Opportunity Overview
The Vermont Department of Mental Health RFP 143 Mental Health Peer Patient Representatives seeks one or more companies to provide patient representative services pursuant to 18 V.S.A. § 7253. The successful contractor or contractors will recruit, hire and supervise peer support providers serving youth and adults in designated hospitals and residential mental-health settings.
Deadline and Submission
The Vermont Department of Mental Health lists this RFP as active and sets the proposal deadline at October 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET. The solicitation packet states that questions are due September 25, 2026 at 4:00 PM and proposals are submitted electronically through VTBuys. Bidders are responsible for monitoring VTBuys and the State’s solicitation postings for addenda and updates.
Contract Scope
Patient Representatives provide rights education, advocacy, communication support, attendance at treatment-planning or treatment-team meetings when requested, and one-to-one or group peer support. The scope covers designated hospitals, River Valley Therapeutic Residence, Intensive Recovery Residential programs, and the youth Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facility identified in the solicitation. The work is peer advocacy and support, not clinical diagnosis or treatment.
Vendor Requirements
The solicitation contemplates one or more company awards and does not require every bidder to cover every listed facility. Contractors must recruit, employ and supervise qualified peer staff; comply with patient confidentiality, facility safety and privacy requirements; support required peer-training and ethics standards; and satisfy State contracting, insurance, conflict-of-interest, supplier-registration and other compliance requirements in the solicitation package. Indexed copies of the packet identify VTBuys supplier registration and sexual-abuse/molestation coverage of $1 million per claim among the vendor requirements. Atlas should recheck the live packet and all addenda before any bid action.
Funding and Term
The current official opportunity page does not publish a contract ceiling or total available funding. The solicitation provides for a one-year base term with up to four additional 12-month renewal periods and may result in multiple awards.
N9+ and QC Healthcare Analysis
Atlas Opportunity Score: 72/100. This is a meaningful Vermont behavioral-health procurement with substantial statewide service-system relevance and adequate lead time.
N9+ Fit: 0/100. The Nonagon N9+ remote physical examination platform is not a legitimate fit for this solicitation. The requested work is peer advocacy, patient-rights education and peer support rather than telehealth, diagnostic technology, vitals, or remote physical examination.
QC Healthcare Fit: 5/100. The procurement is not principally for physician or clinical staffing. Any QC Healthcare role would be incidental and is not supported as a direct pursuit on the current verified scope.
Direct Vendor Review
Atlas does not recommend a Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare direct bid unless documented peer-support operating capability, required staffing model, training credentials, insurance and comparable experience can be established. The current verified fit supports publication and monitoring rather than a direct N9+/QC pursuit.
Next Action
Qualified peer-support organizations should review the complete live RFP in VTBuys, confirm supplier registration, staffing and training requirements, insurance, references, pricing, required forms and any addenda, and submit through VTBuys by October 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM ET.
Program contact: Vermont Department of Mental Health, AHS.DMHSubmissions@vermont.gov, 802-241-0090.
Official source: Vermont Department of Mental Health Funding Opportunities.