Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) - Bronx County

Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT)
Bronx County
Request for Proposals
Grant Procurements
(On-Line Submission Required)
Statewide Financial System (SFS) Identifier- MH253028
May 2026
Rev. 3/2026

New York State Office of Mental Health
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ........................................................................... 1
1.1 Purpose of the Request for Proposal .................................................................... 1
1.2 Target Population/Eligibility Criteria....................................................................... 3
2. PROPOSAL SUBMISSIONS ............................................................................................ 4
2.1 Designated Contact/Issuing Officer ....................................................................... 4
2.2 Key Events/Timeline .............................................................................................. 4
2.3 Disposition of Proposals ........................................................................................ 4
2.4 Eligible Agencies ................................................................................................... 4
2.5 RFP Questions and Clarifications .......................................................................... 5
2.6 Addenda to Request for Proposals ....................................................................... 5
2.7 Disqualification Factors ......................................................................................... 5
2.8 SFS Prequalification Requirement ........................................................................ 6
2.9 Vendor Registration, Prequalification and Training Resources for Not-for-Profits 6
3. ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION ................................................................................. 9
3.1 Reserved Rights .................................................................................................... 9
3.2 Debriefing ............................................................................................................ 10
3.3 Protests Related to the Solicitation Process ........................................................ 10
3.4 Term of Contracts ................................................................................................ 10
3.5 Minority and Women Owned Business Enterprises ............................................ 10
3.6 Participation Opportunities for New York State Certified Service-Disabled
Veteran Owned Business .................................................................................... 12
3.7 Equal Opportunity Employment ........................................................................... 13
3.8 Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification ....................................................... 13
3.9 Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Certification ................................... 14
3.10 Bid Response ...................................................................................................... 14
3.11 Acceptance of Terms and Conditions.................................................................. 14
3.12 Freedom of Information Requirements ................................................................ 14
3.13 NYS and OMH Policies ....................................................................................... 15
4. EVALUATION FACTORS AND AWARDS ..................................................................... 15
4.1 Evaluation Criteria ............................................................................................... 15
4.2 Method for Evaluating Proposals......................................................................... 15
4.3 Process for Awarding Contracts .......................................................................... 16
4.4 Contract Termination and Reassignment ............................................................ 16
4.5 Award Notification ............................................................................................... 16
5. SCOPE OF WORK ......................................................................................................... 17
5.1 Introduction .......................................................................................................... 17
5.2 Objectives and Responsibilities ........................................................................... 17
5.3 Implementation .................................................................................................... 21
5.4 Operating Funding ............................................................................................... 23
6. PROPOSAL NARRATIVE .............................................................................................. 24
6.1 Notification of LGUs ............................................................................................ 24
6.2 Population ........................................................................................................... 24
6.3 Description of Program ........................................................................................ 25
6.4 Implementation .................................................................................................... 26
6.5 Agency Performance ........................................................................................... 26
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New York State Office of Mental Health
6.6 Utilization Review, Reporting, and Quality Improvement .................................... 27
6.7 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Recipient Input ................................................... 28
6.8 Financial Assessment ......................................................................................... 30
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New York State Office of Mental Health
Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Bronx County
RFP#MH253028
Applicant Checklist
Frequent Issues/Questions:
- Please begin working on your application in SFS no later than 5 business days before the
application due date and submit no later than 48 hours before the due date. This will
allow you time to troubleshoot any issues that arise that may prevent you from submitting.
Exceptions will not be considered or made for an applicant who cannot complete their
proposal/application by the due date and time of the RFP.
- All required forms/templates are available in the "Event Comments and Attachments" section
of SFS. Please note that there are restrictions to the type, size and naming conventions of
the files and attachments uploaded in SFS. For more information, please review the SFS
Attachment Guide here. Failure to comply with these guidelines may result in attachments not
being viewable to reviewers.
- No workplan is required at this time, if awarded, a workplan will be developed during the
contract development phase.
- The "Bid Amount" box is required to be filled out in SFS. Please enter the total amount of
funding your organization is requesting from NYS OMH in this box.
- New York State reserves 5-10 business days from the receipt of complete Prequalification
Applications to conduct its review. If supplementary information or updates are required,
review times will be longer. Due to the length of time this process could take to complete, it is
advised that nonprofits prequalify as soon as possible. Failure to successfully complete the
prequalification process early enough will prohibit the submission of the application in SFS.
____________________________________________________________________________
Please complete the following checklist prior to submission of your proposal. This checklist
SHOULD NOT be submitted, it is for your use only.
Confirm the following:
Your organization has met the eligibility requirements outlined in Section 2.4 Eligible
Agencies
Your organization is prequalified in SFS. SFS will prevent submission if your organization is a
not-for-profit and not prequalified (see Section 2.8 and 2.9 of the RFP document for more
information on Registration, Prequalification and Training Resources for SFS)
Updates to the RFP can happen at any time, per Section 2.6, check the OMH website for any
updates to the RFP posted by OMH.
Notification of intent to apply was sent to local government unit and proof has been uploaded
in SFS. A list of County Local Mental Hygiene Directors can be found here.
Provider Contact form completed and uploaded in SFS
Sexual Harassment Prevention Certification Completed and uploaded in SFS
Gender Based Violence and the Workplace Certification completed and uploaded in SFS.
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New York State Office of Mental Health
Proposal Template completed and any applicable attachments labeled with question numbers
(For example, if a question asks for an org chart, when providing that document, make sure it
labeled specific to that question number.)
Proposal Template and attachments (except budget, see next checkbox) combined into one
PDF and uploaded in SFS under Q1
Budget Template Completed (left in Excel) and uploaded in SFS under Q2
Application submitted in SFS prior to the due date and time listed in Section 2.2 Key
Events/Timeline (OMH strongly advises that applicants do not wait until the last day/last few
hours to complete and submit applications/proposals to Grant RFPs. Exceptions will not be
considered or made for an applicant who cannot complete their proposal/application by the
due date and time of the RFP.)
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
1. Introduction And Background
1.1 Purpose of the Request for Proposal
The New York State (NYS) Office of Mental Health (OMH) announces the availability of
funds for the development of one (1) 68-capacity Forensic Assertive Community
Treatment (FACT) team in Bronx County. The Forensic ACT team will serve individuals
who are justice-involved and have serious mental illness (SMI) who have not been
successfully engaged by the traditional mental health treatment and rehabilitation
system.
ACT is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based, team approach to providing comprehensive
and flexible treatment, support, and rehabilitation services. ACT teams are configured to
have a low individual-to-staff ratio with professional staff including members from the
fields of psychiatry, nursing, psychology, social work, substance use,
employment/education, and peers/persons with lived experience. The majority of
services are provided by ACT staff directly (not brokered) in the community or where the
individual lives. In this way, newly acquired skills are applied in their real-world
environment and situations. ACT is designed to be flexible and responsive to the needs
of individuals, offering support 24 hours a day, seven (7) days a week. ACT is "assertive"
and intentional in its engagement methods, incorporating individual choice, cultural
competencies, concrete services, consistency, and persistence. Finally, ACT is
structured to provide a review during daily team meetings of every individual on the ACT
team's caseload. This level of accountability allows for immediate changes in service
planning and leads to improved outcomes.
ACT teams strive to develop a culturally sensitive understanding of each ACT participant
and their family's personal preferences (i.e., preferred pronoun, spiritual practices).
Additionally, ACT teams take social determinants of health into account as they are
domains likely to have inherent disparities (healthcare access, housing, employment
status, food security). The ACT teams provide on-going opportunities for participants to
share their culture with others. ACT staff elicits and accepts participants' personal
religious or spiritual practices and leverages this information to support self-directed
recovery goals.
Forensic ACT builds on the evidence-based model of ACT by making adaptations based
on criminal justice involvement-in particular, addressing risk and protective factors
associated with arrest and recidivism.
Forensic ACT is intended for individuals with SMI who are involved with the criminal
justice system. These individuals may have co-occurring substance use and physical
health disorders, trauma histories, engagement difficulties, and behavioral challenges.
Their needs are often complex, and their disorders are often under-managed and further
complicated by varying degrees of involvement with the criminal justice system.
Similar to ACT, Forensic ACT provides services that are person-centered, community-
based, and delivered by a multidisciplinary team. These services include intensive,
continuous engagement. While Forensic ACT adds program enhancements to meet the
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
needs of the population who are justice-involved with SMI, providers should always
strive to meet the fidelity to the ACT model.
Forensic ACT is designed to: improve clients' mental health outcomes and daily
functioning; reduce recidivism by addressing risk and supporting protective factors
associated with arrest and recidivism; divert individuals in need of treatment away from
the criminal justice system; manage costs by reducing reoccurring arrest, incarceration,
and hospitalization; and increase public safety.
The new Forensic ACT team will provide traditional ACT services, as well as specialized
services to reduce risk factors associated with arrest, recidivism, and recurring
involvement with the criminal justice system, including probation, parole, and
incarcerations. The expansion of Forensic ACT represents a commitment by the NYS
OMH to develop specialized Forensic ACT teams that are designed to better meet the
needs of the SMI population who are involved in the criminal justice system. As this
expansion moves forward, there are several principles from classic ACT, as well as
principles specific to Forensic ACT that inform the overall process. These include:
* Promoting the concepts of recovery and the power of individual choice;
* Providing a majority of services through the ACT team, rather than brokering
services.
* Supporting the seamless integration of individuals into the communities in which
they have chosen to live. ACT teams are expected to become experts in the
natural supports available to recipients so that full community integration is
possible;
* Supporting individuals to develop a vocational or educational plan that will provide
a path to independence;
* Supporting adults who may have limited social or family support to strengthen
existing family relationships, including their family of choice;
* Reviewing and attempting to mitigate the effects of discrimination based on the
client's demographic identity (gender, sexual identity, race, ethnicity). Team
shows sensitivity towards participants' personal stories as they may relate to
oppression and inequality.
* Ensuring service access by managing ACT referrals through the County Local
Government Unit (LGU) Single Point of Access (SPOA/SPA) system;
* Ensuring the continuous quality improvement of ACT services through regular
monitoring of treatment/rehabilitation outcomes by both the agency and NYS
OMH;
* Facilitating continuity of care from the ACT team to the community when
transitioning off ACT; and
* Utilizing data to inform continuous program improvement.
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
The following forensic components distinguish Forensic ACT from ACT:
* Addressing criminogenic needs and risk factors associated with arrest and
recidivism as part of the treatment plan, including the use of evidence based
cognitive behavioral therapies shown to reduce recidivism.
* Enhanced staffing, including criminal justice specialists and a peer specialist who
has lived experience with the criminal justice system (preferred).
* Training specific to working with Justice-Involved Individuals and the clinical
impact of incarceration.
* Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with regular on- going
communications with community supervision (probation, parole, court
involvement, etc.).
* Dedicated slots for individuals being released from prison.
Notice: Notification of intent to apply should be made to the Local Governmental Unit (county
director of community services) for each county to be served under the program
application, as defined in Section 41 of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law. Proof
of this notification is required to be uploaded in SFS and should not be sent directly to
the procurement unit.
1.2 Target Population/Eligibility Criteria
The target population to be served by Forensic ACT include individuals who are under
arrest, incarcerated, subject to community supervision (i.e., probation, parole, court
mandate), or released from jail/prison, or released in the prior year. These individuals
may have co-occurring substance use and physical health disorders. Their needs are
often complex, and their disorders are often under-managed and further complicated by
varying degrees of involvement with the criminal justice system. These individuals may
also be high users of emergency and/or crisis services, are isolated from community
supports (including family), are in danger of losing their housing/becoming homeless,
and/or are homeless.
Eligibility Criteria for Forensic ACT:
* Individuals must meet the eligibility criteria for ACT
* See ACT Guidelines; AND
* Individuals must have current involvement with the criminal justice system,
including but not limited to at least one of the following:
* Under arrest and pending court proceedings;
* Incarcerated and pending release;
* Involved with treatment or diversion court;
* Subject to community supervision (i.e., probation, parole, court mandate);
OR
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
* Being released from jail or prison, or released within the last year from
date of referral.
2. Proposal Submissions
2.1 Designated Contact/Issuing Officer
OMH has assigned an Issuing Officer for this project. The Issuing Officer or a designee
shall be the sole point of contact regarding the RFP from the date of issuance of the
RFP until the issuance of the Notice of Conditional Award. To avoid being deemed non-
responsive, an applicant is restricted from making contact with any other personnel of
OMH regarding the RFP. Certain findings of non-responsibility can result in rejection for
a contract award. The Issuing Officer for this RFP is:
Carol Swiderski
New York State Office of Mental Health
Contracts and Claims
44 Holland Avenue, 7th Floor
Albany, NY 12229
OMHLocalProcurement@omh.ny.gov
2.2 Key Events/Timeline
RFP Release Date 5/19/2026
Questions Due 6/10/2026
Questions and Answers Posted on Website 7/1/2026
Proposals Due by 2:00 PM EST* 7/28/2026
Anticipated Award Notification 8/18/2026
Anticipated Contract Start Date 1/1/2027
*OMH strongly advises that applicants do not wait until the last day/last few hours to
complete and submit applications/proposals to Grant RFPs. Exceptions will not be
considered or made for an applicant who cannot complete their proposal/application by
the due date and time of the RFP. Please note that there are restrictions to the type,
size and naming conventions of the files and attachments uploaded in SFS. For
more information, please review the SFS Attachment Guide here. Failure to
comply with these guidelines may result in attachments not being viewable to
reviewers.
2.3 Disposition of Proposals
All proposals submitted by the due date and time become the property of OMH. Any
proposals not received by the due date and time do not get reviewed and are excluded
from consideration.
2.4 Eligible Agencies
Prequalification is required for all not-for-profit organizations seeking grant funding from
New York State. Please see Section 2.8 and Section 2.9 for additional Prequalification
Information.
Eligible applicants are not-for-profit agencies with 501(c) (3) incorporation that have
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New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH)
experience providing mental health services to persons with serious mental illness in
New York State through an OMH or County Contract.
Please be advised that all questions regarding Eligibility will be responded to through the
official posting of the Questions and Answers. No questions about Eligibility will be
responded to either individually or prior to the posting of the Q&As.
2.5 RFP Questions and Clarifications
All questions or requests for clarification concerning the RFP shall be submitted in
writing to the Issuing Officer by e-mail to OMHLocalProcurement@omh.ny.gov by the
"Questions Due" date indicated in section 2.2 and will be limited to addressing only those
questions submitted by the deadline. No questions can be submitted or will be answered
after this date. No questions will be answered by telephone or in person. Please enter
"Forensic Assertive Community Treatment (FACT) Bronx County" in the subject line of
the email.
The questions and official answers will be posted on the OMH website by the date listed
in the timeline section 2.2.
2.6 Addenda to Request for Proposals
In the event that it becomes necessary to revise any part of the RFP during the
application submission period, an addendum will be posted on the OMH website and the
NYS Contract Reporter.
It is the applicant's responsibility to periodically review the OMH Procurement website
and the NYS Contract Reporter to learn of revisions or addendums to this RFP. No other
notification will be given.
2.7 Disqualification Factors
Following the opening of bids, a preliminary review of all proposals will be conducted by
the Issuing Officer or a designee to review each proposal's submission for completeness
and verify that all eligibility criteria have been met. Additionally, during the proposal
evaluation process, evaluators will also be reviewing eligibility criteria and confirming
that they have been met. During the course of either of these review processes,
proposals that do not meet basic participation standards will be disqualified, specifically:
* Proposals from applicants that do not meet the eligibility criteria as outlined in
2.4; or
* Proposals that do not comply with bid submission and/or required format
instructions as specified in 2.9 or
* Proposals from eligible not-for-profit applicants who have not completed Vendor
Prequalification, as described in 2.8, by 2:00 PM EST on the Proposal Due Date
posted in section 2.2.
Protests related to disqualification must filed within fifteen (15) business days after the
notice of disqualification.
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