Texas Health and Human Services Commission HHSC

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Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)

• Twogether in Texas Healthy Marriage Program
• Request for Proposals 529-08-0075
• Vendor Conference October 29, 2007

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• Healthy Marriage Programs Background
• AVANCE-Houston
• Building Strong and Healthy Families in Texas
• Community-Based Healthy Marriage Initiative
• Healthy Marriage Development Program
• Post-Adoptive Couple Retreats
• Supporting Healthy Marriage
• Regional Intermediaries

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• Program Supports
• Texas Council on Family Violence
• Texas Research Advisory Group
• Technical Assistance
• Web Registry of Marriage Education Providers

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• HHSCs Mission For This Procurement
• The state legislature recently passed House Bill
  2685, Section 1, Section 2.013, Family Code, 80th
  Legislature, 2007, effective September, 2008,
  eliminating the marriage license fee for couples
  who complete eight (8) hours of premarital
  education. To support legislative directive
  HHSC is seeking to obtain up to nine (9)
  qualified vendors, also referred to as Regional
  Intermediaries (RIs), to build capacity and
  implement a healthy marriage program where
  premarital education and other healthy marriage
  services are available through the selected
  region.

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• HHSCs objectives for this procurement are to
• Identify up to nine (9) RIs to develop, and
  administer a program of coordinated services that
  will build capacity to deliver premarital
  education services to couples or individuals
  interested in marriage, in each selected region
• Contract with each RI who will identify and
  contract with up to six (6) qualified community
  and/or faith-based providers to deliver direct
  premarital services in the region

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• HHSCs objectives contd
• Through the RIs, coordinate with volunteers
  service providers in the region (these may be
  private or faith-based providers who are already
  delivering premarital preparation or other
  marriage education services) who can offer
  premarital education programs to couples seeking
  the marriage license fee exemption

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• HHSCs objectives contd
• Ensure that RIs are working with local family
  violence organizations to build relationships and
  that domestic violence protocols are
  appropriately implemented throughout the region
• Increase the interest and demand for marriage
  education services, with emphasis on premarital
  preparation through public awareness and outreach
  activities

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• HHSCs objectives contd
• Build community networks to support the delivery
  and build demand for healthy marriage services
• Engage county clerks and others in encouraging
  participation in and access to premarital
  preparation
• Utilize the HHSC Strengthening Families and
  Healthy Marriage Training Academy to build
  capacity in the region

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• HHSCs objectives contd
• Through the RIs, purchase/disseminate materials
  to local providers
• Provide on-site support to local providers in
  cooperation with HHSC
• Manage program operation and maintain financial
  accountability

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• HHSCs objectives contd
• Ensure RI and provider programmatic
  accountability and consumer satisfaction through
  documentation and evaluation
• Assure thats the funds provided are not used to
  supplant existing resources and services that are
  not related to marriage and relationship
  education skills for the program attendees.

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• Project Scope of Work
• HHSC is seeking up to nine (9) vendor or RIs to
  provide capacity-building for Premarital
  Education services to community and/or
  faith-based organizations working in the area of
  healthy marriage development for HHSC Regions 1,
  2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 3-East.
• Each RI is expected to build capacity through
  subcontractors for the region wide delivery of
  premarital Education Services. To accomplish
  this project scope includes two phases

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• Planning/preparation phase
• This phase will last about six month during which
  each RI is expected to build a close working
  relationship with HHSC and its partners to
  develop strategies for delivering services
  through their region. A key component of the
  planning/preparation phase is for each RI to
  develop a plan for awarding and managing
  subcontracts. Planning/preparation phase
  activities include participation in training and
  technical assistance activities identification
  of existing service providers in the region,
  contact with local providers, strategizing about
  marketing and outreach to county clerks and other
  and the development of plans to support
  implementation.

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• Implementation phase
• The primary goal of the implementation phase is
  for RIs to directly provide or subcontract to
  local providers to delivery healthy marriage
  program services at no cost to participants.

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• Deliverables
• Planning/Preparation Phase (from time of award to
  August 2008)
• Coordinate with HHSC to develop a plan for
  subcontracting with local providers to deliver
  premarital education services throughout the
  region
• Attend Strengthening Families and Healthy
  Marriage Training Academy and HHSC Meeting

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• Deliverables contd
• Develop a staffing plan and hire accordingly
  (RIs must allocate funds for a full-time Project
  Director and fill this position early during the
  planning/preparation phase)
• Develop a volunteer network

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• Deliverables contd
• Develop a plan for monitoring service delivery
• Develop and implement a plan to engage
  subcontracted providers in recruitment,
  retention, service delivery, and training
• Develop a Regional Outreach Plan
• Develop a plan to coordinate with County Clerks
  (and others as appropriate) in the region about
  marketing and implementation strategies

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• Deliverables contd
• Develop a plan in coordination with HHSC and
  other RIs for providing each individual who
  completes a premarital education workshop with a
  premarital education completions certificate
• Coordinate with HHSCs designated marketing, Web
  Portal, evaluation, and technical assistance
  provider as needed to discuss planning
  activities
• Develop an implementation budget and plan to
  include service targets.

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• Deliverables contd
• Implementation Phase (September 1, 2008 through
  August 31, 2009
• Ensure that subcontracted provider allocate funds
  for their marriage education facilitators to
  attend training activities
• Provide outreach to program services in
  coordination with HHSC partners

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• Deliverables contd
• Coordinate subcontracted provider activities to
  ensure services are being offered in multiple
  locations and at various times across the region
• Convene monthly provider (subcontractor)
  meeting to build capacity among community
  providers
• Manage a listing of available healthy marriage
  services offered in the region through the Web
  Portal.

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Regional Intermediaries
http//www.hhs.state.tx.us/aboutHHS/HHS_Regions.sh
tml
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• HHSC Support to Regional Intermediaries
• Technical Assistance
• Web Portal
• Strengthening Families and Healthy Marriage
  Training Academy
• Marketing Materials
• Domestic Violence Services

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• Training Academy
• The Training Academy will deliver training to
  healthy marriage service providers related to
  capacity building, curriculum, facilitation and
  other activities to strengthen service delivery
  in Texas

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• Training Academy
• Website to be developed and operational by
  February 2008
• Website will list dates, events and registration
  on-line
• Training Academy events are no-cost to regional
  intermediaries (RIs) and their subcontractors.

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• Training Academy Topics
• Topics will include Healthy Marriage Program
  Management, Moving Research into Practice,
  Curriculum Overview and Training, and Partner
  Organization Management.
• Other topics will be developed to meet needs of
  RIs and subcontractors.