The vendor is required to provide behavioral health services for include:
• Operate teams of 1 licensed master and clinical social worker (LMSW/LCSW) or licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) and 1 care manager to work as dyads supporting youth, families, and schools. teams will provide:
o Weekly face-to-face sessions with the youth
o Family support sessions with the youth and their parent and caregiver at least monthly
o Ongoing communication and meetings with school staff as needed
o Linkage to community supports and resources (for both youth and family)
o Coordination with other involved providers including but not limited to mental health, juvenile justice, social services, primary care, etc.
• Youth will be identified by schools to be candidates for the program as determined by any or all of the following:
o Mental health or substance use concerns
o Behavioral issues in the school, home or in the community
o Confirmed or suspected intellectual/developmental disability
o Academic performance issues
o School refusal
o Family concerns
o Peer conflict and social issues
o Adverse childhood experiences
o Risk factors associated with social determinants of health
• While youth may be identified as potential candidates for the program due to a variety of risk-factors including disciplinary issues in school, this will be a voluntary program.
• Youth and parents and caregivers must provide consent to participate.
• The target population for this program is middle school aged youth.
• Teams will work with youth on goals related to:
o Behavior at school, home and in the community
o Mental health
o Trauma
o Substance use (prevention or intervention)
o Academics
o Community
o Vocational
o Family
o Social (including extra-circular interests and activities)
o Physical wellness and access to healthcare
o Household economic stability
o Housing instability
o Food insecurity
o Violence at home or in the community
o Other areas as identified by the youth and their families
• Services will emphasize building personal responsibility and accountability among youth as well as
independent living skills
• Youth complete the program when at least half of their goals have been met and they and their family have been connected with appropriate services to work on future goals and address any ongoing needs.
• In the event a youth needs to re-engage in the program, consideration will go through c-single point of access.
• A staffing plan will consist of:
o Budget
o FTE and hours
o Strategies for recruiting a diverse team representative of the community served
o Prioritization of staff with lived and shared experience and peer certification
o All staff will be fully trained in:
a. Adverse childhood experiences (ACES)
b. Trauma-informed care
c. Substance use prevention and brief intervention
d. Basic DBT skills
e. Childhood development
f. Person-centered care and/or motivational interviewing
g. Cultural responsiveness (must include LGBTQ+ youth)  
• Develop a comprehensive and fluid plan that would allow each of the districts to access services in a customizable way that meets each school’s unique needs; the plan should include:
o Staffing schedule that optimizes program availability across the county
o Plan to liaise with districts to ensure effective partnership and communication
o Strategy to engage the student and parent community to encourage participation
o Strong linkage and collaboration with the ulster county department of mental health local government unit (LGU) and other community stakeholders and providers.
• Teams will incorporate with each district and provide professional support in the form of training, consultation and supportive meetings with students, parents, faculty, and staff.
o Team staff will provide training to faculty and staff on an as-needed basis on topics such as:
a. Adverse childhood experiences (aces)
b. Trauma-informed care
c. Substance use prevention & brief intervention
d. Basic dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills.
- Contract Period/Term: 2 years
- Questions/Inquires Deadline: April 22, 2025