Sedgwick County Department of Aging & Disabilities - Community Developmental Disability Organization START Team and Resource Center

Location:	Kansas
Posted:	Nov 26, 2025
Due:	Dec 23, 2025
Agency:	Sedgwick County
Type of Government:	State & Local
Category:	U - Education and Training Services
Solicitation No:	25-0081
Publication URL:	To access bid details, please log in.

RFB/RFP	Due Date	Description	Document	Pre-bid Conference
25-0081	12/23/2025 1:45:00 PM	Sedgwick County Department of Aging & Disabilities - Community Developmental Disability Organization START Team and Resource Center	RFP	To ensure that vendors have complete information prior to submitting a proposal, a pre-proposal meeting has been scheduled for Monday, December 8, 2025 at 2:00 pm via Teams. To receive a link please email britt.rosencutter@sedgwick.gov with “25-0081 Pre-bid” in the subject line. This meeting is not mandatory. Vendors who wish to have their proposals reviewed are encouraged to have a representative from their firm attend this pre-proposal meeting.

Attachment Preview

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL

RFP #25-0081

SEDGWICK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF AGING & DISABILITIES –

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY ORGANIZATION

START TEAM AND RESOURCE CENTER

November 26, 2025

Sedgwick County, Kansas (hereinafter referred to as “county”) is seeking a firm or firms experienced in providing mental

health services to develop a Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment (START) clinical team and

START Resource Center meeting the requirements of the National Center for START Services. If your firm is interested

in submitting a response, please do so in accordance with the instructions contained within the attached Request for

Proposal. Responses are due no later than 1:45 pm CST, December 23, 2025.

To ensure that vendors have complete information prior to submitting a proposal, a pre-proposal meeting has been

scheduled for Monday, December 8, 2025 at 2:00 pm via Teams. To receive a link please email

britt.rosencutter@sedgwick.gov with “25-0081 Pre-bid” in the subject line. This meeting is not mandatory. Vendors

who wish to have their proposals reviewed are encouraged to have a representative from their firm attend this pre-

proposal meeting.

All contact concerning this solicitation shall be made through the Purchasing Department. Proposers shall not

contact county employees, department heads, using agencies, evaluation committee members or elected officials with

questions or any other concerns about the solicitation. Questions, clarifications and concerns shall be submitted to the

Purchasing Department in writing. Failure to comply with these guidelines may disqualify the Proposer’s response.

Sincerely,

Britt Rosencutter

Purchasing Agent

BR/ks

RFP #25-0081

Table of Contents

About this Document

II. Background

III. Project Objectives

IV. Submittals

V. Scope of Work

VI. City & County Responsibilities

VII. Proposal Terms

A. Questions and Contact Information

B. Minimum Firm Qualifications

C. Evaluation Criteria

D. Request for Proposal Timeline

E. Contract Period and Payment Terms

F. Insurance Requirements

G. Indemnification

H. Confidential Matters and Data Ownership

I. Proposal Conditions

VIII. Required Response Content

IX. Response Form

RFP #25-0081

About this Document

This document is a Request for Proposal. It differs from a Request for Bid or Quotation in that the county is seeking a solution,

as described on the cover page and in the following Background Information section, not a bid or quotation meeting firm

specifications for the lowest price. As such, the lowest price proposed will not guarantee an award recommendation. As

defined in Charter Resolution No. 68, Competitive Sealed Proposals will be evaluated based upon criteria formulated around

the most important features of the product(s) and/or service(s), of which quality, testing, references, service, availability or

capability, may be overriding factors, and price may not be determinative in the issuance of a contract or award. The proposal

evaluation criteria should be viewed as standards that measure how well a vendor’s approach meets the desired requirements

and needs of the county. Criteria that will be used and considered in evaluation for award are set forth in this document. The

county will thoroughly review all proposals received. The county will also utilize its best judgment when determining whether

to schedule a pre-proposal conference, before proposals are accepted, or meetings with vendors, after receipt of all proposals.

A Purchase Order/Contract will be awarded to a qualified vendor submitting the best proposal. Sedgwick County reserves the

right to select, and subsequently recommend for award, the proposed service(s) and/or product(s) which best meets its

required needs, quality levels and budget constraints.

The nature of this work is for a public entity and will require the expenditure of public funds and/or use of public

facilities, therefore the successful proposer will understand that portions (potentially all) of their proposal may become

public record at any time after receipt of proposals. Proposal responses, purchase orders and final contracts are subject to

public disclosure after award. All confidential or proprietary information should be clearly denoted in proposal responses

and responders should understand this information will be considered prior to release, however no guarantee is made that

information will be withheld from public view.

II. Background

Sedgwick County, located in south-central Kansas, is one of the most populous of Kansas’ 105 counties with a population

estimated at more than 514,000 persons. It is the 16th largest in area, with 1,008 square miles, and reportedly has the

second highest per capita wealth among Kansas’ counties. Organizationally, the county is a Commission/Manager entity,

employs nearly 2,500 persons, and hosts or provides a full range of municipal services, e.g. – public safety, public works,

criminal justice, recreation, entertainment, cultural, human/social, and education.

The Department of Aging & Disabilities - Community Developmental Disability Organization (SCDDO) is the

community developmental disability organization (CDDO) for Sedgwick County, Kansas. CDDO’s serve as a one-stop

resource and point of entry for services available to individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities (IDD). A key

responsibility of CDDO’s is to ensure appropriate services and supports are available for children and adults with IDD.

Individuals with IDD are at higher risk than the general population to have a mental health diagnosis. Sedgwick County

has a large number of individuals with IDD and a co-occurring mental health condition (IDD/MH). Of the 1,621

individuals receiving IDD home and community-based services (HCBS) in Sedgwick County, 894 had one or more

mental health diagnosis. The SCDDO contracted with the National Center for START Services (NCSS) to conduct an

evaluation of community mental health services and how well the services worked for individuals with IDD and their

families. The evaluation documented a significant deficiency in appropriate mental health services for individuals with

IDD. Individuals with IDD/MH and their caregivers indicated they relied heavily on police response during mental health

crises. In 2023 there were over 800 police call outs to IDD provider locations. Many participants did not know about the

availability of mobile crisis services. While Sedgwick County is fortunate to have a variety of mental health resources, the

evaluation showed a lack of training in how to effectively serve individuals with IDD/MH across the board. Medicaid data

showed a high recidivism rate for psychiatric hospitalizations (47%) and emergency room visits (74%). The full

evaluation is available on the SCDDO website at:

https://www.sedgwickcounty.org/media/68890/sedgwick-county-idd_mh-community-service-evaluation_final-002.pdf

One of the responsibilities of a CDDO is to develop and maintain a network of intellectual/developmental disability

service providers. Kansas regulations do not allow IDD services to be offered or provided in a way that discriminates

against a person based on their disability. Co-occurring mental health conditions add a layer of complexity. The IDD

system is fortunate to have the uniform access standard in regulations, but, without more specialized mental health

supports, people with IDD in a mental health crisis are not well served by the system.

RFP #25-0081

To address these issues, the SCDDO is looking for a provider organization or provider network experienced in providing

mental health services to work with the National Center for START Services (NCSS) to develop a START clinical team

and START Resource Center. The START program of crisis prevention and intervention services for individuals with

IDD/MH is an evidence-based model. START stands for Systemic, Therapeutic, Assessment, Resources, and Treatment.

The START model is designed to develop community capacity while helping stabilize individuals served through the

program. START uses multiple evidence-based practices incorporates positive psychology and services are person-

centered and culturally competent.

START program development is tailored to regional needs, but all programs must have a START clinical team. The

START clinical team operates as system-linkage supports and provides 24-hour crisis response to those enrolled in

START services. See also: START Program Development and Certification | National Center for START Services®

A START Resource Center provides community-based, short-term therapeutic support for individuals served by the

START clinical team. Specifically, the START Resource Center provides crisis stabilization, assessment, treatment, and

identification of interventions to reduce stress for the individual and support system. A START Resource Center is

different than inpatient mental health services and can be used as a diversion from hospitalization or as aftercare when

released from a mental health facility. The START Resource Center also offers planned admissions and emergency

admissions, typically two beds reserved for planned and two for emergency admissions. The START clinical team works

collaboratively with the START Resource Center staff. START Resource Center services would also include evaluations

by the medical and clinical directors of the START clinical team.

III. Project Objectives

Sedgwick County, Kansas (hereinafter referred to as “county”) is seeking a mental health provider or provider network to

develop a START clinical team meeting specifications outlined in V. Scope of Work and as directed by the National

Center for START Services. The following objectives have been identified for this contract:

1. Improve access and appropriateness of the full array of services, including mental health, crisis prevention, and

crisis intervention for individuals with IDD/MH. This includes building the capacity of providers through

training, coaching and partnerships.

2. Develop crisis stabilization resources specialized to serve individuals with co-occurring IDD and mental health

conditions.

3. Expand the opportunities for community engagement, work and healthy activity by improving access to

specialized support for individuals with IDD/MH.

4. Develop alternatives to emergency room visits, hospitalization and incarceration.

5. Enhance existing crisis response system to develop expertise in serving individuals with IDD/MH and provide

follow-up and prevention planning.

6. Develop cross-systems collaboration linkage agreements to ensure that all service systems work in cohesion and

with efficiency to support stabilization.

7. Ongoing data collection, reporting, evaluation and review to ensure services are evidence-informed and to

monitor impact and cost effectiveness.

IV. Submittals

Carefully review this Request for Proposal. It provides specific technical information necessary to aid participating firms in

formulating a thorough response. Should you elect to participate with an electronic response, the RFP number must be

entered in the subject line and email the entire document with supplementary materials to:

Purchasing@sedgwick.gov

RFP #25-0081

Should you elect to participate with a physical response, the response must be sealed and marked on the lower left-hand

corner with the firm name and address, bid number, and bid due date. Submit one (1) original AND one (1) electronic

copy (.PDF/Word supplied on a flash drive) of the entire document with any supplementary materials to:

Britt Rosencutter

Sedgwick County Purchasing Department

100 N. Broadway, Suite 610

Wichita, KS 67202

SUBMITTALS are due NO LATER THAN 1:45 pm CST, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2025. If there is any difficulty

submitting a response electronically, please contact the Purchasing Technicians at purchasing@sedgwick.gov for

assistance. Late or incomplete responses will not be accepted and will not receive consideration for final award. If you

choose to send a hard copy of your proposal, Sedgwick County will not accept submissions that arrive late due to the fault

of the U.S. Postal Service, United Parcel Service, DHL, FedEx, or any other delivery/courier service.

Proposal responses will be acknowledged and read into record at Bid Opening, which will occur at 2:15 pm CST on the

due date. No information other than the respondent’s name will be disclosed at Bid Opening. We will continue to have

Bid Openings for the items listed currently. If you would like to listen in as these proposals are read into the record, please

dial our Meet Me line @ (316) 660-7271 at 2:15 pm.

V. Scope of Work

The SCDDO will contract with the NCSS for consultation and technical assistance in implementing the START model in

Sedgwick County. The successful vendor will work with NCSS in developing the START clinical team and START

resource center to include training and certification. As part of this contractual relationship, the vendor will be required to

sign a HIPAA Business Associate Agreement with NCSS and Sedgwick County. It is not expected for the full START

team to be available upon initiation, rather a staggered approach is required. The Program and Clinical Directors are key

to developing the policies and procedures for the START Team. NCSS has specific educational requirements for START

team members, the proposal should speak to any local staff capacity issues and strategies to ensure START team members

meet position requirements (i.e. degree requirements may be flexible if the candidate has corresponding experience to

fulfill the position’s duties). A goal of the START project is to maximize use of the mental health resources available in

Sedgwick County, to include collaboration with existing 24/7 mental health crisis response services to meet the 24-hour

response requirement.

A START clinical team does not replace any member of an existing system of support. Rather, they collaborate and

facilitate change through the way they understand, interact with, and respond to the people and systems they serve. Based

on the premise that there is no value in expertise if it is not shared, START clinical teams continually share knowledge

with system partners to build capacity. The goal of START is to help the person and their support system achieve

stability, eventually building a system that functions more independently requiring no further or decreased support from

the START team. This goal is accomplished through specialized support (e.g., outreach), assessment, and intervention that

builds on the principles and practices of START. Services and supports offered by START clinical teams include:

• Training and expertise in the mental health aspects of IDD, including Clinical Education Teams

• Systems linkage supports

• Intake and assessment activities using standardized and validated assessment tools

• Comprehensive Service Evaluations: bio-psycho-social evaluation of strengths and needs including trauma,

developmental and communication-related psychological vulnerabilities, skills, natural supports, cultural

considerations, etc.

• Eco-mapping, systemic analysis, and consultation

• Outreach to the person, their family, and support system to enhance team capacity

• Observation and coaching provided to teams using wellness and solution-focused approaches and the integration of

positive psychology interventions in daily life

• Cross systems crisis prevention and intervention planning

• 24-hour in-person crisis response

• Medication consultation

RFP #25-0081

This is the opportunity summary page. It provides an overview of this opportunity and a preview of the attached documentation.

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