REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
Mental Health First Aid Canada
Quality Improvement Program Development
DEADLINE FOR PROPOSAL: 5:00 p.m. EST October 8, 2014
For further information related to this RFP, please contact via email:
Beverley Curtis
bcurtis@mentalhealthcommission.ca
www.mentalhealthcommission.ca
CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is the help provided to someone developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Just as physical first aid is administered to an injured person before medical treatment can be obtained, MHFA is given until appropriate mental health support can be found or the crisis has resolved. MHFA Canada has over 1,000 trained instructors who have, in turn, trained over 100,000 Canadians in MHFA.
In May 2012, the MHCC released a national mental health strategy for Canada entitled Changing
Directions, Changing Lives. It aims to help improve the mental health and well-being of all people living in Canada, and to create a mental health system that can truly meet the needs of people living with mental health problems and illnesses and their families. The Strategy translates this vision into 26 priorities and 109 recommendations for action, grouped under the following 6 Strategic Directions:
1. Promote mental health across the lifespan in homes, schools, and workplaces, and prevent mental illness and suicide wherever possible.
2. Foster recovery and well-being for people of all ages living with mental health problems and illnesses, and uphold their rights.
3. Provide access to the right combination of services, treatments and supports, when and where people need them.
4. Reduce disparities in risk factors and access to mental health services, and strengthen the response to the needs of diverse communities and Northerners.
5. Work with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to address their mental health needs, acknowledging their distinct circumstances, rights and cultures.
6. Mobilize leadership, improve knowledge, and foster collaboration at all levels.
MHFA Canada contributes to the MHCC strategic directions in alignment with MHFA services and products.
Mental Health First Aid Canada is a growing program which has been successful in achieving its outcomes. Looking to the future, we want to sustain such success. We intend to develop a quality improvement program to support MHFA Canada products and services to be of the highest quality. We are seeking a consultant to develop our quality improvement program. The purpose of the project is to develop the framework necessary to enhance the MHFA program through the implementation of a quality improvement system. The overall aim of the project is to ensure excellence in MHFA Canada products and services and to be able to report in a systematic way on program performance.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Quality improvement involves processes whereby program performance is assessed and evaluated to ensure that a high quality, safe service is delivered and that it complies with agreed upon standards and relevant legislation and/or safety requirements. A range of activities may be undertaken within a quality program including identifying and monitoring standards related to processes, services, products and outcomes; and including reporting on performance results.
As part of MHFA Canada’s strategic plan, MHFA Canada is committed to formalizing and implementing a quality improvement program which includes:
1. Literature review and environmental scan to identify current quality improvement frameworks suitable for implementation with MHFA. This step will result in a recommended model to adapt for MHFA Canada use or a recommendation to develop a quality improvement framework unique to MHFA Canada. The outcome of this decision will affect the subsequent activities.
2. Program specification: This deliverable is a document articulating:
a. The role and purpose of the program b. The authority for the program c. Program principles,
d. Goals
e. Products and core businesses/services (process diagrams) f. Definitions
g. Expected outcomes.
Some of this work is available in the MHFA Canada strategic plan and through an operational review; both completed in 2014. The bulk of new work in this step will occur in developing business process maps for MHFA Canada core businesses.
3. Principles: development of agreed principles to guide the quality improvement system. For example: transparent and understandable; fair and impartial; supporting continuous learning.
4. Standards: A standard means the degree of excellence required for a particular purpose.1 The project will develop standards for core businesses and products. Program policies will be reviewed/developed and standards developed as tools for policy implementation. We may develop structural standards (essential organizational supports required to carry out the activities of the program); process standards (essential services to be provided) and outcome standards (results in measurable terms)
5. Measures: Measures will be developed for each standard to describe the extent of the achievement of the standard.
6. Performance dashboard: once standards, indicators and measures are developed, a reporting method will be developed or agreed upon.
7. Consultation: a limited consultation with MHCC and MHFA staff (including selected instructors) and perhaps 2-3 mental health experts will occur. The purpose of the consultation will be to
1 Oxford dictionary.
ensure the proposed quality framework is of the highest standard and is compatible with the experience of instructors and MHFA/MHCC staff who will be affected by it.
8. Protocol development for course content and learning design improvements: A formal course evaluation process will be developed as part of this project. This step will involve a literature review to identify promising practices in maintaining the quality of our products (content and learning design) and a description of the recommended model for ongoing renewal of our products.
Core elements of the course renewal process will include but not be limited to:
Formal surveys of instructors;
Results of participant feedback consolidated; analyzed, and used to inform changes to course content and learning design.
Involving national working groups to inform course material and learning design renewal.
Note: This step involves developing and consulting on the protocol not implementing it.
SCOPE OF WORK AND DELIVERABLES
The successful candidate/firm will be responsible for a final report describing the quality improvement framework, including the following:
1. Program specification.
2. Principles to guide quality improvement system.
3. Standards development: for core businesses and products. Standards might include structural standards (essential organizational supports required to carry out the activities of the program);
process standards (essential services to be provided) and outcome standards (results in measurable terms).
4. Measures development: small number of core performance measures against which MHFA Canada can report on results.
5. Performance dashboard development: once standards and measures are developed, a reporting method will be developed and agreed upon.
6. Protocol development for course content and learning design improvements: Based on the standard developed for MHFA course offerings, protocols will be developed for ongoing revision and incorporation.
The successful firm/candidate will be responsible for process consulting including:
1. Facilitate 3 full day meetings (10 participants) to develop program standards; measures as well as protocols for ongoing course content and learning design improvements.
2. Conduct a limited consultation internal to MHCC and MHFA and including Master trainers and selected instructors as well as external to 2-3 mental health experts. This could be an online consultation.
3. Provide regular biweekly project status updates in the format required by the MHCC.
This project will be supported by the MHFA Senior Advisor and MHFA Canada management staff.
The successful candidate/firm must be able to work collaboratively, demonstrating exceptional communication skills and a solution-oriented approach. This project requires expertise in standards development; performance measurement and reporting; coupled with facilitation and online consulting skills.
PROPOSAL REQUIREMENTS Proposal deadline: October 8, 2014 Contract end date: March 31, 2015 Proposals should include:
Cover Letter
Indication of previous work with quality improvement systems development for each consultant on the project
List of 3 references for work specifically in quality improvement
Contact Information
Work Plan
Risk mitigation
Detailed Quote, including days and per diem for each consultant
Proof of insurance
Conflict of interest disclosure
Proposals will be scored on the above listed details, and will be for internal use only. Please submit questions to Beverley Curtis via email. Answers will be sent to all consultants who have indicated they intend to submit a proposal.
Please submit proposals via email to Beverley Curtis at bcurtis@mentalhealthcommission.ca no later than 5:00 p.m. EST, Wednesday, October 8, 2014.
