Ohio's Crisis System of Care Consultant 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 serve as a consultant to provide direction on the strategic financial, operational, and structural development of Ohio’s statewide behavioral health crisis system of care. This engagement will guide DBH in refining its strategic finance design, integrating and implementing critical crisis components—including 988, adult mobile crisis services, Mobile Response and Stabilization Services (MRSS), and crisis stabilization settings—to ensure a comprehensive, sustainable, and accessible system of behavioral health crisis care. The qualified contractor will assist DBH in the planning of innovative funding strategies; conduct sound actuarial financial modeling; develop phased implementation plans and workforce development guidelines; offer marketing and branding guidelines, recommend procurement and provider readiness approaches; and provide analysis of Administrative Services Organization (ASO) models used by other states to inform Ohio’s administrative and operational infrastructure. This work will directly support the transformation of Ohio’s behavioral health crisis response system to a person-centered, outcomes-driven, and financially sustainable system of care. BACKGROUND DBH continues to prioritize crisis work to make crisis behavioral health services more visible, accessible, and effective for Ohioans facing behavioral health challenges so they may be well, get well and stay well. Ohio has built a robust statewide crisis response structure that serves as a national benchmark for operational excellence. Ohio has implemented a statewide Mobile Response and Stabilization Service (MRSS) program for youth ages 20 and under who are experiencing emotional or behavioral distress that has impacted their ability to function within their family, school or community. MRSS provides in-person, community-based support in times of crisis. MRSS is dispatched through Ohio’s nineteen 988 contact centers. Ohio is currently working on a regulatory framework that will define place-based adult crisis services including, behavioral health urgent care (BHUC), crisis receiving and observation (CRO) and crisis stabilization (CS). Ohio currently has a pilot that is evaluating two adult mobile crisis services (AMC) models in two regions of the state that will help inform the future work of implementing statewide adult mobile crisis services. SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES Contractor shall perform the following deliverables and content-area activities as part of the Scope of Work: Provide support for the enhancement and development of regulatory standards for adult crisis services. Develop practice guidelines or implementation guidance for providers, ADAMHS boards, and system partners. Provide network design materials to support decisions about access, geography, provider eligibility, and network management. Continue expansion of adult mobile crisis model options analyses, including administration, accountability, coordination, and potential ADAMHS board roles. Develop stakeholder engagement materials and summaries, including meeting materials, facilitation support, and feedback synthesis. Create fiscal impact scenarios that consider a phased approach to the implementation of place-based stabilization and future consideration for adult mobile crisis service. Review and analysis of available data sources to support with developing a performance monitoring and accountability framework. Other financing, quality, and data work products, including payment model support, performance measures, and reporting concepts to support the entire continuum of crisis services in Ohio. Place-based stabilization framework Contractor will provide ongoing program design and policy support for the place-based stabilization framework. Activities may include: Support with rule promulgation Support with development of practice guidelines Support with implementing place-based stabilization services, including refining service standards, staffing and licensure requirements, and triage protocols in response to stakeholder feedback Support with provider readiness, certification, and implementation planning to stand up a place-based stabilization network Ongoing ad hoc policy and program design support to address emerging questions and issues Adult mobile crisis Contractor will provide ongoing program design and policy support as DBH advances the adult mobile crisis service model from pilot into rule making and implementation. Activities may include: Support with development and promulgation of an adult mobile crisis service rule Support with translating the playbook framework that was previously developed into practice standards and supplemental policy guidance for adult mobile crisis Provider network Contractor will support DBH in selecting and operationalizing its approach to defining and managing the crisis provider network. Activities may include: Establish criteria for network design, including target population size, geographic access considerations (e.g., distance to providers), and approaches to ensure the network encompasses the full crisis continuum rather than only place-based stabilization services. Support with developing certification standards and evaluation criteria Support with implementing phased network strategies support and operationalizing coordination across 988, place-based stabilization, mobile crisis, hospitals, and first responders. Monitoring, quality, data Contractor will support DBH in establishing system-level monitoring, quality, and data capabilities to oversee the crisis continuum. Activities may include: Support with implementing system-level standards, performance measures, and accountability expectations Support with operationalizing oversight through data, reporting, and monitoring capabilities Support with data strategy and governance to enable interoperability and strengthen handoffs across services Finance Contractor will provide ongoing actuarial and financing support as DBH advances toward a sustainable funding approach for the crisis continuum. Activities may include: Support with operationalizing funding pathways Support with strategies to develop a sustainable, scalable financial approach Provide comprehensive financial systems support, including participation in cross-agency financing and alignment activities, fiscal modeling and development of payment methodologies and rate structures Stakeholder engagement Contractor will support DBH in planning for, facilitating, and synthesizing input from stakeholder engagement activities. Activities may include: Support with planning and facilitating listening sessions, possible stakeholder workgroups, and stakeholder meetings Support with collecting, analyzing, and synthesizing stakeholder feedback during implementation Support with developing materials to communicate system changes to providers, ADAMHS boards, and partners MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OF CONTRACTOR Demonstrated ability to manage large-scale, multi-agency public sector projects, including delivering detailed project plans, communication strategies, risk management strategies, and performance tracking. Documented experience conducting actuarial analyses, cost modeling, and forecasting for behavioral health services. Demonstrated ability to analyze, model, and recommend Alternative Payment Models (APMs) and reimbursement structures. Demonstrated experience in blending and braiding federal, state, and local funding streams. Demonstrated knowledge and experience with Administrative Services Organization (ASO) structures and operations within state behavioral health systems. Demonstrated expertise and experience with Ohio’s behavioral health continuum and systems including but not limited to 988 integration, adult mobile crisis, MRSS, place-based stabilization, and post-crisis recovery services. Demonstrated capacity to engage diverse stakeholders, including individuals and families with lived experience, community organizations, law enforcement, and healthcare providers. Ability to produce high-quality, data-informed reports and executive-level deliverables, including dashboards, policy memos, final reports, and visual aids for leadership and legislative use. Contractor shall not be subject to an “unresolved” finding for recovery under Section 9.24 of Ohio Revised Code.
Evaluation Process DBH’s evaluation process of responses submitted to this request may consist of up to four distinct phases: DBH’s initial review of all proposals for timely submission; An evaluation committee review of the proposals for defects and scoring; DBH’s request for more information (clarifications, interviews, presentations, and/or demonstrations); and, Negotiations or best offer requests. At its sole discretion, DBH will determine whether phases three and/or four are necessary under this RFP, reserving for itself the ability to eliminate or add phases three or four at any time during the evaluation process. DBH may add or remove sub-phases to phases 2 through 4 at any time if MHAS believes doing so will improve the evaluation process. Proposal Evaluation Criteria In the proposal evaluation phase, DBH staff or reviewers selected by DBH (the committee) will rate the proposals submitted in response to this RFP based on the following criteria and weight assigned to each criterion. Evaluation CriteriaWeightRating Extended ScoreThe proposer demonstrates a clear, structured approach to planning, facilitating, and synthesizing stakeholder engagement activities. The proposal also shows strong experience leading stakeholder engagement in behavioral health or crisis systems and sufficient organizational capacity, including staff, expertise, and tools, to manage ongoing engagement across diverse partners.10 The proposer submits a clear and comprehensive cost proposal that aligns with the scope of work, includes all anticipated expenses, and demonstrates efficient use of resources.10 The proposer demonstrates their experience, expertise, and capacity to successfully deliver all components of the scope of work, including regulatory support, program design, network development, data and quality activities, financing analysis, and stakeholder engagement.10 The proposal shows a proven record of managing complex, multi‑layered projects and producing high-quality deliverables for similar initiatives.10 The proposer demonstrates a strong understanding of Ohio’s behavioral health system, regulatory environment, and crisis service landscape, including familiarity with ADAMHS board structures and statewide priorities.10 The proposal also shows the ability to adapt national best practices to Ohio’s unique context and tailor recommendations to the state’s operational, geographic, and policy needs.10 The proposer demonstrates strong experience providing actuarial analysis and financing support for behavioral health or crisis systems, including fiscal modeling and funding strategy development. 10 The proposer also shows sufficient capacity with qualified staff and tools to meet the project’s actuarial requirements.10 The proposer demonstrates a strong project management capability, including clear timelines, organized workflows, and a defined approach for coordinating tasks and their ability to communicate progress throughout the duration of the project.10 The proposer demonstrates their ability to produce high‑quality deliverables that are accurate, actionable, and aligned with DBH priorities, along with a process for quality assurance and timely completion of all work products. 10 Total:
Project administration or planning
Items I1_1 | Required Item | Ohio's Crisis System of Care Consultant FY27 Project Cost