Request for Qualifications

For

Implementation of a three year Suicide

Prevention Community-Wide Training Plan
and Comprehensive Community Education
Campaign

For

Tuolumne County Suicide Prevention Task

Force

Tuolumne County Suicide Prevention Task Force

c/o 21575 Phoenix Lake Road
Sonora, California, 95370

For Additional Information call 209-533-7532

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I. Purpose of the Request for Qualifications:
Tuolumne County Suicide Prevention Task Force (SPTF) seeks the services of a
local Community Based Organization (CBO) with a 501.c3 nonprofit and/or public
sector entity tax exempt status for three years with the experience, knowledge
and capacity to act as a Coordinating Agency with SPTF to assume the
responsibility of implementation, coordination, monitoring, and projects
management of the training, and training of trainer activities, as well as providing
a comprehensive community education campaign. These training activities and
educational campaign will target all ages and community sectors of Tuolumne
County. Additional responsibilities will include assisting the SPTF with long range
fund development efforts.

Once a CBO is selected as the Coordinating Agency for SPTF through this RFQ
process, a grant proposal for three years of funds will be sent to Tuolumne
County’s local foundation by the end of March, 2009 to support operating and
coordinating costs for this Coordinating Agency, and then the SPTF will actively
continue fund development activities over the next six months to support all
programs listed in the three year Strategic Plan.

Interested parties may obtain a copy of the Three Year Suicide Prevention
Strategic Plan at www.infonettc.org.

II. Background:
In 2006, the incidence of suicide in Tuolumne County nearly doubled. Tuolumne
County has rated among California counties with the highest rates of suicide in
recent years. Recognizing the scope of this tragedy, multiple local agencies,
coalitions, government entities and private citizens formed a Suicide Prevention
Task Force in 2007 to coordinate local suicide prevention activities, analyze the
factors that increase the risk of suicide, and to identify protective factors that
might mitigate that increased risk so that tangible steps might be taken to reverse
the trend. A Three Year Suicide Prevention Strategic Plan (see attached) is the
product of that effort.

The Suicide Prevention Task Force community volunteers include individuals

from Public Health, Law Enforcement, Behavioral Health, Probation, Human
Services Board of Supervisors, schools, the Office of Education, local hospital,
medical practitioners, non-profit agencies, emergency medical response, service
clubs, senior support agency, faith-based organizations, child development,
recreation and community members, some with personal experience with suicide
in their families.

The mission statement of the Suicide Prevention Task Force is:

“To coordinate the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects
throughout Tuolumne County that prevents and reduces the risk of suicide

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incorporating the core values of integrity, accountability, compassion,
collaboration and professionalism.”

The Suicide Prevention Committee is in the process of reforming as the Core

Oversight Committee (COC) to provide overall responsibility for implementation
of the Strategic Plan strategies and projects. This committee will include key
individuals involved in each of the five Strategic Plan components – suicide
prevention, intervention, training, community education and monitoring. The COC
will have the primary responsibility for overseeing a contracted Coordinating
Agency who will be charged with implementation and monitoring of the training
and community education strategies and projects, as well as assisting with fund
development efforts in year one. The COC will meet with the contractor monthly
to start, and then on a quarterly basis.

III. Intended System Changes

The selected Coordinated Agency will be expected to implement, coordinate,
monitor, and manage the completed Suicide prevention Training Plan and
Community Education Campaign over a three year period to create long range
community-wide intended system changes specific to suicide prevention. .
The planned activities are as follows:
• A variety of community-wide trainings will be provided, some focused on
specific populations, some for the general public, in order to open dialogue
and raise awareness about risk factors, protective factors and warning
signs of suicide for all sectors of Tuolumne (See Appendix A)
• A comprehensive community education campaign will be implemented
that will increase awareness of suicide, educate the community about
suicide, encourage the community to act to address suicide, and de-
stigmatize depression and suicide (see Appendix C for detail).

IV. Scope of Work

The Suicide Prevention Task Force Training Project and Community Education
Campaign will be implemented by a local community based organization over a
three year period.

A. Mandatory Service Requirements

1. Contractor must be a non-profit organization with tax exempt status from

the Internal Revenue Service and/or a public sector entity or unit of
government primarily serving Tuolumne County residents.
2. Contractor must have demonstrated local community organizing, volunteer
management, public outreach/marketing and grant writing/fund
development experience.
3. Contractor must have demonstrated knowledge of Tuolumne County;
4. Contractor must demonstrate willingness and ability to collaborate
extensively with community adult and youth volunteers and

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 agencies/community service organizations volunteering to participate in
SPTF trainings and community education campaign.
5. Contractor must have the capacity to provide administrative services to
support the coordination of community trainings and presentations, as well
as implementation of the community education campaign and fund
development activities,
6. Contractor must provide the billing, performance outcome reporting, fiscal
reporting, and other notifications as required to both the SPTF and
identified funder.
7. Contractor must be nondiscriminatory in the hiring of staff or provision of
services on the basis of race, national origin, gender, marital status, age,
religious beliefs, or disability
8. Contractor must provide services in a culturally appropriate/competent
manner.

V. Qualification Requirements

The Respondent is to provide proof of qualifications as follows:

A. Community Based Organization Information

1. Furnish the name, complete mailing address and telephone number of

the contact person for your response.
2. Furnish a brief history of your organization, along with a copy of your
501.c3 nonprofit and/or public sector entity tax exempt status.
3. Provide background information on key staff to be assigned to this
contract.
4. Describe your organization’s experience in local community organizing,
volunteer management, public outreach/marketing and grant
writing/fund development.
5. Provide a list of relevant references including contact information.
6. Furnish financial statements for your organization for the past two
years.

B. Provide a narrative on your ability to meet the Mandatory Service

Requirements.

V. Qualification Submission Deadline

Sealed responses should be received by mail to the Suicide Prevention Task

Force, no later than March 12, 2009 at 5:00pm. Project start date will be
determined pending successfully obtaining funds for services. The sealed
responses must include one (1) reproducible original (standard letter size paper,
black ink) and five (5) copies. Responses may be mailed or delivered to:

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 Suicide Prevention Task Force
c/o 21575 Phoenix Lake Road
Sonora, California, 95370

Call Ellen Dunn at 533-7532 for information regarding this Request For Proposal.

VI. Evaluation (Selection Process)

The Request for Qualifications documents will be submitted to an ad-hoc

committee of the Suicide Prevention Task Force for evaluation and selection of a
qualified applicant, and will include representation from key individuals involved
in each of the five Strategic Plan components – suicide prevention, intervention,
training, community education and monitoring.

Each RFQ received will be scored based on the organization’s capacity and
experience specific to the mandatory service requirements found in the scope of
work outlined above. Applicants will be notified within 30 days regarding RFQ
award decisions made by the evaluation committee.