On September 8th, the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) released a concept paper outlining a proposed Request for Proposals (RFP) for the provision of recreation and socialization services for individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (I/DD) in the Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island. Services will be provided to individuals with I/DD and their families/caregivers who are unable to access similar services funded by the Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and other state agencies. DOHMH intends to award a total of approximately $8 million over nine years to five qualified organizations through this proposed RFP. DOHMH anticipates funding two contracts in the Bronx, two contracts in Queens, and one contract in Staten Island.
Eligible applicants should have at least three years of qualified experience providing services to individuals with I/DD in New York City. Proposed programs may be new, stand-alone programs or an enhancement of an existing program. Programs may serve children, youth, young adults, and/or adults but must serve no fewer than 75 participants annually. Applicants will be expected to provide a detailed plan that describes the organization’s capacity and approach to racial equity and social justice through programming and operations.
The concept paper is available here, and our summary can be found here. Comments will be accepted through October 18th. DOHMH indicates that it expects to issue the RFP later in September 2021, with proposals accepted through November 2021 and award decisions announced in spring 2022. SPG will provide an update when the full RFP is released.