On December 17, 2021, the PA Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) announced a Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the Behavioral Health Alliance of Rural Pennsylvania (BHARP), the Northeast Behavioral Health Care Consortium (NBHCC), and Community Care Behavioral Health (Community Care) to expand adolescent substance use disorder (SUD) services in Pennsylvania.

“The availability of adolescent substance use disorder treatment services is more critical than ever as we continue to address the increased behavioral health needs of our youth,” said DDAP Secretary Jennifer Smith. “By increasing the availability of services for adolescents throughout the commonwealth, we will better set them up for success and support following treatment.”

DDAP identified a need for adolescent SUD services in the North Central and Northeast regions of Pennsylvania. Many adolescents with SUD receive treatment at considerable distances from their homes, limiting opportunities for family engagement and making it more challenging to strengthen their recovery environment upon completion of treatment. During the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic has further limited the service availability for adolescents in need of SUD treatment and services across parts of the state.

Through this competitive RFP process, BHARP, NBHCC, and Community Care, in partnership with DDAP, seek to identify one licensed SUD treatment provider to develop the following two levels of care within the Northeast and North Central regions:

• 3.5 Clinically Managed Medium Intensity Residential Services for male and female adolescents; and
• 3.7 Medically Monitored Inpatient Withdrawal Management services for male and female adolescents.

Eligible providers who meet the licensure requirements and have the professional expertise to develop programs to meet this need can find the RFP on the DDAP website .

Potential applicants interested in submitting a response to this RFP are required to submit a letter of intent to the RFP Project Manager, Beth Orr, at [email protected] by Wednesday, January 12, 2022. Only submissions from applicants that have submitted the letter of intent will be considered for evaluation. Final submissions must be submitted by Wednesday, February 16, 2022.

BHARP, NBHCC, and Community Care will hold a virtual Applicants Conference on Wednesday, January 5, 2022. All prospective applicants meeting the eligibility qualifications are invited to attend. Interested agencies must RSVP by close of business on Monday, December 20, 2021 via email to [email protected] with the names(s) and email addresses of the attendees.

Funding provided through this RFP is part of the $55 million in federal funding awarded to Pennsylvania through the SAMHSA Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Program COVID-19 Supplemental Awards and HealthChoices reinvestment funding.

To view the press release, click here.