Specifications include, but are not limited to: This RFP provides background information and describes the services desired by STATE. It describes the requirements for this procurement and specifies the contractual conditions required by the STATE. Although this RFP establishes the basis for Responder Proposals, the detailed obligations and additional measures of performance will be defined in the final negotiated contract. The goal of this project is to draw upon the knowledge and creativity of organizations in their ability to partner and better serve the needs of people who experience adverse birth outcomes related to prematurity and low birth weight. The STATE is interested in proposals that include specific strategies to achieve any or all the goals outlined below: • Improved early identification of pregnant people at risk for low birth weight or premature births, and connection with appropriate services. • Improved effectiveness of interventions to reduce psychosocial and behavioral risks related to low-birth-weight births. • Improved use of paraprofessionals (Community Health Workers, Doulas, Care Navigators, Peer Support Specialists, Traditional Healers, etc.) in connecting clients to supports and services. • Improved retention of maternal custody. Many types of organizations could potentially enhance the value of supports and services needed by those at high risk for adverse birth outcomes. This may include: • Prenatal care clinicians – They can provide early and periodic screening for behavioral and psychosocial risks and might be involved in referral and follow-up activities for non-clinical supports and services. • Behavioral health practitioners – They can provide concurrent care for ongoing or newly diagnosed mental health conditions that are screened for and often found to be present within high-risk populations. • Community-based organizations (CBO) – They are knowledgeable about culturally-based services and resources and representing the perspectives of residents. CBO’s can provide advocacy and support for those at high-risk during pregnancy and beyond. • Social service entities – They can provide in-depth assessment of specific resource needs and direct targeted services and resources as appropriate. • Public health nursing staff – They can also perform additional needs assessment, make referral for supports and services, and provide home visiting as appropriate. • Maternal outreach and guidance from community-based paraprofessionals – Community Health Workers (CHWs) and doulas are viewed as “trusted advisors,” encouraging prenatal care, navigating complex service systems, advocating for clients’ needs, and serving as key members of integrated care for high-risk pregnancies teams. Successful Responders under this RFP will be expected to: • Deliver culturally specific and culturally supportive services to pregnant people and their families to mitigate psycho-social risks, including paraprofessional based navigation to appropriate psycho-social supports. • Form, or plan to form, a qualified integrated perinatal care collaborative (see description, requirements, and example organizations in section 2.1 of this RFP, above). • Provide an evaluation plan to demonstrate evidence of progress in achieving the goals/outcomes of the project as outlined in the project’s implementation plan. • Follow ICHRP policies and procedures such as: o Timely reports as agreed to in contract language; o Annual site visits; o Scheduled check-ins; and o Data collection and retention.
