PHPA 4124: Statewide Care Coordination Program for Children and Youth with Specific Health Care Needs

The Maryland Department of Health (MDH or the Department), Office of Children and Youth with Specific Health Care Needs (OCYSHCN), is issuing this Request for Applications (RFA) to fund a single entity to provide consistent statewide care coordination services to ensure equitable access for all Children and Youth with Specific Health Care Needs (CYSHCN) and their families.

The Department intends to make a single award as a result of this RFA.

The Agreement resulting from this solicitation shall be a cost reimbursement.

The objectives of this agreement with the Office of Children and Youth with Specific Health Care Needs are to:

1. Provide standardized, comprehensive, culturally aware, and family-focused care coordination service to Maryland families caring for children and youth with specific health care needs (CYSHCN) using tools and protocols provided by the Office of Children and Youth with Specific Health Care Needs.
2. Operationalize a tiered approach to the provision of services, to include assessment of both the caregiver and the child with specific health care needs to determine level of need, assignment to the appropriate tiered level of support, and re-assessment at regular intervals.
3. Provide capacity building training and educational opportunities to caregivers of CYSHCN and to youth with specific health care needs (YSHCN), thereby preparing them to navigate the system more easily, comfortably, and successfully and giving them the ability to manage their child's/their own care in the future.

Pediatric care coordination is a patient- and family-centered, assessment-driven, team-based activity designed to meet the needs of children and youth while enhancing the caregiving capabilities of families. Care coordination addresses interrelated medical, social, developmental, behavioral, educational, and financial needs in order to achieve optimal health and wellness outcomes.

Applicants must submit a detailed master Work Plan with the grant application. The Work Plan must include objectives, activities, measures of effectiveness, data sources, time frame, and team members responsible for each overarching program goal or activity.

Clients must:

• Be age 0-22
• Be a child or young adult with a specific health care need
• Live in Maryland

**Submission method:** Applications must be received by the Procurement Officer in eMaryland Marketplace Advantage (eMMA) no later than **2:00 pm EST Local Time on November 13, 2026** in order to be considered. Requests for an extension of this time or date will not be granted. Applications received after the due date and time will not be considered.

Applications may be modified or withdrawn by written notice received by the Procurement Officer before the time and date set for receipt of Application. Multiple and/or alternate Applications will not be accepted.

The Grant shall be awarded to responsible Applicants submitting Applications that have been determined to be the most advantageous to the State, considering price and evaluation factors set forth in this RFA.

The anticipated duration of services to be provided under this Agreement is three years with one (1) two-year (2-year) option period. The anticipated dates of services to be provided under this agreement are: July 1, 2027 to June 30, 2030 with an option period from July 1, 2030 to June 30, 2032.

**Mandatory** requirement: The Applicant shall be a social organization as defined per Section 7-402 of the State Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland or a local, state government agency, public college or state university.