(ITHACA, NY, February 14, 2024) – Tompkins County Whole Health has issued a Request for Proposals for the staffing and operation of a Mobile Supportive Services program. This program will provide community outreach and non-life-threatening crisis response within the City of Ithaca and across rural parts of the county. Approximately $395,000 will be available to the selected organization each year for a three-year pilot period.
The Mobile Supportive Services program is intended to build upon the highly successful Community Outreach Worker and Rural Outreach Worker programs previously operated by Family and Children’s Service of Ithaca. Program staff will provide de-escalation and emotional support, food, clothing and other basic need items, as well as connections to resources and services to help resolve chronic or immediate health-related social needs. Program staff will also engage with community members in downtown areas to promote welcoming, inclusive, accessible, and cohesive public environments for all stakeholders.
Tompkins County Whole Health is seeking proposals from nonprofit organizations with proven abilities to provide community outreach and/or crisis response. The selected organization will be responsible for the design, staffing, operation, and reporting of program outcomes for a three-year pilot period.
Proposals are due by 2PM on Wednesday, March 13th, 2024, with the final award to be announced tentatively by Friday, April 5th, 2024. Eligible organizations can find the full Request for Proposals and submit their bid materials online at the Tompkins County page on BidNetDirect or NYS Contract Reporter. Bidders who do not have, or cannot obtain, internet access can contact the Purchasing Division via email (preferred), purchase@tompkins-co.org or by telephone, (607) 274-5500 for further instructions.
This funding opportunity is part of a continued commitment between Tompkins County, the City of Ithaca, and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance to improve health equity and meet the health-related social needs of our community. It further aligns with plans included in the local Reimagining Public Safety initiative to provide an alternative, non-uniformed response to non-life-threatening crises that do not require law enforcement or emergency medical services, thereby reducing unnecessary hospitalizations and criminal justice involvement.
Tompkins County Whole Health Commissioner Frank Kruppa stated, “We’ve seen several years of successful Community Outreach Worker programming, and more recently Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca launched a successful pilot that demonstrated the need for, and effectiveness of, mobile supportive services focused on rural areas as well as the City. The outreach worker role provides valuable support for members of the public to connect them with essential services while reducing law enforcement involvement in non-life-threatening situations. We look forward to establishing this programming throughout the county and continuing to evolve services for the safety and well-being of the community.”
Deb Mohlenhoff, City Manager for the City of Ithaca, said: “This program will support City and County residents in accessing a broad array of critical services and resources already embedded within our community. The City of Ithaca values this continued partnership with Tompkins County and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance to bolster community supports and looks forward to reviewing proposals from skilled outreach providers in our region.”
Chief Executive Officer of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance Nan Rohrer stated: “Community outreach efforts have been essential to ensuring the Downtown environment is welcoming, safe, and supportive for all community members. We’re excited to take part in the expansion of these efforts with the Mobile Supportive Services program, and to foster continued collaboration between the Downtown business sector and public health to meet the needs of our residents.”
Monalita Smiley, Project Director of the Community Justice Center, said: “The community has been asking for these efforts to expand and to be more coordinated. The overall goal is to find better ways to help people in need, sometimes an outreach worker or service provider is going to be more effective in helping someone than a law enforcement officer would be – we've heard loud and clear from both the community and law enforcement that police don’t need to respond to every call for service and address every human need in Tompkins County. This program has a real opportunity to expand on the great work of outreach workers in our community and follow through on calls for help with lasting services and connections for people.”
For additional information about submitting requests for proposals, please visit TC Purchasing Division’s webpage at: https://tompkinscountyny.gov/purchase.
Tompkins County Whole Health envisions a future where every person in Tompkins County can achieve wellness. Find us online at TompkinsCountyNY.gov/health, and follow us on Facebook at facebook.com/TompkinsWholeHealth and on Twitter at @TCWholeHealth. Get Whole Health updates or other county announcements via email or text, sign up here.
Media contact: Shannon Alvord, salvord@tompkins-co.org
-end-
