Notice End Date: May 8, 2024

Vendor Name: Intent to Sole Source - Crisis Text Line

Contract Amount: 220,000

Agency Procurement Manager: Brandalyn Brewer

Agency Procurement Manager Email: brandalyn.brewer@scdmh.org

Agency Procurement Manager Telephone#: 8038988486

The Agency hereby provides notice that it intends to enter into a sole source contract per S.C. Code Ann. §11-35-1560 with Vendor for the following supplies, services, information technology, or construction:

The South Carolina Department of Mental Health (SCDMH) Office of Suicide Prevention (OSP) provides training and awareness about suicide prevention efforts in SC.  Awareness also includes the availability of crisis resources to people in need of Crisis Services in South Carolina (SC).  The main intention is to obtain a Crisis Text line SC code which will assist OSP with compartmentalizing and tracking SC users of this national resource.  Obtaining this code will ensure that people will connect to crisis counselors who can provide additional information about SC resources. South Carolinians will be able to reach out to the text line to receive better quality care in their time of need. Another responsibility entrusted to the OSP is to share real-time data about suicide prevention with SCDMH and community stakeholders.  If we can procure the text code, we will receive vital real-time data each month indicating the number of users, conversations, and topics for Crisis Text Line use to better assist SCDMH and stakeholders in determining trends and how to approach them for continued support of South Carolinians. The vendor would provide SCDMH with monthly data about Crisis Text Line users that are in the state.  It will connect users who use the procured text code to trained Crisis Counselors who have access to SC-specific resources.  Crisis Text Line Inc. Is the only Crisis Text line service nationwide that can connect a user with SC-specific resources if they use the procured code “Hope4SC”.  In 2022 the National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline did expand services to include chat and text, but these services are routed by a person's phone number.  For example, if you have a Georgia number but are physical in SC you will be routed to a Georgia Lifeline Call Center.  With Crisis Text Line people with out-of-state area codes can use the code “Hope4SC” when they are in SC and it will let the provider know the user is in SC and may need SC resources.

Agency's justification for a sole source procurement may be viewed or immediately obtained at: Agency Procurement Manager (Listed Above)

PROTESTS:
Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract, shall notify the appropriate chief Procurement officer in writing of its intent to protest within five (5) business days of the date this notice is posted. Any actual or prospective bidder, offeror, contractor, or subcontractor who is aggrieved in connection with the intended award or award of this sole source contract and has timely notified the appropriate chief procurement officer of its intent to protest, may protest to the appropriate chief procurement officer in the manner set forth below within fifteen days of the date this notice is posted; except that a matter that could have been raised as a protest of the solicitation may not be raised as a protest of the award or intended award of a contract.
A protest must be in writing, filed with the appropriate chief procurement officer, and set forth the grounds of the protest and the relief requested with enough particularity to give notice of the issues to be decided. The protest must be received by the appropriate chief procurement officer within the time provided above. Days are calculated as provided in S.C. Code Ann. § 11-35-310(13).

Any Notice Of Intent To Protest And Protest Must Be Addressed To: Materials Management Officer