Specifications include, but are not limited to: The purpose of this solicitation is to solicit sealed proposals from qualified offerors to establish a contract through competitive negotiation for the procurement of a mixed-methods needs assessment report. The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services’ (DBHDS) Office of Behavioral Health Wellness (OBHW) is seeking a research partner to develop and conduct a mixed-methods needs assessment on the delivery of behavioral healthcare services to Limited English Proficient (LEP) populations (DBHDS defines mixed methods as the method in which data is collected). The needs assessment should use both qualitative and quantitative methods to evaluate the effectiveness of current language access services provided by DBHDS and local Community Service Boards (CSBs), as well as identify gaps in services to LEP populations. This language access needs assessment would target approximately 8-10 CSBs in each region that have shown the need for language services, along with DBHDS and CSB staff. DBHDS would like to determine to what extent the Behavioral Health Care workforce understands language access policies and how (at local and state levels) language access policies are being implemented if being implemented at all. DBHDS would also like to determine what barriers exist to providing optimal language access services to LEP individuals (local and state levels) and what existing resources are being utilized, along with additional resources that might be needed to support Language access (LA). Lastly, DBHDS would like to hear the experiences of both providers and clients when using language access services or when encountering a language barrier. DBHDS believes that collecting all this data and information will provide a better understanding of what needs to be done in order to not only comply with the law but also to provide better services to our clients and providers alike.
