Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services

1. INTRODUCTION.

Lake County Behavioral Health Services (LCBHS) invites proposals from qualified, licensed, and Drug Medi-Cal certified providers to deliver substance use disorder (SUD) treatment services for adult and youth beneficiaries, including perinatal populations. LCBHS will consider proposals for any and all ASAM levels of care. Applicants may apply to provide services for a single level of care, multiple levels of care, or the full continuum of SUD treatment services.

This procurement supports the County’s transition to an integrated Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) system and requires all contracted providers to meet applicable DMC-ODS and BHSA standards related to service delivery, data reporting, administrative cost compliance, performance measurement, and equity and access requirements.

Proposers must demonstrate the ability to deliver services in accordance with:

• The American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) Criteria.

• Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) requirements.

• All applicable Behavioral Health Information Notices (BHINs); and

• BHSA implementation requirements.

2. SCOPE OF SERVICE.

2.1 General Requirements

Providers must:

• Providers shall maintain all required State licenses, certifications, Medi-Cal approvals, and ASAM level of care (LOC) designations, as applicable, and ensure that all services are delivered by appropriately qualified staff.

• Ensure timely access to services through outreach, engagement, care coordination, telehealth/telemedicine options, and effective transitions between levels of care.

• Providers shall participate in County-directed quality improvement, monitoring, and BHSA implementation activities, as applicable to the scope of services.

• Providers shall maintain working relationships with higher and lower levels of care to support timely and seamless transitions and shall actively participate in care coordination with County staff and provider care coordinators.

• Staff Qualifications:
Providers shall ensure services are provided by qualified staff, including licensed professionals and other practitioners with appropriate substance use disorder training, experience, and, where applicable, certification or other qualifying credentials.

• Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT) Across All Levels of Care:
Providers shall demonstrate the capacity to provide or coordinate access to medications for addiction treatment (MAT) across all appropriate levels of care, including screening, assessment, initiation, maintenance, monitoring, and linkage to ongoing treatment and recovery supports.

• Telehealth/Telemedicine Availability:
Provider shall demonstrate the ability to provide services through telehealth and telemedicine, as appropriate, to improve timely access, service continuity, engagement, and coordination of care for individuals receiving substance use disorder treatment services, when applicable.

• DMC-ODS and BHSA-Aligned Systems:
Provider shall demonstrate knowledge of and experience operating within Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) and Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA)-aligned systems, including compliance with applicable state and federal requirements, documentation standards, service coordination expectations, quality improvement activities, and equity-centered service delivery.

2.2 Required Levels of Care

LCBHS invites proposals for one or more of the following services, aligned with the Behavioral Health Services Act (BHSA) and ASAM criteria:

ASAM 1.0 – Outpatient Services (Adult, Youth, Perinatal)

Providers offering ASAM 1.0 services shall:

Outpatient services provide up to 9 hours per week for adults and less than 6 hours per week for beneficiaries under age 21, when medically necessary. Services may exceed these thresholds based on individual medical necessity. Providers must:

• Offer assessment, counseling, care coordination, psychoeducation, recovery services, medication services, and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), when clinically indicated, and provide telehealth/telemedicine access as appropriate and consistent with applicable requirements.

• Integrate MAT evaluation and medication support into treatment planning, or maintain an effective referral process to the most clinically appropriate MAT services; and

• Meet all applicable DMC-ODS reporting, documentation, access, and engagement requirements.

ASAM 2.1 – Intensive Outpatient Services (Adult, Youth, Perinatal)
Providers offering ASAM 2.1 services shall:

• Provide intensive outpatient treatment services in a structured programming environment, offering a minimum of 9 hours and a maximum of 19 hours of services per week for adults, and a minimum of 6 hours and a maximum of 19 hours per week for beneficiaries under 21, when medically necessary.

• Deliver counseling, group services, care coordination, and other clinically appropriate evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions.

• Provide medication services and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), when clinically indicated, and offer telehealth/telemedicine access as appropriate and consistent with applicable requirements.

• Maintain affiliations and care coordination processes with higher and lower levels of care to support timely transitions; and

• Meet all applicable DMC-ODS reporting, documentation, access, and engagement requirements.

ASAM 2.5 – Partial Hospitalization Services
Programs shall provide 20 or more hours of clinically intensive services per week in a structured treatment setting for individuals who do not require 24-hour care. Providers must:

• Deliver clinically intensive treatment services consistent with ASAM 2.5 and applicable DMC-ODS requirements.

• Provide assessment, counseling, care coordination, medication services, and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), when clinically indicated, or maintain an effective referral mechanism to the most clinically appropriate MAT services.

• Ensure timely access to medical, psychiatric, and laboratory services, either directly or through established referral relationships, as clinically appropriate; and

• Meet all applicable DMC-ODS reporting, documentation, access, engagement, and care transition requirements.

ASAM 3.1 – Clinically Managed Low-Intensity Residential Services (Adult, Youth, Perinatal)
Providers offering ASAM 3.1 services shall:

• Deliver clinically managed low-intensity residential treatment services consistent with the applicable DHCS LOC designation and/or ASAM residential LOC certification requirements.

• Provide assessment, counseling, recovery support, relapse prevention, care coordination, medication services, and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), when clinically indicated.

• Support reintegration into work, school, family, and community-based systems, as appropriate.

• When serving youth, coordinate with parents, caregivers, schools, child welfare, probation, and other involved systems, as appropriate, support continuity of care and discharge planning.

• When serving perinatal populations, provide services consistent with DHCS perinatal practice guidance and family-centered treatment approaches; and

• Comply with applicable DMC-ODS reporting, documentation, engagement, and residential care coordination requirements.

ASAM 3.5 – Clinically Managed High-Intensity Residential Services (Adult, Youth, Perinatal)
Providers offering ASAM 3.5 services shall:

• Provide 24-hour structured residential treatment services consistent with the applicable DHCS LOC designation and/or ASAM LOC certification requirements.

• Provide assessment, counseling, care coordination, medication services, and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), when clinically indicated and within the scope of applicable licensure, staffing, and program requirements.

• For youth, provide medically necessary residential SUD treatment services in accordance with EPSDT requirements, including timely authorization, developmentally appropriate treatment planning, family engagement as appropriate, and coordination with community-based support.

• For perinatal populations, provide services consistent with DHCS perinatal requirements and best practices for comprehensive, individualized, gender-specific, and family-centered care; and

• Maintain referral relationships and care coordination processes to support timely transitions to higher or lower levels of care and continuity of treatment and recovery services.

ASAM 3.7 – Medically Monitored Inpatient Services
Providers offering ASAM 3.7 services shall:

• Provide 24-hour medically monitored inpatient services, including nursing care and withdrawal management services, consistent with the applicable ASAM level of care.

• Provide assessment, monitoring, medication services, and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), when clinically indicated and within the scope of applicable licensure, staffing, and medical oversight requirements.

• Ensure safe stabilization and timely transition to ongoing treatment and recovery services.

• Meet all applicable DMC-ODS reporting, documentation, and engagement requirements.

ASAM 4.0 – Medically Managed Intensive Inpatient Services
Providers offering ASAM 4.0 services shall:

• Deliver 24-hour physician-directed medical and psychiatric care.

• Provide medically managed intensive inpatient services in an appropriate inpatient setting, including a Chemical Dependency Recovery Hospital, freestanding psychiatric hospital, or general acute care hospital.

• Provide acute withdrawal management and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), as clinically indicated.

• Provide assessment, monitoring, medication services, and medications for addiction treatment (MAT), as clinically indicated and consistent with applicable staffing, licensure, and medical oversight requirements.

• Ensure rapid stabilization and timely transition to ongoing treatment and recovery services.

• Meet all applicable DMC-ODS reporting, documentation, and engagement requirements.

• Meet DMC-ODS reporting and engagement requirements.

Withdrawal Management (WM) Services
Providers may offer Withdrawal Management (WM) services at ASAM Levels 1-WM, 2-WM, 3.2-WM, 3.7-WM, or 4-WM, as applicable to the services proposed and authorized.

All WM programs shall:

• Provide screening, assessment, monitoring, medication services, and initiation of medications for addiction treatment (MAT), as clinically indicated.

• Ensure safe, timely, and coordinated transitions to ongoing treatment and recovery supports.

• Comply with applicable Behavioral Health Information Notice (BHIN) requirements related to WM documentation, clinical protocols, and medical oversight

• Meet all Drug Medi-Cal Organized Delivery System (DMC-ODS) reporting, access, engagement, and service documentation requirements.

Field-Based Initiation of Medications for Addiction Treatment (MAT)

Provider may offer field-based initiation of medications for addiction treatment (MAT) for eligible individuals with substance use disorders who experience barriers to accessing traditional office-based or clinic-based services. Services shall be delivered through data-informed targeted outreach, mobile field-based programs, open access clinics, and other community-based settings, including but not limited to homes, shelters, encampments, street-based locations, clinics, and other appropriate service sites. Providers shall use data-informed and targeted outreach strategies to identify, prioritize, and engage individuals and communities with the greatest barriers to care and high service needs. Services should be designed to promote timely, low-barrier access to treatment through mobile field-based programs, street-based engagement, and open access clinic models, and shall support rapid engagement and clinically appropriate initiation of MAT in settings that are accessible and responsive to client needs.

Providers shall, at a minimum, the following:

• Data-informed targeted outreach to identify and engage individuals in need of substance use disorder treatment services.

• Mobile field-based services and street-based engagement to reach individuals in community settings.

• Open access clinic availability to support timely and low-barrier entry into care.

• Screening and assessment to determine immediate needs, treatment readiness, and appropriateness for MAT.

• Initiation of MAT when clinically indicated and consistent with applicable laws, regulations, and staff qualifications.

• Linkage and referral to ongoing substance use disorder treatment, behavioral health services, medical care, and recovery support services.

• Care coordination with County staff, managed care plans, community providers, and other service partners, as appropriate.

• Follow-up support to promote engagement, continuity of care, and retention in treatment.

• Transitions to higher or lower levels of care, as clinically appropriate.

3. COMPENSATION.

Proposers shall submit a cost analysis and proposed monthly rate for each level of care included in their proposal. All proposed rates are subject to review and negotiation and should not be binding on the County. All compensation must comply with applicable:

• BHSA administrative cost limitations; and

• DMC-ODS Medi-Cal reimbursement rules and requirements.

4. PROPOSAL CONTENT
Proposals must include the following in the order listed below:

A. Cover Letter
A cover letter confirming the Proposer’s agreement to provide the services described in this RFP.

B. Company Profile
A description of the Proposer’s organization, including:

• Organizational history.

• Qualifications and experience.

• Staffing structure and key personnel; and

• Experience with ASAM Criteria; medications for addiction treatment (MAT) across all levels of care; telehealth/telemedicine services; youth residential services; and DMC-ODS- and BHSA-aligned systems.

• Licensed professionals shall have relevant substance use disorder training and, where applicable, appropriate certification or other qualifying credentials.

C. DMC-ODS and/or BHSA Compliance Plan
A description of the Proposer’s capacity and approach to meeting DMC-ODS and/or BHSA requirements, including:

• Data reporting capacity.

• Performance measurement.

• Equity strategies.

• Administrative cost tracking.

• Workforce development; and

• Integration of medications for addiction treatment (MAT) across all levels of care.

D. Cost Proposal
A cost proposal including proposed monthly rates for each level of care offered.

5. PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL.

Proposals must be submitted electronically in Microsoft Word by the deadline listed above. Late or incomplete proposals will not be accepted.

5.1 In order to be considered, one (1) electronic copy in Microsoft Word format must be submitted no later than Thursday, April 30, 2026, by 5:00 p.m., and addressed to:

Christine Andrus, Deputy Director of Administration

Christine.Andrus@lakecountyca.gov

5.2 Proposals received incomplete or late, for any reason, shall not be accepted.

5.3 All Questions regarding this Request for Proposals may be submitted in writing at any time prior to Monday, April 20, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. to Chrissy Andrus at: Christine.Andrus@lakecountyca.gov.

Only written questions will be accepted. Responses to written questions will be answered by Friday, April 24, 2026, by 5:00 p.m.

6. PROPOSAL EVALUATION AND AWARD

Proposals will be evaluated on:

• Responsiveness to the RFP

• Demonstrated ability to meet ASAM, MAT, DMC-ODS and BHSA requirements

• Organizational capacity and experience

• Cost proposal

• Overall fit with County needs

7. PROTEST PROCEDURES

Appeals must be submitted in writing within 72 hours of notification of the recommended award. Appeals will be heard by the Board of Supervisors.

8. GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS

• All proposals become the property of Lake County.

• The County may accept or reject any proposal.

• Confidential information must be clearly labeled.

• The County may cancel this RFP at any time.

• Costs incurred in proposal preparation are the responsibility of the proposer.