QUALIFIED EVALUATOR NETWORK (QEN)

The Florida Department of Children and Families is soliciting a provider to develop and manage the Qualified Evaluator Network (QEN) to perform clinical assessments for children in the Department's care who are being placed in or are already in residential treatment facilities. The anticipated contract term is three years, starting January 1, 2027, with an estimated total funding of approximately 5,091,334 dollars. The selected provider must maintain a network of at least twenty Qualified Evaluators, including at least one Seminole Tribe Qualified Evaluator, all of whom must be certified in the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool and meet specific Florida statutory licensure and experience requirements. Key operational requirements include completing initial suitability assessments within seven business calendar days of referral and submitting full Behavioral Qualified Residential Treatment Program (BQRTP) assessments within 30 calendar days of placement. The provider is required to implement a comprehensive Internal Quality Control program, monitoring at least 1% of total assessment volume or ten cases per employee monthly. The contract mandates strict adherence to HIPAA, financial compliance audits, and the provision of real-time online and API access to the Department for reporting. Award selection is based on a combination of programmatic scoring, which emphasizes clinical expertise and operational capability, and financial reasonableness.