2027-0003-CSD Independent Evaluator for Behavioral Health Region One

SANTA FE COUNTY
COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)
INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR FOR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH REGION ONE
NM Commodity Code(s):
91832, 91875, 91878
RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
AUGUST 2026

RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE NO.
I. ADVERTISEMENT .......................................................................................................4
II. INTRODUCTION ...........................................................................................................5
A. PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL ............................................5
B. SCOPE OF WORK ................................................................................................6
C. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS .........................................................................7
D. PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST ..........................................................................8
E. DEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGY.....................................................................9
III. CONDITIONS GOVERNING THE PROCUREMENT...............................................11
A. SEQUENCE OF EVENTS ..................................................................................11
B. EXPLANATION OF EVENTS ...........................................................................11
1. Issuance of RFP .........................................................................................12
2. Pre-Proposal Conference ...........................................................................12
3. Acknowledgement of Receipt Form Due ..................................................12
4. Deadline to Submit Additional Written Questions ...................................12
5. Response to Written Questions .................................................................12
6. Submission of Proposals ...........................................................................13
7. Proposal Evaluation ...................................................................................13
8. Selection of Finalists .................................................................................13
9. Best and Final Offers from Finalists (If applicable) .................................14
10. Oral Presentations by Finalists (If applicable) ..........................................14
11. Contract Negotiations ...............................................................................14
12. Contract Award .........................................................................................14
13. Right to Protest .........................................................................................14
C. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS ...........................................................................15
1. Acceptance of Conditions Governing the Procurement ............................15
2. Incurring Cost ............................................................................................15
3. Prime Contractor Responsibility ...............................................................15
4. Subcontractors ...........................................................................................15
5. Amended Proposals ...................................................................................16
6. Offerors' Rights to Withdraw Proposal ....................................................16
7. Proposal Offer Firm ..................................................................................16
8. Disclosure of Proposed Contents ..............................................................16
9. No Obligation ............................................................................................17
10. Termination ...............................................................................................17
11. Sufficient Appropriation ...........................................................................17
12. Legal Review ............................................................................................17
13. Governing Law .........................................................................................17
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
14. Basis for Proposal ....................................................................................17
15. Contract Terms and Conditions ...............................................................17
16. Contract Deviations .................................................................................18
17. Offeror Qualifications ..............................................................................18
18. Right to Waive Minor Irregularities ........................................................18
19. Change in Contractor Representatives .....................................................18
20. Notice .......................................................................................................18
21. County Rights ..........................................................................................18
22. Right to Publish .......................................................................................18
23. Ownership of Proposals .........................................................................19
24. Electronic Mail Address Recommended .................................................19
25. Preference in Procurement by Santa Fe County ......................................19
26. Double-Sided Documents ........................................................................21
27. Living Wage ............................................................................................21
IV. RESPONSE FORMAT AND ORGANIZATION ........................................................22
A. NUMBER OF RESPONSES ...............................................................................22
B. NUMBER OF COPIES .......................................................................................22
C. PROPOSAL FORMAT .......................................................................................22
1. Proposal Organization ...............................................................................22
2. Letter of Transmittal ..................................................................................23
V. SPECIFICATIONS .......................................................................................................24
A. INFORMATION .................................................................................................24
1. Time Frame ...............................................................................................24
B. EVALUATION CRITERIA ................................................................................24
1. Introduction ...............................................................................................24
2. Technical Competence and Specialized Experience .................................24
3. Evidence of Understanding Scope of Work ..............................................24
4. Capacity and Capability ............................................................................25
5. Past Performance .......................................................................................25
C. COST PROPOSAL ..............................................................................................25
VI. EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS ...............................................................................26
A. EVALUATION SCORING .................................................................................26
B. EVALUATION PROCESS .................................................................................27
APPENDICES
A. Acknowledgement of Receipt Form ....................................................................28
B. Campaign Contribution Disclosure Form ............................................................29
C. Resident Veterans Preference Certification .........................................................32
D. Cost Proposal .......................................................................................................33
E. Sample Agreement ...............................................................................................34
F. Attachment A .......................................................................................................42
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
I. ADVERTISEMENT
SANTA FE COUNTY
INDEPENDENT EVALUATOR FOR
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH REGION ONE
RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
Santa Fe County requests proposals from a qualified provider to serve as an Independent
Evaluator for the Behavioral Health Region One Plan. All proposals submitted shall be valid for
ninety (90) days subject to action by the County. Santa Fe County reserves the right to reject any
and all proposals in part or in whole. A completed proposal shall be submitted in a sealed container
indicating the proposal title and number along with the Offeror's name and address clearly marked
on the outside of the container. All proposals must be received by 2:00 PM on Wednesday,
September 30 2026, at the Santa Fe County Purchasing Division, 102 Grant Avenue, (First
Floor), Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501. The submission of Proposals will also be accepted
electronically utilizing a DropBox. Please utilize this link to upload your proposal submission,
https://www.dropbox.com/request/n9i4bhaqqeycv6tn0qeh.
By submitting a proposal for the requested services each Offeror is certifying that it is a qualified
firm and its proposal complies with the requirements stated within the Request for Proposals.
A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held at 10:30 am on Thursday, September 3, 2026 online
via Teams using the link provided below and meeting number 234 651 828 394 790 Passcode:
Rk29SH6i or by calling (773) 352-2011 meeting number: 216492835#, conference ID: 216 492
835#. Attendance is not mandatory but highly recommended.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/join-a-meeting.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: All qualified Offerors will receive consideration of
contract(s) without regard to race, color, religion, sex or national origin, ancestry, age, physical and
mental handicap, serious medical condition, disability, spousal affiliation, sexual orientation or
gender identity.
Request for Proposals will be available by contacting Tammy Jim, Procurement Specialist Senior,
102 Grant Avenue, (First Floor) Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, or by telephone at (505) 986-6370
or by email at tjim@santafecountynm.gov or on our website at
https://www.santafecountynm.gov/finance/purchasing-division/current-bid-solicitations.
PROPOSALS RECEIVED AFTER THE DATE AND TIME SPECIFIED ABOVE WILL NOT
BE CONSIDERED AND WILL BE REJECTED BY SANTA FE COUNTY.
Santa Fe County
Published: August 23rd & 24th
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
II. INTRODUCTION
A. PURPOSE OF THIS REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
Santa Fe County is soliciting proposals from a qualified provider to serve as the
Independent Evaluator for the Behavioral Health Region One for FY27 through FY29.
Services will include, but not limited to, design, implementation, and management of a
comprehensive, mixed methods evaluation aligned with State requirements and the Early
Access and Region One logic model.
Qualified offerors are invited to submit proposals demonstrating their capacity to fulfill the
requirements outlined in RFP 2027-0003-CSD/TJ. Offerors are expected to review and
understand all applicable terms, conditions, and specifications set forth in the Request for
Proposal.
BACKGROUND
During the 2025 Legislative Session, the State of New Mexico enacted the Behavioral
Health Reform and Investment Act (BHRIA), which took effect on June 20, 2025. The
legislation seeks to strengthen and build New Mexico's behavioral health system through
coordinated regional planning, accountability across all three branches of government, and
active stakeholder engagement at the local level. Since its implementation, the State's
Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) and the State's Health Care Authority (HCA)
have worked to develop a regional approach to statewide behavioral health reform under
the oversight of a statewide Behavioral Health Executive Committee.
The State has designated 13 behavioral health regions aligned with judicial districts and
includes Tribes, Nations, and Pueblos. Behavioral Health Region One (BHR1) includes
fourteen governments: the Jicarilla Apache Nation, Ohkay Owingeh, Pueblo of Santa
Clara, Pueblo de San Ildefonso, Pueblo of Nambe, Pueblo of Pojoaque, Pueblo of Tesuque,
Los Alamos County, Rio Arriba County, Santa Fe County, City of Espanola, City of Santa
Fe, Town of Edgewood, and the Village of Chama.
Santa Fe County serves as the Accountable Entity for Region One and is responsible for
administering funds, coordinating implementation, and ensuring accountability for both the
FY27 Early Access Plan and also the FY27 - FY29 Regional Behavioral Health Plan.
Region One's FY27 Early Access Plan focuses on the Crisis Continuum with investments
designed to help reduce overdose deaths, decrease emergency department utilization,
improve behavioral health outcomes, and strengthen long-term system resilience.
Region One's FY27 - FY29 Plan builds upon the Early Access grant and focuses on
coordinated investments in:
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
* Expansion and access of Crisis, Detox, MAT, and treatment
* Workforce development
* Regional expansion of navigation and coordination (CONNECT)
* Prevention and outreach across the age spectrum
B. SCOPE OF WORK
The Contractor will provide:
1. Evaluation Design and Framework
a. Refine and finalize the Region One evaluation plan in alignment with
State Evaluation Guidelines,
b. Ensure alignment with regional logic models across all priority areas,
c. Develop standardized performance metrics and definitions,
d. Establish baseline data and benchmarks.
2. Data Collection and Management
a. Develop data collection tools, templates, and reporting protocols for the
Early Access and the Region One Plans,
b. Coordinate with all funded providers and partners to ensure consistent
data submission to the Accountable Entity for the Early Access and
Region One Plans,
c. Integrate reports from multiple data sources (e.g., CONNECT platform
provider reports, and workforce partners),
d. Ensure data quality, validation, and compliance with privacy
requirements.
3. Performance Monitoring and Reporting
a. Develop and manage a Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) plan to
ensure fidelity to both the Early Access and Region One Plans,
b. Monitor progress across all priority areas (treatment, workforce,
navigation, and prevention),
c. Identify trends, gaps, and emerging issues,
d. Track implementation fidelity and output indicators,
e. Produce quarterly performance dashboards and reports as well as annual
reports for the Early Access and Region One Plans.
4. Outcome Evaluation
a. Conduct analysis of short-term and intermediate-term outcomes,
b. Assess improvements in access, capacity, coordination, and workforce
stability,
c. Conduct subgroup and geographic analysis where feasible.
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
5. Meeting Participation and Reporting/Integration
a. Attend and present at monthly and quarterly Region One review
meetings for the Early Access and Region One Plans for FY29 (please
see Attachment A),
b. Provide data summaries, quarterly reports and dashboards for monthly
standing meeting as needed for both Early Access and Region One
Plans,
c. Support interpretation of findings for regional stakeholders.
6. Final Evaluation Report
a. Produce a comprehensive final evaluation report for Year 1 for Early
Access and at the each of each fiscal year for the Region One Plans
summarizing:
1. Implementation findings
2. Performance outcomes
3. System-level trends
4. Lessons learned and recommendations
All evaluation activities must align with State reporting timelines and requirements.
Funds awarded under this solicitation must not supplant other funding sources and must be
used solely for evaluation-related activities such as:
a. Personnel and contractor costs
b. Data collection and analysis
c. Reporting and dashboard development
d. Travel related to required meetings
e. Technology and data management tools
C. INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS
The insurance required by Offeror are listed below.
1. General Conditions. Contractor shall submit evidence of insurance as is required
herein. Policies of insurance shall be written by companies authorized to write such
insurance in New Mexico.
2. General Liability Insurance, Including Automobile. Contractor shall procure and
maintain during the life of this Agreement a comprehensive general liability and
automobile insurance policy with liability limits in amounts not less than
$1,000,000 combined single limits of liability for bodily injury, including death,
and property damage for any one occurrence. Said policies of insurance shall
include coverage for all operations performed for County by Contractor; coverage
for the use of all owned, non-owned, hired automobiles, vehicles and other
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
equipment, both on and off work; and contractual liability coverage under which
this Agreement is an insured contract. County of Santa Fe shall be a named
additional insured on the policy.
3. Workers' Compensation Insurance. Contractor shall comply with the provisions
of the Workers' Compensation Act.
4. Increased Limits. If, during the life of this Agreement, the Legislature of the State
of New Mexico increases the maximum limits of liability under the Tort Claims
Act (NMSA 1978, Sections 41-4-1 through 41-4-29, as amended), Contractor shall
increase the maximum limits of any insurance required herein.
D. DESIGNATED PROCUREMENT SPECIALIST
The County has designated a Procurement Specialist Senior who is responsible for the
conduct of this procurement whose name, address and telephone number are listed below.
All deliveries via express carrier should be addressed as follows:
Tammy Jim, Procurement Specialist Senior
Santa Fe County Purchasing Division
102 Grant Avenue, First Floor
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Phone: (505) 986-6370
Email: tjim@santafecountynm.gov
Any inquiries or requests regarding this procurement should be submitted to the
Procurement Specialist Senior in writing. Offerors may ONLY contact the Procurement
Specialist Senior listed above regarding the procurement. Other County employees
do not have the authority to respond on behalf of the County.
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
E. DEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGY
This section contains definitions and abbreviations that are used throughout this
procurement document.
This section contains definitions and abbreviations that are used throughout this procurement
document.
"BCC" means the Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners
"Close of Business" means 5:00 PM Mountain Standard Time or Mountain Daylight Time,
whichever is in effect on the date given.
"Contract" or "Agreement" means a written agreement for the procurement of items of
tangible personal property or services.
"Contractor" means a successful offeror who enters into a binding contract.
"County" means Santa Fe County.
"Determination" means the written documentation of a decision by the Procurement
Manager including findings of fact supporting a decision. A determination becomes part of
the procurement file.
"Desirable" The terms "may", "can", "should", "preferably", or "prefers" identify a
desirable or discretionary item or factor (as opposed to "mandatory").
"Evaluation Committee" means a body appointed by the County management to perform
the evaluation of offeror proposals.
"Finalist" is defined as an offeror who meets all the mandatory specifications of this Request
for Proposals and whose score on evaluation factors is sufficiently high to merit further
consideration by the Evaluation Committee.
"Mandatory" The terms "must", "shall", "will", "is required", or "are required", identify a
mandatory item or factor (as opposed to "desirable"). Failure to meet a mandatory item or
factor will result in the rejection of the offeror's proposal.
"Offeror" is any person, corporation, or partnership who chooses to submit a proposal.
"Procurement Specialist Senior" means the person or designee authorized by the County to
manage or administer a procurement requiring the evaluation of competitive sealed
proposals.
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RFP NO. 2027-0003-CSD/TJ
"Purchasing Division" means the Santa Fe County Purchasing Division, Finance
Department.
"Request for Proposals" or "RFP" means all documents, including those attached or
incorporated by reference, used for soliciting proposals.
"Responsible Offeror" means an offeror who submits a responsive proposal and who has
furnished, when required, information and data to prove that its financial resources, produc-
tion or service facilities, personnel, service reputation and experience are adequate to make
satisfactory delivery of the services or items of tangible personal property described in the
RFP.
"Responsive Offer" or "Responsive Proposal" means an offer or proposal which conforms
in all material respects to the requirements set forth in the request for proposals. Material
respects of a request for proposals include, but are not limited to, price, quality, quantity or
delivery requirements.
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