$3.334 Million Statewide Peer Respite Technical Assistance and Evaluation Contract
The California Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission has released Peer Respite Technical Assistance Provider RFP PRO-002 to select a contractor to support implementation and evaluation of California Peer Respite Pilot Projects. The Commission makes $3,334,000 available for this work as part of a broader $20 million statewide peer respite investment.
Proposals are due October 23, 2026 by 12:00 PM Pacific. The bidder conference is September 16, 2026 at 1:00 PM PST, written questions are due September 23, and the Commission expects to distribute responses on September 30. The anticipated notice of intent to award is November 23, 2026.
Verified Scope
The selected contractor will provide technical assistance and evaluation over a three-year and three-month term. Verified work areas include Peer Respite model fidelity and Intentional Peer Support, peer-integrated crisis care, operational partnerships with local systems, a statewide learning collaborative, development of a California Peer Respite Guide, fiscal sustainability and reimbursement pathways, formative and summative evaluation, continuous quality improvement, and health-equity and cultural-responsiveness work.
Eligibility and Procurement Controls
The Commission is seeking a contractor with the expertise, capacity, and lived-experience-informed approach needed to guide and evaluate Phase 1 and Phase 2 peer respite grantees. The official opportunity page links the controlling RFP PRO-002 and budget/narrative exhibit. Prospective bidders must review those controlling documents for all mandatory proposer qualifications, forms, references, subcontracting rules, certifications, insurance, and submission requirements before relying on this summary.
Questions should be submitted to the procurement contact identified by the Commission using the RFP subject-line instructions. The Commission states that interested organizations are strongly encouraged to attend the September 16 bidder conference.
Atlas Opportunity Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 84/100. This is a newly released, substantial statewide California behavioral-health professional-services procurement with a $3.334 million funding ceiling and a defined multi-year technical-assistance and evaluation scope.
N9+ Fit: 5/100. The verified procurement is for peer-respite technical assistance, evaluation, learning-collaborative support, partnerships and sustainability rather than remote physical examinations, vitals collection or telehealth-enabled clinical encounters. Atlas should not force the Nonagon N9+ into this response.
QC Healthcare / Dr. Miltie direct-vendor fit: qualification-gated and currently not advanced as a true direct submission. The verified scope requires specialized peer-respite, Intentional Peer Support, lived-experience-informed technical-assistance and evaluation capability. Atlas did not locate internal records establishing those specific qualifications. Do not claim them or bid directly unless the controlling RFP requirements and legitimate organizational experience can be documented.
Next Action
Potential bidders should immediately retrieve and review RFP PRO-002 and its budget/narrative exhibit, attend the September 16 bidder conference, submit written questions by September 23, monitor the September 30 responses and any addenda, verify every mandatory qualification and reference requirement, and submit a complete proposal by October 23, 2026 by 12:00 PM Pacific.
Official source: California Behavioral Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, RFP PRO-002.