RFP for Counseling Services for students Job Opening

CENTRAL MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE

REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS (RFP)

For

Counseling Services for Students

CENTRAL MAINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE (CMCC) is requesting written proposals for the

services of a highly qualified vendor to provide counseling services for students, as specified below.

BID INFORMATION

A. The proposal due date is 3:00 PM, Friday, July 5, 2019.

B. Proposals are to be submitted to the attention of Grimes Williams at CMCC in a sealed envelope
plainly marked Proposal for Counseling Services or via email to [email protected] with a

subject heading of Proposal for Counseling Services. The mailing address is CMCC, 1250

Turner Street, Auburn, ME 04210.

C. Proposals shall remain firm for ninety (90) days from date of submittal.

D. Questions should be directed to Grimes Williams by e-mail at [email protected]. Please allow
sufficient time for questions to be answered prior to the proposal due date. Responses to inquiries,

if they change or clarify the RFP requirements in a substantial manner, will be forwarded by addenda

to all parties that have received a copy of the RFP. The College will not be bound by oral responses

to inquiries or written responses other than addenda.

E. By submitting a proposal, the bidder agrees and assures that the specifications are adequate, and
the bidder accepts the terms and conditions herein. Any exceptions should be noted in the

response.

F. The bidder shall be responsible for all costs associated with this proposal up to and including any
contract that may result from this proposal.

G. CMCC may be interested in entering a three-year contract with the possibility of two additional
one year renewals.

H. The proposals will be evaluated, and selection made, on the basis of experience, references, fees,
scope of proposed services, timeliness of delivery and other criteria as deemed appropriate by

CMCC.

I. CMCC reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any formality in any
proposal, and generally take such actions as shall be in its best interest.

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SCOPE INFORMATION

Student mental health plays a critical role in student success. To that end, the college is seeking to

contract with a vendor who can provide on campus mental health assessment and referral services to

off campus counseling services on the Auburn campus. Mental health intake and triage would be

provided on campus while long term mental health care would be referred to off campus provider(s).

The college seeks a relationship with an experienced mental health provider that allows CMCC to

increase the availability and scope of mental health services offered to students.

The College has a strong preference for providers who can offer a wide range of services, including,

but not limited to: 

Mental Health intake and referral services 

Brief therapeutic/crises interventions on campus if necessary before referral 

Substance abuse counseling and support to students in recovery 

Facilitation of support groups 

Topical training to faculty and staff 

Access to practitioners who can assist students with medication management.

The proposal should:

1. Outline the vendor’s plan to provide licensed clinician(s) on the Auburn campus for a minimum

of three days per week and up to five days per week if need warrants during the Fall and Spring

Semesters. Preference will go to vendors who can provide extended hours each day and/or

weekend hours, on-call support for employees assisting students in crisis outside business hours

and crisis response in an emergency.

2. Outline the provider’s plan to provide on-call services for employees assisting students in

crisis.

3. Outline the provider’s plan to provide access to or referral services in specialty areas, for

diagnostic services or for medication management.

4. Include a comprehensive fee schedule for all charges to be billed to the College.

5. Include a list of accepted insurances that the provider will bill on behalf of students.

6. Include a reasonable hourly rate for treating students who are uninsured and pre-approved for

services by the College’s designee(s).

7. Include plans for a representative to participate in behavioral intervention team meetings (2

meetings per month) and periodic employee training. The hourly rate for this should be

included in the proposal.

CMCC is Maine’s second largest community college. The college serves approximately 4,000

students annually in degree and workforce programs. The college is located in Auburn, Maine

(Androscoggin County) and also serves Franklin, Lincoln, and Oxford Counties.

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About CMCC Students: 

Age – 72% are age 18-24, 28% are 25 or older. 

Diversity – 57% of students identify as white, 43% identify as a minority or student of color 

Background – 20% are students are first-generation or will be the first in their family to attend

college

About CMCC’s related offerings: 

Over 31 degree programs that include trades such as Precision Machining, Electromechanical,

Automotive, Culinary, and Building Construction. Other programs include Nursing, Medical

Coding, Physical Fitness Specialist, Business, and Human Services. Degrees focused on

transferring include General Studies, Liberal Studies, and Life Sciences. 

48% of enrolled students are from Androscoggin County, 14% are from Central/Mid-Coast,

and 13% from Oxford County 

On-campus housing is available to approx. 255 students at the Auburn Campus. These students

are typically between 17 and 20 years old. 

One full-time disability services coordinator

REQUIREMENTS

A. The following must accompany the proposal:

1. A statement of qualifications, including state licensure information;

2. A list of three references;

3. An estimate of the time requirement between contract signing and the delivery of service

4. A description of all proposed services

5. A total annual contractual cost for proposed services

B. The cost and compensation for all services shall be clearly indicated and accurate even if only
some of the services are ultimately contracted.

C. It is the vendor’s responsibility to confirm they have sufficient information required for the
proposal. Any additional information required is to be brought to CMCC’s attention.

D. This RFP shall be referenced in, and considered part of, any final contract.

E. All applicable costs are to be built into the proposal. No separate costs for items not included in
the proposal will be accepted unless agreed to by CMCC in advance.

F. Any obligations to CMCC must be clearly described.

G. CMCC is exempt from sales, property and excise taxes. Such taxes shall not be included in quoted
prices. If any taxes are known by the Vendor to apply they shall be considered an expense of the

Vendor and deemed a part of the quoted prices.

H. The following MCCS Standard Terms and Conditions apply to all contracts with CMCC.

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NOTICE TO ALL BIDDERS REGARDING CONDITIONS ON BIDS

STANDARD TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLICABLE TO ALL MCCS CONTRACTS

The following Maine Community College System (MCCS) standard contracting terms and conditions

are incorporated and shall become a part of any final contract that will be awarded by any college or

other operating unit of the MCCS. These terms and conditions derive from the public nature and limited

resources of the MCCS. MCCS DOES NOT AGREE TO:

1. provide any defense, hold harmless or indemnity;

2. waive any statutory or constitutional immunity;

3. apply the law of a state other than Maine;

4. procure types or amounts of insurance beyond those MCCS already maintains or waive

any rights of subrogation;

5. add any entity as an additional insured to MCCS policies of insurance;

6. pay attorneys’ fees, costs, expenses or liquidated damages;

7. promise confidentiality in a manner contrary to Maine’s Freedom of Access Act;

8. permit an entity to change unilaterally any term or condition once the contract is signed;

and

9. automatic renewals for term(s) greater than month-to-month.

By submitting a response to a Request for Proposal, bid or other like offer to do business with a college

or other operating unit of the MCCS, YOUR ENTITY UNDERSTANDS AND AGREES THAT:

1. The above standard terms and conditions are thereby incorporated either expressly or by

reference to this notice into any agreement entered into between MCCS and your entity,

and that your entity will not propose or demand any contrary terms;

2. The above standard terms and conditions will govern the interpretation of such agreement

notwithstanding the expression of any other term and/or condition to the contrary;

3. Your entity will not propose to any college or other operating unit of the MCCS any

contractual documents of any kind that are not in at least 11-point font and completely

contained in one Word or PDF document, and that any references to terms and conditions,

privacy policies or any other conditions referenced outside of the contract will not apply;

and

4. Your entity will identify at the time of submission which, if any, portion or your submitted

materials are entitled to “trade secret” exemption from disclosure under Maine’s Freedom

of Access Act; that failure to so identify will authorize MCCS to conclude that no portions

are so exempt; and that your entity will defend, indemnify and hold harmless MCCS in

any and all legal actions that seek to compel MCCS to disclose under Maine’s Freedom

of Access Act some or all of your submitted materials and/or contract, if any, executed

between MCCS and your entity.