The Department of Public Health / Bureau of Substance Addiction Services (DPH/BSAS), in cooperation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, seeks to fund behavioral health agencies to implement targeted prevention and/early intervention programming in schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The purpose of this RFR is to identify and engage “high risk” youth currently enrolled in middle school or high school, or grades 4-12th (ages 9-17), who are at risk for early development of conduct problems, emotional dysregulation, or substance use, and to connect them to community behavioral health services where necessary. This RFR requires that students have access to intensive wraparound services both in the school and in the community. As a result of the aftermath of remote schooling after COVID-19 school closures, agencies need to be prepared to offer some services remotely and must be responsive and flexible to student and family’s needs and school collaboration, as appropriate. Providers must be also able to demonstrate a capacity to deliver year-round multi-component, developmentally focused, competency-enhancement targeted-prevention and/or intervention programming in-person. Additionally, providers must have the ability directly or through the establishment of a memorandum of understanding with another vendor to provide support to students in crisis 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days per year in order to avoid utilization of the Emergency Department.
