TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION INITATIVE

ERIE COUNTY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP) FOR
TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE TRAINING AND
ORGANIZATIONAL IMPLEMENTATION
INITIATIVE
RFP # 2026-030VF
3/27/2026
Commissioner Randall Hoak
Erie County Department for the Aging
EDWARD A. RATH COUNTY OFFICE BUILDING
95 FRANKLIN STREET
BUFFALO, NY 14202
COUNTY OF ERIE, NEW YORK

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ("RFP")
RFP# 2026-030VF
FOR TRAUMA-INFORMED CARE TRAINING AND ORGANIZATIONAL
IMPLEMENTATION INITIATIVE
I. PURPOSE
The Erie County Department for the Aging (ECDFA), previously known as the Department of Senior
Services, seeks proposals from qualified organizations to provide trauma-informed care training,
professionally recognized credentialing, evaluation, and organizational implementation support for
Department staff and its nonprofit partner organizations serving older adults throughout Erie County.
The selected proposer will design and implement a trauma-informed staff development program that
includes:
* Trauma-informed care training
* Assessment and evaluation of the department
* Leadership staff development
* Coaching and consultations
* Professional certification of training completion and digital badges
* Identify small group of internal staff to be developed into specialists capable of sustaining
trauma-informed practices
The purpose of this initiative is to strengthen the capacity of the aging services network to deliver
trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and resilient services to older adults and caregivers.
II. BACKGROUND
The Erie County Department for the Aging administers programs funded through the Older Americans
Act, New York State Office for the Aging, and Erie County resources.
The Department collaborates with a network of nonprofit organizations providing services including:
* Case management and care coordination
* Caregiver support services
* Nutrition services including home-delivered meals
* Transportation services
* Community wellness programs
* Outreach and social engagement initiatives

Older adults receiving services may have experienced lifetime trauma, social isolation, health crises,
financial hardship, and systemic inequities.
Staff serving these individuals may also experience secondary trauma, compassion fatigue, and
burnout.
The Department seeks to strengthen and empower the system by adopting a trauma-informed approach
across the aging services network, promoting improved outcomes for both clients and staff.
III. PROJECT GOALS
The goals of this initiative are to:
1. Establish a shared trauma-informed system across the Erie County aging services network.
2. Assess organizational trauma-informed readiness and culture.
3. Provide training opportunities for leaders, supervisors, and frontline staff that will provide
professionally recognized certification through use of digital badges.
4. Strengthen trauma-informed leadership and supervision practices.
5. Equip frontline staff with trauma-responsive strategies.
6. Develop internal specialized staff capable of sustaining trauma-informed changes.
7. Evaluate outcomes and workforce impact after implementing proposed initiative.
IV. PROPOSALS
Proposers interested in providing services to the Department are invited to respond to this
request.
It is the County's intent to select the Proposer(s) that provides the most thorough, efficient, and
cost-effective solution to meet the County's needs.
The County reserves the right to amend this RFP. The County reserves the right to reject any or
all of the proposals, or any part thereof, submitted in response to this RFP, and reserves the right
to waive formalities, if such action is deemed to be in the best interest of the County. The County
reserves the right to request additional information from any proposer. The County reserves the
right to award negotiated contracts to one or more proposers.
This RFP is not intended and shall not be construed to commit the County to pay any costs
incurred in connection with any proposal or to procure or contract with any firm.
The County will only contract with firms that do not discriminate against employees or
applicants for employment because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, disability,

marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status protected by New York State and Federal
laws.
V. PROPOSAL PROCEDURES
A. ANTICIPATED SCHEDULE OF PROPOSAL
The following schedule is for information purposes only. The County reserves the right to
amend this schedule at any time.
Issue RFP: 3/27/26
Non-Mandatory RFP Informational meeting: 4/7/26, 2:00-3:30 pm EST via Webex
MEETING INFO:
Join from the meeting link:
https://erie.webex.com/erie/j.php?MTID=mf119e071b60063f714227bc00c0ee317
Join by meeting number:
Meeting number (access code): 2485 274 9367
Meeting Password: WQvyBpFi435
Join from a mobile device or by phone:
1-716-858-2250 or 1-415-655-0003
Proposals Due: 4/27/2026
Selection Made: June 2026
Contract Signed: Following all necessary County approvals
Any questions or requests for clarification of this RFP must be written and submitted to
melissa.dentice@erie.gov and Jaclyn.strawbrich@erie.gov no later than 4:00 p.m. EST on
Friday, April 10th, 2026. Formal written responses will be distributed by the County on
approximately Wednesday, April 15th, 2026, and will be made available at
http://www2.erie.gov/purchasing/index.php?q=requests-proposals-amp-construction-bids
B. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS
Each proposal should be prepared simply and economically avoiding the use of elaborate promotional
materials beyond what is sufficient to provide a complete, accurate, and reliable presentation. One (1)
electronic copy of the service proposal and one (1) electronic copy of the budget proposal shall be

submitted. Proposals MUST be signed, including "Schedule A". Unsigned proposals will be rejected.
No cost or budget information shall be provided within the service proposal. Proposals should be
limited to ten (10) pages.
* Proof of adequate insurance as shown in "Schedule B" must be provided with the
proposal.
* Electronic proposals must be submitted to melissa.dentice@erie.gov and
Jaclyn.strawbrich@erie.gov
All proposals must be electronically submitted to the e-mail address above on or before
Monday April 27th, 2026. Proposals received after this date and time will not be
considered. The County is under no obligation to return proposals.
* No communications of any kind will be binding against the County, except for the formal
written responses to any request for clarification.
* Proposers may be required to give an oral presentation to the County to clarify or elaborate on
the written proposal. Those Proposers will be notified to arrange specific times.
* No proposal will be accepted from nor any agreement awarded to any Proposer that is in
arrears upon any debt or in default of any obligation owed to the County. Additionally, proposals
from any Proposer that has failed to satisfactorily perform pursuant to any prior agreement with the
County, may be rejected. Any proposer who has had a Departmental contract terminated for
performance is required to provide evidence of significant improvement in each of the identified
problem areas. The Department reserves the right to complete further assessments, including on-
site assessment to determine satisfactory improvement.
* Certified Minority Business Enterprise/Women's Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) Proposers
should include the Erie County certification letter with the proposal.
* If Proposer is a Veteran Owned Business, Proposer should include letter indicating company is
51% or more Veteran-owned.
* Service Disabled Veteran Owned Business (SDVOB) or "State-Certified Business" proposers
should include the New York State certification letter with the proposal.
* By submitting this proposal, the proposer understands and agrees there must be compliance
with federal, state, and local laws regarding privacy practices and safeguards. Therefore, the
proposal must include the proposer's privacy practices and procedures, i.e., client confidentiality
policy. The proposer's practices and procedures must thoroughly address possible breach
situations.

VI. SCOPE OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
The proposer will provide:
* Training curriculum and materials
* Training facilitation
* Professionally recognized training certification and digital badges
* Assessment tools for trauma informed program
* Consultation and coaching
* Specialized development program for sustainability
* Evaluation reports
* Final project report
A. Target Participants
Training will be delivered to three groups of participants.
1. Leadership Staff
Group may include:
* Department leadership
* Executive staff from partner organizations
* Program directors
Training should develop participants to be trauma-informed leaders capable of bringing about
organizational and culture change.
2. Supervisory Staff
Group may include:
* Program Managers
* Supervisors
* Unit leaders
Training should provide trauma-informed tools for supervision to support workforce.
3. Frontline Staff
Participants may include:
* Case managers
* Care coordinators
* Outreach staff
* Intake/referral specialists
* Direct service providers

Training should provide trauma-informed strategies and tools to support and engage potential
clients.
B. Training Model
* The proposer must be able to provide training programs resulting in professionally recognized
training certification and digital badges after completion.
Digital badges must:
* Be issued by an established credentialing or educational organization
* Contain verifiable information including:
issuer
o
date awarded
o
competency criteria
o
evidence of completion
o
* Be easily shareable across digital platforms including professional profiles and portfolios
C. Training Requirements
1. Basics of Trauma-Informed Care
Foundational training should be designed to build an understanding of trauma and its impact and
cover a minimum of trauma related topics including:
* Trauma resulting from childhood experiences or adverse community surroundings
* Individual, racial, historical, and systemic trauma
* Impacts of trauma on the human body
* Re-traumatization prevention
* Basic trauma-informed strategies for engagement of those who experienced any type of
trauma
* Workforce well-being
2. Trauma-Informed Supervision Training
Training should provide the necessary information and tools for supervisory staff to provide
successful trauma-informed oversight of subordinate staff, and at minimum cover trauma-
informed topics such as:
* Understand, identify, and acknowledge unique staff experiences
* Tools on how to recognize trauma in the workplace
* Assess the impact of the work performed by staff and have gained ability to provide
cultural and trauma-informed guidance
* Supporting employee wellbeing
* Tools to decrease and neutralize workplace stressors

3. Trauma-Responsive Practices
Training should be designed for front-line staff and provide information and tools for practical
application and at minimum cover trauma-informed topics such as:
* Tools for recognizing trauma responses
* Open Trauma-informed communication
* Manage stress reactions
* How to de-escalate challenging situations
* Maintaining staff wellness while supporting others while maintaining own well-being
All training courses must provide successful participants with a unique digital
badge in each category.
D. Organizational Assessment and Evaluation
The proposer should conduct assessments to evaluate organizational readiness and progress in
adopting trauma-informed approaches. The evaluation activities should at minimum include:
* Focus Groups to gather insights from staff and/or service recipients
* Surveys that assess workplace culture, policies, readiness for change and staff well-
being
* Interviews with leadership and other key staff
* Review and existing information or data that relates to workplace and service
outcomes
Assessments can be conducted at different stages of training implementation; prior, during, at
conclusion.
E. Consultation and Coaching
The proposal should address methods of consultation, coaching and technical assistance to support
training implementation. These methods should at minimum include:
* Small group consultation sessions
* Strategy sessions for trauma-informed practices
* Complete presentations at staff meetings
* Strategic planning support
* Coaching leadership staff
* Technical assistance, consultations and staff support groups
* Assessment of workplace environment
* Review department policy and procedures that relate to topics being covered
This support can be provided in-person, virtually or hybrid, based on mutual agreement between
proposer and department.
F. Development of Specialized Internal Trauma-informed staff

The proposer should identify and develop a small group of internal staff to become specialists in
sustaining trauma-informed practices within the department. These individuals will reinforce learning
curriculum, align across all units and teams, and support any long-term efforts for change. These
specialists should at mimum be provided an initial in-person orientation with proposer and receive
ongoing monthly coaching and technical support, and address areas such as leadership,
communication, staff supports, safety in the workplace, cross collaboration, and continuous
improvement.
G. Budget and Allowable Costs
Proposers must submit a detailed project budget distinguishing between direct and indirect costs.
Direct Costs
Direct costs may include:
* Curriculum development
* Training delivery
* Training materials
* Credentialing fees
* Evaluation activities
* Consultation and coaching
Indirect Cost Limitations
Indirect costs may not exceed 10% of the total contract amount.
Indirect costs may include administrative overhead, general management expenses, and other non-
programmatic costs.
Proposals exceeding the 10% indirect cost limit may be deemed non-responsive.
Organizations with federally approved indirect rates must submit documentation, however
reimbursement under this contract will not exceed 10%.
II. PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS:
A successful proposal must include the following sections:
1. Organizational Background
Description of the organization, relevant experience and proof of eligibility to provide
professionally recognized credentialing.
2. Training and Implementation Approach

Description of the training model, curriculum, and implementation strategy.
3. Project Staffing
Qualifications of staff assigned to the project to include resumes and experience.
4. Work Plan and Timeline
Detailed implementation plan and training schedule.
5. Budget Proposal
Detailed budget and budget narrative.
6. References
At least three (3) references from similar projects.
VIII. PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Proposals must be submitted by the date and time specified in the procurement timeline.
Submission must adhere to the following requirements:
* One (1) electronic copy of the service proposal and one (1) electronic copy of the
budget proposal shall be submitted to melissa.dentice@erie.gov and
Jaclyn.strawbrich@erie.gov
i.All proposers submitting a service proposal must also include a budget proposal
in a SEPARATE e-mail clearly labeled with the proposer's name, due date of
the RFP, and the proposal name "Trauma-Informed Care Training RFP
#2026-030VF" and subject labeled "Budget Proposal RFP #2026-030VF".
* All Proposals must be signed, including "Schedule A". An unsigned proposal will not
be accepted
* Proposals should be of sufficient length to fully address the requirements of the RFP,
to a maximum of 10 pages. This does not include the required budget proposal and
supplemental materials
IX. STATEMENT OF RIGHTS
UNDERSTANDINGS
Please take notice, by submission of a proposal to this Request for Proposals, the proposer
agrees to and understands: