Project Information

Bid Title

School-Based Mental Health Therapeutic Services

Issuing Agency

Montgomery County Public Schools

Location

Maryland

Published Date

Apr 16, 2026

Closing Date

May 8, 2026

Government Level

State & Local

Status

Closed

Ref. #

4548.2

Original Source

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Bid Documents

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Project Description

Open Solicitation

Bid/RFP Number: 4548.2
Solicitation Title	School-Based Mental Health Therapeutic Services
Due Date & Time	05/08/2026 02:00 PM
Contract Type	RFP
Buyer E-mail	Angela_S_Mcintosh-davis@mcpsmd.org
Description	The intent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to prequalify one or more highly-qualified Contractor(s) to provide pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 school-based mental health services to students throughout the county. These students may be un- or under-insured, receive Medicaid, and/or have private insurance. Mental Health Therapeutic Services FINAL.pdf 04/16/2026
eMaryland Marketplace link	BPM056549

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April 16, 2026

To: Prospective Respondents:

RFP Number:

Due Date:

Open Time:

4548.2

May 8, 2026

2:00 p.m.

The intent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to prequalify one or more

highly-qualified Contractor(s) to provide pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 school-based

mental health services to students throughout the county. These students may be un- or under-insured, receive

Medicaid, and/or have private insurance.

A virtual pre-proposal conference will be held on April 29, 2026 at 10:30a.m. EST via Zoom. The

conference will not be recorded. Information to access the conference is contained in the RFP, Section

14.0. Questions regarding the RFP must be submitted by the close of business, 4:00 p.m., on April 23,

2026.

Please respond according to the instructions provided in the attached. Submissions must be received on or before

2:00 p.m., on May 8, 2026. Submissions received after this date and time will not be considered. Submittals shall

be delivered in a sealed opaque envelope with the RFP number, opening date and opening time indicated in the

lower left corner of the envelope. Submissions shall be delivered to Montgomery County Public Schools

Department of Procurement, 45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100, Rockville, Maryland 20850.

The contractor must submit one (1) original, one (1) redacted copy, one (1) electronic version on flash drive and

one (1) separate copy of the proposal. The submission must be signed by an official having authority to contract

with MCPS. The firm and official's name shall be used. This solicitation does not commit the district to pay any

costs incurred in the submission of proposals or guarantee that an award will be made.

In the event of emergency closing of the MCPS Board of Education offices, this RFP will open at the same time

on the next regular working day.

Sincerely,

AMD

Enclosure

Angela McIntosh Davis, Director

Department of Procurement

Division of Financial Management

MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Department of Procurement

45 West Gude Drive, Suite 3100

Rockville, Maryland 20850

Request for Proposal No. 4548.2

School-Based Mental Health Therapeutic Services

1.0 INTENT

The intent of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is to prequalify one or more

highly-qualified Contractor(s) to provide pre-kindergarten through Grade 12 school-based

mental health services to students throughout the county. These students may be un- or under-

insured, receive Medicaid, and/or have private insurance.

MCPS recognizes the increasing need for additional and more intensive mental health

support for students in schools. The COVID-19 pandemic has created an educational and home

environment that is illustrating the increased need for services due to the impact of trauma, grief

and loss, and additional mental illness needs. The need for mental health services likely is to

increase and the effects of the resulting trauma will be felt for years. MCPS acknowledges the need

for greater access to mental health services for students and families who may not have the

independent means to acquire such support.

MCPS is proposing a model of service in which school-based mental health staff members, such

as the school counselor, school social worker, and school psychologist, may refer students who

require additional mental health services to a community agency with which MCPS has an

established partnership and agreement. Referrals to this agency will be based on objective,

systematically collected baseline and progress data to ensure that students are appropriately

referred. Referrals for service will be made after students receive MCPS Tier 1 and Tier 2 services,

resources, and intervention with no significant effect on their progress. Based on specific identified

data points, school-based staff members may make an informed decision for additional Tier 2/Tier

3 or targeted/intensive interventions, as such intensive support that cannot be provided by student

services personnel or existing partner service agencies.

Successful providers/agencies must have the capacity to establish in-school access to evidence-

based, in person or virtual, outpatient treatment services and be capable of providing mental health

services at varying levels of intensity, based on the individualized needs of the students and which

are able to adjust as rapidly as the changing needs of the students. Additionally, successful

providers/agencies will be required to collaborate with school-based staff members to support

students.

School-based mental health services will be available for all students, regardless of ability to pay.

Goals for school-based mental health services:

● To provide evidence-based mental health services that address intervention and prevention

services for MCPS students and families in need.

● To increase the accessibility of mental health services for MCPS students and families in

RFP 4548.2

need of these services in a non-stigmatizing environment.

● MCPS reserves the right to add prequalified Contractors throughout the contract term to

serve the specific needs of an individual student, as determined by MCPS in its sole

discretion, provided that the additional Contractor prequalifies under the same terms and

conditions as set forth in this RFP.

2.0 INTRODUCTION

Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) is the 15th largest school system in the United States,

and the largest in the state of Maryland. During the 2025–2026 school year, MCPS served more

than 160,000 students from 157 countries speaking 150 languages. With a Fiscal Year (FY) 2021

Operating Budget of approximately $3.62 billion, MCPS employs more than 25,500 employees.

Among the 211 schools that MCPS operates, 45 are National Blue-Ribbon schools. Six MCPS

high schools rank in the top 200 of The Washington Post’s 2015 High School Challenge, and all

25 MCPS high schools appear on this list, which only includes the top 11 percent of high schools

in the country. MCPS has one of the highest graduation rates among the nation’s largest school

districts, according to an Education Week report. In 2010, MCPS was the recipient of the Malcolm

Baldrige National Quality Award, the highest presidential honor given to American organizations

for performance excellence. The student demographics of MCPS in 2025-2026 are as follows:

Hispanic/Latino: 34.6%

White: 23.9%

Black or African American: 21.6%

Asian: 13.7%

Two or more races: ≤ 5.3%

American Indian or Alaskan Native: ≤0.2%

Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: ≤0.1%

In alignment with our strategic priorities, MCPS believes that each and every student matters; outcomes

should not be predictable by race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic status; equity demands the elimination of all

gaps; and creating and maximizing future opportunities for students and staff is necessary. Therefore,

MCPS holds high expectations for all students and staff; distributes resources as necessary to provide extra

supports and interventions so all students can achieve; identifies and eliminates any institutional barriers to

students’ success; and ensures that equitable practices are used in all classrooms and workplace.

MCPS also believes that we must engage every student, every day; learning is achieved by cultivating

curiosity and encouraging determination, focus, and hard work; and adult learning and engagement are key

to student learning. Therefore, MCPS encourages and support critical thinking, problem solving, active

questioning, and risk taking to continuously improve; stimulate discovery by engaging students in relevant

and rigorous academic, social, and emotional learning experiences; and challenge ourselves to analyze and

reflect upon evidence to improve our practices.

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3.0 SCOPE OF SERVICES

RFP 4548.2

This RFP is looking for highly qualified providers/agencies to provide the following

evidence-based mental and behavioral health services to MCPS students:

● Comprehensive clinical assessments

● Short-term, solution-focused, and evidence-based individual therapy

● Group therapy

● Family therapy

Mental and behavioral health services provided to MCPS students in school should be based

on the following principles and guidelines:

● Services will be provided (in-person and virtually) and supervised by a local mental

health provider agency.

● Family engagement and active family involvement is critical at the initiation and

throughout the treatment process. Services will only be provided to students

following the receipt of parent/guardian consent. In addition, an exchange of

information form will be completed and signed to allow for the agency and schools

to collaborate to support the student.

● Services should be proactive and positive, building on the strengths of the student

and families. Service providers must build strong alliances collaborating and sharing

information with school administrators, student services staff, teachers (general

education and special education), and all other district employees, including

participation in Educational Management Teams (EMT), Student Well-being Teams,

and/or other problem-solving committees at the building-level.

● Services must follow the mandate to be least intrusive, least restrictive, and

responsive to the individual needs of the child within the school setting.

● Plan to liaise with each student’s healthcare provider to assist with supporting a

continuum of care.

● All employees of the agency/provider shall agree to follow all Montgomery County

Board of Education policies, MCPS rules, regulations, and procedures when

providing services to MCPS students on school property or in a virtual setting.

Providers/agencies will also serve all referred students who have no source of

payment.

● Providers should be able to accept Medicaid and multiple private insurance plan

payment options.

● Providers/agencies will be responsible for billing, paperwork, necessary signatures

to begin services, and for release of information.

In order to respond to this RFP, the service provider must meet the following minimum

qualifications:

● Be committed as an organization to the concepts of recovery and resiliency.

● Accept a variety of private insurances and have credentialed staff to meet those

requirements.

● Clearly indicate how the proposed programs will accommodate families that speak

a language other than English, including Spanish-speaking students and families.

● Describe your program capacity regarding the number of consumers that could be

3

RFP 4548.2

served during the contract term.

● Describe referral connections/process your agency has established for children who

need a higher level of care.

● Describe how your agency expects to conduct the intake and assessment process.

● Describe what assessment instruments will be utilized during this process and how

long for a completed assessment.

● Describe how student goals will be developed and what evidence will be collected

to determine progress towards goals.

● Explain how the agency will ensure ongoing internal monitoring and quality

assurance within the outpatient clinic programs and services.

● Have procedures for on-call, after-hour services, or 24-hour access to support for

students and families during the school year and during student holidays/vacations

and summer breaks.

● List the insurance companies you are able to bill and describe how you plan to handle

clients who do not have insurance.

● Provide staff with all required and appropriate licensure and training to provide

mental and behavioral health services to students, as well as verification of

background checks.

● Introduction of Service: providers should describe proposed range of services either

in person or virtually (e.g., assessment, individual/group therapy, family outreach,

in-home services, crisis/emergency care during and after school hours, follow up,

aftercare/discharge, provision for care during student holidays/vacations and

summer break, etc.). Also describe the types of therapies that will be provided,

including specific interventions and modalities. Providers should also include

evidence-based treatment modalities that are currently being used by the agency and

data that supports positive outcomes. Ability to deliver trauma-focused cognitive

behavioral therapy is preferred.

● Ability to complete reports that provides MCPS with information on the number of

referrals received, number of students served, number of students on waitlists,

student demographic information, number of students served with Medicaid and

private insurance, and student outcome data demonstrating the effectiveness of

therapeutic services.

● Be prepared to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCPS.

● MCPS reserves the right to award contracts to multiple providers.

3.1 Technical Requirements and Vendor Experience

The vendor shall have proven experience working with elementary, middle, and high

school students and families in providing mental health services. In addition, the vendor’s

proposal shall provide examples of similarly completed projects, or projects in progress,

that demonstrate the responding firm’s expertise and capabilities in each of the above-listed

areas. Examples might include, for example, detailed descriptions supported by printed

screen shots, references to websites that MCPS will be able to review online, etc.

3.2 Timeline for Implementation and Key Staff

The vendor’s proposal shall propose a plan and schedule for implementation. The proposal

shall provide a general timeline and sequence of experiences that will be available for

participating students.

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Commodity Codes

• NAICS 611710Educational Support Services
• NAICS 621330Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians)
• NAICS 621420Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers

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