The King County Department of Community and Health Services (DCHS) Behavioral Health and Recovery Division (BHRD) is pleased to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) to expand mobile crisis response teams in King County. The expanded behavioral health services will increase mobile crisis response across the region 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year regardless of insurance status.
This Mobile Rapid Response Crisis Teams (MRRCT) RFP is seeking organizations interested in expanding mobile crisis teams and follow-up services to meet the needs of adults experiencing a behavioral health crisis in King County.
Behavioral health providers with experience and the ability to provide culturally compassionate, community-based, and trauma-informed services to individuals in a behavioral health crisis are encouraged to apply.
To review the opportunity and apply, please visit ZoomGrants. Applications are due April 23, 2024.
Information Sessions will be held March 14, 2024 @ 10– 11am and March 18, 2024 @ 3– 4pm
Background:
King County DCHS has offered mobile crisis response since 2012. The expanded program will grow mobile crisis teams for adults by 59 percent and provide services for people in crisis right away. Crisis Connections will receive, triage and dispatch mobile crisis teams by way of the Regional Crisis Line: 206-461-3222, the National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 988, and first responders. The goal is to respond rapidly to community needs, address immediate behavioral health conditions, and connect people to the appropriate services. By connecting these resources, the overreliance on jails and hospitals may be reduced and replaced with a team of behavioral health professionals who can connect a person to treatment.
Last week, King County Executive Dow Constantine announced a multi-part strategy to Stop the Surge of Fentanyl Overdoses and Expand Behavioral Health Treatment in King County. Expanding mobile crisis teams this year is one of the 13 actions.
The intent of this RFP includes:
- Expand access of adult mobile crisis services for all individuals in King County experiencing a crisis regardless of insurance status.
- Increase the number of adult mobile crisis teams to 27, to be located regionally in King County.
- Increase post-crisis follow-up services.
- Achieve faster response times to reach individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis.
- Serve people in community settings and decrease reliance on emergency departments, jails, and hospitals.
Available Funding
DCHS intends to award one or more contracts as a result of this RFP. The funding available includes both state, local and Medicaid funding. It is anticipated that a minimum of 25 percent of mobile crisis responses will be for individuals who are Medicaid-eligible.
Any contract awarded as a result of this procurement is contingent upon the availability of funding. Pending King County Council approval of the Crisis Care Center levy implementation plan, funds provided under the Crisis Care Center (CCC) levy may be available.
Crisis Care Centers and Mobile Crisis Teams
The CCC implementation plan’s proposed investments for 2024 include increasing the capacity of adult mobile crisis teams by more than 30 FTE from 17 to 27 teams operating throughout the day and night.
This planned expansion will create additional crisis service capacity before crisis care centers open. Mobile crisis teams will complement crisis care centers once they open by addressing crises in community settings whenever possible and serving as a key referral source when people need facility-based crisis care.
RFP Timeline
RFP Release: March 11, 2024
Pre-proposal Information Sessions: March 14, 2024 @ 10– 11am and March 18, 2024 @ 3– 4pm
Final Day to Submit Questions: April 15, 2024
Proposals Due: April 23, 2024
Responses Reviewed: April 24 – May 6, 2024
Notification of Selected and Non-selected Applicants: May 16, 2024
Estimated Contract Start Date: July 16, 2024