MH263036 - Delivering Sources of Strength OMH Suicide Prevention Center of New York (SPCNY)

Delivering Sources of Strength
OMH Suicide Prevention Center of New York (SPCNY)
Grant Procurements
(On-Line Submission Required)
Statewide Financial System (SFS) Identifier- MH263036
August 2026
Rev. 2/2026

New York State Office of Mental Health
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose of the Request for Proposal .................................................................... 1
1.2 Target Population/Eligibility Criteria....................................................................... 2
2. PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................ 2
2.1 Designated Contact/Issuing Officer ....................................................................... 2
2.2 Key Events/Timeline .............................................................................................. 2
2.3 Disposition of Proposals ........................................................................................ 3
2.4 Eligible Agencies ................................................................................................... 3
2.5 RFP Questions and Clarifications .......................................................................... 3
2.6 Addenda to Request for Proposals ....................................................................... 3
2.7 Disqualification Factors ......................................................................................... 3
2.8 SFS Prequalification Requirement ........................................................................ 4
2.9 Vendor Registration, Prequalification and Training Resources for Not-for-Profits 4
3. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ................................................................................. 7
3.1 Reserved Rights .................................................................................................... 7
3.2 Debriefing .............................................................................................................. 8
3.3 Protests Related to the Solicitation Process .......................................................... 8
3.4 Term of Contracts .................................................................................................. 9
3.5 Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises .............................................. 9
3.6 Participation Opportunities for New York State Certified Service-Disabled
Veteran Owned Business .................................................................................... 10
3.7 Equal Opportunity Employment ........................................................................... 11
3.8 Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification ....................................................... 12
3.9 Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification ................................... 12
3.10 Bid Response ...................................................................................................... 12
3.11 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions.................................................................. 12
3.12 Freedom of Information Requirements ................................................................ 13
3.13 NYS and OMH Policies ....................................................................................... 13
4. EVALUATION FACTORS AND AWARDS ..................................................................... 13
4.1 Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................................... 13
4.2 Method for Evaluating Proposals......................................................................... 14
4.3 Process for Awarding Contracts .......................................................................... 14
4.4 Contract Termination and Reassignment ............................................................ 14
4.5 Award Notification ............................................................................................... 14
5. SCOPE OF WORK ......................................................................................................... 15
5.1 Objectives and Responsibilities ........................................................................... 15
5.2 Operating Funding ............................................................................................... 15
6. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE .............................................................................................. 15
6.3 Implementation .................................................................................................... 17
6.5 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Recipient Input .................................................. 17
6.6 Financial Assessment ......................................................................................... 19
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New York State Office of Mental Health
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New York State Office of Mental Health
Delivering Sources of Strength
RFP#MH263036
Applicant Checklist
Frequent Issues/Questions:
- Please begin working on your application in SFS no later than 5 business days before the
application due date and submit no later than 48 hours before the due date. This will
allow you time to troubleshoot any issues that arise that may prevent you from submitting.
Exceptions will not be considered or made for an applicant who cannot complete their
proposal/application by the due date and time of the RFP.
- All required forms/templates are available in the "Event Comments and Attachments" section
of SFS. Please note that there are restrictions to the type, size and naming conventions of
the files and attachments uploaded in SFS. For more information, please review the SFS
Attachment Guide here. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in attachments not
being viewable to reviewers.
- No workplan is required at this time, if awarded, a workplan will be developed during the
contract development phase.
- The "Bid Amount" box is required to be filled out in SFS. Please enter the total amount of
funding your organization is requesting from NYS OMH in this box.
- New York State reserves 5-10 business days from the receipt of complete Prequalification
Applications to conduct its review. If supplementary information or updates are required,
review times will be longer. Due to the length of time this process could take to complete, it is
advised that nonprofits prequalify as soon as possible. Failure to successfully complete the
prequalification process early enough will prohibit the submission of the application in SFS.
____________________________________________________________________________
Please complete the following checklist prior to submission of your proposal. This checklist
SHOULD NOT be submitted, it is for your use only.
Confirm the following:
Your organization has met the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 2.4 Eligible
Agencies
Your organization is prequalified in SFS. SFS will prevent submission if your organization is a
not-for-profit and not prequalified (see Section 2.8 and 2.9 of the RFP document for more
information on Registration, Prequalification and Training Resources for SFS)
Updates to the RFP can happen at any time, per Section 2.6, check the OMH website for any
updates to the RFP posted by OMH.
Notification of intent to apply was sent to local government unit and proof has been uploaded
in SFS. A list of County Local Mental Hygiene Directors can be found here.
Provider Contact form completed and uploaded in SFS
Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification Completed and uploaded in SFS
Gender Based Violence and the Workplace Certification completed and uploaded in SFS.
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New York State Office of Mental Health
Proposal Template completed and any applicable attachments labeled with question numbers
(For example, if a question asks for an org chart, when providing that document, make sure it
labeled specific to that question number.)
Proposal Template and attachments (except budget, see next checkbox) combined into one
PDF and uploaded in SFS under Q1
Budget Template Completed (left in Excel) and uploaded in SFS under Q2
Application submitted in SFS prior to the due date and time listed in Section 2.2 Key
Events/Timeline (OMH strongly advises that applicants do not wait until the last day/last few
hours to complete and submit applications/proposals to Grant RFPs. Exceptions will not be
considered or made for an applicant who cannot complete their proposal/application by the
due date and time of the RFP.)
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
1. Introduction And Background
1.1 Purpose of the Request for Proposal
The New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH) through its Suicide Prevention Center of New York
(OMH SPCNY) is pleased to announce the availability of funds dedicated to the implementation of
Sources of Strength, a suicide prevention program, in New York State high schools (grade 9-12).
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of
death for adolescent children, and the suicide rate for youth (ages 10-24) has increased 47% and 44%
in the United States and New York State, respectively, over the last two decades. The mission of
OMH SPCNY is to promote, coordinate, and strategically advance suicide prevention with the aim of
reducing suicide attempts and deaths among New Yorkers. That mission is advanced in part through
supporting increased use of evidence-based programs, such as Sources of Strength.
Sources of Strength is a nationally recognized upstream suicide prevention program that has been
supported by OMH since 2010 and occupies an important place in the state's broader effort to support
resiliency and prevent suicide among youth. Sources of Strength is a universal school-based suicide
prevention program designed to build protective influences across a defined adolescent population and
reduce the likelihood that vulnerable youth die by suicide. The program trains students as peer leaders
and connects them with mentoring adult advisors at school and in the community. Advisors support the
peer leaders in conducting well-defined messaging activities that aim to change peer group norms
influencing coping practices and problem solving. The program is strength-based and promotes critical
protective factors that are linked to overall psychological wellness and reduced suicide risk.
Sources of Strength trains diverse secondary school students (peer leaders) to conduct prevention
activities through direct personal contacts and presentations/media designed to promote healthy coping
norms and youth-adult connectedness, including help seeking for distress and suicide concerns
(i.e. protective factors linked to reduce risk of suicide). Program components include
(1) orienting school leadership with an overview of the Sources of Strength program, including keys
to successful implementation, (2) developing clear protocols to ensure safety of students identified as
suicidal, which includes referrals for mental health evaluations, (3) increasing school staff members'
preparation through training, which includes knowledge of their role in the Sources of Strength program,
as well as knowledge of their school protocol and procedures for responding to students in life
threatening crisis. The Adult Advisor training is provided to school staff, identified as supported by
school administration, to serve as adult advisors, to facilitate and support peer leader teams in
conducting Sources of Strength activities. (4) Youth are engaged through careful selection and training
of peer leaders from diverse student groups, using the Sources of Strength curriculum. Trained Peer
Leaders are then supported by the Adult Advisors in planning and executing campaigns aimed at
strengthening protective factors like family support, positive friendships, and mentoring. The number of
Peer Leaders and Adult Advisors trained in each school will vary by school size.
The organization awarded this RFP will be responsible for onboarding new schools statewide into
Sources of Strength by providing both Adult Advisor and Peer Leader trainings conducted by a
certified Sources of Strength trainer. In addition, the organization would maintain ongoing
technical assistance and support for schools that have completed their initial Sources of Strength
training within the previous three years. By the third year of support, offboarding must be offered to help
schools build the capacity needed to sustain the program independently. The awardee shall train peer
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
leaders to initiate and conduct a series of systematic peer-to-peer prevention activities under the
supervision of trained adult advisors. Messaging activities are to directly target and modify the help-
seeking attitudes and behaviors of youths throughout each school, so that students are better able to
manage distress, including anxiety, depression, and stress, and draw on positive coping resources
including capable adults in their community. The organization shall report these activities to OMH on a
regular frequency in the form of a report.
1.2 Target Population/Eligibility Criteria
This RFP is a request for an agency to deliver the Sources of Strength trainings to high schools
in New York State. Delivering the Sources of Strength Program is an important part of a
broader suicide prevention effort by New York State targeting youth.
2. Proposal Submissions
2.1 Designated Contact/Issuing Officer
OMH has assigned an Issuing Officer for this project. The Issuing Officer or a designee
shall be the sole point of contact regarding the RFP from the date of issuance of the
RFP until the issuance of the Notice of Conditional Award. To avoid being deemed non-
responsive, an applicant is restricted from making contact with any other personnel of
OMH regarding the RFP. Certain findings of non-responsibility can result in rejection for
a contract award. The Issuing Officer for this RFP is:
Jeremy Rossello
New York State Office of Mental Health
Contracts and Claims
44 Holland Avenue, 7th Floor
Albany, NY 12229
OMHLocalProcurement@omh.ny.gov
2.2 Key Events/Timeline
RFP Release Date 8/26/2026
Questions Due 9/16/2026
Questions and Answers Posted on Website 10/7/2026
Proposals Due by 2:00 PM EST* 10/28/2026
Anticipated Award Notification 12/2/2026
Anticipated Contract Start Date 7/1/2027
*OMH strongly advises that applicants do not wait until the last day/last few hours to
complete and submit applications/proposals to Grant RFPs. Exceptions will not be
considered or made for an applicant who cannot complete their proposal/application by
the due date and time of the RFP. Please note that there are restrictions to the type,
size and naming conventions of the files and attachments uploaded in SFS. For
more information, please review the SFS Attachment Guide here. Failure to
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
comply with these guidelines may result in attachments not being viewable to
reviewers.
2.3 Disposition of Proposals
All proposals submitted by the due date and time become the property of OMH. Any
proposals not received by the due date and time do not get reviewed and are excluded
from consideration.
2.4 Eligible Agencies
Prequalification is required for all not-for-profit organizations seeking grant funding from
New York State. Please see Section 2.8 and Section 2.9 for additional Prequalification
Information.
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit agencies with 501(c) (3) incorporation located and
doing business in New York State.
Please be advised that all questions regarding Eligibility will be responded to through the
official posting of the Questions and Answers. No questions about Eligibility will be
responded to either individually or prior to the posting of the Q&As.
2.5 RFP Questions and Clarifications
All questions or requests for clarification concerning the RFP shall be submitted in
writing to the Issuing Officer by e-mail to OMHLocalProcurement@omh.ny.gov by the
"Questions Due" date indicated in section 2.2 and will be limited to addressing only those
questions submitted by the deadline. No questions can be submitted or will be answered
after this date. No questions will be answered by telephone or in person. Please enter
"Name of RFP" in the subject line of the email.
The questions and official answers will be posted on the OMH website by the date listed
in the timeline section 2.2.
2.6 Addenda to Request for Proposals
In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP during the
application submission period, an addendum will be posted on the OMH website and the
NYS Contract Reporter.
It is the applicant's responsibility to periodically review the OMH Procurement website
and the NYS Contract Reporter to learn of revisions or addendums to this RFP. No other
notification will be given.
2.7 Disqualification Factors
Following the opening of bids, a preliminary review of all proposals will be conducted by
the Issuing Officer or a designee to review each proposal's submission for completeness
and verify that all eligibility criteria have been met. Additionally, during the proposal
evaluation process, evaluators will also be reviewing eligibility criteria and confirming
that they have been met. During the course of either of these review processes,
proposals that do not meet basic participation standards will be disqualified, specifically:
* Proposals from applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
2.4; or
* Proposals that do not comply with bid submission and/or required format
instructions as specified in 2.9 or
* Proposals from eligible not-for-profit applicants who have not completed Vendor
Prequalification, as described in 2.8, by 2:00 PM EST on the Proposal Due Date
posted in section 2.2.
Protests related to disqualification must filed within fifteen (15) business days after the
notice of disqualification.
2.8 SFS Prequalification Requirement
Pursuant to the New York State Division of Budget Bulletin H-1032, dated June 7, 2013,
New York State has instituted key reform initiatives to the grant contract process which
require not-for-profits to be Prequalified in order for proposals to be evaluated and any
resulting contracts executed.
Proposals received from eligible not-for-profit applicants who have not been Prequalified
by the proposal due date of 2:00 PM EST on the Proposal Due Date posted in section
2.2 will not be able to submit their bid response through SFS.
Please do not delay in beginning and completing the prequalification process. The
State reserves five (5) days to review submitted prequalification applications.
Prequalification applications submitted to the State for review less than 5 days
prior to the RFP due date and time may not be considered. Applicants should not
assume their prequalification information will be reviewed if they do not adhere to
this timeframe.
2.9 Vendor Registration, Prequalification and Training Resources for Not-for-Profits
NOTE: All applications must be submitted through the Statewide Financial System
(SFS). No applications will be accepted electronically, US Postal Service, express
mail delivery service or hand delivered.
For any application that does not contain all of the required documentation and/or
"See Attached" responses that were to be uploaded, please be advised that the
application will be reviewed and scored as submitted. For any incomplete
response or missing and/or inappropriately submitted documentation, points will
be deducted. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure, prior to
submission, that the application is appropriate and complete. A workplan is not
required for this RFP.
Each proposal submission through SFS is required to contain:
* Operating Budget (Appendix B)
All applicants must be registered with the New York State Statewide Financial
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
System (SFS) and all Not-for-Profit agencies must be prequalified prior to
proposal submission.
Not-for-profit organizations must Register as a vendor with the Statewide Financial
System and successfully Prequalify to be considered for an award.
This grant opportunity is being conducted as an SFS bid event. Not-for-profit vendors
that are not prequalified can initiate and complete bid responses. However, not-for-profit
vendors that are not prequalified will NOT be allowed to submit their bid response for
consideration.
Information on Registration and Prequalification are available on the Grants
Management Website. A high-level synopsis is provided below.
Registering as an SFS Vendor
To register an organization, send a complete Grants Management Registration Form for
Statewide Financial System (SFS) Vendors and accompanying documentation where
required by email to grantsmanagement@its.ny.gov You will be provided with a
Username and Password allowing you to access SFS.
Note: New York State Grants Management reserves 5-10 business days from the receipt
of complete materials to process a registration request. Due to the length of time this
process could take to complete, it is advised that new registrants send in their
registration form as soon as possible. Failure to register early enough may prevent
potential applicants from being able to complete a grant application on time.
If you have previously registered and do not know your Username, please contact the
SFS Help Desk at (855) 233-8363 or at Helpdesk@sfs.ny.gov. If you do not know your
Password, please click the SFS Vendor Forgot Password link from the main log in page
and follow the prompts.
Prequalifying in SFS
* Log into the SFS Vendor Portal.
* Click on the Grants Management tile.
* Click on the Prequalification Application tile. The Prequalification Welcome Page
is displayed. Review the instructions and basic information provided onscreen.
Note - If either of the above referenced tiles are not viewable, you may be
experiencing a role issue. Contact your organization's Delegated Administrator
and request the Prequalification Processor role.
* Select the Initiate a Prequalification Application radio button and click the Next
button to begin the process. Starting with Organization Information, move
through the steps listed on the left side of the screen to upload Required
Documents, provide Contacts and Submit your Prequalification Application.
Note - If the Initiate a Prequalification Application radio button is not available,
your organization may have already started a prequalification application and
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