectives for the

5 three year grant period. Goals and objectives should be reasonable in scope and be tied directly to the target population s needs. The narrative for this section should include descriptions for all of the above listed activities and benchmarks and describe how they support the program goals and objectives and reflect the principles and goals of the DHI: Outreach and recruitment: what specific activities will be initiated to promote the program and identify candidates for participation? Eligibility criteria: will there be specific criteria for participant entry into the program and an equitable system for selection/enrollment? Appropriateness of services to the needs of the participants: how will this be determined? Program activities: provide information about the length and frequency of activities for participants, whether services are provided in a group or on an individual basis The program design should describe the major program components, their sequence, and scheduling and illustrate how, and for how long, a participant would be engaged in activities. 5. Coordination or partnerships with external organizations (5 points) Please identify any external organizations with which you will be coordinating services or establishing a partnership with to support, or enhance your capacity to provide the proposed services. Describe the value of the relationship and the benefits that will be achieved through this approach. 6. Program Evaluation (15 points) Describe the program s evaluation plan. Include a design for both a process and outcome evaluation. The process evaluation should assess the program strategies; the outcome evaluation should determine whether the goals and objectives of the program have been met, including quantifiable measures such as number of clients served, how many of the clients have been served. Questions to consider include when describing your evaluation plan: What data will be collected? When and how will the data be collected? Who will be included in the program evaluation? Who will review the data and how frequently? How will the data be used to inform program services and improvements? The semi-annual and year-end reports required by DHI asks grantees to evaluate their progress towards proposed goals, objectives and outcomes. These self-evaluations, an annual site visit and compliance with administrative requirements will determine if grantees will be considered for funding for years two and three. 7. Staffing, Program Management, and Facilities (10 points) Provide a description of the staffing structure for the proposed program and staff members respective responsibilities. Identify the staff member responsible for project implementation and/or

6 direct services to clients. Describe how their skills and qualifications relate to their job responsibilities including any administrative, reporting, or evaluation responsibilities associated with this project. Be sure to include the following: Staff responsibilities and qualifications, including prior experience with activities similar to those being proposed, (identify the individual who will be the lead contact for the program and the person responsible for submitting grant reports to Tufts Medical Center); Job descriptions and staff resumes for each person assigned to the program; Describe the percentage of each staff member s time devoted to the program; If hiring new staff, include a timeline for completing this process; Describe the management and supervisory oversight for the proposed program Describe the facility (or facilities) for the proposed program, and its accessibility to the target population(s), including those who may be disabled. Job descriptions and resumes will not count towards the 12 page limit and can be appended to the proposal narrative. 8. Budget and Budget Narrative (10 points) Provide a detailed budget for the first twelve months of the proposed program using the template which is included in the attachments to this RFP. Include a description for all costs assigned to this project and explain how these costs were calculated. The DHI grant will not pay for activities already funded by another source nor will it pay for occupancy costs, overhead, or indirect costs of the proposed services. The budget form and narrative will not count towards the page limit. Technical Instructions/Proposal Specifications Proposals should be typewritten, double-spaced, in 12-point font and should not exceed 12 pages excluding the budget, budget narrative, work plan, job descriptions, resumes and proposal cover page. All margins should be 1. Proposals should be securely bound. Staples are acceptable. The use of paper clips is strongly discouraged. Proposals must address all sections included in the RFP and include a cover page, service and budget plans (templates attached) All proposals must be received on or prior to the deadline in order to be considered. Facsimiles will not be accepted. ed proposals (electronic copy) are encouraged along with hard copies. ed proposals must be the entire proposal document the cover page, narrative and all required attachments as one complete document.

7 One hard copy of the applicant s most recent certified public audit should be attached to the original proposal. No electronic copy is needed. A total of four hard copies of the proposal are required by the deadline: one original (with agency director s original signature) and three copies. A copy of the applicant s most recent audited financial statement should be included with the original proposal. All four copies of the proposal may be mailed or hand delivered. Proposals are due no later than 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 13, Late proposals will not be accepted. All questions regarding this RFP can be directed to: Beverly Wing, Program Consultant, or bwing@tuftsmedicalcenter.org. Proposals should be sent to: By mail: Dorchester Health Initiative, Community Health Improvement Programs, Tufts Medical Center, Box 116, 800 Washington Street, Boston, MA By delivery: Community Health Improvement Programs (CHIP), Tufts Medical Center, 800 Washington Street. Please call prior to delivery to arrange for the drop off. CHIP Administrative offices are located in a secured building not open to the general public. bwing@tuftsmedicalcenter.org

8 Attachments 1. Cover Page 2. Work Plan 3. Service Plan 4. Budget Form

9 Attachment 1: DHI Cover Page Organization: Address: Zip Contact Person: Title: Telephone: Fax : Program Name: Amount Requested: Number to be Served: Target Population: Neighborhood: Brief description of the proposed program and goals (approximately 150 words): Signature/Agency Director Date

10 Attachment 2: FY 2017 Workplan Agency Name: Program Name : Contact Person: Program goals: (Please briefly describe the objectives, activities and outcomes that are based upon your program goals in the chart below) Quarter Objectives Activities to accomplish objectives 1 st Quarter (Oct.-Dec. 2016) Outcomes 2 nd Quarter (Jan.-Mar. 2017) 3 rd Quarter (Apr.-Jun. 2017) 4 th Quarter (Jul.-Sept. 2017)

11 Attachment 3: Dorchester Health Initiative Proposed Annual Service Plan: October 1, 2016 September 30, 2017 Agency and Program Name: Annual Proposed Service Level Number of New Participants for FY 2017 October 1, 2016 September 30, 2017 Continuing Participants from (FY 2016 if applicable) Total Patients to be Served in FY 2017)) Average Monthly Service Level (number of participants) Please be sure that the total number of new and continuing patients equals the service level presented in your cover page and narrative. Proposed Target Population Target Population Number to be Served Age 0-9 years Age years Age years Age years Age 65+ Total of All Age Groups White African American Latino Asian Other (please specify) Total of all racial/ethnic groups Please be sure that the total number of patients identified by age and racial break-outs equals the total number of people to be served as presented in your cover page and narrative. Proposed Target Population s Residency Neighborhoods/City of Residence Number to be Served Dorchester South Boston Other Boston Neighborhood(s)/please specify* Other (please specify) * The other major neighborhoods of Boston include: Allston-Brighton, Charlestown, Chinatown, East Boston, Fenway, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, Mattapan, Roslindale, Roxbury, South Boston, South End, West Roxbury

12 Attachment 4: Program Budget and Budget Narrative Budget Item Cost Calculations Total Request Personnel (please list by titles): Example: Case Manager 52 wks X 5 hrs x $20 $5200 Fringe Costs (provide agency rate): Program Supplies/Expenses (please list): Postage for outreach flyers, appointments 500 X $.44 $ 220 Total Please provide a brief explanation on how all the costs assigned to the project were calculated. You may adjust this template to incorporate explanations of cost calculations within the table; otherwise you may use the remaining page space for that purpose. Example: transportation costs were calculated for 20 clients each receiving a $10 taxi voucher for two clinic visits (20 x $10 x 2 = $400) Personnel costs: staff positions and the proportion of salaries assigned to the DHI should be listed. Fringe costs: provide the rate and describe what is included as well as the amount assigned. Professional (consultant) services: describe the service to be purchased, as well as the rate and duration of services. Program expenses: if you assigning program/office supplies, printing/copying, postage, dues or subscriptions, advertisements, please describe what will be purchased, the estimated costs and the basis for your cost estimates (quantity, unit price). If you are requesting staff training as part of your program costs, please describe the training and its relevance to the program. The budget for and narrative will not count towards the 12 page limit. Please submit one copy of your organization s most recent audit. You may attach this to the original proposal (the one with agency director s original signature)