Housing Solutions and Intensive Supports

Purpose Tompkins County is seeking one qualified nonprofit agency with proven histories of providing housing and case management for the implementation of transitional housing and wraparound services programming. These activities are intended to serve individuals in Tompkins County who are experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness who have substance use with or without co-occurring mental health disorders contributing to frequent use of crisis response services or interactions with law enforcement. The decision to utilize the Opioid Settlement Funds for this purpose was recommended and approved by the Tompkins County Community Services Board (CSB) on April 3, 2023, following a cross-walk of local priorities outlined in the Tompkins County Local Services Plan and the Opioid Settlement Fund Approved Use of Funds and Priority Funding Areas. The recommendation was further informed by three guiding themes for Opioid Settlement Fund activities stipulated by OASAS: 1) service integration to best treat co-occurring disorders, 2) service equity, and 3) meaningful evaluation that demonstrates reduced suffering and positive impacts on the social determinants of health. Bidders may propose a five (5) year project at a maximum of three-hundred fifty thousand dollars ($350,000) per year for this funding opportunity. Background Tompkins County is in the Southern Tier region of New York at the southern end of Cayuga Lake. The County is approximately 475 square miles and home to over 105,000 people. Tompkins County is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College. In 2023, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) began distributing Opioid Settlement Fund Regional Abatements to fifty-five Local Government Units (LGUs) and five cities for initiatives addressing and reducing the impact of addiction and opioid use disorder in their local communities. Tompkins County and the City of Ithaca have agreed to combine their regional abatements, yielding a total of approximately $1.9 million between 2023-2026 with additional annual funding projected through 2040. SCOPE Tompkins County Whole Health is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations with proven histories of providing housing services and case management for the design and implementation of a transitional housing and wraparound services program. This program is intended to serve individuals in Tompkins County who are experiencing or are at-risk of experiencing homelessness who have substance use with or without co-occurring mental health disorders contributing to frequent use of crisis response services or interactions with law enforcement. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES The contracted organization will coordinate rapid access to transitional housing, Intensive Case Management and peer support, and streamlined care for individuals experiencing or at-risk of experiencing homelessness who have substance use with or without co-occurring mental health disorders contributing to frequent use of crisis response services or interactions with law enforcement. The overall program objective is to stabilize individuals living in a cycle of crisis and bridge the gap between crisis response services and permanent supportive housing and other community-based care. To achieve this objective, the contracted organization will perform or facilitate the following three (3) primary activities on behalf of program clients: · Securing and management of transitional housing units; · Provision of Intensive Case Management (ICM) and peer support for linkage and access to services; and · Streamlined coordination of client access to services and care. In performing these activities, the contracted organization will contribute to the following short- and long-term outcomes: · Reduced number of days spent homeless and using the local emergency shelter; · Improved housing stability and access to permanent supportive housing; · Increased participation in community-based services and care; · Improved overall wellbeing via access to services addressing social health needs; · Reduction in Emergency Department visits for behavioral health concerns and interactions with law enforcement; and · Reduced utilization of crisis response services and the criminal justice system. Business enterprises awarded an identical or substantially similar procurement contract within the past five years: None Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business (SDVOB) SDVOB Goal: 0.00% Minority / Women Business Enterprise contracting goals (MWBE) MBE Goal: 0.00% WBE Goal: 0.00% Disadvantaged Business Enterprise contracting goals (DBE) DBE Goal: 0.00%