Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) Trainings for DBH

  MISSION & GUIDING PRINCIPLES
The mission of the Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is to provide statewide leadership of a high-quality mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery system that is effective and valued by all Ohioans. DBH strives to be a national leader in implementing a comprehensive, accessible, and quality-focused system of addiction and mental health care and wellness for all Ohio citizens.   PURPOSE
The Ohio Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) is seeking proposals from qualified contractors to conduct two virtual Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Trainings (TF-CBT) and expand knowledge of this evidence-based treatment approach for children and adolescents impacted by trauma.  BACKGROUND
The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA) (P.L. 117-159) provides supplemental funding for the Community Mental Health Services Block Grant (MHBG) to enable states, the District of Columbia, and territories to expand access to behavioral health care. Overseen by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the BSCA supplemental funding seeks to support state behavioral health systems in examining what is needed to address the behavioral health needs in the aftermath of traumatic events and natural disasters within our communities. To address the trauma caused by the massive disruption and loss of life, SAMHSA is recommending that states utilize this funding to strengthen and enhance behavioral health disaster preparedness and crisis response efforts. This funding provides a unique opportunity to develop improved and sustainable public behavioral health systems that are more adept at meeting the needs of vulnerable people, including those with more complex presentations. This opportunity will provide funding to a qualified contractor to conduct virtual Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) trainings.Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment that has been evaluated and refined during the past 30 years to help children and adolescents between the ages of 3-18 recover after trauma. TF-CBT is a structured, short-term treatment model that effectively improves a range of trauma-related outcomes with the child, adolescent, and caregiver. According to the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy National Therapist Certification Program, “TF-CBT also effectively addresses many other trauma impacts, including affective (e.g., depressive, anxiety), cognitive and behavioral problems, as well as improving the participating parent’s or caregiver’s personal distress about the child’s traumatic experience, effective parenting skills, and supportive interactions with the child.”This funding opportunity seeks to hire a qualified contractor to provide two virtual TF-CBT trainings for up to 120 individuals who are either currently enrolled in a Master’s level behavioral health-related program or have a  Master’s degree or above in a behavioral health discipline and provide consultation on a twice a month basis for at least six months to each trainee to prepare eligible trainees for obtaining their TF-CBT Certification under the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy National Therapist Certification Program.  SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES
All work outlined in the Scope of Work and Deliverables must be completed by September 29, 2026. Contractor will provide the following:                       Trainings Contractor must be an approved national TF-CBT trainer and graduate of the TF-CBT National Certification Program’s Train-the-Trainer Program Develop content and materials and deliver two virtual TF-CBT trainings for up to 60 trainees each Supply virtual platform Manage virtual groups in training activities Work with DBH staff to determine the best and most effective training cadence
Trainings are to be provided to individuals who are either currently enrolled in a Master’s level behavioral health-related program or have a Master’s degree or above in a behavioral health discipline The Contractor must be able to track trainees, their level of education, and licensure through a registration system to determine eligibility for both the training and the consultation call series Additionally, the Contractor must have prior experience: Conducting large group TF-CBT trainings virtually Applying principles of TF-CBT to mediate trauma and its impact

Consultation Call Series Consultation must be provided by behavioral health professionals with the appropriate qualifications under the TF-CBT National Certification Program criteria Provide follow-up consultation to each eligible trainee who has successfully completed the training. Consultation must occur on a twice-a-month basis for at least six months or a once-a-month basis for at least 12 months The candidate for consultation must have a child/adolescent trauma caseload, participate in at least nine out of the 12 consultation sessions, and meet any other required eligibility criteria. This consultation must be provided by one of the treatment developers or a graduate of the TF-CBT National Certification Program’s Train-the-Trainer Program Consultation must include completion of three separate TF-CBT treatment cases with three children and/or adolescents with at least two of the cases including the active participation of caretakers or another designated party (e.g., direct care staff member in a residential treatment facility). At least one case must be completed during the consultation call series. The other two required cases can be completed during the consultation call series or after the call series have concluded Consultation must include use of at least one standardized instrument to measure trauma symptoms pre- and post-treatment intervention (TF-CBT) with each of the three cases The goal of the consultation call series is to allow eligible trainees the ability to take and pass the TF-CBT Therapist Certification Program Knowledge-Based Test The consultation call series must be completed by September 29, 2026
Contractor Responsibilities  Contractor will complete the Scope of Work within the timeframe given Contractor must be able to provide the TF-CBT training outlined within the Background section of this RFP Contractor will provide training materials, staffing, and staffing expenses Contractor will provide and manage the HIPAA compliant virtual platform for the virtual trainings and consultation call series Contractor will provide a description of their virtual platform they intent to use for the virtual TF-CBT trainings and consultation
Contractor will manage training registration and track registrants and their level of education and licensure to determine eligibility Registration must include attendee name, county of employment, email address, license type (if applicable), license number (if applicable), job title (if applicable), and place of employment (if applicable) Contractor will provide registration and attendee reports to the DBH project lead. The report must include names, licensures, and other identifying information of participants registered for and that completed the PFA trainings Contractor must share all registrant, participant, and successful completion information with DBH for future follow-up including those trainees who completed the consultation call series
Contractor must use a system that records attendance and hours completed in consultation Contractor must obtain, provide, and oversee management of continuing educational credits for attendees. This includes obtaining approval for CEUs reporting course credit hours in a brokerage system, and supplying proof of completion (i.e., certificate) At a minimum, CE hours must be available through the Ohio Counselors, Social Workers, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Contractor must describe the registration, CEU, and learning management systems that they will be using to deliver this responsibility Contractor must work collaboratively with DBH staff to determine the logistics of each training including, but not limited to, dates, times, and registration of each training Contractor must provide previous work and references to demonstrate their experience and ability to provide the TF-CBT trainings and the consultation call series virtually Contractor will engage with training participants, external, and internal stakeholders Contractor will schedule and attend meetings with DBH staff, as necessary, to successfully complete the Scope of Work Contractor will provide DBH with copies of all training materials Travel is not required and will not be covered for this opportunity Contractor will develop marketing for all trainings and share marketing with DBH for distribution Contractor will use and adhere to DBH’ Brand Guidelines when developing materials

DBH Responsibilities DBH will consult with Contractor to determine the best and most effective training cadence DBH will consult with Contractor to determine times and dates for trainings DBH will distribute marketing materials developed by Contractor DBH will attend meetings with Contractor to complete deliverables and Scope of Work
 
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTOR
The Contractor must be able to provide the trainings outlined within the Scope of Work section of this RFP. To be eligible to participate in this application process, the proposal must describe the contractor’s qualifications to conduct the identified scope of work activities, expertise, knowledge, and experience. Experience must include examples of conducting similar or related work. The selected Contractor must be a clinician with a master’s degree and an approved national TF-CBT trainer and a graduate from the TF-CBT National Certification Program TTT Program. The Contractor will include in their proposal experience with the behavioral health field, in particular county ADAMHS boards, local health departments, emergency management systems, and first responders. Contractor shall not be subject to an “unresolved” finding for recovery under Section 9.24 of Ohio Revised Code.