LEGAL NOTICE

RFP1813-682

Culturally Specific Community-Based Services for Victims of Domestic Violence

The State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), Children’s Administration (CA) intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to solicit proposals from qualified bidders who are capable of:

1. Providing culturally appropriate community-based services for victims of domestic violence from populations that have been traditionally underserved or unserved; and
2. Conducting supportive services to victims of domestic violence. 

In October 1999, the Governor’s Domestic Violence Action Group issued its report, Everybody’s Business: Report of the Governor’s Domestic Violence Action Group.  One recommendation of this report focused on increasing funding for non-residential specialized services to underserved victims of domestic violence.

In 2005, the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 70.123.150 created the Domestic Violence Prevention Account (DVPA) in the state treasury.  In 2015 the statute was amended to require that expenditures from the DVPA may be used to fund only certain activities, including the focus of this solicitation. 

The focus of this solicitation is culturally specific community-based domestic violence services for victims of domestic violence.  In addition, the 2015 amendment directed that priority funding must be given to agencies or organizations that have a demonstrated history and expertise of serving domestic violence victims from the relevant populations that have traditionally been underserved or unserved. 

Potential bidders must demonstrate how they meet the minimum requirements to be considered an eligible bidder for this solicitation. 

All Bidders must meet the following minimum qualifications:

Bidders must have:

a. Be a community-based domestic violence program (CBDVP) as defined by this Solicitation.  A CBDVP means a nonprofit program or organization, or federally recognized Tribe or tribal organization[1] that provides, as its primary purpose, assistance and advocacy for domestic violence victims.[2]  Domestic violence assistance and advocacy includes:

(1) Crisis intervention;

(2) Individual and group support;

(3) Information and referrals;

(4) Safety assessment and planning; and

(5) Other services that assist domestic violence victims.

Priority for funding will be given to eligible programs or organizations that can demonstrate in their proposals, that they have a demonstrated history and expertise of serving victims from the relevant population they propose to serve.

b. Have a demonstrated history of serving domestic violence victims from the relevant populations that have been underserved or unserved as defined in this RFP.  For this solicitation the bidder must have a minimum of three (3) years of consistently providing services to domestic violence victims from the underserved or unserved population the bidder proposes to serve.  The bidder must also be able to demonstrate that it has established relationships and connections within the underserved or unserved populations it wishes to serve. 

c. Have expertise in serving victims of domestic violence from the relevant populations that have been underserved or unserved as defined in this RFP. 

d. Provide a location to assist victims of domestic violence who have a need for community advocacy or supportive services.

e. Demonstrate that you have, or will be able to provide, staff and staff supervision who meet the minimum required domestic violence training and experience as described in Attachment A, Exhibit B, Sample Contract.   Required training must be completed prior to the provision of domestic violence services.

f. Be licensed, or authorized, to do business in the State of Washington in order to contract with DSHS.  For information on a Washington business license, contact:

State of Washington

Department of Licensing

Business License Services

PO Box 9034

Olympia, WA  98507-9034

Telephone:  360-664-1400

Web-site:  www.dol.wa.gov

The RFP will be issued on or about February 26, 2018 and responses will be due on or about April 6, 2018.  On the date indicated, DSHS shall post this Solicitation, and all amendments and announcements relating to this Solicitation, on Washington’s Electronic Business Solutions (WEBS).  WEBS can be accessed at: https://fortress.wa.gov/ga/webs/.  In order to inform the largest number of potential bidders about this opportunity, DSHS shall also post documents relating to this Solicitation on the Procurements page of the DSHS website, found at:  https://www.dshs.wa.gov/fsa/central-contract-services/procurements-and-contracting.

All Bidders must register as a vendor on WEBS, using an appropriate commodities code listed on the front page of this Solicitation, and must download this Solicitation from WEBS. This should be done as soon as possible in order for Bidder to receive notifications automatically generated on WEBS, but no later than the date set forth on Section C.1., Solicitation Schedule for Announcement of the Apparent Successful Bidder(s).

Parties that are unable to access the website above, may request a hard copy by submitting their name, address, e-mail, phone:

Susan Hannibal
Solicitation Coordinator
Children's Administration
Department of Social & Health Services
E-mail Address: hsus300@dshs.wa.gov

[1] This includes a victim advocacy program within a Tribe, tribal organization or community-based multi-service agency or organization.