City of Lawrence
Neighborhood Resources Department
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TO: |
Mike Wildgen, Mayor Highberger, City Commissioners |
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THRU: |
Victor Torres, Director |
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FROM: |
Case Management RFP Review Committee: Margene Swarts, Lesley Rigney, Jane Faubion, Kim Gouge, Charlotte Knoche, Sara Taliaferro |
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DATE: |
February 1, 2006 |
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RE: |
RFP for Case Management Services – Agency Recommendation |
In 2003, then Mayor David Dunfield appointed members to the Task Force on Homeless Services. After over two years of meetings and discussion, the TF submitted a Final Plan for consideration by the City Commission, which was subsequently adopted by Commissioners in 2005. One component of the plan called for Case Management services in the community at large for those individuals experiencing homelessness. For the 2006 City budget, City Commissioners included a line item of $160,000 for the Case Management services. In November of 2005 at the request of the City Commission, an RFP for Case Management Services was issued with a deadline for submittals of December 15, 2005. The NR Department received proposals from four local agencies – Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center, ECKAN, Lawrence Community Shelter and The Salvation Army.
The Review Committee met on January 19, 2006, to read, discuss and rank the four proposals. The evaluation criteria included the agency’s demonstrated understanding of the TF Plan, case management experience and expertise, and the agency’s financial management capacity. The Committee met for a second time on January 25 to review additional information and interview staff from the two, top-ranked agencies. After the second meeting and subsequent discussion, Committee members unanimously agreed to recommend that Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center be awarded the contract for the Case Management Services.
Bert Nash’s proposal outlined their vision of a flexible and collaborative team of highly-trained case managers. Three case managers would be co-located at agencies currently serving homeless individuals – ECKAN, Lawrence Community Shelter and The Salvation Army. An additional half-time case manager will be located at Bert Nash to complement their current Homeless Outreach Worker. The team will be managed by the current Residential Services Coordinator, Lynn Amyx, who brings over 20 years of case management and team management experience.
Bert Nash has successfully used the Strengths Based Model of Case Management for fifteen years and has an extensive history of serving homeless individuals. They have served clients with mental health issues for over 50 years. The collaborative relationships they have developed and maintained with local housing providers are a national model for community mental health centers. Additionally, their solid organizational infrastructure can provide stability and efficient financial management. Awarding the contract to Bert Nash may also be a way to stretch city dollars. Chief Executive Officer, Dave Johnson, mentioned during the interview that homeless clients who qualify for Medicaid will be incorporated into Bert Nash’s existing billing structure, thus allowing the new case management team to serve more individuals.
The Committee requests the City Commission approve award of the contract to Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and authorize staff to negotiate a contract for services.