Recovery and Academic Program (RAP) Services

March 11, 2026
RFP Number: 4454.3
Due Date: March 31, 2026
Due Time: 2:00PM EST
To: Prospective Offerors:
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit qualified organizations to partner with Montgomery
County Public Schools (MCPS) in the delivery of recovery and substance use support services for high school
students participating in the Recovery and Academic Program (RAP).
A virtual pre-proposal conference will be held at 9:30a.m. EST via Zoom. Information to access the
conference is contained in the RFP, Section 14.0. Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted by
4:00 p.m., on March 17, 2026.
Please respond according to the instructions provided in the attached. Proposals must be received on or
before March 31, 2026 at 2:00pm EST. Proposals received after this date and time will not be considered.
Proposals shall be delivered in a sealed envelope with the RFP number, opening date and opening time
indicated in the lower left corner of the envelope. Proposals shall be delivered to MCPS Department of
Procurement, 45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
The offeror must submit one (1) original, one (1) redacted copy, one (1) electronic version on flash drive
and one (1) separate copy of the proposal. The proposal must be signed by an official having authority to
contract with MCPS. The firm and official's name shall be used. This solicitation does not commit MCPS
to pay any costs incurred in the submission of proposals or guarantee that an award will be made.
In the event of emergency closing of the MCPS Board of Education offices, this RFP will be accepted at
the same time on the next regular working day.
AMD
Enclosure
Sincerely,
Angela McIntosh Davis, Director
Department of Procurement

Office of Financial Management
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Department of Procurement
45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Request for Proposal No. 4453.3
Recovery and Academic Program (RAP) Services
1.0 INTENT
The purpose of this Request for Proposal (RFP) is to solicit qualified organizations to partner
with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in the delivery of recovery and substance
use support services for high school students participating in the Recovery and Academic
Program (RAP). RAP serves students whose substance use has impacted their academic
engagement and school success and who require structured, recovery-oriented supports to
remain enrolled and progressing toward graduation. The overarching intent of this RFP is to
establish a partnership that promotes student resilience, reduces barriers to learning, and
supports long-term academic and personal success for students enrolled in the program. The
selected provider(s) will collaborate closely with MCPS staff, school-based teams, families,
and community partners to deliver prevention-informed, intervention-focused, and recovery-
support services. These services may include, but are not limited to, individual and group
recovery support, skill-building, case management, family engagement, coordination of care,
and connection to community-based resources. Providers are expected to utilize evidence-
informed practices, demonstrate experience working with adolescents in school or school-
adjacent settings, and support measurable outcomes related to student engagement, wellbeing,
recovery stability, and progress toward graduation.
The products and services would broadly serve the following objectives:
Support comprehensive academic instruction, recovery, social/recreational, and the
vocational support students need,
Ensure all students have academic and career goals to so they are college and career
ready,
Provide comprehensive therapeutic supports including small group and individual
therapy,
Provide a comprehensive, safe, and supportive learning space for students,
Provide comprehensive, evidence-based recovery services to students matched to
their social/emotional and recovery needs while formulating individualized plans
maximize RAP offerings, and
Engage students, parents and families in supportive outreach and recovery work.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) is the 15th largest school system in the United
States, and the largest in the state of Maryland. During the 2025-2026 school year, MCPS
served more than 160,000 students. With a Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 Operating Budget of

approximately $2.76 billion, MCPS employs more than 24,000 employees. Among the 209
schools that MCPS operates, 39 are National Blue-Ribbon schools. Six MCPS high schools
rank in the top 200 of The Washington Post's 2021 High School Challenge, and all 25 MCPS
high schools appear on this list, which only includes the top 11 percent of high schools in the
country. MCPS has one of the highest graduation rates among the nation's largest school
districts, according to an Education Week report. In 2010, MCPS was the recipient of the
Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential honor given to American
organizations for performance excellence. The student demographics of MCPS in 2025-2026
were as follows:
Hispanic/Latino: 35.3%
White: 23.9%
Black or African American: 21.6%
Asian: 13.7%
Two or more races: 5.3%
American Indian or Alaskan Native: 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 0.1%
In alignment with our strategic priorities, MCPS believes that each and every student matters;
outcomes should not be predictable by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status; equity demands
the elimination of all gaps; and creating and maximizing future opportunities for students and
staff is necessary. Therefore, MCPS holds high expectations for all students and staff;
distributes resources as necessary to provide extra supports and interventions so all students
can achieve; identifies and eliminates any institutional barriers to students' success; and
ensures that equitable practices are used in all classrooms and workplace.
MCPS also believes that we must engage every student, every day; learning is achieved by
cultivating curiosity and encouraging determination, focus, and hard work; and adult learning
and engagement are key to student learning. Therefore, MCPS encourages and supports critical
thinking, problem solving, active questioning, and risk taking to continuously improve;
stimulate discovery by engaging students in relevant and rigorous academic, social, and
emotional learning experiences; and challenge ourselves to analyze and reflect upon evidence
to improve our practices.
MCPS is focused on ensuring that all students receive the same level of opportunities to learn.
With the advent of more rigorous standards for college and career readiness in recent years,
the rollout of the Next Generation Science Standards, and new assessments aligned to these
standards, there is great potential to focus teaching and learning on what all students need to
know and be able to do to thrive in college, careers, and life in a global society. Whereas these
school-based mental health therapeutic services provide an important force in getting all
students-not just some-to the highest levels of attainment, access to hands-on, outside of the
classroom experiences that must be expanded to serve under represented populations.

3.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES
3.1 Proposals should address the entire scope of services. Requirements include:
A fully developed program description of an evidence-based academic and recovery
program that supports comprehensive academic instruction, recovery,
social/recreational, and vocational support for high school students in MCPS.
Staffing to include a fully developed description and services provided by a mental
health therapist/coordinator to facilitate recovery group and individual therapy
services. A fully developed description and services provided by a recovery
specialist who will provide support to individuals recovering from substance use to
identify and address the needs of clients, provide intervention and support services,
and assist clients in achieving their recovery goals.
A plan and descriptions for student classrooms, group therapy spaces, recreational
space, staff offices and storage.
A proposal for food and snack services comparable to the offerings of a school lunch
program.
A parent and community outreach program to engage students, families, and
community members in supportive outreach work.
A proposal for a supportive afterschool recovery care environment for students at
RAP.
3.2 Technical Requirements
The vendor shall possess experience supporting high school students and families through the
lens of recovery-informed education and support. Submissions should include descriptions
and documentation of recovery programs offered and staff who support them. Evidence of
expertise should include accessible digital folders, interactive web content, or detailed visual
documentation.
3.3 Data Privacy and Security
As specified in more detail in the MCPS General Contract Articles and elsewhere in this RFP,
the vendor will comply with all federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances
applicable to this project, including but not limited to the requirements of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA"), 20 U.S.C. 1232g, and its implementing
regulations (34 C.F.R. part 99), the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), 15
U.S.C. 6501-6505, and its implementing regulations (16 C.F.R. 312, et seq.), the Protection
of Pupil Rights Amendment, ("PPRA") 20 U.S.C, 1232(h) and its implementing regulations
(34 C.F.R. 98.1 et seq.), the Maryland Student Privacy Act of 2015, Md. Ed. Code Ann., 4-
131, Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.08, as well as applicable Board of
Education policies and MCPS regulations, including but not limited to MCPS Regulation AFA-
RA, Research and Other Data Collection Activities in Montgomery County Public Schools,
MCPS Regulation JOA-RA, Student Records, and MCPS Regulation JFF-RA, Federal
Requirements for Use of Protected Student Information.

3.5. Technology and Support
The provider must maintain a facility equipped to fully support student technology needs and
aligned with MCPS standards. The building shall include a robust and scalable technology
infrastructure capable of supporting MCPS-issued hardware, including Chromebooks, desktop
computers, printers, and interactive display systems such as Smartboards. All instructional and
support spaces must be adaptable to accommodate evolving technology requirements and
emerging instructional tools. The facility must be fully wired to provide reliable, high-speed
internet access that supports virtual learning and digital instruction. Additionally, the provider
shall ensure that the facility's technology systems are fully accessible to the MCPS Division
of Technology Services for purposes of integration, maintenance, monitoring, and support.
3.6 Facility Requirements
The provider shall supply a facility that supports the full scope of student programming by
including appropriately sized and equipped classroom spaces for academic instruction, areas
designated for physical activity and recreation, a clean and supervised space for student meals,
and private as well as semi-private rooms for counseling, group sessions, and recovery-related
services. The facility shall also include flexible space to support student incentives, creative
expression, and enrichment activities, with appropriate storage and adaptable configurations.
The facility should provide comprehensive janitorial and building services to keep the learning
and office spaces clean and functional. The building must ensure a safe and secure
environment through controlled access points, comprehensive camera monitoring of common
areas and entrances in accordance with applicable regulations, and functional locks on all
rooms to support safety protocols. The provider is responsible for outfitting staff with needed
materials for controlled access to the building. The location shall accommodate safe and
efficient MCPS bus drop-off and pick-up, including appropriate traffic flow and accessible
entry points for students. The facility should provide free and available parking for staff in
proximity to the program. Additionally, the facility must be adaptable to meet evolving MCPS
safety and security requirements, including but not limited to the installation of vape detectors,
security enhancements, and emergency response systems, and must provide sufficient
infrastructure, including electrical and network capacity, to support these needs while
remaining compliant with all applicable building codes, health standards, and accessibility
requirements.
3.7 Mental Health Coordination
The selected provider shall deliver comprehensive, school-based mental health services by
facilitating daily group therapy for all students that includes coping skills development,
psychoeducation, promotion of pro-social interactions, and opportunities for emotional
expression; conducting at least weekly (or more frequent, as needed) individual check-ins to
co-create and monitor student mental health goals; coordinating care through communication
with families and external providers; actively participating in the daily student milieu
(including check-ins, breaks, and transitions); serving as a mental health resource to staff
through consultation and training; and managing additional daily tasks to support students.

3.8 Recovery Support Coordination
The Recovery Specialist/Coordinator provides comprehensive, school-based support for
adolescents participating in a recovery-focused program, delivering on-site, evidence-based
services to students experiencing substance use and related challenges. The role includes
providing individual counseling, facilitating peer support groups, and delivering workshops
that promote recovery, wellness, and resilience. The specialist coordinates closely with school
staff, families, and external treatment providers to ensure integrated care, advocate for student
needs, and support academic progress and social-emotional development. Through case
management and ongoing outreach-including regular communication with families and
facilitation of evening programming-the position fosters strong, trust-based relationships that
enhance student engagement and recovery outcomes. The coordinator also leads prevention
and education efforts to reduce substance use and increase awareness within the school
community. Additionally, the role requires maintaining accurate, confidential documentation
of services, student progress, and program outcomes to ensure accountability and continuous
improvement.
4.0 CONTRACT TERM
The initial term of contract shall be one (1) year as stipulated on the RFP. The contract may
not begin until one day after approval by the MCPS Board of Education and will conclude as
stated under the contract term. MCPS reserves the right to extend this contract at existing
prices, terms and conditions for up to three (3) additional terms for one (1) year each. Written
notice indicating MCPS' intention to pursue the extension of the contract will be issued to the
successful vendor 90 days prior to the expiration of the original contract. The vendor shall
have ten (10) days from the date of notification to return the notice acknowledging its intent to
accept or reject the extension.
Once all responses are evaluated, MCPS staff may make a recommendation to the MCPS Board
of Education to extend the contract or decide to rebid. If the contract is extended by the MCPS
Board of Education, a contract amendment will be issued.
5.0 PROVISION FOR PRICE ADJUSTMENT
Provide a firm fixed price proposal and fee structure to include hourly rates as applicable.
6.0 CONTRACT TERMINATION
MCPS reserves the right to cancel the contract in whole or in part at any time in accordance
with Article 12 of the MCPS General Contract Articles. MCPS also reserves the right to
cancel the contract with a Respondent for failure to comply or failure to fulfill the terms of
this contract in accordance with Article 13 of the MCPS General Contract Articles.
7.0 REFERENCES
All Offerors shall include a list of a minimum of five references who use the Offeror's services
who can attest to their quality of work and, if possible, shall include school districts of
comparable size to MCPS that have utilized the Respondents' services within the last three (3)
years. Include name of client, contact person, e-mail address and phone number of all

references. Also, as an attachment, Offerors shall include a list of all current school district
clients.
References may or may not be reviewed or contacted at the discretion of MCPS. Typically,
only references of the top ranked shortlisted Offerors are contacted. MCPS reserves the right
to contact references other than, and/or in addition to, those furnished by an Offeror.
Company Name and Address Contact Person Phone #
1. __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________________
8.0 FORMAT OF RESPONSE
8.1 Response to this RFP shall be submitted in the same order as the RFP and provide an
individual response to each RFP specification.
8.2 Contractors shall include any and all statements and representations made within its
proposal in the contract for services with the MCPS. This includes, but is not limited
to, the vendors' point-by-point response to this RFP. If the vendor responds only
"Understand and comply," it is assumed that the vendor complies with MCPS'
understanding of the requirement.
8.3 MCPS shall not be responsible nor be liable for any costs incurred by the vendor in the
preparation and submission of their proposals and pricing.
8.4 Pricing proposal shall be submitted as a separate document outlining content, timeline
for implementation, training, professional development, etc.

9.0 MANDATORY SUBMISSIONS
Each offeror must submit a complete proposal including all required information and
attachments. The response shall address each paragraph in the same order as the RFP and
provide an individual response to each RFP specification. All proposals must be presented
using the same numbering sequence and order used in this RFP document or as otherwise
specified by MCPS. Offerors may request via e-mail to Angela_S_McIntosh-
Davis@mcpsmd.org, a Microsoft Word version to help them in preparing the response.
One (1) original and one (1) copy as well as one (1) electronic version on flash drive and one
(1) redacted copy of responses must be sent by mail, courier or hand-delivery and shall be in
binders with tabs identifying each section. A table of contents should be included and all pages
numbered as referenced in the Table of Contents. No faxes or electronic submission of
proposals will be accepted. Proposals are to be received no later than 2:00 p.m. on March 31,
2026. Submit responses of the entire RFP proposal to:
Montgomery County Public Schools
Department of Procurement
45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100
Rockville, MD 20850
Submissions will become the property of MCPS.
The proposal must be signed by an official having authority to contract with MCPS. The firm
and the official's name shall be used in the contract process. MCPS reserves the right to make
an award without further discussion of the proposals received. MCPS may also negotiate with
the one offeror who submits the best proposal or with two or more offerors who are in the
competitive range. Therefore, it is important that the offeror's proposal be submitted initially
on the most favorable terms from both the technical and cost standpoints. After the submission
and closure of proposals, no information will be released until after the award. It is understood
that the offeror's proposal will become a part of the official file on this matter without
obligation to MCPS.
The proposal must be complete and comply with all aspects of these specifications. Marketing
or promotional verbiage will likely overshadow the offeror's qualifications and expertise.
MCPS urges the offeror to be specific and brief in their responses.
Offerors must include any and all statements and representations made within its proposal in
the contract for services with MCPS unless otherwise agreed upon by MCPS and offeror during
negotiations. This includes, but is not limited to, the vendor's point-by-point response to this
RFP. If offeror answers only "Understand and comply" it is assumed that the offeror complies
with MCPS' understanding of the requirement.
MCPS shall not be responsible or liable for any costs incurred by the offeror in the preparation
and submission of their proposals and pricing.
Complete Response must include:
Point-by-point Response to each section of the RFP
Pricing Proposal

References, See 7.0 References, including current school district clients
Vendor's annual fiscal report in order to demonstrate the vendor's financial stability
(If desired, the vendor may also include any other financial documents that Vendor
wishes to include regarding Vendor's financial condition. This documentation is not
mandatory.)
Equal Opportunities Certification (Attachment A)
Certification of Non-segregated Facilities (Attachment B)
Minority Business Enterprise (Attachment C)
Non-Debarment Acknowledgement (Attachment D)
Mid-Atlantic Purchasing Team Rider Clause (Attachment E)
Online Data Resource Form (Attachment F)
Current Form W-9
A list of any variances from or objections to the terms and conditions of the MCPS
General Contracting Articles, as well as a justification for any such variances or
objections.
A separate redacted copy of offeror's proposal as specified in Sections 10.0 and 11.0.
10.0 TREATMENT OF TECHNICAL DATA IN PROPOSAL
The proposal submitted in response to this request may contain technical data which the offeror
does not want used or disclosed for any purpose other than evaluation of the proposal. The use
and disclosure of any such technical data, subject to the provisions of the Maryland Public
Information Act, may be so restricted:
Provided, that offeror marks the cover sheet of the proposal with the following legend,
specifying the pages of the proposal which are to be restricted in accordance with the
conditions of the legend: "Technical data contained in pages of this proposal shall
not be used or disclosed, except for evaluation purposes."
Provided, that if a contract is awarded to this offeror as a result of or in connection with
the submission of this proposal, MCPS shall have the right to use or disclose these
technical data to the extent provided in the contract.
This restriction does not limit the right of MCPS to use or disclose technical data obtained from
another source without restriction.
MCPS assumes no liability for disclosure or use of unmarked technical data or products and
may use or disclose the data for any purpose and may consider that the proposal was not
submitted in confidence and therefore is releasable. Price and cost data concerning salaries,
overhead, and general and administrative expenses are considered proprietary information and
will not be disclosed, if marked in accordance with the instructions in Section 11.0.
11.0 PROPRIETARY AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION
Offerors are notified that MCPS has unlimited data rights regarding proposals submitted in
response to this solicitation. Unlimited data rights mean that MCPS has the right to use,
disclose, reproduce, prepare derivative works, distribute copies to the public, or perform
publicly and display publicly any information submitted by the offeror in response to this or
any solicitation issued by MCPS. However, MCPS will exempt information that is confidential

commercial or financial information of an offeror, as defined by the Maryland Public
Information Act, State Government Article, Section 10-617, from disclosure. It is the
responsibility of the offeror to clearly identify each part of its proposal that is confidential
commercial or financial information by stamping the bottom right-hand corner of each
pertinent page with one-inch bold face letters stating the words "confidential" or
"proprietary." The offeror agrees that any portion of the proposal that is not stamped as
proprietary or confidential is not proprietary or confidential. As a condition for MCPS keeping
the information confidential, the offeror must agree to defend and hold MCPS harmless if any
information is inadvertently released. Each offeror must submit a proprietary and confidential
redacted copy of its proposal to be used in responding to MPIA requests.
12.0 EVALUATION CRITERIA
MCPS reserves the right to ask clarifying questions about submitted proposals. Offerors also
may ask questions that they may have related to this RFP prior to submitting their responses.
See Section 13.0, Schedule of Events. Only proposals received by the deadline will be
considered. Proposals will be screened down to a number of finalists.
MCPS reserves the right to convene a meeting with the top qualified offerors prior to awarding
a contract. The purpose of the meeting will be to afford both parties an opportunity to discuss
any aspects of the requirements and services that will be performed and clarify any issues.
Issues raised during the meeting, which cannot be resolved to the satisfaction of MCPS, shall
be cause to reject the proposal. In addition, vendors shall be prepared to provide a product and
services demonstration, providing an overview of the proposed product and services at no cost
to MCPS. As appropriate, the vendor shall be responsible for the installation of the proposed
products and services and any third-party software at the District-designated demonstration
facility before the demonstration, as necessary. If requested by MCPS, the top qualified offeror
or offeror shall provide MCPS with an opportunity to access and review the vendor's system
as in operation at that time, via the Internet from a MCPS computer, to ensure conformity to
the requirements of this RFP as well as for the quality and ease of the user interface.
All offerors are advised that in the event of receipt of an adequate number of proposals, which,
in the opinion of MCPS require no clarification and/or supplementary information, such
proposals may be evaluated without further discussions. Therefore, proposals should be
submitted initially on the most complete and favorable terms and conditions. Should proposals
submitted require additional clarification and/or supplementary information, offerors should
be prepared to submit such additional clarification and/or supplementary information, in a
timely manner, when requested
Proposals meeting all requisite criteria will be evaluated. Those who do not meet requisite
criteria will not be evaluated further. Selection will be made on the basis of the criteria listed
below.
* Completeness of Response
* Related past experience, qualifications and capacity
* Ability to perform (based on the criteria set forth in this RFP, including but not
limited to Section 3.0 Scope of Services)