The County of Cheshire is requesting a detailed proposal from qualified professionals for evaluation services. The full request for proposals is posted on the county website here: https://co.cheshire.nh.us/bid_opportunities/treatment-court-evaluation-services/

Submissions and Timeline

1. RFP release date: Monday, September 29, 2025.
2. To receive RFP addendums, questions and answers, and any available additional documents to assist in preparing the proposals, please submit intent to apply notice by email containing name and email address to the person listed under the county contact information below. Intent to apply notice is not required to apply.
3. Questions must be submitted in writing via email to the person listed under the county contact information below no later than 12:00pm on Monday, October 20, 2025. Responses will be made available to all bidders within 2 business days.
4. Project proposals are due by 12:00pm on Monday, November 10, 2025. Proposals must be sent via PDF attachment to an email sent to the person listed under the county contact information below.
5. The estimated date for selection of contract awardee is Friday, November 21, 2025.
6. The estimated term for the contract is December 1, 2025 to May 31, 2027 (18 months).

County Contact Information

• Suzanne Bansley, Grants Manager, 603-355-3023, sbansley@co.cheshire.nh.us

Scope of Work and Technical Requirements

The awarded subcontractor shall provide external evaluation services to Cheshire County Treatment Court.

1. Key activities:
   1. Develop, collect, analyze, and report on performance measures at baseline, 6-month follow-up, and discharge.
      1. Program measures to include: individuals served, abstinence for substance use, housing stability, employment or education status, social connectedness, health/behavioral/social consequences, access to treatment, treatments provided, retention in treatment, and criminal justice involvement.
      2. Client-level measures to include: the number, types, evidence-based status, and duration of treatments; reunification of families; and drivers’ license reinstatement.
      3. Capacity-development measures to include: fidelity to adult treatment court best practices, fidelity of evidence-based practices, policy development, professional development and training, and team meeting attendance.
      4. Enter and store client-level data in Connexis.
      5. Enter and store capacity-development data in Excel.
      6. Incorporate current program data collected into analysis and use for comparison purposes.
      7. Conduct statistical analyses regarding outcome data.
   2. Assess fidelity of Cheshire County Treatment Court.
      1. Analyze the Treatment Court’s fidelity to its plan, conducting root cause analysis of off track (>10%) indicators and compare fidelity to All Rise’s benchmarks using descriptive analysis.
      2. Resources to include, at a minimum: Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards published by All Rise, Cheshire County Treatment Court Procedure Manual, Cheshire County Treatment Court Participant Handbook; and observation of their practice at in-person and virtual team and treatment meetings.
      3. Interviews to be conducted with key stakeholders about program implementation and team functioning.
   3. Assist in program quality improvement.
      1. Detect disparities using risk ratio analysis and examination of demographic and access data.
      2. Identify data collection, evaluation, and related issues and provide suggestions for improvement of processes and procedures.
      3. Facilitate PDSA (Plan-Do-Study-Act) quality improvement cycles for prioritized targets, with focus on team collaboration and functioning.
2. Deliverables:
   1. Mid-way Progress report at 9-months, expected August 2026.
   2. Final report and analyses at completion of project, expected April 2027.
   3. Final presentation and discussion with the Treatment Court Team, expected May 2027.
3.  Location:
   1. Physical offices are located at 33 West Street, Keene, NH. Participants reside, seek treatment, and work throughout Cheshire County.
   2. Most Treatment Court activities take place in-person.
   3. Some treatment and administrative activities occur virtually.

Proposal Content

1. Approach: Describe how your organization will approach this project and accomplish the scope of work in terms of preparation, research, work flow and process, and communication with the County and its partners.
   1. Include details regarding methodologies, number units/hours and rates for personnel, travel, equipment, materials and supplies, and any other items to be used in the calculation and consideration of this proposal.
   2. Describe warranties and/or guarantees offered for the work, materials, and/or services.
   3. Disclose/list all subcontractors that you intend to use on this project, their scope of work, and the amount that is included in the price proposal to cover their work. Provide the same level of detail for each subcontractor as requested above.
   4. Ensure all aspects of the selection criteria are addressed in this section, if not clearly covered in another section.
   5. The bidder may provide an alternate approach if the bidder feels that there is a better solution that can be offered.
2. Schedule/timeline: Indicate how long the project will take to complete and confirm that you are able to meet the project deadline. Provide a schedule with anticipated milestones from the execution of a contract through final completion of the project.
3. Organizational description: Provide a description of your organization’s history, staffing (education and relevant work experience), and products or services offered, as it relates to the scope of work in this RFP.
   1. Indicate if the organization is a qualified disadvantaged business (DBE), women-owned, veteran-owned, or minority-owned.
   2. Provide UEI and EIN registered to the applicant business.
   3. Ensure all aspects of the eligibility requirements are addressed in this section.
4. Example work: Provide one or more examples, a brief description, and contact information (name, title, email, phone) for at least three projects similar to the scope of work in this RFP that your organization has undertaken in the past three (3) years. Example work may be provided in the form of an attachment to the proposal or as a web link to the source.
5. Price Proposal: Provide details and a total amount needed to complete the project according to the scope of services described above.
   1. Provide units, rates, and extended cost for all cost categories, including, at a minimum, the following: personnel/labor (rate and number of hours), travel (units/rates, frequency, reason), materials/supplies (rate and quantity), and equipment (cost per equipment hour or another basis).
   2. If providing an alternate approach, also supply an additional, separate price for it.
   3. Type of contract: firm fixed price.
6. Signed and dated copy of Appendix D: “Contractor Assurances.”

Proposal Specifications

1. Submit 1 electronic file of the proposal in a single PDF file; all fonts shall be Times New Roman or Ariel, 12-point font, and in sentenced case.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

1. Organization is registered with Sam.gov, has a verifiable UEI number and an unexpired registration date.
2. Organization and any key employees to work on the project are not debarred, suspended, or otherwise restricted from receiving federal funds.
3. Organization is registered as a licensed business.
4. Organization has the requisite certifications, licenses, degrees, diplomas, etc. necessary to legally and ethically perform the work.
5. Proposal contains all content required and addresses and/or acknowledges all aspects of the scope of work and technical requirements.

Selection Criteria

Before making its award or issuing a contract, the County shall consider the project proposal, work, and/or services or products delivered that best serves the needs and financial interests of the County. Organizations whose proposal meet the eligibility requirements will be evaluated and selected on the basis of the following criteria. Unless otherwise indicated, all criteria shall be evaluated with equal weight.

1. Approach is logical, reasonable, appropriate, and thorough; and can be realistically completed according to the scope of work in this RFP and the provided schedule in the organization’s proposal.
2. Organization’s experience with similar work and projects resulted in meeting client expectations with a high level of quality.
3. Organization and employees to work on the project have excellent character, reputation, and judgment, relevant and adequate experience, education/training, knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the work and complete the project.
4. In the event of a tie, preference shall be extended to organizations that are known minority businesses, veteran-owned, women’s business enterprises, and labor surplus area organizations.

The County reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to award any proposal, to waive as an informality any irregularities on proposals received, and to omit any item or items as it may deem to be in the best interest of the County. The decision of the County shall be final and not subject to review or appeal.

Source of Funding

This program is supported by the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Opioid Abatement Programs, as part of a state award. The contents of this request for funding proposal are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by the grantor, their parent agency, or the U.S. Government. Approval and award of a contract is contingent upon the continued availability of funding to accomplish the project.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Publicity

Information provided through the application process is the responsibility of each applicant. Applicants agree not to hold Cheshire County, NH, its affiliates, members, partners, and staff liable for any losses, damages, costs, or expenses of any kind relating to the use or the adequacy, accuracy, or completeness of any information appearing in an application.

Depending on the individual circumstances of this RFP and applications, any or all parts of this process and corresponding submissions may be considered public information. Any confidential information, including trade secrets, shall be redacted or removed by the applicant prior to submission.

If awarded, be advised that the business/applicant’s application information, name, statements, and other information provided during the award process may be used for promotional purposes in all forms and media and the business/applicant may be contacted by Cheshire County, NH for such purposes. Until notified, applicants must agree not to share any status as a finalist publicly, including but not limited to all social media platforms, news media, or local publications.

Conflict of Interest

Any employee, officer, or agent of Cheshire County participating in the selection, award, or administration of funds must disclose to the Board in writing if they have a real or apparent conflict of interest regarding any applying entities. Such a conflict of interest would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of their immediate family, their partner, or an organization which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated herein, has a financial or other interest in or a tangible personal benefit from an entity considered for funding. The officers, employees, and agents of Cheshire County may neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from fund recipients. Cheshire County employees, officers, or agents with a conflict of interest must disclose the conflict in writing to the Board, recuse themselves of any vote pertaining to the contract, and dismiss themselves from any conversation(s) relating to a contract or its terms or conditions.

Contractor Assurances

RFP Contractor Assurances for Evaluation Services

Bidder Questions and County Responses 10/7/2025

1. Can you share the budget available for the evaluation?
   1. A budget limit is not set. We are requesting that interested bidders provide their budget. Please see the Proposal Specifications section, item 5, for details regarding the requested information from bidders around their budget.
2. Also, under key activities the RFP says: “Enter and store client-level data in Connexis.” Are you requesting that the evaluator perform individual level client data entry as part of this contract?
   1. Yes, (1) weekly at court hearings, for 14 active participants with average program duration of 18 months; (2) track ORAS scores at initial entry, midway, and exit; and (3) define and measure recidivism rates of participants after program completion. Weekly estimated time is 2 to 4 hours. See the attachment of New Hampshire Judicial Branch Required Data SFY 2025. At a minimum, we seek for the evaluator to pull data and create presentable reports quarterly. The County is open to considering an alternate approach and it is okay to provide a separate price for data entry; please see Proposal Content section, item 1.e. and item 5.b. for framing an alternate approach.
   2. Attachment to RFP Treatment Court Required Data
3. Are you looking for the evaluator to be on site on a regular basis?
   1. We are open to various approaches in terms of in-person and virtual. Please propose your approach and see Proposal Content, item 1, for details regarding the requested information from bidders around their budget.

Bidder Questions and County Responses 10/20/2025

1. Could you please provide information on the program’s staffing?
   1. Cheshire County Treatment Court is staffed by a full-time program coordinator, a full-time case manager, and a full-time recovery coach. The “Treatment Team” includes the on-staff case manager, a clinical case manager from the local jail, plus up to three treatment therapists/counselors from a subcontracted treatment provider. The “Court Team” includes all the aforementioned positions, as well as a judge, probation officer, prosecutor, defense attorney, law enforcement officer, booking commander, and medical supervisor from the local hospital.
2. What is the typical workflow from the point of referral to program completion (for accepted cases)?
   1. Treatment Court participants promptly enter the program following a determination of their eligibility. Referrals are processed within 45 days, including completing the application and assessments, signing releases, and entering a plea into the program. Participants start their treatment plan immediately after entering the program. Treatment lasts about 12 to 18 months and includes a wide range of modalities and frequency. Participants attend court weekly in the beginning and it becomes less frequent as the progress through the program. As part of their sentence, all participants are placed on five years’ probation.
3. What are the natural touchpoints for data collection?
   1. Presently: treatment attendance, court attendance, 2-3 times weekly urine analysis results, risk assessment (at program entrance and at 6 months), weekly participation in the program, focus groups or surveys with participants (at program entrance and at 6 months), and recidivism.
4. How have data been collected, stored, and analyzed historically?
   1. To date, data has been collected at enrollment by the person who screens the participant, usually a case manager, and throughout the program by treatment providers and the program coordinator or case manager. The program coordinator enters the data. It is presented to county leadership twice annually. As part of this RFP, we seek more formal and frequent data analysis, and preferably also professional reports and presentation slides. Data has been collected using three different programs over the last 12 years (Access, AIMS, and now Connexis). The Treatment Court has not had a formal evaluation by a specialized firm since around 2017.
5. Who has been collecting the New Hampshire Judicial Branch required data at what points along the workflow, and how?
   1. The program coordinator has been collecting the NH Judicial Branch required data all throughout the workflow, from first referral to program completion.
6. Who administers/scores the ORAS?
   1. The probation/parole officer and/or clinical case manager at the local jail administers and scores the Ohio Risk Assessment System (ORAS).
7. Do ORAS results get stored in Connexis, the ORAS cloud-based platform, or elsewhere?
   1. ORAS results are stored in Connexis and in individual file folders.
8. What are the data storage, retrieval, and visualization capabilities – and any known bugs or issues – with the Connexis platform? Is Connexis a cloud-based platform? Does Connexis have a built-in export function for “raw” client-level data (as opposed to just aggregate tables or reports)?
   1. The Treatment Court has been using the database since September 1, 2025 and is too new to using it to provide feedback on bugs or issues. Yes, it is cloud-based. Yes, there is an export function for “raw” client-level data.
9. Could you clarify what is meant in terms of the potential for an “alternate approach” in the Approach (1.e.) and Price Proposal (5.b.) sections of the RFP? Alternates in terms of how the project/data collection process is approached, how the price proposal is constructed/provided, or are there other considerations or alternatives in mind?
   1. By “alternate approach” we mean that it is okay for the bidder to provide a suggested alternate approach to just the scope of work (adding, subtracting, or changing one or more of the items). If suggesting a different scope than the scope in the RFP, please provide a corresponding price proposal for the suggested alternate approach following the instructions in the Proposal Content section item 5, including the price calculation breakdown. Please provide this in addition to a price proposal for the provided scope in the RFP, not in lieu of a price for the requested scope. The county will use this as a point of comparison and will give it consideration in addition to a proposal for the requested scope. The contract to be issued will be fixed-firm regardless of approach.
10. What is the size of and timeframe for the award from NH DHHS’s Opioid Abatement Program? Is there the potential for additional awards to fund evaluation services in the future?
    1. NH DHHS awarded the County a total grant amount (not all to be used for evaluation) of $86,944 for each SFY 2026 and SFY 2027; plus, approved carryover from SFY 2025 to SFY 2026 of $139,151. Funding ends on June 30, 2027. The county will apply for and accept more funding should NH DHHS make this opportunity available again, but there is no assurance provided on continued funding past the end date.
11. Can you clarify the census for the Cheshire County Adult Treatment Court? You provided information about the weekly court hearing (approximately 14 people). How many individuals are enrolled in the treatment court program at one time and annually?
    1. The current census for Cheshire County Treatment Court is 14 active participants. The average annual since the program began in 2013 is between 23 and 26 participants. The maximum capacity is 32.
12. Is there a maximum file size or length (number of pages) for the proposal application?
    1. No. Please use as many pages as is appropriate. Brevity is appreciated, but not required. Email servers are limited to 25MB. If your attachment is greater than that, please break into more than one file and send in more than one email. You will receive an email reply from the County to confirm receipt. Please follow up with the grants manager should you not receive this confirmation message.
13. Will the evaluators have access to client-level data for current participants only or will there be access to historical data as well?
    1. Evaluators will have access to data for current participants and historical data.
14. Is this evaluation project one that will require obtaining additional consent from individuals enrolled in the program or is consent already built into releases of information included in an individual’s enrollment documents?
    1. Once an agency is chosen, the program coordinator will obtain consent from all active participants.