School Health Services Update: October 10, 2018
The Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) Bureau of Community Health and Prevention’s School Health Services (SHS) Unit is seeking applications from local public school districts, regional school districts, or local boards of health that provide school health services for the Comprehensive School Health Service Model Programs and Regional Consultant Programs. The proposed Comprehensive School Health Services (CSHS) Programs (formerly Essential School Health Services) are intended to provide additional support to the existing required baseline of school health services through a multi-disciplinary approach that supports the delivery of quality, comprehensive health services in all school districts.
The goal of the CSHS Program is to build on existing infrastructure to provide all school-age children access to a school health service program that is managed by a qualified school nurse manager. This program will strengthen the capacity of schools to provide case management and support to students with more significant health needs, continuous quality improvement through data collection and analysis, and programs that provide access to care to address health disparities and racial inequities in the community in order to support student academic achievement and reduce chronic absenteeism.
This procurement offers two distinct opportunities for local public school districts, regional school districts, or local boards of health:
- Model CSHS Programs will be awarded to public school districts who will implement a comprehensive program that responds to demonstrated need among priority populations and that commit to conducting community health assessments that address health inequities in the student population.
- DPH intends to award approximately 50 – 75 Model CSHS Program contracts at approximately $50K – $250K annually, dependent on student enrollment and rates of economically disadvantaged students.
- CSHS Regional Consultant Programs will be awarded to public school districts that operate Model CSHS Programs and host a regional consultant who is both an expert in school health services in the region as well as the coordinator of sharing best practices among the CSHS granted programs and all other public and non-public school districts within the region. They will also represent school nursing and school health services at relevant meetings and coalitions addressing the health of children and youth in their regions. In addition, regional consultants will serve as school nurse representatives to regional initiatives of DPH and other state agencies, such as pandemic planning and school safety initiatives.
- DPH intends to award six Regional Consultant Programs (one in each of the six Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) Regions). Approximate funding for these Programs is $150,000 per year.
Applicants may apply for only Model programs or for both Model programs and a Regional Consultant.
NOTE: DPH plans to conduct a second procurement open to all schools, including local public school districts, regional school districts, local boards of health, charter schools, vocational schools, collaborative schools, and non-public (non-profit) schools. This upcoming procurement will award 150-200 Affiliated CSHS Programs for up to $5,000 per year. Applicants that apply to this Model/Regional Consultant CSHS procurement will also be eligible to apply for the Affiliated CSHS procurement, but will only be awarded either as a Model/Regional Program or an Affiliated Program. More information related to the Affiliated CSHS Program will be provided in the near future.
Click on the link below to view RFR 191929 Comprehensive School Health Services (CSHS) on Commbuys:
| EVENT | DATE
|
| RFR Release Date | October 9, 2018 |
| Bidders’ Conference | Monday October 29th 2018 University of Massachusetts Medical School 55 N Lake Ave, Worcester, MA 01655 1:00PM-3:00PM Umass Medical Room Amphitheater; Amphitheater II S4-102
Driving Directions: https://www.umassmed.edu/about/directions/ Room: https://www.umassmed.edu/about/directions/frequentlyusedrooms/ Second Bidder’s Conference TBD (Location to be in the Boston area). |
| Deadline for Letter of Intent | November 12, 2018 at 4:00PM
Send letters via email to Alison Brill at Alison.Brill@State.MA.US with the subject line “CSHS Letter of Intent” |
| Deadline for Questions and Answers
All Questions must be received in writing. Questions can be sent by email no later than the date and time indicated in the Procurement Calendar. The issuing department reserves the right not to respond to questions submitted after this date. All Questions with answers will be posted on the COMMBUYS Attachment section for this procurement. |
November 16, 2018 at 4:00PM
Send questions via email to Alison Brill at Alison.Brill@State.MA.US with the subject line “CSHS Procurement” |
| The BID opening date
(Deadline for Submission of Response) |
December 5, 2018 at 4:00PM |
| Deadline for Forms that require Ink Signatures.
(See below for Submission of Responses instructions.) MUST upload copies with Application For Response for attachments 1, 6,7,8,11,12 & 14 |
December 12th 2018 by 5 pm
Mail Originals to : Alison Brill |
Mary Ann Gapinski, MSN, RN, NCSN
Director of School Health Services
MA Department of Public Health
250 Washington Street – 5th Floor
Boston, MA 02108