RFP: HealthConnect Integrated Partnerships

Executive Summary: Request for Proposals (RFP) for HealthConnect Integrated Partnerships

The Southwest Accountable Community of Health, or SWACH, is offering a new two-year funding opportunity for community and/or clinical organizations to partner with us. If selected, applicants would contract with SWACH’s HealthConnect Hub – an innovative platform that helps address the disconnect that often exists between health care and social services in Southwest Washington.

This Request for Proposals (RFP) is for organizations that meet three important criteria for the HealthConnect Hub:

• Expand access to trusted Community-Based Workers (CBW) to address whole-person care for community members in Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties
• Strengthen a regional network of trusted Community-Based Workers (CBW) and HealthConnect Integrated Partner (HIP) Agencies to bolster HealthConnect’s ongoing improvement of whole-person care in the area
• Center equity through prioritizing representation, partnership, engagement, and support with diverse communities and systematically/historically marginalized populations

Organizations that meet these requirements are encouraged to apply for the RFP. Full details, including the scope and application deadlines, are available below. Information sessions will be hosted prior to the application deadline to help provide additional information and context about this RFP. You can also contact SWACH at info@southwestach.org with specific questions.

View the application

Recorded information session

HealthConnect Integrated Partnerships Request for Proposals (RFP): Intent

The purpose of this announcement is to describe a funding opportunity for community and/or clinical organizations to partner with Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH) and SWACH’s HealthConnect Hub. Successful applicants will contract and receive funding as HealthConnect Integrated Partner (HIP) agencies to provide community-based care coordination services through the HealthConnect Pathways program model.

Partnering to Support Priority Populations

Successful applicants will demonstrate readiness to support any/all of the HealthConnect Hub priority populations below. Primary preference will go to agency applicants with demonstrated experience and capacity to represent, engage, connect, and support systematically marginalized and/or historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups.

Priority Populations for HealthConnect Expansion

• Systematically marginalized and/or historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups
• Individuals experiencing houselessness and housing instability
• Individuals with behavioral health conditions, particularly substance use disorder (SUD)
• Individuals with complex and/or intersecting physical and behavioral health conditions
• Rural equity: Individuals with support needs living in rural areas

HealthConnect Hub Background

In 2019, SWACH created the HealthConnect Hub to address the region’s siloed health care and social services systems. The HealthConnect Hub serves as a central care coordination system aimed at advancing whole-person health through models of care coordination by:

• Identifying program participant needs
• Coordinating referrals across physical health, behavioral health, and social services partners
• Providing support to the Community Based Workforce in navigating currently fragmented systems

The HealthConnect Pathways program is an evidence-based approach to care coordination offered through the HealthConnect Hub. Partnering Coordinated Care Agencies (CCAs) hire and train knowledgeable, trusted Community-Based Workforce (including Peers, Advocates, and Community Health Workers) to work alongside program participants. Knowledgeable of community needs and trusted in the community, the Community Based Workforce will assist participants in navigating systems to receive the care they need. As needs are identified, Community-Based Workers initiate specific “pathways” toward overcoming those barriers.

HealthConnect Integrated Partnerships (HIP)

This Request for Proposal (RFP) opportunity and expansion of the HealthConnect Integrated Partnerships seeks to address the fragmented systems of care which often results in inequities in the care provided. SWACH believes a strong and supported Community-Based Workforce is critical to making positive change in the ways people seek and receive the care they need.

SWACH seeks to expand HealthConnect community-based care coordination partnerships to:

• Expand access to trusted Community-Based Workers and a continuity of whole person care supports/services for community members across SWACH’s three county region of Clark, Skamania, and Klickitat counties
• Strengthen a regional network of trusted Community-Based Workers (CBW) and HealthConnect Integrated Partner (HIP) Agencies to bolster HealthConnect’s coordinated and interdependent ecosystem of care approach to continuous improvement of whole person health outcomes
• Center equity through prioritizing representation, partnership, engagement, and support with diverse communities and systematically/historically marginalized populations

HealthConnect Pathways Sustainability Model

Successful applicants will contract with SWACH. SWACH will use a two-tiered sustainability model consisting of two contracts. The purpose of this model is for partners to invest in and sustain a community-based workforce.

• The model is a braided Full Time Equivalent (FTE) contract and an Outcome-Based Payment (OBP) contract. Successful applicants may accept both an FTE and an OBP contract.
• RFP related contracts will start in the second Quarter 0f 2022 and are termed for two years.

FTE Contract

• FTE contracts support at minimum 0.5 FTE per community-based worker at $30,000 per CBW annually.
• HealthConnect recognizes that robust, dedicated, and effective supervision of the community-based workforce is essential for program success. In addition to FTE for community-based workers, FTE contracts include FTE funding up to $30,000 for a direct supervisor.

OBP Contract

• Outcome Based Payment (OBP) contracts are complementary and nonduplicative to FTE contracts as OBP payments are incentives and are a source of unrestricted funding.
• Outcome based payments per community-based worker are capped annually at $45,000

The HealthConnect Pathways Sustainability Model supports funding for dedicated supervision and FTE committed to an evidence-based care coordination model, tools, training, technical assistance (TA) support, continuous workforce development, shared learning opportunities, and outcome-based payments. Workforce paid by FTE contracts participates in HealthConnect cohort and individualized mentorship program to fully support model learning and implementation.

RFP Process

Deadline: Submit an application by March 8, 2022, 11:59 pm to info@southwestach.org

Primary preference will go to agency applicants with demonstrated experience and capacity to represent, engage, connect, and support systematically marginalized and/or historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups.

Application Outline

Applications can be written and submitted as a Word, PowerPoint, or PDF type document to: info@southwestach.org.

Applications can be any length to fully answer the seven sections of application materials requested below.

If an interested applicant is unable to submit using the written format, please contact Eric McNair Scott at eric.scott@southwestach.org for other options (e.g., verbal or video application).

1. Profile
   • Organization(s) and primary contact information
   • Mission Statement, Vision, Values
   • 501c3 organizations or Fiscally Sponsored organizations with a Federal Tax ID
2. Alignment with HealthConnect Approach
3. Support of Priority Populations
4. Social Determinants of Health and Equity (SDOH-E)
5. Meaningful Impact
6. Sustainability

Review Committee and Criteria

SWACH will initially review applications to ensure eligibility criteria are met.

A Review Committee will evaluate all RFP applications using the criteria below. The Review Committee will be comprised of a majority of community partners who are HealthConnect Advisory Council members as well as a minority number of SWACH staff. 

Key Features of a Strong Application
Alignment with HealthConnect Approach (15 points)	Demonstrate agency understanding and readiness to support and supervise a community-based workforce team as central to the HealthConnect Integrated Partnership approach demonstrate agency understanding and readiness to deliver HealthConnect Pathways model for community-based care coordination
Priority Populations (30 points)	Primary preference will go to agency applicants with demonstrated experience and capacity to advance equity through representation, engagement, connection, and support with systematically marginalized and/or historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups. Demonstrate agency readiness to support any/all of the HealthConnect Hub priority populations Priority Populations for HealthConnect Expansion Partnerships Systematically marginalized and/or historically oppressed racial and ethnic groups individuals experiencing houselessness and housing instabilityIndividuals with behavioral health conditions, particularly substance use disorder (SUD)Individuals with complex and/or intersecting physical and behavioral health conditions rural equity: Individuals with support needs living in rural areas
Social Determinants of Health and Equity (SDOH-E) (30 points)	Demonstrate understanding of the importance of Social Determinants of Health and Equity (SDOH-E) in addressing issues of disparity and oppression described how the project will address racism, discrimination, and other forms of institutional inequities. Describes which groups are most impacted by the project and/or partnership(s)Describes how community voices and leadership are a part of planning and implementation
Meaningful Impact (15 points)	Describes how this HealthConnect Integrated Partnership will address a community need. Describes how the partnership will improve: The connection of care or services; and/or The coordination of care across organizations and sectors; and/or Community conditions and environments to address inequities in health, safety, and wellness
Sustainability (10 points)	Describes a partnership that has the potential for continued support from partners or external sources; and/or describes a partnership that has the potential to support, amplify or otherwise actively champion HealthConnect sustainability strategies for regional community-based care coordination infrastructure and partnerships

Acknowledgment of SWACH HealthConnect

Successful applicants who move forward as Contracted HealthConnect Integration Partners must acknowledge SWACH HealthConnect partnership and support in printed materials, signage visible to the public, via social media, or in other ways appropriate to the project. SWACH HealthConnect will supply preferred wording and logos in electronic format.

Key Dates

Dates (2022)	RFP process for new agency partnerships
Feb 1	Request for Proposal (RFP) period opens
Feb 8 2:00 PM	HealthConnect Information Session and Support (Zoom link below) -to be recorded and available online https://southwestach.zoom.us/j/98438713210?pwd=OFNVSVhOa25ncXpnZVY4d2ZoQVZtUT09
Feb 14 2:00 PM	HealthConnect Information Session and Support (Zoom link below) https://southwestach.zoom.us/j/98928208656?pwd=aGplRFJndEgrWW9BMHNGN203eVhIZz09
Feb 22 10 AM	HealthConnect Information Session and Support (Zoom link below) https://southwestach.zoom.us/j/98184098969?pwd=TWV0dEROUmVtUzJKNklVSzFLS1RWZz09
Mar 8	RFP applications due
Mar 14 - 18	Application review process
Mar 21	Agencies notified of RFP acceptance
Mar 21	Beginning of contracting process period
Mar 21 to Apr 30	New agencies recruit/hire CHWs as needed
May 18	New Agency Training Pathways 2.0