Request For Proposals – LBHA – Respite Care Services (Children and Adolescents)

Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Respite Care Services
Children and Adolescents
Release Date: March 23, 2026
Submission Deadline: April 21, 2026, at 2 PM
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Request for Proposals
Respite Care Services
Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority
I. Organization Background and Initiative Summary
A. Overview of Worcester Local Behavioral Health Authority
The Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority (WCLBHA) is responsible for
providing leadership, oversight, and accountability for behavioral health services in
Worcester County under the authority of the Maryland Department of Health (MDH).
The foundational objective of the LBHA is to ensure delivery of a behavioral health
system that is diverse, comprehensive, and readily accessible. The WCLBHA is
responsible for planning, managing, and monitoring resources, programs, and policies of
services funded by WCLBHA through federal, state, or local grants. The WCLBHA also
partners with the state's Administrative Service Organization to manage programs and
services within the Medicaid fee-for service system.
The WCLBHA is dedicated to ensuring providers within the Public Behavioral Health
System (PBHS) deliver a range of high-quality behavioral health services explicitly
tailored to effectively meet the complex and multifaceted needs of the community. This
includes citizens who are experiencing behavioral health disorders, their immediate and
extended families who often provide essential support, and the network of dedicated
service providers and community partners essential to the delivery system. The ultimate
aim is to create a robust, integrated, and person-centered environment that promotes
recovery, resilience, and overall well-being across the community.
The WCLBHA has been part of the Worcester County Health Department since its
inception as the Core Services Agency in 1998. The organization formally became the
WCLBHA in the Spring of 2011. While the WCLBHA operates within the health
department, we maintain a strict separation to prevent conflicts of interest. A firewall is in
place, and the WCLBHA recuses itself from any Health Department activities where
impartiality could be questioned.
B. Overview of Project
The Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority (WCLBHA), seeks one (1)
respite provider to deliver in-home and out-of-home respite care services for the purpose
of supporting family caregivers of children and adolescents under the age of 18 years old.
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The Respite Care Program is to support the referral, access, and utilization of in home
and out of home respite services for vendor(s)/respite provider(s) identified to serve
children, adolescents, and families in three rural counties on the lower eastern shore:
Somerset County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County.
Respite care is to support family caregivers and maintain children and adolescents under
the age of 18 in the least restrictive environment to prevent the escalation to more
intensive levels of care. Respite services are planned, scheduled, and based on the needs
of the parent/caregiver which allows both the parent/caregiver and child or adolescent a
therapeutic break that is consistent and integrated into the child's or adolescent's overall
treatment plan. Rural counties have unique needs and the access to healthcare providers is
a concern. This program allows for the expansion of high quality services to meet the
needs of its residents.
The selected vendor will provide respite care services to youth that are residents of the
three identified counties with emotional and behavioral disturbances eligible for
Maryland's Public Behavioral Health System (PBHS) in Somerset, Wicomico, and
Worcester Counties. The provider must meet requirements set forth in COMAR Chapter
27 Community Mental Health Programs - Respite Care Services | Library of Maryland
Regulation by July 1, 2026. The purpose of this grant is to support linkages to in-home
and out of home respite services, provide training, education, and support groups for
family caregivers and respite parents, and for the provision of a parent advocate for
family caregivers.
In-Home Respite:
Ranges from 1-10 hours a day, and up to 72 hours every 3 months.
Trained respite caregivers provide care in the child's home or accompanying them
in the community.
The child does not spend the night outside of the home.
Out-of-Home Respite:
Includes up to 12 nights every 3 months.
Respite takes place within a home or facility that is appropriately licensed,
registered, or approved, based on:
The age of individuals receiving services; and
Whether the respite is partial day or overnight.
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C. Scope of Services
SECTION 1. PROGRAM/INITIATIVE SUMMARY:
The Respite Care Program is to support the referral, access, and utilization of in home
and out of home respite services for vendors/respite providers identified to serve children,
adolescents, and families in three rural counties on the lower eastern shore: Somerset
County, Wicomico County, and Worcester County. Respite care is to support family
caregivers and maintain children and adolescents under the age of 18 in the least
restrictive environment to prevent the escalation to more intensive levels of care. Respite
services are planned, scheduled, and based on the needs of the parent/caregiver which
allows for a planned service allowing both the parent/caregiver and child or adolescent a
therapeutic break that is consistent and integrated into the child's or adolescent's overall
treatment plan. Rural counties have unique needs and the access to healthcare providers is
a concern and this program allows for the expansion of high quality services to meet the
needs of its residents. The funding expands respite care services in these counties to
supplement funding. The vendors will provide in home/community based and/or out of
home respite care services to youth that are residents of the three identified counties.
SECTION 2. ACTIVITIES/SERVICES:
Respite services are provided to children and adolescents under the age of 18. The
services are scheduled and provide a structured therapeutic break for both the
parent/caregiver and the child or adolescent. Services take place in the home/community
based and/or out of home/overnight. A marketing and recruitment plan is developed and
utilized ongoing to ensure respite homes are available for children and adolescents served
through this program.
The activities/services include, but are not limited to:
1. Screening: The child or adolescent will be screened for services. The demographics
and needs of the youth will be gathered. The child or adolescent will be assigned a respite
home if found appropriate for the service and a respite home is available.
2. Respite Services: Children and adolescents are provided in home and/or out of home
respite care services. Satisfaction surveys will be provided to families to evaluate the
quality of the services provided.
3. Marketing: A marketing plan to be developed, monitored, and followed to increase
utilization of respite services. The marketing plan is to attract and retain respite homes
and children, adolescents, and families that are served.
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4. Staffing: Monitor the program staff and services to ensure the appropriate staff are
recruited, hired, and retained. Staff serve the children/adolescents, and families by
providing the best quality of care, ensuring performance measures and outcomes are
being met, and the program budget is spent as allowable within the contract. Staff provide
community outreach within the jurisdictions served. Staff will partner with community
organizations to expand referral sources. Staff will provide advisory meetings.
SECTION 3. PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND BENCHMARKS:
Provide respite services to a minimum of 30 children in an in-home or out-of-
home setting.
Hold and participate in meetings to support community engagement, collaborate
with local partners, and guide service delivery.
63 Meetings
16 Community Meetings (advisory group, mental health or
substance use advisory councils, Local Health Improvement
councils).
3 Community partnerships ( Local Care Teams, board of education
meetings, prevention teams)
40 community outreaches (outreach to other providers, community
events)
Hold 4 advisory meetings with at least 5 non-staff persons in
attendance
Screen 100% of referred children to assess appropriateness of referral for respite
services.
Create a Marketing Plan to ensure the increase of respite homes and referrals for
respite services.
This plan is to be updated quarterly.
D. Staffing Requirements
The selected applicant must:
Hire and maintain staff in accordance with COMAR 10.21.27.08
One (1) Program Coordinator
One (1) Program Director required by COMAR 10.21.27.08,
Will be responsible for staff recruitment, training, and supervision
of staff.
Two (2) Respite Specialists
Must be 18 and over and have a high school diploma or
equivalent.
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If the Respite Specialists is 18-21 years old, they are limited to
serving children under 13 years old.
Complete annual CPS background checks and initial clearances for
all staff associated with providing respite services, including
Maryland and Federal Criminal Background (CJIS-CR), CPS
Clearance Form, Maryland Judiciary Registry Search, and National
Sex Offender Registry.
Staff/individuals working on this project must have relevant
experience and knowledge to meet the needs of the people who
will be served within the scope of the project.
E. Funding Availability
Funding for the Worcester County Respite Services for Child and Adolescent program
will not exceed the amount of $69,562. Grant funds must be used to supplement
Medicaid-eligible services and may only be applied to services that are not billable to
Medicaid.
F. Quality Standards
The Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority and the Behavioral Health
Administration are committed to ensuring that Respite services for children and
adolescents are of high quality and responsive to the needs of the eligible population.
Providers that do not meet the requirements as outlined in this Request for Proposal
(RFP) and in applicable COMAR shall be subject to a Corrective Action Plan, with
additional follow-up monitoring by the Worcester County Local Behavioral Health
Authority (WCLBHA) to ensure that the requirements are being met. In the event that the
Respite provider is unable or unwilling to meet the requirements as specified by this
Request for Proposal (RFP), WCLBHA reserves the right to terminate the contract with
the provider and re-issue a competitive solicitation for a replacement provider.
G. Contract Monitoring
Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority (WCLBHA) shall engage in
ongoing, periodic monitoring activities to evaluate the quality of service delivery and
essential ingredients of the program. Activities shall include, but are not limited to the
following:
At least (1) site visit annually to evaluate and document compliance with
administrative and programmatic requirements, including but not limited to
evidence in the medical record of a diversity of referral sources and relationships
with relevant organizations for referral and linkage to care.
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Review of administrative data reports and claims data to evaluate program
effectiveness.
Review of policy and personnel records to ensure administrative compliance.
Participation in any provider meetings as required by the WCLBHA.
Collection and submission of programmatic data, as required by the WCLBHA.
Providers selected through this Request for Proposal (RFP) shall be required to
participate in all monitoring and evaluation activities.
H. Mechanisms To Integrate With Existing Systems
The applicants must address their financial ability to provide the scope of services
requested at the quality desired and the legal liability associated with the operation of the
proposed services.
Applicants having current contracts with Behavioral Health Administration (BHA)
or Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority (WCLBHA) must have
demonstrated success in meeting outcome and program requirements.
II. Timeline
RFP Release Date: Monday, March 23, 2026
Pre-Bid Proposal Meeting: Tuesday, March 31, 2026
Hold: Respite Pre-Bid Proposal Meeting
Friday, March 31 * 10:00 - 11:00am
Time zone: America/New_York
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/ckc-qvqv-ymt
Or dial: (US) +1 281-915-9678 PIN: 790 010 699#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/ckc-qvqv-ymt?pin=4144386197035
Proposal Due Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026, at 2 p.m.
Office of the County Commissioners
Procurement Officer
Worcester County Government Center
One West Market Street, Room 1103
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Snow Hill, MD 21863
Review Committee Meeting: April 27, 2026
This is a closed meeting for the purpose of reviewing applications with the Evaluation Committee
Anticipated Award Notification: May 11, 2026
Anticipated Contract Award Start Date: July 1, 2026
III. Proposal Submission and Closing Date
The deadline of submission for proposals is Friday, April 10, 2026 at 1:00pm to the
Worcester County Administration Office of the County Commissioners. Please submit
one (1) original and five (5) copies of the proposal. No email or facsimile submissions
will be accepted. Documents may be mailed at the applicant's risk. The Worcester
County Local Behavioral Health Authority (WCLBHA) is not responsible for late, lost,
or misdirected mail. Proposals not received by the deadline will not be considered.
Mailed proposals should be sent to:
Worcester County Administration:
Office of the County Commissioners
Attn: Ed Welch Procurement Officer
Government Center
One West Market Street, Room 1103
Snow Hill, MD 21863-1195
410-632-1194
Questions and Requests for Respite Documents
Agencies may submit questions and requests for an electronic copy of the Amended Application
to Ed Welch at purchasing@worcestermd.gov.
Cost of Proposal Preparation
Any costs incurred by offerors in preparing or submitting proposals are the sole
responsibility of the offerors. The Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority
(WCLBHA) will not reimburse any offeror for any costs incurred in making a proposal or
subsequent pre-contract discussions, presentations, or negotiations.
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Selection and Ad Hoc Committee
A committee will be formed by the issuing Worcester County Local Behavioral Health
Authority (WCLBHA) to review the proposals, findings, recommendations and other
pertinent items during this procurement. All proposals accepted by the WCLBHA will be
reviewed to determine whether they are satisfactorily responsive to this RFP. Proposals
that are determined to lack satisfactory responsiveness will not be reviewed or rated. An
ad hoc evaluation committee will evaluate and rate all responsive proposals based on the
evaluation criteria listed in Attachment I.
Format of the Proposal
Each offeror is required to submit a sealed package that bears the name of the offeror, the
title Respite Services Care Services: Children and Adolescents Proposal, and the closing
date for proposals on the outside of the package. Inside this package; one (1) original and
five (5) copies shall be the offeror's technical proposal.
Freedom of Information
Offerors should give specific attention to the identification of those portions of their
proposals that they deem to be confidential proprietary information or trade secrets and
provide any justification why such material, upon request, should not be disclosed by
Worcester County Local Behavioral Health Authority (WCLBHA) under the Maryland
Public Information Act, State Government Article, Sections 10-611 et seq. annotated
Code of Maryland.
Offerors are advised that the mere assertion of confidentiality is not sufficient to make
matters confidential under the act. Information is confidential only if it is customarily so
regarded in the trade and/or the withholding of the data would serve an objectively
recognized private interest sufficiently compelling as to override the general disclosure
policy of the act. In determining whether information designated as such is proprietary,
WCLBHA will follow the direction provided by its attorney when responding to requests
for information contained in proposals.
It may be necessary that the entire contents of the proposal of the selected offeror be
made available and reproduced for the purpose of examination and discussion by a broad
range of interested parties.
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IV. Technical And Financial Proposal Criteria
Overview
The proposal should address all points outlined in this Request for Proposal (RFP) and
should be clear and precise in response to the information and requirements described. A
transmittal letter should accompany the technical proposal. It should be brief and signed
by an individual who is authorized to commit the offeror to the services and requirements
as stated in this Request for Proposal (RFP).
Proposal Instructions and Narrative Outline
The proposal should be a clear, concise narrative that describes the applicant's intent to
serve the target population.
1. Organizational Background
Describe the organization's history and experience providing respite services
and/or serving children with intensive mental health needs and their families.
Submit relevant approval letters or licenses.
Describe your organization's mission and purpose.
Provide a summary of your organization's services offered and target clientele.
Describe your organization's structure and leadership: Legal status, governing
board, and staff overview.
Describe the organization's capacity to provide Respite services for children and
adolescents, including your ability to adhere to the requirements under COMAR,
specifically:
COMAR 10.21.27.03 - Program Eligibility
COMAR 10.63.01 - Requirements for All Licensed Programs
COMAR 10.63.02 - Accreditation Requirements
COMAR 10.63.03.15 - Respite Care Services Program
COMAR 10.09.89 - Medicaid Regulations for Behavioral Health Services
COMAR 10.21.27 Respite Care Services
2. Description and Goals of Respite Services Care Services: Children and
Adolescents
Describe how you plan to implement the Scope of Service and demonstrate how
the approach would fulfill the goals and objectives described in this Request for
Proposal (RFP).
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