Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Department of Human Services (DHS) at www.allegheny,county.us/dhs issued a Request for Proposals on September 12, 2014 http://alleghenycounty.us/dhs/solicitations.aspx.
Responders to the RFP will need to develop and implement a Health Care Support and Coordination Pilot Program (HCSC Pilot) in three of the five Children and Youth Services regional offices to help medically-fragile children in the child welfare program.
Of the 4,200 children and youth involved in the child welfare system in Allegheny County, about 15 percent are medically fragile but although these children may be in stable condition, some are still dependent on life sustaining medications, treatments, equipment, or still may need assistance in daily living.
The successful proposer will need to:
- Develop and implement a practical and sustainable plan to collect, tract, and report on healthcare consultation activities and information.
- Include HCSC staff in the planning concerning software applications and define the need and the most important measures to collect and track.
- Coordinate healthcare but also recommend follow-up as appropriate and necessary. This can include communicating information about healthcare needs and outcomes
- Consult and coordinate with casework staff and other healthcare professionals involved in the case of behavioral health
- Have every child or youth in the target population complete an assessment and health plan based upon available records and consult with family members, providers, casework staff, and other healthcare professionals
- Provide or arrange education and training on a monthly basis on healthcare issues to casework staff, providers, and/or families
- To develop a comprehensive health assessment tool or adopt an existing tool that coordinates with but also adds value to existing assessment instruments already in use
Respondents to the RFP can include non-profit organizations, for-profit organizations, and businesses. Collaborative proposals will be considered.
DHS intends to make an award of one agreement not to exceed $600,000 for the first year of the HCSC program. Proposals are due on November 7, 2014.