Specifications include, but are not limited to: 1. Complete the vetting process with Boys Town. If awarded the contract, the Contractor must maintain a license agreement with Boys Town to implement OTWH in the Seventh Judicial District. 2. Provide appropriate staffing: a. Staff providing direct care to youth and families as part of the OTWH program shall possess a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in human services and 1-2 years of experience working with youth and families in community-based programs. b. Staff engaging in the oversight of direct care providers using the OTWH program should at a minimum possess a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Human Services, or a related field along with 2-3 years of experience providing service to youth and families in community-based programs, along with intermediate level management and supervisory experience, the ability to perform administrative functions, and the willingness to provide consistent and ongoing development and support for employees under their supervision. c. Staff must have access to reliable transportation, demonstrate a willingness to travel within a specified service area, and possess the ability to provide youth and their families with Crisis Support as needed. d. Assign dedicated staff to this project, meaning full-time personnel whose sole duty is this project. 3. Training: a. Require that any employees involved in the delivery of services related to the OTWH Program are fully trained according to Boys Town specifications. All initial training will be provided at the Boys Town Headquarters, in Boys Town Nebraska or remotely, in an online format, by Boys Town representatives. b. Staff are required to attend and actively participate in initial training. c. OTWH Program supervisor(s) are required to attend and actively participate in the initial training plus additional training specific to supervisors. d. Ensure on-site training has appropriate workspace, training facilities, audiovisual and electronic equipment and any technical or administrative assistance reasonably required by Boys Town. i. Conferences at Lodging Facilities. In accordance with Iowa Code § 80.45A(5), if the following tasks are a part of the Contractor’s scope of work under this Contract, prior to either (1) procuring space or services for a conference, meeting, or banquet located at a site where lodging is available that is owned, operated, or owned and operated by a lodging provider, or (2) hosting a conference, meeting, or banquet at a site where lodging is available that is owned, operated, or owned and operated by a lodging provider, and in either case, the lodging provider must pay Iowa hotel/motel taxes, the Contractor shall verify the lodging provider is certified as having completed human trafficking prevention training on a website maintained by the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The website is currently available at https://stophtiowa.org/certified-locations. The Contractor shall submit proof of this certification to the Agency’s contract manager with the claim for reimbursement. e. Budget for ongoing training with Boys Town (See Attachment E). 4. OTWH Consultation: a. Require any employees, including supervisors and direct care staff involved with the OTWH Program, participate in routine on-site and remotely delivered consultation with Boys Town. i. All consultation services will be provided by Boys Town using available and acceptable forms of distance communication or at an on-site location determined by the Licensee. ii. A required minimum amount of consultation will be determined solely by Boys Town. iii. To ensure program quality, the approved Contractor may elect or be required to purchase additional consultation services over and above the required minimum. b. Ensure on-site consultation services have appropriate workspace, training facilities, audiovisual and electronic equipment and any technical or administrative assistance reasonably required by Boys Town. c. Budget for ongoing consultation with Boys Town (See Attachment E). 5. Program Delivery: a. The bidder will recognize OTWH as an evidence-based aftercare solution that must be used in a manner consistent and in accordance with best practice and the industry’s highest professional and quality standards, and thereby affirms its intent to implement the program with fidelity in an effort to achieve expected outcomes. b. Provide each referred youth and family with 12-14 months of quality aftercare services. These services shall include: i. A program orientation ii. Establishment of a youth and family service plan iii. Teaching and modeling of parenting techniques iv. Provision of family, school, and homework support v. Weekly home visits vi. Routine school contacts or visits vii. Home and school-based interventions viii. Crisis support as needed c. In addition to these direct-care services listed in 5(b), the potential Contractor must: i. Show evidence of its ability to initiate and maintain professional working relationships with the school districts, schools, and/or alternative educational programs in which youth participating in OTWH are enrolled. ii. Contact all referred youth and family/caregivers within 10 business days of receiving the referral from Juvenile Court Services (JCS). iii. Establish connections and maintain regular contact with JCS staff in order to facilitate the referral process. iv. Establish positive and collaborative relationships with Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs), the State Training School, and other residential facilities where JCS youth from the Seventh Judicial District are placed to ensure effective Reentry planning. d. All services provided will be in compliance with the guidelines, policies, and procedures explained in training and within the scope of OTWH Program Material and will be evaluated accordingly. e. The potential Contractor shall inform Boys Town in writing of any change to the population it intends to serve with OTWH, and/or of any decisions that affect the frequency, intensity, duration, or fidelity with which its trained employees can deliver program-related services. i. Boys Town reserves the right to determine if any alterations to proposed program-related services interferes with OTWH’s recognition as an evidence-based program or would require additional licenses to maintain program integrity.
