Request for Proposal (RFP) Issued for Hillcrest Academy
Hamilton County Juvenile Court (HCJC) has issued its Request for Proposal (RFP) to identify a new provider or providers to re-open and operate Hillcrest Academy. A read-only copy of the RFP may be accessed here.
The Court is creating a new model for Hillcrest that will bring together the highest quality provider or providers to coordinate daily supervision and provide services for children in five areas:
- Residential Service Area
- Programmatic & Behavioral Health Service Area
- Educational Service Area
- Food Service Operations Area
- Medical/Dental Health Service Area
Program offerors may propose to operate all five Service Areas, work in conjunction with other Offerors to operate specific Service Areas, or submit individual proposals to operate one or more Service Areas.
The Court will be responsible for security and the County will be responsible for maintenance and operation of the facility. An administrative team, made up of members of the Court, will provide daily oversight and coordination.
The goal of the RFP is to identify interested and qualified Offerors to provide services 24 hours per day, seven days per week, 365 days per year for an initial term of five years.
The RFP calls for a 144-bed facility to house and provide services to the following populations of Court-involved children in Hamilton County:
- Up to 36 males requiring a staff-secure facility, who have been adjudicated delinquent for a serious offense and require a staff secure out of home placement.
- Up to 48 children, male and female, requiring a staff-secure facility, with significant mental/behavioral health concerns.
- Up to 60 children, male and female, who require respite. These are youth experiencing difficulties in the community who do not rise to the level of correctional confinement but may not be safe at home.
“To successfully rehabilitate, children who are placed at Hillcrest need a safe place to live, daily access to mental and behavioral services, an accredited school with engaged staff and teachers, healthy, nutritious food, and access to physical health services,” said HCJC Administrative Judge Kari Bloom. “The data is clear. Court-involved kids increase their ability to succeed if they stay out of detention and get the services they need close to home. We have been under-utilizing this tremendous community asset. By extending services at Hillcrest to a variety of Court-involved kids, we can assist Jobs & Family Services, local mental health providers, and other agencies that support kids and families.”
Service providers interested in participating in the bid process for Hillcrest should click on the County Bid opportunities page. A link to the Hillcrest RFP is on page two. Click on the link and follow directions for the bidding process.
The RFP process calendar is as follows:
- Dec. 15, 2023: 11am-3pm, Pre-bid conference and walk-through of the property
- Jan. 3-Jan. 10, 2024: Written Q&A period
- Feb. 14, 2024: Submission acceptance period ends
- The expectation is that Hillcrest will reopen by Spring 2025
The contact and mailing address to send a proposal, ask questions regarding the proposal process, technical issues, or the requirements and specifications is:
Gina Richmond- Purchasing Agent
Hamilton County Purchasing Department
138 East Court Street, Room 507
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
All questions regarding this RFP must be presented in writing and emailed to: purchasing@hamilton-co.org with the RFP number entered in the subject line of any communication.
All children placed at Hillcrest are referred by HCJC. Hillcrest is located in Springfield Township at 246 Bonham Road, Cincinnati, Ohio 45215. There are 22 buildings on the site including 12 unattached housing units, gymnasium, recreation hall, chapel, 13-classroom school building, indoor swimming pool, dining hall, and administrative offices. The Hillcrest site has been in constant use as a school and residential facility for delinquent and dependent children since 1914.