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COMMUNITY ACTION CORPORATION OF SOUTH TEXAS

EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION PROJECT NIÑOS

INVITATION TO BID

Contracted Speech Therapist

All bids will be received by Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST) Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) Project Niños at 65 N. Wright St., Alice, Texas 78332 until Friday August 1st 2025

BID Submission: Bids must be submitted to Hector Rios at 65 N. Wright, Alice, Texas 78332 or emailed to hector.rios@cacost.org . CACOST will not accept any bids submitted after Friday August 1st 2025.

Tentative Award Date: September 1, 2025

Term of BID: September 1st, 2025 to August 31st, 2026.

Scope of Work

The contractor will be required to support Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) services as part of an interdisciplinary team. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

Participating in the comprehensive evaluation of children from birth to age three who are referred to ECI.
Assisting in the determination of eligibility for ECI services.
Participating in the development of Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP) for eligible children.
Assisting with the implementation and delivery of services as outlined in the IFSP.
Reviewing existing IFSPs to ensure service alignment with child and family needs.
Communicating and coordinating with service coordinators to support ongoing service delivery.
Supervision of Speech Language Pathologist Assistants if needed.

It is important to note that not all duties listed above are required for every case. The contractor’s level of participation may vary depending on individual referrals, team assignments, and the specific needs of the ECI program at any given time.

To qualify as bidder for contractual work, the following must be met:

General Experience

Bidder must have at least 2 years of experience in working with children and infants birth to three and families.

Certifications

Bidder must hold a current license in good standing in his or her discipline and practice within the scope of his or her specific state licensure laws and regulations. Must have record of their continuing education, as required by the applicable licensing board; comply with all established licensing board requirements for receiving or providing clinical supervision. Must meet requirements related to ethics for licensed professionals and meet all established rules of conduct as required by the applicable board. Must hold a current certification in first-aid, including emergency care of seizures and cardiopulmonary resuscitation, for children and infants, and have a current TB test in order to work directly with children and their families. Copies of all current certificates must be provided for review and file.

Insurance

Bidder must provide proof of current Professional Liability/Errors & Omissions coverage. No bid will be approved by CACOST ECI Project Niños until all insurance requirements have been cleared by CACOST ECI Project Niños. CACOST ECI Project Niños will be furnished a certificate of insurance acceptable, prior to the commencement of any work. Proof of current insurance for all employees of the provider will also be required before working with our children and families.

Criminal Background Check

Bidder must provide a copy of clearance of a fingerprint-based criminal background check before working with children and their families. This is also required for all employees of the provider who will be providing direct services to our children and families.

Pricing

Bidder must provide us the amount they intend to be charging for their services.

For Initial Comprehensive evaluations, discipline specific evaluations, re-assessments, and direct services for Aransas, Brooks, Duval, Kenedy, Kleberg, Jim Hogg, Jim Wells, Nueces, San Patricio, Webb and Zapata counties.

Vendor Availability

Bidders shall provide CACOST ECI Project Niños with competent staff that is readily available to answer all questions CACOST ECI Project Niños may have regarding submitted bid; and post award be able to answer all questions regarding awarded contract.

Non Discrimination and Equal Opportunity

No person shall, on the grounds of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap, political affiliation, or belief, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, be subjected to discrimination under, or be denied employment in the administration of, or in connection with, any program or activity funded in whole or in part, with funds made available under this contract.

Civil Rights Compliance and Enforcement

In accordance with Federal Law and the U. S. Department of Agriculture policy, this institution does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS (IF BIDDER IS SELECTED):

In the agreement between CACOST ECI Project Niños and the Contractor, the Contractor shall perform the following tasks and provide the required information incidental to the delivery of services:

Term – this agreement shall begin and end on the dates outlined in the contract by both parties, but may be terminable at – will be either party with 60 days written notice. Contractors will give the written notice to the ECI Director, Hector Rios
Provide a written independent evaluation report, either formal or informal, on each child to the ECI Program when requested for utilization by the interdisciplinary team in developing an Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).
Provide the written independent evaluation report within 1 week after conducting the evaluation.
Provide Prior Written Notice of Screenings/Assessments/Evaluations, Eligibility Determination, Service Implementation and Discontinuation of Services at the time of re-evaluation to parent, which must include a copy of the Procedural Safeguards Related to Prior Written Notice and Consent at all times. CACOST ECI Project Niñosmmust receive copies of the notices.
Notify Service Coordinators of need for changes in frequency and intensity of services. No changes to services (increases, decreases, or discontinuation) can be made until the IFSP is amended by the Service Coordinator with the family’s approval.
Provide therapy according to timelines on IFSP. Services provided past the timelines (IFSP end date) will not be paid. The start and end dates must be closely tracked by Contractor.
Provide brief consultation to the interdisciplinary team, specifically the service coordinator, as needed either in person or over the telephone.
Permit observation of some therapy or other direct service session by members of the interdisciplinary team responsible for the development of the IFSP.
Complete progress notes (must include the actual time in/out of service, including documentation of no shows, cancellations, and phone calls concerning the child) on each child receiving an evaluation, and/or direct services.
Submit progress notes and invoice weekly to the ECI office. Invoices submitted must only include the following information; date of service, patient first name letter initial, last name, date of birth, type of service provided (treatment, evaluation or re-evaluations); length of service provided and rates. All invoices submitted must be dated with the month that services were rendered on.
Request prior approval for allowable cost items needed for services. Communication must be made to the office manager.
Progress notes must describe Family Centered Services. A family–centered progress note describes how the family or other caretaker was involved and how the session focused on functional skills within regularly occurring family and child routines. Progress notes will not be written in jargon.
Review and sign the Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP). This includes revisions and other reviews on a weekly basis.
Provide new planned services within the first 28 days of the Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP).
When canceling a therapy session for any reason, notify the child’s ECI Service Coordinator or the ECI office as well as the family. The Contractor will be expected to make up the session within the same month unless other arrangements are made with the parent. These changes must be clearly documented in progress notes.
Order and/or construct adaptive equipment/assistive technology as deemed appropriate by the interdisciplinary team.
Complete state ECI requirements for initial and annual contractor orientation training to include: CPR, First Aid, Universal Precautions, and Procedural Safeguards including Confidentiality. Before providing services, proof of training must be on file at the ECI office.
Obtain TB test annually and provide copy of results to ECI program.
Provide all necessary information in order for ECI to bill Medicaid for therapy. Fill out required forms for Medicaid, CHIP and Private insurance.
CACOST must verify that all contractors receive 3 hours of supervision quarterly. Assigned supervisors will provide oversight including documented consultation, record review, and observations to comply with State regulations. In addition, Contractor must provide 3 hours of supervision quarterly to their assistants, and submit documentation to the Administrative Assistant by the 10th of the following month.
Provide and maintain a current copy of professional liability insurance.
Follow ECI model and philosophy for serving children under age three and their families, to include, but not limited to (contractor is responsible for reviewing the following with the assistants):
- Interdisciplinary approach
- Family Centered Services
- Services in natural environments
- Routines-Based assessment and intervention strategies
- Relationship-based intervention: enhancing parent-child relationship and parent-professional relationship.

Welcome to Community Action Corporation of South Texas (CACOST)!

CACOST is a private non-profit organization established in 1971 and funded through federal, state and local grants. CACOST currently serves 16 counties via a wide variety of community programs and services. CACOST lives its mission each day, which is to continuously improve the lives of South Texans by providing high quality health care, education, housing and economic opportunities to reduce poverty through services and partnerships.

CACOST is looking for employees who are interested in accomplishing our mission, which can be both rewarding and challenging. We count on our employees to contribute directly to the growth and success of our agency. Because the quality of our staff is the key to our success, we carefully select our new employees. Apply today to join our CACOST family and take pride in being a member of our team.

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