In a Request for Information (RFI) released Friday, the California Department of Developmental Services (DDS) seeks “to identify innovative technologies to support positive outcomes” for minors ages 7 to 17 who are diagnosed with autism and who live in Stabilization Training Assistance Reintegration (STAR) homes operated by the state. Four state-operated STAR homes now exist and the state plans to open three more by next year. They’re “licensed as community crisis homes” and were developed as part of DDS’ Plan for Crisis and Other Safety Net Services in the California Developmental Services System, created in May 2017 and updated in January to serve people with developmental disabilities and severe behavioral or mental health issues whose needs aren’t met by existing resources. The homes provide around-the-clock non-medical care. Questions are due by Friday; answers will be provided Oct. 30. Responses to the RFI are due Nov. 4. Among the takeaways:
• DDS hopes to identify technologies to support those minors “with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder with co-occurring behavioral or mental health issues” as they “work on coping strategies, sensory integration, enhance communication and independent life skills,” and other goals. The department also hopes the technologies identified may support “Direct Support Professionals” (DSPs) in obtaining the skills they need “to coach, train and support” these individuals.
The department’s Information Technology Services Division offers the RFI for vendors to:
• Identify innovative technologies “such as programs, information technology systems, applications, and infrastructure” to support people diagnosed with “autism spectrum disorder with co-occurring behavioral or mental health issues” as they develop “life skills, achieving sensory integration or sensory experiences (e.g., lighting, sensory items, sensory experiences), learning technologies, and mental health supports.”
• Identify innovative technologies to assist DSPs in preserving the safety of people with that autism diagnosis and provide “a high level of supervision and support.”
• Offer a “high-level overview of proposed technologies” and how they can support STAR home residents “including high-level solution scope, cost, and implementation timeline.”
• “Dialogue” with community subject matter experts “to understand the breadth of solutions available” to realize STAR goals and support “positive individual outcomes.”
The RFI, which was released to assist DDS “in understanding the current available technologies and solutions that could be used” in STAR homes, isn’t a solicitation. The document doesn’t specify a potential contract value or duration, but asks respondents to provide “high-level” costs including annual and one-time costs. DDS also asks respondents to offer an overview of the technology solutions recommended, including “the specific devices, apps, programs,” and information on how the technology works; goals and outcomes that can be achieved using the proposed solution; and whether an existing organization uses the technology, and if so, the support it has achieved and the outcomes it has improved.
