The City of Detroit Office of Contracting and Procurement (OCP) on behalf of the Housing and Revitalization Department (HRD), is releasing this Request for Proposals for interested and qualified organizations or clinics (hereinafter referred to as “Implementation Partner(s)”) to support the operation of low barrier health care services to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and other underserved populations. The City is seeking implementation partners to provide both Street Medicine services to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness, as well operate a walk-in clinic offering health care and behavioral health services, including medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), in the City of Detroit. The project is intended to increase access to health care services for underserved Detroiters by meeting them where they are and offering low-barrier, walk-in options. The project will have a particular focus on serving individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and residents with behavioral health needs, including opioid use disorder. Individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness often lack access to primary care services, which can lead them to use the emergency room for acute needs. Without regular follow-up and referrals to specialists, they often lack preventive care, management of chronic conditions, and screening for substance use disorders and mental health needs. Through this project, we aim to not only expand access to lifesaving MOUD for individuals meeting the clinical diagnostic criteria for opioid use disorders, but also to connect individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and/or substance use disorders with essential medical services. We also hope to facilitate connections to housing resources for homeless individuals who connect with medical services. Respondents are invited to submit proposals for operational support that would increase their clinic’s capacity to: 1) Provide walk-in, low barrier access to buprenorphine and/or any other MOUD to individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and other underserved populations; and 2) Deliver services in non-traditional settings that connect individuals experiencing unsheltered homelessness and/or substance use disorder to physical health care and emergency housing resources. The overarching goal is to reduce overdose deaths and improve health outcomes by removing barriers to both substance use disorder treatment and health care for underserved populations.
