Sobering Center Services

San Mateo County is seeking a qualified provider to operate a 24/7 sobering center that offers a safe, voluntary, low-barrier, trauma-informed, and harm-reduction-oriented environment for adults experiencing acute alcohol or drug intoxication. This program replaces the former StarVista-run Sobering Station, which closed unexpectedly in May 2025, and is designed to divert individuals from emergency departments and jail by providing short-term stabilization, medical and behavioral health monitoring, and immediate linkage to substance use treatment, mental health services, housing, and other community-based supports. The center must operate in compliance with the National Sobering Collaborative Standards, CARF accreditation guidelines, DHCS Community Supports Policy, HIPAA, 42 CFR Part 2, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and CLAS guidelines, ensuring culturally competent, accessible, and safe service delivery. The facility must meet fire, life safety, and accessibility codes, and require real-time reporting on key metrics including visit volume, occupancy and turnaway rates, average length of stay, and diversion rates from emergency and criminal justice systems. Operations must integrate with local law enforcement, EMS, hospitals, and outreach teams to facilitate seamless client transitions. The solicitation, identified as BHRS RFP No. 2027-001, is open to all qualified entities with a submission deadline of August 7, 2026, and will be awarded based on a best-value trade-off approach rather than lowest price technically acceptable. Evaluation factors are weighted as follows: firm experience and qualifications (30%), staffing plan (25%), approach to services (20%), fee and budget proposal (15%), and interviews if conducted (10%). Offerors must demonstrate capacity to meet staffing requirements with trained, non-clinical personnel, implement rigorous staff training protocols, and maintain consistent operational performance. Local preference may be granted up to 10% to small and micro businesses, including small and micro non-profits with revenues under $2.5 million as documented on IRS Form 990. All respondents must be registered in SAM.gov with a Unique Entity ID and comply with HIPAA and 42 CFR as Business Associates, implementing full administrative, physical, and technical safeguards for electronic protected health information. Proposals must be submitted electronically via the County’s procurement portal with strict formatting requirements and must include supporting documentation for claimed certifications, cultural competence, and incident reporting procedures, with critical incidents required to be reported within