Specifications include, but are not limited to: Through this Request for Proposal (RFP) the Agency of Human Services/Department for Children and Families (hereinafter the “State”) is seeking to establish contracts with one or more companies that can provide Crisis Staffing Services. The Vermont Department for Children and Families’ (DCF) mission is to foster the healthy development, safety, well-being, and self-sufficiency of Vermonters. The Department is structured around six Divisions that deliver programs and services to Vermonters; one of those Divisions is the Family Services Division (FSD). FSD’s vision is that Vermont’s children and youth live free from abuse, neglect, and delinquency in resilient families that are supported and valued by their communities. FSD’s mission is to engage families, foster and kin caregivers, partner agencies, and the community to increase safety and law abidance for Vermont children and youth. As part of its vision and mission work, FSD seeks to provide safe and reliable supervision and transportation for youth in the care and/or custody of DCF. Many of these youth need supports and services offered by placements outside of a home setting (i.e. residential treatment programs,). Historically, when there was a need for placement there would be programmatic options to meet the needs youth. With the current system of care there are times when there are not placements available to meet the needs of a youth. In these circumstances, emergency staffed supervision of youth in safe and secure alternative locations is necessary. Emergency staffing in an alternative location takes the place of an appropriate placement in a licensed, residential treatment facility. Residential programs are operated by community organizations that have specific expertise and structures, and FSD does not have the expertise, training, nor licensure to run such programs. The need for emergency staffing to provide this supervision of youth in alternative locations is necessitated by the loss of residential bed capacity over the past four years.
