Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Clinician Training for OhioMHAS FY26-27

In an MBE set-aside solicitation, only those bidders/suppliers with an active MBE certification at the time the solicitation closes can submit a response

SRC0000031886

6/27/2025 2:00:00 PM

1. MISSION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The mission of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) is to provide statewide leadership of a high-quality mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery system that is effective and valued by all Ohioans. OhioMHAS strives to be a national leader in implementing a comprehensive, accessible, and quality-focused system of addiction and mental health care and wellness for all Ohio citizens.

1. PURPOSE

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services ( Ohio MHAS) is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to

1. BACKGROUND

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) (P.L. 117-159) provides supplemental funding for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) to enable states, the District of Columbia, and territories to expand access to mental health care. Overseen by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the BSCA supplemental funding seeks to support state behavioral health systems in examining what is needed to address the mental health needs in the aftermath of traumatic events and natural disasters within our communities. To address the massive disruption and loss of life caused by these crises, SAMHSA is recommending that states utilize this funding to strengthen and enhance behavioral health disaster preparedness and crisis response efforts. This funding provides a unique opportunity to develop improved and sustainable public behavioral health systems that are more adept at meeting the needs of vulnerable people, including those with more complex presentations.

OhioMHAS,  through the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) (P.L. 117-159) made available by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), intends to use BSCA funding to enhance emergency preparedness and response to offset the traumatic experiences and lingering consequences of tragedies that may occur within Ohio communities, such as natural disasters, mass shootings, and other large-scale man-made and terrorist events. OhioMHAS wants to ensure that licensed clinicians are equipped with modalities to be able to immediately deploy essential supports and resources in the aftermath of such tragedies. This opportunity will provide funding to a contractor to conduct Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) training and consultation to licensed behavioral health clinicians in Ohio.

EMDR is a mental health therapy treatment modality that is designed to reduce emotional distress caused by traumatic memories and events. Developed by Francine Shapiro, EMDR has been shown to be an effective treatment for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) but can be helpful for other mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression and can be used to address other distressing life experiences including those resulting from disasters.

1. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES

All work outlined in the Scope of Work and Deliverables must be completed by September, 29, 2026 . Contractor will provide the following:

Trainings Consultation Contractor Responsibilities
OhioMHAS Responsibilities

1. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTOR

The Contractor must be able to provide the training outlined within the Scope of Work section of this RFP. The selected Contractor must be a licensed clinician (i.e., LSW, LISW, LISW-S, LPC, LPCC, LPCC-S, IMFT, IMFT-S, LICDC, LICDC-CS), an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, and an EMDRIA Approved Trainer.

Contractor will need to provide previous work experience, proof of licensure and credentials, and references to demonstrate their experience and ability to provide EMDR training.

Contractor shall not be subject to an “unresolved” finding for recovery under Section 9.24 of Ohio Revised Code.

PART FOUR: EVALUATION OF PROPOSALS

1. Evaluation Process

OhioMHAS’s evaluation process of responses submitted to this request may consist of up to four distinct phases:

1. OhioMHAS’s initial review of all proposals for timely submission;
2. An evaluation committee review of the proposals for defects and scoring;
3. OhioMHAS’s request for more information (clarifications, interviews, presentations, and/or demonstrations); and,
4. Negotiations or best offer requests.

At its sole discretion, OhioMHAS will determine whether phases three and/or four are necessary under this RFP, reserving for itself the ability to eliminate or add phases three or four at any time during the evaluation process. OhioMHAS may add or remove sub-phases to phases 2 through 4 at any time if MHAS believes doing so will improve the evaluation process.

1. Proposal Evaluation Criteria

In the proposal evaluation phase, OhioMHAS staff or reviewers selected by OhioMHAS (the committee) will rate the proposals submitted in response to this RFP based on the following criteria and weight assigned to each criterion.