Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Division of Contracts Management, Parklawn Building Room 15C-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 28057

B -- TRACK AND MONITOR MANAGED BEHAVIORAL HEALTHCARE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR SOL SAMHSA-97-9006 DUE 050897 POC Kristen Mistichelli, Contract Specialist (301)594-3287, Beatrice L. Woods, Contracting Officer (301)443-0043 The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Office of the Administrator (OA), is soliciting proposals on a full and open competitive basis from qualified organizations with the expertise necessary to create and maintain a system to Track and Monitor Managed Behavioral Healthcare in the Public Sector capable of monitoring the impact of managed behavioral health care services in the public sector as States and counties implement health care reforms throughout the country. The nation's health care system is undergoing rapid and dramatic change as private and public sector purchasers of health care coverage seek to control costs and ration care. Mental health and substance abuse services are being swept along in a rush to manage care in a cost-efficient manner. As these reforms are introduced, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) anticipates that they will have a significant impact on people with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders who depend on public health, behavioral health, and other social support systems. States, counties, community MH/SA service providers, primary consumers and their families are turning to SAMHSA for information and help in dealing with these changes. SAMHSA needs information about the extent of privatization changes and about major trends in services organization and financing. With the expansion of health reforms to include public funding streams in addition to Medicaid (e.g., State and local revenues, Federal MH/SA block grants), and other service systems on which people with mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders depend, it is essential that SAMHSA create an information system for monitoring and tracking these rapid changes. The purpose of this contract is to develop and maintain a system to monitor the impact of managed behavioral health care services in the public sector as States and counties implement health care reforms throughout the country. The system will be developed collaboratively with States, community service providers, consumers and families. It's purpose is to track developments in managed behavioral healthcare services in the public sector from a broad range of stakeholders' perspectives so that problems can be identified and remedied as quickly as possible. This monitoring system should permit SAMHSA, the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), States and other stakeholders to quickly spot problems so that technical assistance and other resources can be mobilized to resolve problems before substantial harm can impact patients or public provider systems. It is anticipated that a twelve month contract with two twelve month option periods will be awarded. There is an additional task option entitled *Technical/policy expert meetings and trend analyses* in the initial twelve month contract and in each of the two twelve month option periods. If exercised, these tasks will provide for the preparation of approximately four separate trend analyses annually that will be based on qualitative and quantitative information obtained from the monitoring system. The solicitation may be obtained in either of two ways; electronically, by downloading a file from the SAMHSA Bulletin Board System (BBS) at 1 (800) 424-2294 (8,N,1) or by mail. Files will not be made available on the BBS until on or after the estimated issuance date (03/21/97). Download instructions are posted on the BBS. Once downloaded, you should determine if you have a continuing interest in the RFP. If so, you must either write the Contract Specialist listed below that you wish copies of amendments to the RFP (if any) sent to you by mail or check the BBS regularly for amendments which will also be posted there and can be downloaded electronically. You may choose either method for obtaining amendments. However, at this time we have no way to assure, and will therefore assume no responsibility for assuring, you have downloaded these amendments. Requests for copies of the RFP to be mailed must be made in writing and will be honored ifreceived within twenty calendar days after issuance of the solicitation. Requests received after this period will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis until the supply is exhausted; however, there is no assurance that copies requested after the twentieth day will reach the requestor before the due date for receipt of responses. Written requests shall be forwarded to the attention of Kristen A. Mistichelli, Contract Specialist, Division of Contracts Management, OPS, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Parklawn Building, Room 15C-17, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857. Telephone requests will not be honored. No pickups will be permitted. (0070)

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