School-Based Mental Health Therapeutic Services

April 16, 2026
RFP Number: 4548.2
Due Date: May 8, 2026
Open Time: 2:00 p.m.
To: Prospective Respondents:
The intent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to prequalify one or more
highly-qualified Contractor(s) to provide pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 school-based
mental health services to students throughout the county. These students may be un- or under-insured, receive
Medicaid, and/or have private insurance.
A virtual pre-proposal conference will be held on April 29, 2026 at 10:30a.m. EST via Zoom. The
conference will not be recorded. Information to access the conference is contained in the RFP, Section
14.0. Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted by the close of business, 4:00 p.m., on April 23,
2026.
Please respond according to the instructions provided in the attached. Submissions must be received on or before
2:00 p.m., on May 8, 2026. Submissions received after this date and time will not be considered. Submittals shall
be delivered in a sealed opaque envelope with the RFP number, opening date and opening time indicated in the
lower left corner of the envelope. Submissions shall be delivered to Montgomery County Public Schools
Department of Procurement, 45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100, Rockville, Maryland 20850.
The contractor 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 submission 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 the district 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 open at the same time
on the next regular working day.
Sincerely,
Angela McIntosh Davis, Director
Department of Procurement
AMD
Enclosure

Division of Financial Management
MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Department of Procurement
45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100
Rockville, Maryland 20850
Request for Proposal No. 4548.2
School-Based Mental Health Therapeutic Services
1.0 INTENT
The intent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to prequalify one or more
highly-qualified Contractor(s) to provide pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 school-based
mental health services to students throughout the county. These students may be un- or under-
insured, receive Medicaid, and/or have private insurance.
MCPS recognizes the increasing need for additional and more intensive mental health
support for students in schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an educational and home
environment that is illustrating the increased need for services due to the impact of trauma, grief
and loss, and additional mental illness needs. The need for mental health services likely is to
increase and the effects of the resulting trauma will be felt for years. MCPS acknowledges the need
for greater access to mental health services for students and families who may not have the
independent means to acquire such support.
MCPS is proposing a model of service in which school-based mental health staff members, such
as the school counselor, school social worker, and school psychologist, may refer students who
require additional mental health services to a community agency with which MCPS has an
established partnership and agreement. Referrals to this agency will be based on objective,
systematically collected baseline and progress data to ensure that students are appropriately
referred. Referrals for service will be made after students receive MCPS Tier 1 and Tier 2 services,
resources, and intervention with no significant effect on their progress. Based on specific identified
data points, school-based staff members may make an informed decision for additional Tier 2/Tier
3 or targeted/intensive interventions, as such intensive support that cannot be provided by student
services personnel or existing partner service agencies.
Successful providers/agencies must have the capacity to establish in-school access to evidence-
based, in person or virtual, outpatient treatment services and be capable of providing mental health
services at varying levels of intensity, based on the individualized needs of the students and which
are able to adjust as rapidly as the changing needs of the students. Additionally, successful
providers/agencies will be required to collaborate with school-based staff members to support
students.
School-based mental health services will be available for all students, regardless of ability to pay.
Goals for school-based mental health services:
To provide evidence-based mental health services that address intervention and prevention
services for MCPS students and families in need.
To increase the accessibility of mental health services for MCPS students and families in

RFP 4548.2
need of these services in a non-stigmatizing environment.
MCPS reserves the right to add prequalified Contractors throughout the contract term to
serve the specific needs of an individual student, as determined by MCPS in its sole
discretion, provided that the additional Contractor prequalifies under the same terms and
conditions as set forth in this RFP.
2.0 INTRODUCTION
Montgomery County Public Schools (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 from 157 countries speaking 150 languages. With a Fiscal Year (FY) 2021
Operating Budget of approximately $3.62 billion, MCPS employs more than 25,500 employees.
Among the 211 schools that MCPS operates, 45 are National Blue-Ribbon schools. Six MCPS
high schools rank in the top 200 of The Washington Post's 2015 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 are as follows:
Hispanic/Latino: 34.6%
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 support 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.
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RFP 4548.2
3.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES
This RFP is looking for highly qualified providers/agencies to provide the following
evidence-based mental and behavioral health services to MCPS students:
Comprehensive clinical assessments
Short-term, solution-focused, and evidence-based individual therapy
Group therapy
Family therapy
Mental and behavioral health services provided to MCPS students in school should be based
on the following principles and guidelines:
Services will be provided (in-person and virtually) and supervised by a local mental
health provider agency.
Family engagement and active family involvement is critical at the initiation and
throughout the treatment process. Services will only be provided to students
following the receipt of parent/guardian consent. In addition, an exchange of
information form will be completed and signed to allow for the agency and schools
to collaborate to support the student.
Services should be proactive and positive, building on the strengths of the student
and families. Service providers must build strong alliances collaborating and sharing
information with school administrators, student services staff, teachers (general
education and special education), and all other district employees, including
participation in Educational Management Teams (EMT), Student Well-being Teams,
and/or other problem-solving committees at the building-level.
Services must follow the mandate to be least intrusive, least restrictive, and
responsive to the individual needs of the child within the school setting.
Plan to liaise with each student's healthcare provider to assist with supporting a
continuum of care.
All employees of the agency/provider shall agree to follow all Montgomery County
Board of Education policies, MCPS rules, regulations, and procedures when
providing services to MCPS students on school property or in a virtual setting.
Providers/agencies will also serve all referred students who have no source of
payment.
Providers should be able to accept Medicaid and multiple private insurance plan
payment options.
Providers/agencies will be responsible for billing, paperwork, necessary signatures
to begin services, and for release of information.
In order to respond to this RFP, the service provider must meet the following minimum
qualifications:
Be committed as an organization to the concepts of recovery and resiliency.
Accept a variety of private insurances and have credentialed staff to meet those
requirements.
Clearly indicate how the proposed programs will accommodate families that speak
a language other than English, including Spanish-speaking students and families.
Describe your program capacity regarding the number of consumers that could be
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RFP 4548.2
served during the contract term.
Describe referral connections/process your agency has established for children who
need a higher level of care.
Describe how your agency expects to conduct the intake and assessment process.
Describe what assessment instruments will be utilized during this process and how
long for a completed assessment.
Describe how student goals will be developed and what evidence will be collected
to determine progress towards goals.
Explain how the agency will ensure ongoing internal monitoring and quality
assurance within the outpatient clinic programs and services.
Have procedures for on-call, after-hour services, or 24-hour access to support for
students and families during the school year and during student holidays/vacations
and summer breaks.
List the insurance companies you are able to bill and describe how you plan to handle
clients who do not have insurance.
Provide staff with all required and appropriate licensure and training to provide
mental and behavioral health services to students, as well as verification of
background checks.
Introduction of Service: providers should describe proposed range of services either
in person or virtually (e.g., assessment, individual/group therapy, family outreach,
in-home services, crisis/emergency care during and after school hours, follow up,
aftercare/discharge, provision for care during student holidays/vacations and
summer break, etc.). Also describe the types of therapies that will be provided,
including specific interventions and modalities. Providers should also include
evidence-based treatment modalities that are currently being used by the agency and
data that supports positive outcomes. Ability to deliver trauma-focused cognitive
behavioral therapy is preferred.
Ability to complete reports that provides MCPS with information on the number of
referrals received, number of students served, number of students on waitlists,
student demographic information, number of students served with Medicaid and
private insurance, and student outcome data demonstrating the effectiveness of
therapeutic services.
Be prepared to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCPS.
MCPS reserves the right to award contracts to multiple providers.
3.1 Technical Requirements and Vendor Experience
The vendor shall have proven experience working with elementary, middle, and high
school students and families in providing mental health services. In addition, the vendor's
proposal shall provide examples of similarly completed projects, or projects in progress,
that demonstrate the responding firm's expertise and capabilities in each of the above-listed
areas. Examples might include, for example, detailed descriptions supported by printed
screen shots, references to websites that MCPS will be able to review online, etc.
3.2 Timeline for Implementation and Key Staff
The vendor's proposal shall propose a plan and schedule for implementation. The proposal
shall provide a general timeline and sequence of experiences that will be available for
participating students.
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RFP 4548.2
In addition, the proposal shall identify key staff members on the project team, describe
each team member's relevant experience and describe the role he or she would play in the
project. Such key staff shall not be substituted with other personnel or reassigned to another
project without MCPS' prior approval.
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.
3.4 Training
The vendor will provide on-site and/or interactive web-based training to school district
personnel and families as needed. This will be based on the mental health needs of the
community in which the vendor is assigned. Training(s) will be provided to support the
school building administration and student well-being team staff with multi-tiered support
for staff, students, and families.
It is the intention to award to the most favorable respondent(s) based on the evaluation
criteria in Section 12.0. However, the Montgomery County Board of Education reserves
the right to make awards according to the best interest of MCPS. This request for proposal
may result in multiple awards.
In determining the qualifications of an offeror, MCPS will consider the offeror's record
and performance of any prior contracts with MCPS, federal departments or agencies, or
other public bodies, including but not limited to the offeror's record providing online
digital curriculum services to MCPS or other schools or school districts. MCPS expressly
reserves the right to reject the proposal of any offeror if the investigation discloses that the
offeror, in the opinion of MCPS, has not properly performed such prior contracts or has
habitually and without just cause neglected the payment of bills or has otherwise
disregarded its obligations to subcontractors or employees.
MCPS may conduct any necessary investigation to determine the ability of the offeror to
perform the work, and the offeror shall furnish to MCPS all such information and data
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RFP 4548.2
requested, such as information about its reputation, past performance, business and
financial capability and other factors that demonstrate that the provider is capable of
satisfying MCPS' needs and requirements for a specific contract. MCPS reserves the right
to reject any proposal if the evidence submitted by the offeror or investigation of such
offeror fails to satisfy MCPS that such offeror is properly qualified to carry out the
obligations of the contract and to complete all requirements contemplated therein.
Consideration will be given to any previous performance with MCPS as to the quality and
the acceptability of bidder's services.
All offerors submitting a proposal shall include evidence that they maintain a permanent
place of business. Copies of any appropriate licenses necessary to perform this work shall
be submitted with each proposal. Offerors also shall demonstrate that they have adequate
staff to perform the required services. Use of subcontractor(s) and/or third-party providers,
if any, must be specifically identified within the proposal. Subcontractor and/or third-
party provider roles shall be clearly expressed. MCPS reserves the right to accept or reject
use of proposed subcontractor(s) and/or third-party provider(s).
MCPS reserves the right to add or delete Contractors throughout the contract term
should MCPS determine, in its sole discretion, that there be a need for additional
services not available from the awarded Contractors.
4.0 CONTRACT TERM
The initial term of contract shall be for one year, subject to the provisions of the MCPS General
Contract Articles; however, the contract may not begin until one day after approval by the Board
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 four (4) 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 Respondent(s) 90 days prior to the expiration of the original contract. The
Respondent(s) 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 Board to extend
the contract or decide to rebid. If the contract is extended by the Board, a contract amendment will
be issued.
5.0 PRICE
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.
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RFP 4548.2
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.
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RFP 4548.2
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, Director, 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 bound 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 May 8, 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 the 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
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RFP 4548.2
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)
Online Data Resource Form (Attachment E)
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
9