VENDOR CONFERENCE CALL AGENDA FOR THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) #10198 COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATIONS

Transcription

1 VENDOR CONFERENCE CALL AGENDA FOR THE REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) #10198 COMPREHENSIVE EVALUATIONS Wednesday, October 8, 10:00 a.m. 12:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Knight Building 2737 Centerview Drive Tallahassee, Florida For conference attendance by telephone Call # and enter Participant Code # when directed This Vendor Conference Call is being held for RFI #10198 The department is seeking information from potential providers pertaining to Comprehensive Evaluations for each of Florida s twenty (20) judicial circuits who can provide any or all of the three (3) levels of Comprehensive Evaluations. Prospective Providers shall provide information concerning their capability, including ability to adequately staff or subcontract for qualified staff to provide any or all of the three (3) levels of Comprehensive Evaluations. 1. Introductions Cheryl Beasley, Procurement Manager 2. Opportunity for Any Questions/Discussion from Prospective Providers All verbal questions discussed during the Vendor Conference must be submitted in writing for an official Department response. Attendees who are present may write questions (paper provided) and hand them to Procurement Staff. Additional questions for submission after this conference is concluded must be submitted in writing to the Procurement Manager identified in the table below by 5:00 p.m., Thursday, October 9, Review of Calendar Deadlines (All listed times are local time (Eastern Daylight Time) in Tallahassee, Florida) Wednesday, October 8, 2014 Thursday, October 9, :00 a.m. (EDT) COB 5:00 p.m. (EDT) RFI Vendor Conference Call: To Participate on the Conference Call telephone and enter code when directed Agenda can be found on MyFlorida.com web site under the RFI # Final Deadline for Questions Last date and time written questions will be accepted for this RFI Submit to: Cheryl Beasley, Procurement Manager Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Bureau of Procurement and Contract Administration Knight Building 2737 Centerview Drive, Suite 1123 Tallahassee, Florida Page 1 of 2

2 Wednesday, October 15, 2014 Wednesday, October 29, 2014 COB 5:00 p.m. (EDT) COB 11:00 a.m. (EST) Telephone Number: (850) Electronic submission for this RFI shall be submitted to: Address: Anticipated date that the answers to the written questions will be posted to the website RFI Responses Due 4. Closing Statements Nothing discussed during the vendor conference call will augment or change the specifications of the RFI. Any Department changes to the specifications and the Department s formal answers to all questions will be posted in the form of an addendum to the RFI document on the MyFlorida.com website at Prospective Providers should monitor the site for each particular RFI. NOTICE TO ALL ATTENDEES: The Department will accept oral questions during the vendor conference call and will make a reasonable effort to provide answers at that time. Impromptu questions will be permitted and spontaneous answers provided; however, the Department will issue a written answer ONLY to questions subsequently submitted in writing. Any information communicated through oral communication shall not be binding on the Department and shall not be relied upon by any prospective Provider. Any person with a qualified disability shall not be denied equal access and effective communication regarding any proposal/proposal documents or the attendance at any related meeting or proposal/proposal opening. If accommodations are needed because of a disability, please contact me Cheryl Beasley at (850) at least two business days prior to the meeting. Page 2 of 2

3 RFI #10198 Comprehensive Evaluations Initial Questions Received This document is provided for discussion purposes at the Vendor Conference (Questions are presented in exact manner received) QUESTIONS FROM PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT SERVICES, LLC Received 9/5/2014 Question # 1: After some internal discussion amongst ourselves, we are wondering, has the department considered the possibility of restructuring some of the aspects of the assessment? Answer #1: Question # 2: Specifically, is there an interest in using the psychologists within the framework of what a psychologist does, that being testing and test interpretation. Answer # 2: Question # 3: Answer # 3 Question # 4: Would the department consider revising the requirements of ancillary details such as various interviews, psychosocials, and collateral documentation to be performed by separate entity prior to the testing? Another issue is the consistent overhead of maintaining a compliment of rather costly test instruments. Would the department be willing to consider a centralized bank of these tools, purchased by the department for contractors to relieve evaluators from this cost? Answer # 4: Question # 5: Finally, we would like clarification regarding the cut off for IQ testing at 79 instead of 70 as per the DSM-IV Manual. We have been told that if a youth scores below 79 on FSIQ that we have to proceed with an assessment of adaptive functioning. Answer # 5: QUESTION FROM DR. DARLENE RIVERA-LAVIN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST, LLC Received 9/9/14 Question # 6: Are the services needed in a specific county or throughout the state? Answer # 6: QUESTION FROM TARCHA RENTZ, PH.D. RECEIVED 9/22/14 Question # 7: Who are the current/previous service providers? Answer # 7: QUESTIONS FROM POSITIVE SOLUTIONS PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES RECEIVED 9/29/14 Question # 8: How many children are referred for comprehensive evaluations each week? Answer # 8: Question # 9: Answer # 9: Question # 10: How many vendors conduct the comprehensive evaluations? If multiple vendors, how does the Department choose which vendor conducts the evaluation? Are all evaluations conducted at the Juvenile Detention Center? Page 3 of 2

4 Answer # 10: Question # 11: Answer # 11: If chosen as a vendor, when will we begin providing services? Question # 12: Do we have to re-apply each year to continue being a vendor? Answer # 12: QUESTIONS FROM POSITIVE NEWVISION BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RECEIVED 9/29/14 Question # 13: Would these contracts for comprehensive evaluations also be open to sole practitioners who are looking to do what I think you call a "rate agreement"? Answer # 13: Question # 14: Answer # 14: Question # 15: Are providers also paid to conduct home studies for the offenders you serve? Once a comprehensive evaluation is completed, are the licensed therapist also able to contract to provide psychotherapy to the individual if deemed appropriate and or feasible, or do you like to have different practitioners conduct the therapy? If so, how many sessions are usually authorized for therapy? Answer # 15: Question # 16: Does DJJ contract for psychotherapy services alone, once an evaluation has been completed by another provider/agency? Answer # 16: Question # 17: What are the needs of the offenders that you usually serve? Do you ever contract for vocational services for your youth offenders? Answer # 17: Question # 18: How quickly does an offender need to be seen once a provider has been contacted for services? Answer # 18: QUESTIONS FROM FLORIDA THERAPY SERVICES. INC. RECEIVED 9/30/14 Question # 19: Page 11 of 49 indicates that Level 1 assessments may include educational testing and review and in-depth vocational testing and analysis, but this is not a component of our current contract for level 1 evals. Current contract covers in a level 2 eval (vocational) and 3 eval (educational). In fact, our current vocational assessments are very brief and limited. Will Level 1 evaluation reimbursement rates increase to cover these components? Answer # 19: Question # 20: Also, on page 12 0f 49, the contract states that a Level 1 eval shall include a mental health and/or substance abuse evaluation per the protocol in attachment II. That attachment lists a number of required tests be completed that are normally only a part of our level 2 evals. Will reimbursement rates for Level 1 evals be increased to cover increased cost of testing? Answer # 20: Page 4 of 2

5 Question # 21: On page 12 0f 49 (section 2.a.1.h), the contract states that a Level 1 eval shall include in-depth vocational testing and analysis. On pg. 11, proposal states may include. Pg. 12 states shall include. Answer # 21: Question # 21: Page 12 of 49 section b: Level 2 evaluation must include Psychological Evaluation. Can a school psychologist complete who are trained, however may not ne Licensed as a Psychologist? Answer # 21: Question # 23: Page 12 of 49: Level 2 evaluation shall include administration of most recent edition of the Wechsler. Standardized adaptive behavior measure We usually do this as part of a level 3 assessment. Will Level 2 reimbursement be increased to cover cost of this evaluation? Answer # 23: Question # 24: Page 15 of 49 section c: When the above information is not furnished to the Provider by the Department and is necessary to complete a thorough Comprehensive Evaluation for the youth, the Provider shall be responsible for collecting information from appropriate entities, the youth/parents, or the Department? This is problematic. This stipulation would allow for the burden of collecting the documents to be shifted from the JPO to the provider? Will additional time and reimbursement be allowed? Answer # 24: Question # 25: Page 16 of 49 section 2e: The Provider shall complete an evaluation report on academic performance and make recommendations related to classification and placement. This would seem to be beyond the scope of the Comp Eval? Are we to do ESE testing which is currently done by the School system? Answer # 25: Question # 26: Page 17 of 49, section C: the Provider shall ensure its subcontractors make their principal or qualified employees available to interview and assess youth in locations convenient to the youth and family, including but not limited to, the home, schools, juvenile detention centers, hospitals, juvenile probation offices, juvenile assessment centers or community centers. Some of these locations are not conducive to testing, and may be out of the county and/or District geographically served by provider. If this is the case, will DJJ transport youth to provider? Answer # 26: Question # 27: Page 18 of 49 section 2a: Staffing Qualifications a..the term Florida licensed or certified professional as used above includes: a psychiatrist licensed under chapter 458 or 459, Florida Statutes who is Board Certified in child and adolescent psychiatry or psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology; a licensed psychologist or school psychologist under chapter 490, Florida Statutes. What can school psychologist do versus licensed MH counselor versus licensed psychologist? Answer # 27: Question # 28: Pages 22 and 23: List a number of new reports that must be made to DJJ, many of which are montlhly. Will there be any reimbursement for administrative cost included in contract? Page 5 of 2

6 Answer # 28: Question # 29: Page 24 of 49: Performance Measures/Evaluation 1. GOAL: 100% of the Comprehensive Evaluations shall be completed and the Report delivered to the Department requestor within ten (10) business days from receipt of the referral by the Provider consistent with the requirements of this Contract. MEASURE: This will be measured by reviewing the date of the referral and the date of the Comprehensive Evaluation Report. MINIMUM STANDARD: 100% of the Comprehensive Evaluations shall be completed and the Report delivered to the Department requestor within ten (10) business days from receipt of the referral by the Provider. What if our comprehensive assessments were not provided to DJJ within ten working days regardless of well documented extenuating circumstances beyond our control, such as absconded youth, repeated broken appointments by youth/ parent, youth refusal, inability to make contact with the parent, and lack of access to the youth? Is there process to negotiate language of this goal to include attempts made and issues out of providers control so provider is not deficient in report for outcome measures out of their control? Answer # 29: QUESTIONS FROM COMMUNITY PARTNERS IS HOME TO: HOUSING PARTNERSHIP, INC. / PARENT-CHILD CENTER, INC. RECEIVED 9/30/14 Question # 30: Are we allowed to see copies of other bids from the past? Answer # 30: Question # 31: Is there a Dept. reimbursement scale that you provide that lets us know the compensation for each level of evaluation? Answer # 31: Question # 32: On page 10 of the RFI, under 2a, Level 1 Evaluation Midway through the paragraph it states This level evaluation shall include all of the components listed in paragraph 1 below, including an in-depth Mental Health Evaluation and/or Substance Abuse evaluation and MAY include educational testing and review and in-depth vocational testing and analysis. The question is: In the past this level 1 evaluation did not require IQ, educational and/or vocational testing. This meant that Master s level/licensed clinicians could perform this Level 1 evaluation. If every Level 1 evaluation needs this testing it must be performed by a psychologist as Master Levels/Licensed clinicians are not permitted to complete this testing. Can you let us know if all Level 1 evaluations will require this testing or just when requested.? My agency wants to be clear if we would be able to utilize Master s level/licensed clinicians to complete this level evaluation should we be chosen by the Dept. Answer # 32: QUESTIONS FROM COLLEEN D CHARACTER, PH.D. RECEIVED 10/1/14 Question # 33: How are vendors selected? Answer # 33: Question # 34: Answer # 34: Question # 35: Should a vendor submit a vita? How many vendors are selected per county? Answer # 35: Page 6 of 2

7 Question # 36: Answer # 36: Question # 37: Do vendors have to bid on contracts? How do we register to bid for a contract? Answer # 37: Question # 38: Answer # 38: Question # 39: When will vendors be notified if they are selected? Who assigns the juveniles to be evaluated to the vendor? Answer # 39: Question # 40: When are reports due? Answer # 40: Question # 41: Answer # 41: Question # 42: Who should reports be submitted to? What must be submitted for payment? Answer # 42: Question # 43: Who should payment be submitted to? Answer # 43: Page 7 of 2