VALUE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WESTMORELAND COUNTY
REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL (RFP)
REQUEST FOR PSYCHIATRIC OUTPATIENT CLINIC PROVIDER
SERVING WESTMORELAND COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA
Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic or Clinic satellite must be physically located within the geographic
boundary of Westmoreland County at the time of service start up or within time frame to be
negotiated with county. Preferred locations are Greensburg and/or Latrobe.
All completed RFP’s must be submitted to the address below.
Value Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania
520 Pleasant Valley Road
Trafford, PA 15085
Attention: Shar Whitmire
Proposals must be received by 12:00 PM on Monday, April 20, 2009 (please note that the
original due date of April 13 was extended). Late proposals will not be considered. Faxed or
e-mailed submissions will not be considered. All pages of the proposal must be numbered. A
bidder’s conference will be held via telephone conference on Wednesday, April 8, 2009 at
10:30 a.m. The dial in number is 1-877-977-1977; the pass code is 823-8124.
Please submit the following information:

Agency Name:___________________________________________________________
Address:
___________________________________________________________
Telephone:
__________________________ Fax:_____________________________
Email:
__________________________ Contact Person: ____________________
Submitted by: (Please Print Name & Title)
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(Signature)_________________________________________Date:_________________________
Westmoreland County Outpatient Clinic RFP
Issued 3/23/09; Due Date Changed on 3/27/09
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Background:
Westmoreland County has recently been given notice that a high volume psychiatric
outpatient clinic, with offices in Latrobe and Greensburg, is going to be closing most of its
outpatient services. A provider is being sought that will be able to serve a high volume of
mental health consumers, in Westmoreland County. More than one provider may be
considered.
Directions:
1. Be sure your agency meets all the minimum qualifications prior to completing your
response.
2. Respond to each question as completely as possible.
3. Respond to the questions in the sequence that they appear in the RFP.
4. There is no page limit to responses.
5. All pages must be sequentially numbered.
6. All responses must be typed using 12 pt. font.
7. Additional supporting or requested documentation should be attached as Appendices.
Definition: Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Provider -- A facility approved by the Department,
Office of Medical Assistance, and fully approved/licensed by the Department, Office of Mental
Health, to provide specific medical, psychiatric and psychological services for the diagnosis and
treatment of mental disorders. Treatment is provided to eligible Medical Assistance outpatient
recipients who are not residents of a treatment institution or receiving similar treatment
elsewhere. (Reference Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 1153.)
In order to respond to this RFP, the provider must meet the following minimum
qualifications:
1. Meet the above definition of Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Provider.
2. Be a currently licensed psychiatric outpatient clinic facility that is currently in-network
with Value Behavioral Health of Pennsylvania (VBH-PA) for Westmoreland County, to
provide clinic based psychiatric outpatient services.
3. Provide outpatient psychiatric services, including psychiatric and psychological
evaluations; medication management; individual, group, and family therapy.
4. Be experienced in providing outpatient therapeutic services to adults, adolescents,
children, and families.
5. Must be experienced in treating and willing to work with, severely and persistently
mentally ill (SPMI) individuals.
6. Must have the capacity and commitment to provide services to a high volume of
individuals within a very short time frame of being selected to provide outpatient services
in Westmoreland County.
7. Must be able and willing to serve Westmoreland County base funded individuals.
8. Be committed as an organization to the concepts of recovery and resiliency, and peer
support.
Westmoreland County Outpatient Clinic RFP
Issued 3/23/09; Due Date Changed on 3/27/09
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Additional preferred qualifications:
1. Provider is able to bill Medicare covered services for Medicare prime HealthChoices
members or county based funded consumers.
2. Provider is located within a close proximity to public transportation.
3. Provider has existing collaborative relationships with primary care physicians in
Westmoreland County.
4. Be experienced in providing outpatient therapeutic services to individuals with the dual
diagnosis of mental health/mental retardation.
Please provide the following information regarding your ability to develop and operate a
Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic for Westmoreland County adult, child and adolescent
HealthChoices and county base funded consumers.
1. Please describe in detail the agency’s background, experience and present activity as well
as the philosophy of the organization, which will enable it to successfully provide the
proposed services to child, adolescent and adult HealthChoices members residing in
Westmoreland County, in the following areas:
a. at the administrative level. (5 pts)
b. at the direct service level. (10 pts)
2. Describe your agency’s experience in collaborating and coordinating with the multiple
Westmoreland County child, adolescent and adult serving systems. (5 pts)
3. Describe the agency’s experience in, and statement of purpose in, administrating
Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic Services (i.e. psychiatric and psychological evaluations;
medication management; individual, group and family therapy; and psychological
testing). More specifically, articulate the agency’s goals and objectives in meeting the
needs of child, adolescent and adult HealthChoices members through the provision of
outpatient services. (10 pts)
4. Describe in detail the HealthChoices target population to be served through Psychiatric
Outpatient Clinic Services. Include information detailing the agency’s experience in
treating high risk and special populations, (e.g. sex offenders and victims of sex abuse,
individuals involved with Children and Youth Services, individuals involved in the
criminal justice system, individuals that are victims of domestic abuse). Also include a
statement of nondiscrimination, and include a statement that the agency agrees to service
all diagnostic categories. (5 pts)
5. Address the following Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic program details:
a. Describe the agency’s proposed Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic staffing structure
for a Westmoreland County location (e.g. number of administrative staff,
psychiatry oversight, direct treatment staff, clerical support staff and all other staff
Westmoreland County Outpatient Clinic RFP
Issued 3/23/09; Due Date Changed on 3/27/09
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related to the delivery of this service), and the job responsibilities of Psychiatric
Outpatient Clinic staff. (5 pts)
b. Attach an organizational chart depicting the Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic
organizational structure, proposed or actual, for Westmoreland County. (5 pts)
c. Describe in detail the proposed program components of the Psychiatric Outpatient
Clinic including criteria for admission, referral and intake process, length of
service, and direct treatment service modalities to be employed in the Psychiatric
Outpatient Clinic. (10 pts)
d. Describe how the agency expects to conduct the assessment and treatment
planning processes (e.g. What instruments will be engaged to perform
assessments? What will be the agency’s treatment plan review process and
discharge planning process? What mechanism will be used to ensure that the
member and other agencies, if relevant, will be included in the treatment planning
process?). (10 pts)
e. Define the basic elements of the program services. Include program specific goals
and objectives, and describe how goals and objectives will be measured. Clearly
outline the specific services to be provided, including hours of activity and
staff/consumer ratios. (10 pts)
f. Describe how your agency plans to coordinate care with primary care physicians
for consumers receiving treatment at your agency. (5 pts)
g. Describe your agency’s capacity to serve Westmoreland County consumers at
Westmoreland County clinic locations within HealthChoices time frames. (e.g.
enumerate how many adult, child/adolescent consumers that can be served at the
clinic location (static capacity); describe the intake process, including the length
of time between client referral and initial appointment, initial
psychiatric/psychological evaluation, and initial medication management
appointment.) (5 pts)
h. If provider does not currently operate a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic in
Westmoreland County, please describe your agency’s plan to site, license, staff
and open a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic in Westmoreland County. Please include
an events timeline. If you currently operate a Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic in
Westmoreland County, describe how you would “ramp up” to accommodate an
increased volume of clients and services. Please provide an events timeline.
(10 pts)
6. Describe the agency’s commitment to obtaining relevant required training of Psychiatric
Outpatient Clinic treatment staff and for ensuring that future staff development and
training opportunities will also be made available. Provide a statement indicating that
appropriate agency and program staff will attend all relevant VBH-PA Provider Forums
and Trainings. (5 pts)
Westmoreland County Outpatient Clinic RFP
Issued 3/23/09; Due Date Changed on 3/27/09
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7. Provide a summary of how the agency will ensure ongoing internal monitoring and
quality assurance within the Psychiatric Outpatient Clinic programs and services. (10 pts)
8. Include a commitment to participate in VBH-PA Quality, credentialing, and routine site
visit program reviews and monitoring as deemed appropriate by VBH-PA and
Westmoreland County. (5 pts)
9. Describe you agency’s commitment to the concepts of recovery and resiliency. Explain
how you intend to ensure ongoing program focus on the concepts of recovery and
resiliency, including how consumers will be involved in the planning and implementation
process. Describe the agency’s plans to include Peer Specialists as part of the
organization’s staff and mission (5 pts)
10. Describe you agency’s commitment to ensuring ongoing program feedback to and from,
VBH-PA and the Westmoreland County MH/MR Administrator, as well as other service
providers both within and outside of the mental health system. (5 pts)
11. Provide a statement that claims, POMS, authorizations, or any and all other required
reporting information required by VBH-PA will be forwarded on a timely basis to the
appropriate department and that any other reports required by VBH-PA will be submitted
in a timely manner. (5 pts)
12. Provide a statement that the agency agrees to abide by all relevant Federal, State, County
and Local bulletins and regulations as they apply to Outpatient Psychiatric Services.
(5 pts)
13. Provide any other information the organization would like to offer, such as letters of
recommendation, to support the proposal. (5 pts)
NOTE: TOTAL AVAILABLE POINTS = 140
Westmoreland County Outpatient Clinic RFP
Issued 3/23/09; Due Date Changed on 3/27/09
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