RFP 2027-001 Community Needs Assessment

REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
("RFP")
(RFP-2027-001)
for
Community Needs Assessment
Release Date: 9/30/2026
Proposals Due: 10/30/2026 by no later than 12:00 P.M. Central Standard Time
* Proposals not received by deadline will be rejected and returned unopened.
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002 - TABLE OF CONTENTS
002 - TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................................................. 2
003 - BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................................................. 3
004 - SCOPE OF SERVICES ................................................................................................................................................. 4
005 - ASSURANCES .............................................................................................................................................................. 9
006 - TERM OF CONTRACT ................................................................................................................................................ 10
007 - PRE-SUBMITTAL CONFERENCE .............................................................................................................................. 10
008 - PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS ................................................................................................................................... 10
009 - SUBMISSION OF PROPOSAL ................................................................................................................................... 11
010 - RESTRICTIONS ON COMMUNICATION ................................................................................................................... 12
011 - EVALUATION OF CRITERIA ...................................................................................................................................... 13
012 - AWARD OF CONTRACT AND RESERVATION OF RIGHTS .................................................................................... 13
013 - SCHEDULE OF EVENTS ............................................................................................................................................ 14
014 - INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS .................................................................................................................................. 14
015 - RFP ATTACHMENTS .................................................................................................................................................. 17
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003 - BACKGROUND
The Bexar County Board of Trustees for Mental Health Mental Retardation Services d/b/a The Center for Health Care
Services ("CENTER") is a multi-facility community mental health and intellectual disability center created under the authority
of Section 534.001 of the Texas Health and Safety Code by its sponsoring agencies, Bexar County and the Bexar County
Hospital District d/b/a University Health. The CENTER has been providing services to Bexar County residents experiencing
mental health, intellectual developmental disabilities and/or substance use issues for over sixty (60) years and is the Texas
Health and Human Services designated Local Mental Health Authority for Bexar County, Texas. The CENTER is considered
a quasi-governmental entity, a political subdivision of the state of Texas, but is not a Texas state agency. The CENTER'S
administrative offices are located at 6800 Park Ten Blvd. Suite 200-S, San Antonio, Texas 78213.
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004 - SCOPE OF SERVICES
The Center for Health Care Services ("CHCS", "Center") is seeking proposals from qualified Respondents to provide
professional writing and consulting services to produce a Community Needs Assessment (CNA) that will aid in the strategic
planning and development of programs aimed at improving the health of our communities and meeting the needs of the
population that we serve, our staff, and community stakeholders. The qualified Contractor will be responsible for the
coordination, research, and development of a fully completed and comprehensive CNA with a focus on data gathering and
analysis. It is expected that the Contractor shall have access to resources through which to gather and manipulate data
such as GIS (Geographic Information System) and any other technologies to assist in obtaining relevant and up-to-date
data.
The purpose of the CNA is to evaluate the perspectives and opinions of the target service area, community partners, and
stakeholders, as well as residents of Bexar County currently receiving services, to create an informed strategic plan with a
deep understanding of the needs of the community served. Locations are made accessible to all those seeking services
and the population being served as driven by the findings of the CNA. Service expansion is also driven by findings of the
CNA. CHCS is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Center (CCBHC), and as such, uses the CNA to assess the
accessibility of services and clinic locations as needed by the population of focus. The CNA should address the prevalence
of and need for mental, behavioral, and physical health care in Bexar County. This data should be further extrapolated by
demographic, socio-economic status, and beyond to provide deeper understandings and visual representations of the
diverse, and at times underserved, populations of Bexar County.
I. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
A. The Contractor shall possess proven expertise in analysis of:
1. Administrative data;
2. Use of publicly available datasets;
3. Measurement tool development;
4. Quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis;
5. Synthesis of various data sources into concise recommendations;
6. Clear communication of complex data findings; and
7. Data visualization tools such as Tableau or Power BI.
B. Desired qualifications of the Contractor shall include:
1. Strong knowledge & insight with existing community data and needs assessments;
2. Strong communication skills with ability to work within complex teams;
3. Demonstrated ability to access, analyze, and interpret publicly available datasets;
4. Demonstrated ability to gather stakeholders to garner a broad range of community voices;
5. Demonstrated ability to analyze and synthesize large sets of deidentified quantitative and qualitative data into
clear findings;
6. Demonstrated ability to design and conduct effective data collection including but not limited to databases,
surveys, interviews, focus groups, Delphi panels;
7. Demonstrated cultural competency;
8. Experience developing formulas/processes to weigh various data points to rank findings;
9. Experience working with the CHCS target service area (Bexar County/San Antonio, Texas) community data;
10. Experience working in or conducting projects within CHCS' impact areas; and
11. Demonstration of CHCS Core Values: Community, Accountability, Resilience, and Excellence in all aspects of
work.
II. COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The key functions of such a Community Needs Assessment (CNA) include:
A. Write and perform data analysis that is easily understood by multiple audiences including lay audiences.
B. CHCS seeks to understand the most prevalent needs within the following populations of focus:
1. Behavioral Health challenges for people across the lifespan;
2. Substance Use Disorders for people across the lifespan;
3. Primary Care for people across the lifespan;
4. People with Co-Occurring Disorders (i.e., mental health, substance use, primary care/medical needs);
5. People involved with the justice/reintegration system;
6. Caregivers of people receiving services;
7. Veteran's Services;
8. Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities;
9. Underserved & underrepresented populations (including refugees, immigrant status, LGBTQ+); and
10. Domestic Violence Victims/Survivors.
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C. Collection and data analysis of relevant research to support the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic
(CCBHC) including specific certification criteria and standards.
D. Provide a list of the top needs/priorities of the community served identified by qualitative and quantitative data
collection.
E. Recommendations and possible solutions to address the identified needs/priorities of the community served.
F. The Respondent will be responsible for the assessment methodology, collecting quantitative and qualitative
demographic data from multiple relevant sources, content layout, design, and research integrity of all sources of
data and will include at least the following content areas, among others, to be determined by CHCS and
recommendations of the Respondent.
DEMOGRAPHICS OF POPULATIONS (WITHIN BEXAR COUNTY AND CHCS)
1. Culture/Ethnicity
2. Race
3. Age
4. Gender/Gender Identity
5. Sexual Identity
6. Languages spoken
7. Primary language spoken
8. Literacy levels
9. Disability status
10. Pregnancy status
11. Parenting status
12. Concentrations of population
13. Growth in population in past years
14. Projected population growth
15. Veteran data
16. Socioeconomic variables including but not limited to:
a. Income (impact of inflation, disposal income);
b. Educational attainment;
c. Crime/incarceration rates (Including individuals incarcerated with a Mental Health Disorder);
d. Employment and Unemployment trends/status;
e. Labor force / job opportunities;
f. Transportation (Availability and mode);
g. Housing Status (Homelessness);
h. Food Insecurity (Food Desserts/Maps);
i. Public Utility Access;
j. Child Care Access/Costs; and
k. Technology Access (Internet, Smart Phone, etc.).
17. The demographic make-up of adults and children with (geographic location, racial and ethnic composition):
a. Mental health conditions;
b. Substance use challenges;
c. Co-occurring mental health and substance use;
d. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities;
e. Physical health treatment needs; and
f. Domestic violence reports.
18. Chronic conditions and prevalence related to gender, age, and race/ethnicity (Treatment Needs):
a. Diabetes;
b. Obesity;
c. Asthma;
d. Hepatitis;
e. Alzheimer's;
f. HIV;
g. STDs/STIs;
h. Hypertension;
i. Hyperlipidemia;
j. Heart disease;
k. Substance Use;
l. Alcohol Use;
m. Cannabis Use;
n. Opioids Use;
o. Tobacco/Nicotine Use;
p. Cocaine Use;
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q. Methamphetamine Use.
19. Causes of Death:
a. Heart Disease;
b. Malignant Neoplasm (Cancerous Tumor);
c. Chronic Lower and Respiratory;
d. Unintentional Injury;
e. Diabetes;
f. Intentional Overdose;
g. Unintentional Overdose;
h. Indirectly Related to Substance Use (i.e., accidents, medical);
i. Suicide;
j. Victim of Violence; or
k. Other.
20. Food insecurity.
21. Individuals who have and have not seen a primary care doctor in the past 12 months.
22. Incarceration Rates (Including individuals incarcerated with a Mental Health Disorder).
23. Insurance Status:
a. Underinsured Population across the lifespan;
b. Uninsured Population across the lifespan;
c. Medicaid/Medicare;
d. Private/Commercial Insurance; or
e. Government/Federally Insured.
24. CHCS consumer or family member of CHCS consumer.
25. Other.
ACCESS TO CARE
1. Underserved areas (Treatment Needs).
2. Availability and/or shortage of healthcare providers and workforce (Staffing Needs).
3. Health literacy barriers.
4. Transportation barriers.
5. Language barriers.
6. Social Determinants of Health (Non-Medical Drivers of Health).
7. Health Behaviors (tobacco use, alcohol and drug use, sexual activity).
8. Accessibility of services (clinic locations, clinic hours, scheduling appointments, wait-times for services,
transportation barriers).
9. Availability of Interpreter/Communication Services (sign language, language interpreter).
10. Identification of staffing shortages (Licensed clinicians, Psychiatrists, PCP, etc..).
11. Rate of uninsured.
12. Rate of underinsured.
13. Technology Needs/Lack of (i.e., Internet and Smart phone access).
14. Preference/Desire for Telehealth Needs/Lack (i.e., access to telehealth services/ Telehealth service providers).
15. Need for specialized services (i.e., treatment of sexual trauma, neurological testing, developmental testing and
assessment, eating disorders [anorexia/bulimia]).
16. Service gaps and unmet behavioral and primary health care and substance use disorder needs in the
community (i.e., current prevalence rates or incidence data) for the population(s) of focus identified.
17. Service utilization for behavioral health care.
18. Service utilization for primary care health services.
19. Barriers affecting service accessibility (i.e., locations, hours of operation for CHCS clinics).
20. Psychological and other barriers identified throughout the research process.
21. Employment/unemployment.
22. Housing stability/resources.
23. Income/Financial Barriers.
24. Quality of care.
25. Attitudes/Perceptions of care in relation to systems of care.
26. Other barriers/needs to access of care in the community.
27. Need for specialized Substance Use Disorder services (i.e., detox services, youth, harm reduction, residential,
Peer, outpatient, virtual, sober living).
POPULATION OF FOCUS & METHODOLOGY
1. Meaningful community input, voice and perspective from key stakeholders and groups, including but not limited
to:
a. People receiving CHCS services;
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b. Family members of people receiving services from CHCS;
c. People residing in the CHCS service area;
d. Social service organizations;
e. Healthcare providers operating in the service area;
f. Courts, Veteran Groups, Housing programs, Long Term Care;
g. Organizations partnered/contracted with CHCS;
h. Funding Sources of CHCS;
i. Speakers of other languages, specific focus on Spanish-Speaking community;
j. Other entities with perspective into the target service area and population.
2. Meaningful Input Methodology (Participant data collection) including but not limited to:
a. Target service area:
i. Asynchronous Telephone Survey; and
ii. Online/Digital Survey;
1. Made accessible via computer and mobile devices utilizing website, URL address, QR code or
similar methods available.
iii. Print Based Survey.
b. Face to Face Data Collection:
i. Focus Groups held with:
1. Members of the community in the target service area;
a. A minimum of two (2) focus groups must be completed in Spanish.
2. People receiving services at CHCS;
a. A minimum of two (2) focus groups must be completed in Spanish.
3. Leadership and key stakeholders at CHCS;
4. Peer support service providers at CHCS.
ii. One-to-one interviews held with:
1. Members of the community in the target service area;
2. People receiving services at CHCS;
3. Peer support service providers at CHCS;
4. Identified community partner/stakeholders.
iii. "Secret Shopper" Survey to assess:
1. The availability of Interpreter/Communication Services (sign language, language interpreter);
2. Accessibility of services (clinic locations, clinic hours, scheduling appointments, wait times for
services, etc.);
3. A minimum of two (2) Outpatient Clinic sites and CHCS' Intake Line.
c. Community needs prioritization list
i. Including potential solutions and/or recommendations to address prioritized community needs
3. Significant Participant Feedback Thresholds
a. To establish and ensure meaningful input from the community served meets the minimum number
statistically significant for participant feedback of the following data collection methodologies:
i. Population of the target service area
ii. Persons/family of persons receiving services from CHCS
iii. Focus groups
COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDER COLLABORATION
1. Describe other behavioral health care services currently available, resources in the community that could be
used to address the needs of adults, children and their families with mental health conditions, substance use
challenges, and intellectual or developmental disabilities, including assessments of their availability and
accessibility:
a. These resources would include at minimum: community-based organizations, faith-based organizations,
private sector, public sector, and educational institutions.
2. CHCS service linkages/partnerships/stakeholders.
3. Transition from child to adult services (i.e., children with Serious Mental Illness (SMI), Intellectual and
Developmental Disability (IDD), Autism spectrum and other behavioral health needs).
OTHER DELIVERABLES
1. Formatted tables, charts, visuals, graphs, heat maps and other appropriate visualization approaches illustrating
major findings of the population of focus. At a minimum, data visualizations including but not limited to the
following should be present:
a. Culture/Ethnicity;
b. Race;
c. Age;
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d. Gender/Gender Identity;
e. Sexual Identity;
f. Languages spoken;
g. Primary language spoken;
h. Literacy levels;
i. Concentrations of population;
j. Growth in population in the past;
k. Projected population growth as it relates to behavioral health trends;
l. Veteran Data;
m. Domestic violence trends;
n. Socioeconomic status;
o. Demographic make-up of adults and children with (geographic location, and racial and ethnic composition)
as listed in demographics section.
2. Chronic conditions and prevalence related to gender, age and race/ethnicity.
3. Description incorporating a racial equity lens, showing how needs are experienced by varying racial groups.
4. Description of barriers including service accessibility (hours of operation, transportation), psychological barriers,
and other barriers identified throughout the research process.
5. Description articulating availability of funding so that prevalent needs are understood considering existing
resources to address those needs.
6. Development of accurate comparisons to the state and national baseline of health measures utilizing the most
current validated data.
7. Attendance at all meetings, either face-to-face, or by telephone, or other electronic means with designated
CHCS staff as necessary in a timely manner.
8. Participation as needed in presentations to external/internal stakeholders.
9. Correlations between substance use and mental health.
10. Correlations and composite profiles of the underserved populations.
11. Breakout boxes to support narrative and visual analysis.
12. Utilization of data obtained throughout the needs assessment process to address the identified health needs of
our service area.
13. A summarized list of the most prevalent needs across Bexar County identified by qualitative and quantitative
data collection.
14. A summary/abstract containing key takeaways for staff to reference (an extension one page document for
internal purposes - "A CNA at a Glance").
15. Possible solutions and recommendations to address the identified needs of the service area.
16. A completed CNA available in English and Spanish languages provided electronically and in printed format.
17. Final report to include a CCBHC Compliance/Alignment Matrix showing CNA Finding, Data/Evidence, Identified
Gap, and the Recommendation.
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005 - ASSURANCES
The RESPONDENT assures the following (signature required):
1. That all addenda and attachments to the RFP as distributed by CENTER have been received.
2. No attempt will be made by the RESPONDENT to induce any person or firm to submit or not to submit a Proposal, unless so
described in the RFP document.
3. The RESPONDENT does not discriminate in its services or employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex,
sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or age.
4. That no employee of CENTER or Health and Human Services Commission ("HHSC") and no member of CENTER'S Board of
Trustees will directly or indirectly receive any pecuniary interest from an award of the proposed contract. If the RESPONDENT
is unable to make the affirmation, then the Proposal must disclose any knowledge of such interests.
5. RESPONDENT accepts the terms, conditions, criteria, and requirements set forth in the RFP.
6. RESPONDENT accepts CENTER'S right to cancel the RFP at any time prior to contract award.
7. RESPONDENT accepts CENTER'S right to alter the timetables for procurement as set forth in the RFP.
8. The Proposal submitted by the RESPONDENT has arrived at independently without consultation, communication, or agreement
with another party for the purpose of restricting competition.
9. Unless otherwise required by law, the information in the Proposal submitted by the RESPONDENT has not been knowingly
disclosed by the RESPONDENT to any other RESPONDENT prior to the notice of intent to award.
10. No claim will be made to CENTER for payment to cover costs incurred in the preparation of the submission of the Proposal or
any other associated costs.
11. CENTER has the right to complete background checks and to verify information submitted by a RESPONDENT.
12. The individual signing this document, and the contract, is authorized to legally bind the RESPONDENT.
13. The address submitted by the RESPONDENT to be used for all notices sent by CENTER is current and correct.
14. All cost and pricing information is reflected in the Proposal documents or attachments.
15. That the RESPONDENT is not currently held in abeyance or barred from the award of a federal or state contract.
16. That the RESPONDENT is not currently delinquent in its payments of any franchise tax or state tax owed to the state of Texas,
pursuant to Texas Tax Code, Title 2, Subchapter F, Chapter 171, Subchapter H and Title 34 of the Texas Administrative Code,
Part 1 Chapter 3, Subchapters A and F.
17. RESPONENT shall disclose whether any of the directors or personnel of RESPONDENT has either been an employee or a
trustee of CENTER within the past two (2) years preceding the date of submission of the Proposal. This requirement applies to
all personnel, whether or not they are identified as key personnel. If such employment has existed, or term of office served as
trustee, the RESPONDENT shall state in an attached writing the nature and time of the affiliations as defined.
18. RESPONDENT shall identify in an attached writing any trustee or employee of CENTER who has a financial interest in
RESPONDENT or who is related within the second degree by consanguinity or affinity to a person having such financial interest.
Such disclosure shall include a complete statement of the nature of such financial interest and the relationship, if applicable.
Moreover, RESPONENT shall state in an attached writing whether any of its directors or personnel knowingly has had a personal
relationship with employees or officers of CENTER within the past two (2) years that may interfere with fair competition.
19. No current or former employee or officer of a federal, state, or local governmental agency, and/or the CENTER directly or
indirectly aided or attempted to aid in the procurement of RESPONDENT'S services.
20. RESPONDENT shall disclose in an attached writing the name of every CENTER key person with whom RESPONDENT is doing
business or has done business during the 365 day period immediately prior to the date on which the Proposal is due; failure to
include such a disclosure will be a binding representation by RESPONDENT that the natural person executing the Proposal has
no knowledge of any CENTER key persons with whom RESPONDENT is doing business or has done business during the 365
day period prior to the immediate date on which the Proposal is due.
21. Under Section 231.006 of the Texas Family Code, the vendor or RESPONDENT certifies that the individual or business entity
named in this Proposal is not ineligible to receive the specified grant, loan, or payment and acknowledges that this contract may
be terminated, and payment may be withheld if this certification is inaccurate.
22. RESPONDENT has no conflict of interest and meets the standards of conduct requirements pursuant to Texas Administrative
Code Section 412.54(c).
23. That all information provided in the Proposal is true and correct.
Company Name: _________________________________________________
Contact Person: _________________________________________________
Address: _________________________________________________
Telephone: _________________________________________________
Signature: _________________________________________________
________________________________ ________________
Printed Name of Signing Authority Date
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006 - TERM OF CONTRACT
The anticipated term for a contract awarded in response to this RFP is one (1) year. The CENTER may terminate a contract
at any time if funds are restricted, withdrawn, not approved or for unsatisfactory service.
007 - PRE-SUBMITTAL CONFERENCE
A Pre-Submittal Conference will be held at the Center for Health Care Services, located at 6800 Park Ten Blvd. Suite 200-
S, 2nd Floor, San Antonio, Texas 78213 at 10:00 A.M. Central Standard Time (CST), on October 8, 2026.
This meeting place is accessible to disabled persons. The Center for Health Care Services is wheelchair accessible. The
accessible entrance is located at 6800 Park Ten Blvd. Suite 200-S. Accessible parking spaces are located at 6800 Park
Ten Blvd. Suite 200-S. RESPONDENTS that are unable to attend in person may participate by Conference Call.
RESPONDENTS may call the toll-free number listed below and enter access code to participate in the day of the conference.
Dial-In Toll Telephone Number: 210-714-4201
Dial-In Toll-Free Telephone Number: 1-800-717-4201
Access Code: 18015 #
RESPONDENTS are encouraged to prepare and submit their questions in writing in advance of the Pre-Submittal
Conference in order to expedite the proceedings.
RESPONDENTS may submit their questions pertaining to this RFP to Eric De La Torre, Contract Administrator, by email to
edelatorre@chcsbc.org, please carbon copy Contracts@chcsbc.org, before October 16, 2026, at 12:00 P.M. Central
Standard Time (CST). Please refrain from contacting the CENTER'S Board of Trustees members during the search process
and direct all inquiries to the contact person listed above. Only those written questions received prior to October 16, 2026,
at 12:00 P.M. Central Standard Time (CST) deadline will be addressed.
Any oral response given at the Pre-Submittal Conference that is not confirmed in writing and posted with this solicitation
shall not be official or binding on the CENTER. Only written responses shall be official and all other forms of communication
with any officer, employee or agent of the CENTER shall not be binding on the CENTER. RESPONDENTS are encouraged
to resubmit their questions in writing to the CENTER Staff identified in the Restrictions on Communication section, after the
conclusion of the Pre-Submittal Conference.
008 - PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS
RESPONDENT'S Proposal shall include the following items in the following sequence, noted with the appropriate heading
as indicated below. Submitted Proposals should include information in sufficient detail to address the RESPONDENT'S
ability to perform the services being requested and provide the CENTER with enough information to properly evaluate
Proposals.
RESPONDENTS must submit a hard copy Proposal. Submit one (1) original signed in ink, five (5) hard copies, and one
USB containing a copy of the entire Proposal in Microsoft Word or PDF format. Any information deemed to be
confidential by RESPONDENT should be clearly noted on the page(s) where the confidential information is
contained.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. The summary shall include a statement of the work to be accomplished, how RESPONDENT
proposes to accomplish and perform each specific service and unique problems perceived by RESPONDENT and their
solutions.
ASSURANCES. RESPONDENT must complete, sign in ink and submit the Assurances Page found in this RFP under
Section 005 - Assurances.
GENERAL INFORMATION FORM. Use the Form found in this RFP as Attachment A, Part One.
EXPERIENCE, BACKGROUND & QUALIFICATIONS. Use the Form found in this RFP as Attachment A, Part Two.
PROPOSED PLAN. Use the Form found in this RFP as Attachment A, Part Three.
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